China-Middle East

How Russia, China, and Iran will shape Afghanistan’s future

By Nilofar Sakhi

Each country in the region has specific interests that influence its engagement in Afghanistan’s future, and the relations of regional powers demonstrate the realpolitik at play.

State of the Order: Assessing May 2021

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

What does the Arab Street think of China and Russia? The answers may surprise you.

By Li-Chen Sim and Lucille Greer

Are perceptions about China and Russia shared by MENA elites and the public? Building on previous posts that analyzed MENA’s interests in engaging these states, we answer these questions by examining polling data across MENA and within particular states.

Reality Check #7: Red-teaming the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance

By Emma Ashford

The Biden administration has released an Interim National Security Strategic Guidance (INSSG), a stepping-stone to a full National Security Strategy (NSS). Although this document presents a more realistic vision of the world than the Trump administration’s NSS did, the INSSG still contains some questionable assumptions.

Do China and Russia want to replace the US as mediators in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

By Richard LeBaron, Mohamed Bin Huwaidin, Daniel Rakov, Jonathan Fulton, and Joze Pelayo

In this brief reaction piece, three experts from our working group on Chinese and Russian power projection in the Middle East offer their views on the viability of Russia or China bringing the parties closer to the negotiating table.

State of the Order: Assessing March 2021

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.