China & Taiwan

Taiwan’s Recall Vote and Its Implications

On July 26, only a year and a half after the most recent general election, Taiwanese voters will once again head to the polls. This time, however, the vote is not part of a standard election cycle. Instead, after...

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The Impacts of Trump’s Tariffs on Taiwan

Three months on, the aftershocks of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff spree in April 2025 continue to reverberate across East Asia. The United States imposed high tariff rates across the region, including 32 percent on goods from Taiwan, before...

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Countering China’s Expansionism: Japan-India Synergy in Africa Amidst US Aid Retrenchment    

Introduction The Japan-India-Africa Business Forum, held on February 26, 2025, marked a strategic step in strengthening the India-Japan partnership, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering collaboration and promoting economic growth in Africa and beyond. Convened by Japan’s Ministry of...

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Balancing Acts: Deterrence and Reassurance in US-China Strategy

Managing Tensions, Maintaining Balance—Michael Beckley This month, we’re zeroing in on a core tension in US strategy toward China: how to strike the right balance between deterrence and reassurance. As Washington strengthens military postures, deepens coalitions, and hardens supply...

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Russia Won’t Sit Out a US-China Asia-Pacific War

Contrary to the popular assessments of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership, Chinese and Russian national interests primarily converge in the Asia Pacific and Arctic, not in Europe and Ukraine. For the last two decades, the United States has not paid...

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Russia’s Use of the Instruments of Statecraft in the Indo-Pacific

  Introduction This report analyzes Russia’s use of diplomatic, military, and economic instruments of statecraft to advance its interests in the Indo-Pacific region and examines how China perceives it. As with all reports in this series, this one defines...

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Why Trump Won’t Sacrifice Taiwan

Introduction The basic contours of President Donald Trump’s China policy and its implications for Taiwan remain uncertain. Many express concern Trump will sacrifice Taiwan for a grand bargain with Beijing. Rear Admiral Mike Studeman (Ret.), for example, suggests that...

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Navigating Turbulent Waters: Does Zimbabwe Have a Future?

Zimbabwe, once hailed as the breadbasket of Africa, is now grappling with profound political and economic challenges. Recent efforts by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to reset relations with the United States and the internal political rift that seems to be...

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The Return to Strategic Ambiguity: Assessing Trump’s Taiwan Stance

Would the United States come to the defense of Taiwan if the People’s Republic of China (PRC) invaded? Would the US Navy break a PRC blockade of Taiwan? How would the US military respond to a limited missile strike...

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Charting the End State for US Strategy Toward China

As the new Trump administration formulates its China strategy, defining clear end states will be essential to avoid a reactive or incoherent approach. A long-term rivalry with a peer competitor like China demands more than tactical responses—it requires a...

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