In the best-case scenario for China, Beijing achieves its economic development goals and reunifies peacefully with Taiwan, all while containing tensions with the United States. Three key developments are necessary for China to achieve its ideal outcome and maintain cooperation with Russia, without interfering in Moscow’s traditional sphere of influence in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. First, China meets its economic modernization goals, becoming the envy of the modern world. Secondly, China mediates an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, and in doing so, lends considerable momentum to the Global…
Canton Island sits 1,900 miles southwest of Honolulu amongst the island nation of Kiribati, and is remote and sparsely populated, home to just 41 people.[1] The nation has signed on to host a controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project, a concern of American national security professionals, to improve Canton Airfield. Kiribati's aim is to increase tourism to Canton Island, an island with no current tourism infrastructure where nearly 50% of the largest strip of land is covered in a runway.[2] Kiribati is directly astride one of the most strategically vital maritime routes in the…
As climate change unfolds, threatening the lives and livelihoods of billions of people around the globe, the issue of climate migration is receiving increasing attention by the public, academics and policymakers alike. While narratives about climate-induced mass migration or populations becoming “trapped” by climate change are gaining momentum, the scientific evidence on climate-related mobility is scant. Individual-level decision-making processes around migration and in situ adaptation are highly context-specific and hard to generalize. Hence, there is a need for more rigorous, in-depth…
Subregional dynamics are crucial to transatlantic security, cooperation, and prosperity. EU Global Strategy and U.S. National Security Strategy have failed to fully capture the geopolitical value of subregions. The connectivity of subregional networks of innovation and cooperation is of paramount strategic importance to constructing a model of integrated network security meta-governance. This model has the potential to salvage the Liberal International Order and expand the scope and relevance of international organizations in an era of permacrisis.
The cyber domain has been the ideal platform for international actors struggling for dominance since its inception. However, due to mis- and disinformation, cyber proxy warfare, and digital diplomacy, nations are gradually building “cyber borders” to protect against malicious or unwanted interventions.
A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed? China-Russia Energy Relations in the Wake of the War in Ukraine
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the question of the extent to which China will increase its purchases of Russian energy and provide Moscow with additional funds for its war effort has loomed large in Washington, Brussels and other world capitals. In March-July 2022, the amount of money China spent on imports of Russian crude oil, LNG, pipeline gas and coal increased by 68 percent over the same period in 2021 to $34.3 billion as Chinese companies took advantage of the discounts offered on cargoes of Russian energy, notably oil, shunned by other buyers. However, China…
Rebuilding cities and towns after protracted conflict is a more common occurrence than many would find acceptable. It is also a policy challenge that can either exacerbate or help alleviate simmering tensions. Urban planning in the face of conflict, therefore, is an instrument by which economies and societies can be rebuilt. Urban spaces are often microcosms of social space; this can be seen, for example, in residential segregation by race or ethnicity derives, or spaces such as clubs that may be closed to some groups of people, or the symbolic manner in which some groups may feel alienated from…
New York has the opportunity to be a model global city, advancing equity internationally through smart public policies and partnerships. Cultural differences and varied constituencies can make it difficult to coordinate global public policy changes, but annual voluntary local reviews can ensure a level of accountability. New York and its peers should pragmatically integrate global philanthropic organizations in public policy design and coordination. New York can lead on climate change and food security, and must seize its opportunity to be a global leader on racial and gender justice.