In The News

India’s Foreign Policy Crisis

Harsh V. Pant October 29, 2013
As finance minister for India from 1991 to 1996, Manmohan Singh prevented economic collapse by opening the nation’s economy. When he became prime minister in 2004, many anticipated great promise for India as an emerging economy. Over the past decade, India could pursue economic growth and strategic partnerships while the United States invested in policing and maintaining balance. India’s leaders...

Japan’s Olympic Challenge

Jean-Pierre Lehmann October 22, 2013
Bitterness from the Second World War lingers throughout the Asia Pacific region; Japan lost the war, yet rebuilt and became a strong ally with the United States, its one-time opponent. Many in China and South Korea suggest that Japan has not expressed adequate apology to Asian neighbors for wartime aggression. Japan is skilled at adaptation, notes international political economist Jean-Pierre...

Saudi Arabia Rejects UN Security Council Seat

Nate Rawlings October 21, 2013
Saudi Arabia – along with Chad, Chile, Lithuania and Nigeria – won a secret vote in the UN General Assembly for rotating seats on the UN Security Council and became the first country to reject the honor. “Its diplomats cited the council’s inability to take firm action on the current crisis in Syria (ostensibly the fault of vetoes from Russia and China) and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (...

Shutting Down US Antarctic Research Will Have Global Repercussions

Jeffrey Marlow October 16, 2013
Failing to reach agreement on spending, US legislators closed non-essential government services. The designation reduces employee morale and threatens US contributions to trade, health and scientific endeavors, including Antarctic research. Because of the shutdown, the US National Science Foundation put the program in caretaker status. “The logistical ordeal of transporting people and supplies to...

Cambodians Refuse to Accept Rigged Elections

Elizabeth Becker October 15, 2013
Cambodians are connected to the world through trade, investment, tourism, cultural events, social media and dual citizenship. The connections influence how the citizens deal with their long-running authoritarian regime. With a per capita income less than $1000, many Cambodians refuse to support the government of Hun Sen, who has been in office for 28 years. The prime minister no longer convinces...

US Debt Standoff Provokes Ire in China

Simon Rabinovitch October 14, 2013
The threat of US debt default is bolstering China’s desire to lessen the world’s reliance on the dollar, reports Simon Rabinovitch for the Financial Times. Chinese officials and analysts are angry and incredulous about US budget shenanigans, but so far are avoiding public comment or drastic moves. “With $1.3tn invested in US Treasuries, any sudden move to sell those holdings would by itself shake...

Foreign Policy Goes Local

Rodrigo Tavares October 11, 2013
Cities and states no longer wait for national leaders to forge foreign partnerships, and diplomacy moves swiftly with less formality at the subnational level. “Today, many private intelligence firms, think tanks, and NGOs have better access to quality sources than experienced diplomats do,” suggests Rodrigo Tavares, head of the São Paulo State Government’s Office of Foreign Affairs. “And the...