Inflection Points

Inflection Points

A weekly column by Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe, Inflection Points focuses on the global challenges facing the United States and how to best address them.

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Inflection Points

Jun 13, 2021

History’s warning for the Biden-Putin meeting

By Frederick Kempe

The dangers rest in the Biden administration’s understandable focus on China as the contest of our times and insufficient realization of the increased challenges Russia poses.

Politics & Diplomacy Russia

Inflection Points

May 9, 2021

Four Mideast signs of change offer historic opportunity. Here’s how Biden can build on them.

By Frederick Kempe

A positive series of loosely connected events across the Middle East offers the best opportunity in memory for reducing tensions, ending conflict, building economic progress, and advancing regional integration.

Iran Israel

Inflection Points

May 2, 2021

Here’s why China has gone on the offensive against Biden

By Frederick Kempe

The Chinese are more ready to push back against real and imagined slights, even as they escalate warnings and military activities around Taiwan. The question is how Biden will respond.

China Human Rights

Inflection Points

Apr 25, 2021

Without a trade strategy, Biden can’t win the contest with China

By Frederick Kempe

While President Xi Jinping’s China accelerates his efforts to negotiate multilateral and bilateral trade and investment agreements around the world, both Republicans and Democrats in the United States have grown allergic to such arrangements.

China Economy & Business

Inflection Points

Apr 18, 2021

Why growing Chinese-Russian common cause poses Biden’s nightmare

By Frederick Kempe

This past week, Russia and China simultaneously escalated their separate military activities and threats to the sovereignty of Ukraine and Taiwan respectively. This unfolding great power drama couldn’t come at a worse time for the Biden administration. Yet that is probably the point for Putin and Xi, as they look to gain advantage before Biden can secure surer footing through policy reviews and by staffing up key leadership positions.

China Crisis Management

Inflection Points

Apr 11, 2021

Biden’s start reflects audacious domestic and global ambitions

By Frederick Kempe

Biden’s boldness in his first one hundred days can be measured most graphically by the numbers: the four trillion dollars and counting that he hopes to generate to finance an American pandemic rebound, a surge in US jobs and growth, and a mountain of national infrastructure investments.

China Economy & Business

Inflection Points

Mar 21, 2021

Boris Johnson transforms ‘Global Britain’ slogan into an inspiring strategic plan

By Frederick Kempe

Has British Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally found his country the global role that has eluded it since it lost its empire? Or is the country's newly unveiled strategy an insufficient cover for the historic Brexit blunder that will forever stain his legacy?

Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense

Inflection Points

Mar 14, 2021

The China-Russia moonshot is one more reason for Biden to rethink his Putin strategy

By Frederick Kempe

Moscow sees its space future with China and not the United States, further underscoring its growing strategic alignment with Beijing. The Biden administration must reflect on how the latest Sino-Russian collaboration should be factored into its emerging approach to Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Arms Control Russia

Inflection Points

Mar 7, 2021

Who will organize the world? That’s what’s at stake in the Biden-Xi contest.

By Frederick Kempe

If Biden’s vision is for the United States to create a band of reinvigorated democratic sisters and brothers, inspired by the country’s revitalization, Xi’s vision is for a world where each country’s political system, culture, and society are its own business. Will either view come out on top?

China International Norms

Inflection Points

Feb 28, 2021

Why the US can’t afford to fall behind in the global digital currency race

By Frederick Kempe

The Federal Reserve worries about being too hasty in introducing a digital dollar, given the stakes as the world’s reserve currency. The greater geopolitical danger, however, is how quickly the Fed is falling behind.

China Digital Currencies
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