Excerpt America was unprepared for its trade war with China, but it shouldn’t have been. As Beijing cut off access to critical minerals, the United States had no response but a quiet retreat. The...
Blackouts across Central Asia should be a light-bulb moment for Washington as it seeks to diversify critical-mineral supply chains. An August 14 blackout across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and...
The United States has the means to block adversaries from gaining an advantage in trade. However, it also needs a positive vision and toolkit for international commerce and investment.
In Kyrgyzstan, criticism of Chinese influence can end in public shaming or an arrest warrant. On July 20, a Kyrgyz presidential administration official published photographs, names, birth dates, and social...
Landlocked Kazakhstan is seeking port access, and Astana is banking on Iran to provide it. On July 8, Kazakhstan signed an agreement to build a logistics and transport terminal at Iran’s largest seaport...
The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now at the center of the U.S.-China critical mineral conflict. On June 25, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned a network based in the Rwandan capital of...
Supercharging U.S. Statecraft, from an Economic Pentagon to the Near-Global Economy
China’s battery giant is going vertical. CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, announced a $4.4 billion investment to launch a dedicated mining subsidiary focused on securing critical mineral...
The United States may finally be serious about breaking China’s control over minerals that are critical for commercial and defense technologies. The announcement of “Project Vault” on February...
With President Donald Trump announcing a “total and complete” oil blockade of Venezuela this week, the noose around dictator Nicolas Maduro’s neck is tightening. A massive US Navy strike...
Congress would be smart to ensure the survival and reform of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) – America’s development bank that invests in private sector projects in developing...
The Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to counter the threat posed by China’s drone industry. On June 6, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders to codify a process for screening...
Washington is finally trying to free itself from China’s mineral chokehold.
China has increased its presence in Oceania, undermining regional confidence in the United States and threatening sea lines critical for Australia’s and New Zealand’s security. On February 22, China...
Weaponizing Innovation in the Age of Genomics
The United States has a few powerful tools to conduct economic warfare and strengthen its economic security. Unfortunately, many of them operate independently, without coordination, lacking strategic guidance,...
Rome's anticipated departure from the Belt and Road Initiative likely marks the end of the project’s grand European aspirations, Elaine Dezenski writes.
Washington must bring powerful answers to pressing issues in the region: populism, political unrest, and disinformation; water and food insecurity; extreme weather; mass migration; the evolving drug trade; money laundering and corruption; and weakened democratic institutions.