Category: Blogs

China and private lenders are blocking a solution to the global debt crisis. The G20 must step in.

By Vasuki Shastry and Jeremy Mark

The international community must apply pressure so that China and private-sector lenders join in facilitating a collective haircut that includes all lenders.

Russia policy after the war: A new strategy of containment

By Alexander Vershbow

To prevent further damage to the rules-based international order, the United States and its allies will need a strategy of containment to deter Russia militarily and decouple Russia from the international community, until Moscow has earned the right to be considered a partner once more.

The balloon drama was a drill. Here’s how the US and China can prepare for a real crisis.

By John K. Culver

The communication breakdown between the United States and China could prove disastrous if a crisis arises that’s bigger than a balloon—which is why they need to start talking now.

Russia and China have been teaming up to reduce reliance on the dollar. Here’s how it’s going.

By Maia Nikoladze, Mrugank Bhusari

Squeezed by sanctions, Russia has turned to Chinese yuan and gold, but both introduced new vulnerabilities and inconveniences.

Iran’s economic future is uncertain. It’s no surprise why Raisi visited China.

By Jonathan Fulton

From February 14-16, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was in Beijing for his first foreign trip of the year and the first official visit to China for an Iranian leader in twenty years.

Our experts decode the Putin speech that launched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin’s February 24, 2022, speech launching a war of aggression in Ukraine was full of false, misleading narratives that Putin, official Kremlin channels, and pro-Kremlin Russian media outlets had been circulating since 2014. Experts unpack the narrative themes that Russia used to justify the war.

Putin could still win unless the West speeds up efforts to arm Ukraine

By Dennis Soltys

Ukraine's international partners are gradually providing the country with the weapons it needs to beat Russia, but excessive caution and continued delays could still allow Vladimir Putin to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

US foreign policy: China is important but the top priority is stopping Russia

By Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

Members of the US foreign policy establishment are wrong to prioritize a "China First" perspective at a time when Putin's Russia is waging a major war of aggression in Ukraine, writes Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

Iraq needs to address the economy’s structural imbalances to halt the dinar’s volatility

By Ahmed Tabaqchali

The Iraqi government and the Central Bank of Iraq introduced a series of measures to create domestic demand for the Iraqi dinar and to accelerate the adoption of banking in the economy.

The power of renewables: Productive use appliances as climate change solutions in sub-Saharan Africa

By Sharmila Bellur

Productive use appliances can mitigate emissions while encouraging climate adaptation and resilience in sub-Saharan Africa. They can push households up the energy ladder and stimulate economic development, if managed correctly.