From global think tanks
The analyses published here do not necessarily reflect the strategic thinking of The Global Eye
Africa
(Malancha Chakrabarty, Karim El Aynaoui, Youssef El Jai, Badr Mandri, Manish K Shrivastava – Policy Center for the New South) In a global context marked by unprecedented economic and environmental challenges, Africa stands at a crossroads. The rapid rise in public debt, coupled with the climate emergency, imposes a dual constraint on the continent’s countries, severely limiting their ability to pursue sustainable development and mitigate the effects of climate change. This critical situation calls for innovative and effective solutions capable of transforming obstacles into opportunities for a more resilient and prosperous future. In the face of this reality, it is imperative to rethink traditional financing mechanisms and explore innovative approaches that promote both debt relief and climate action. In this context, Debt-for-Green Swaps are emerging as a promising strategy, offering a viable path to reduce financial vulnerability while accelerating investments in environmental sustainability. – Debt And Climate: Empowering Debt for Climate Swaps to Finance the Green Transition in Africa (policycenter.ma)
ASEAN
(Hai Luong – East Asia Forum) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) aims to strengthen its unity by addressing transnational crimes effectively through the collaborative efforts of bodies like the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime and ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime. In response to rapidly growing new forms of crime, including human trafficking for scam centres, there are increasing calls for the establishment of an ASEAN Centre on Transnational Crime, which would improve intelligence sharing, joint investigation efforts and operational coordination. – Strengthening ASEAN’s responses to transnational crime | East Asia Forum | East Asia Forum
Australia – Africa
(Matthew Neuhaus – Lowy The Interpreter) In 2022, Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts declared that Australia wanted a new relationship – one of partnership – with Africa. Good call, but little action has followed so far. Africa looms larger in the world and the wider Indo-Pacific region and is the frontier of Australia’s western security perimeter. Three key countries with long coastlines – Australia in the East, India in the North, and South Africa in the West – frame the Indian Ocean. Regional peace and security in the future will depend on how these countries work together and engage there with global players such as China, Russia, the United States, France and others. – Australia needs to take Africa seriously – really, this time | Lowy Institute
Belarus – West
(Yauheni Preiherman – The Jamestown Foundation) Since early July, at least 115 political prisoners have been released from Belarusian prisons, raising important questions about the reasons for such decisions and how they might pave the way for a potential reopening of Belarus’s relations with the West. The Belarusian opposition calls for more restrictive measures against Minsk following these releases and argues that only maximum economic and diplomatic pressure will facilitate the freeing of remaining prisoners. There is little evidence that harsh economic sanctions lead to the release of political prisoners, and if the West chooses this course instead of diplomatic engagement, it appears unlikely that much progress will be made in Belarusian-Western relations. – Belarusian Prisoner Releases Hold Potential to Facilitate Belarus-West Relations – Jamestown
Canada
(Christopher Sands, Xavier Delgado – Wilson Center) One week after Canadian parliamentarians returned to work, the shadows of two elections with major implications for loom over Ottawa. This season, legislators have to worry not only about their own electoral prospects following the collapse of the Liberals’ supply and confidence agreement with the NDP, but also the outcome of the United States’ general elections in early November. Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the election means that a new US administration will be in power come January 2025. Despite the many policy differences between former president Donald Trump and vice president Kamala Harris, both candidates’ trade platforms are grounded in the same America First philosophy that first emerged in 2016 and was solidified with bipartisan support in 2020. – Can Ottawa Adjust to the New Washington Consensus On Trade? | Wilson Center
China
(Matthew Johnson – The Jamestown Foundation) The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) proposed amendments to the Supervision Law aim to strengthen the National Supervision Commission’s (NSC) authority, particularly its ability to conduct extraterritorial anti-corruption enforcement. The amendments align with Xi Jinping’s “foreign-related rule-by-law (涉外法治)” concept, extending PRC legal and governance frameworks to international jurisdictions. The NSC’s evolving role, guided by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), reflects the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) broader strategy to expand state power and law enforcement beyond PRC borders, particularly over PRC entities and citizens abroad. These changes are aimed at expanding the PRC’s ability to deepen law enforcement overseas, with a focus on protecting the PRC’s broadly defined national security and interests, particularly in Africa, Central America, Central Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and in “One Belt One Road” partner countries where PRC entities and citizens operate. – Beijing’s Supervision Law Overhaul: Proposed Amendments Push Extraterritorial Anti-Corruption Enforcement – Jamestown
China – Africa
(Linda Calabrese, Yunnan Chen – ODI) The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, held on 4-6 September, is arguably the most followed ‘Africa + 1’ summit and a cornerstone of China’s Global South diplomacy for over two decades. This year, over 50 African heads of state travelled to Beijing for the event, marking the largest delegation ever for a FOCAC forum. – FOCAC 2024: a revival of China-Africa relations | ODI: Think change
(Émilie Laffiteau – Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques) Le Forum sur la coopération sino-africaine (FOCAC) s’est tenu à Pékin du 4 au 6 septembre. Il a réuni près de 50 dirigeants africains autour de Xi Jinping qui a présenté sa vision de la coopération entre la Chine et le continent et fait des promesses d’engagements financiers à la hausse comparativement au dernier Sommet de 2021. Dans un contexte de ralentissement de la croissance chinoise et d’une diminution significative des financements chinois en Afrique, quels sont les enjeux économiques du FOCAC 2024 ? Comment se caractérisent les échanges commerciaux et financiers entre la Chine et l’Afrique ? Quelles annonces ont été faites lors de ce sommet ? Quelles sont les attentes et les perspectives pour les pays africains de leur collaboration économique avec la Chine ? – FOCAC 2024 : prudence économique et partenariat asymétrique entre la Chine et l’Afrique | IRIS (iris-france.org)
China – Russia
(John Cookson – Atlantic Council) “We’ve got to be careful about how we handle this relationship,” US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said on Thursday about US-China relations. “We’re systemic rivals,” he continued, “And I think we’ll be systemic rivals well into the next decade, perhaps even beyond.”. Burns joined the Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics in New York virtually from Beijing for a keynote address and discussion with Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center Senior Director Josh Lipsky. The ambassador opened his remarks with “good news” and “bad news” about the US-China relationship today. – China is ‘aiding and abetting the Russian war machine,’ says US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns – Atlantic Council
(Reuters/Center for a New American Security) Samuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a Washington-based think-tank, said Beijing would be hesitant to open itself up to international sanctions for helping Moscow’s war machine. He said more information was needed to establish that China was playing host to production of Russian military drones. – Russia has secret war drones project in China, intel sources say | Center for a New American Security (en-US) (cnas.org)
Europe
(Johannes Greubel, Javier Carbonell – European Policy Centre) At a time when the European Union (EU) faces a surge of far-right parties and increasing threats to democracy, Ursula von der Leyen’s new Commission lineup signals a clear devaluation of democracy and the rule of law as priorities. This shift reflects a specific understanding of the threats facing European democracy – focusing predominantly on external dangers like disinformation and foreign interference. While these are important priorities in today’s geopolitical tempest, the securitisation of democracy risks overlooking significant internal challenges, thereby placing EU democracy on the defensive and absolving the Union from much-needed self-reflection. The upcoming hearings offer an opportunity to urge Commissioners towards more ambitious democratic reforms. – Democracy demoted (epc.eu)
(Johanna Mohring – French Institute of International Relations) In Europe, with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine showing little sign of abating, a persistent gap remains between security needs and defense spending. According to a 2006 commitment enshrined at the 2014 Wales NATO summit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members should disburse no less than 2% of their national gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, out of which 20% is to be spent on equipment and research and development. In 2024, only 23 Allies out of 32 are expected to meet or exceed this target, though a significant improvement from only three in 2014. This total includes the United States (US) devoting 3.38% of its GDP to defense, constituting almost 70% of all NATO member defense spending combined. – EUDIS, HEDI, DIANA: What’s behind Three Defense Innovation Acronyms? | Ifri
(Nad’a Kovalčíková, Leonardo De Agostini, Beatrice Catena – European Union Institute for Security Studies) Hybrid threats in the Eastern Neighbourhood have contributed to the EU adopting a coordinated approach to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) with its strategic partners. This has led to two key developments. – Strengthening resilience in the East | European Union Institute for Security Studies (europa.eu)
Germany – Russia
(Robin Brooks – Brookings) Our most recent blog flagged large transshipments from EU countries to Russia. Here we explore what categories of goods are being transshipped to Russia via third countries and to what extent transshipments offset the direct drop in exports to Russia. Using German export data, we find that German transshipments to Russia consist primarily of cars, car parts, and machinery. It is likely that transshipments offset the bulk of the drop in direct exports to Russia. – Transshipments from Germany to Russia (brookings.edu)
Global Governance
(Brookings) The sanctions imposed to isolate Russia economically after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, though “unprecedented in scale and scope,” have failed so far to significantly alter Russia’s behavior, according to a paper to be discussed at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) conference on September 27. “Their impact on Russia’s economy has been mixed, with only moderate contraction reported by official Russian statistics” write the authors, Oleg Itskhoki of Harvard University and Elina Ribakova of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. – The economics of sanctions: From theory into practice (brookings.edu)
(Aengus Collins, Philipp Grosskurth – World Economic Forum) The short-term outlook for the global economy is stabilizing but many vulnerabilities remain, according to the latest Chief Economists Outlook. Public debt levels are a significant threat to economic stability in both advanced and developing economies. Easing inflation and resilient global commerce offer some reasons for optimism, but fiscal challenges loom large. – Global economy is stabilizing – but weakness remains, according to chief economistsief economists | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
(Spencer Feingold – World Economic Forum) Public debt levels have become increasingly difficult to sustain. The latest Chief Economists Outlook found that economists see debt levels as a significant threat to a stable economic outlook. Four chief economists provided insights into the potential impacts of current public debt trajectories. – Global debt levels are on the rise. How worried should we be? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Human Security, Climate Action, Energy Transition, Sustainable Development
(Robyn McGuckin, Sangeetha Sarma – World Resources Institute) One-third of all food produced globally never gets eaten, whether it is lost along the supply chain or thrown away by households and businesses. Meanwhile, 1 in 10 people around the world don’t get enough to eat. It’s a tragic irony with a devastating impact. People who could be fed are going hungry; food that could be saved is rotting in landfills releasing planet-warming emissions; and livelihoods and economies that could be thriving are taking financial losses to the tune of $1 trillion a year. But what if food waste were seen as raw material? Three startups working with WRI’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) — an initiative that helps early-stage climate businesses become investment ready — have built successful business models based on tackling food loss and waste. They are proving that it’s possible to turn inedible or surplus food into profit while simultaneously creating local jobs, reducing hunger and avoiding harmful emissions. With more political and financial backing, models like these could be scaled to help tackle food waste and food security challenges around the globe. – 3 Businesses Transforming Food Waste into Profit | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
(World Resources Institute) At the United Nations (UN) in New York City, world leaders and representatives from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) officially launched the ‘100% Alliance.’ This initiative calls on all coastal and ocean states to commit to the sustainable management of all ocean areas under national jurisdiction. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first country in the Middle East to commit, was welcomed as the Ocean Panel’s newest member, now totaling 19 countries representing half of the world’s coastlines. – RELEASE: World Leaders Call for All Ocean States to Join New Alliance For 100% Sustainable Ocean Management | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
(Celine Salcedo-La Viña, Anamaría Martinez, Patricia Quijano Vallejos – World Resources Institute) This paper explores ways in which global actions to tackle climate change can potentially undermine women’s land tenure security. While there is greater cognizance of the role of secure land tenure as a critical enabler of global climate goals, climate actions that fail to account for differential tenure systems and gender dynamics risk eroding women’s customary land rights and associated social support systems. The paper recommends ways to balance climate goals with land rights protection. – Potential Risks to Women’s Land Rights From Climate Actions: Exploring Matrilineal Communities in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
India
(Aditya Bhan – Observer Research Foundation) The Indian microfinance sector has arrived at a major landmark, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Set up in 1974 in Gujarat with the main purpose of extending financial services to poor women, the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Bank was India’s first microfinance institution (MFI). Since then, microfinance has played a critical role in boosting financial inclusion, particularly among poor households and small enterprises in rural areas. – Fifty years of Indian microfinance: The long journey to profitability (orfonline.org)
Japan
(Ryosuke Hanada – East Asia Forum) Candidates in the upcoming Japanese LDP election grapple in different ways with the legacy of Shinzo Abe. Alignment with the late prime minister, particularly on foreign policy and security, are most evident in candidates’ support for strengthening the US-Japan alliance and balancing against China. While some candidates propose new ideas, the policy spectrum remains largely within Abe’s pragmatic and idealistic approach. The election will reveal that Abe’s legacy will continue to shape Japan’s political landscape for the foreseeable future. – The ghost of Shinzo Abe looms large over Japan’s LDP election | East Asia Forum | East Asia Forum
Japan – China
(Victor Ferguson, Darren Lim – Lowy The Interpreter) On 20 September, Beijing announced it would soon begin removing a blanket ban on the import of Japanese seafood products originally imposed in August 2023. The news came in a press release stating Japan and China had reached a “shared understanding” about expanding the (already substantive) international regime that monitors the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. – Yesterday’s stick, today’s carrot? China’s removal of the Japan seafood ban | Lowy Institute
Mexico
(Richard M. Sanders – The National Interest) In his last weeks governing Mexico, President Andres Manuel López Obrador (generally known by his initials as AMLO) is gaining congressional approval of a series of constitutional reforms ahead of the inauguration of his handpicked successor, Claudia Sheinbaum. Taking advantage of a recently enhanced legislative majority, he looks to remake Mexico’s judiciary so that its members are chosen by election. Consequently, many worry that the institution will become less independent and more responsive to political pressure. He is also pushing for the abolition of a range of independent agencies that have acted as a check on executive power. – Back to the Future: Mexico Reforms Its Constitution | The National Interest
Quad
(Kieran Thompson – Lowy The Interpreter) There has been a swirl of negative commentary surrounding the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit held in President Joe Biden’s hometown on 21 September. A common criticism has been that half of the leaders present are lame ducks. This is true. President Biden is effectively a caretaker president until 20 January 2025, when his successor is inaugurated. Likewise, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be replaced as Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (and therefore PM) tomorrow. – The Quad has solid foundations | Lowy Institute
Russia
(Luke Rodeheffer – The Jamestown Foundation) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law legalizing cryptocurrency mining in Russia and inaugurated a pilot project for using cryptocurrencies to pay for international trade as a way to circumvent Western sanctions. Russian banks and private interests have also continued to develop Digital Financial Asset technology to settle international payments and overcome the obstacles presented by other countries, including China, refusing to work with Russia due to Western sanctions. The continued pursuit of such policies by the Kremlin will likely have ripple effects among countries that seek to lessen their dependence on Western currencies and finance. – Russia Legalizes Cryptocurrency Mining to Circumvent Western Sanctions – Jamestown
Russia – Moldova
(Paul Globe – The Jamestown Foundation) Moscow officials and churchmen fear Chisinau will follow Kyiv and ban the Russian Orthodox Church in Moldova. Both they and pro-Moscow groups there are using concerns about that in their campaign against the re-election of Moldova’s pro-Western leader. Russian fears are not only about losing yet another part of what Moscow views as its church’s canonical territory but also about the expansion of Romanian and Western influence in Moldova and Ukraine, where the Romanian church has a sizable presence. President Maia Sandu says she will not ban Moldova’s Orthodox church, but senior members of her party have indicated they want to do so. Sandu’s critics say she is being disingenuous, not declaring her intentions to ban the Moscow church lest the move cost her votes, but nevertheless planning to do so if re-elected. – Moscow Fears Moldova Will Follow Ukraine and Ban Russian Orthodox Church – Jamestown
Russia’s War on Ukraine
(Ihor Kabanenko – The Jamestown Foundation) On September 12, a Russian Kh-22 cruise missile hit the unarmed civilian bulk carrier Aya bringing grain to Egypt, another example of a Russian attack where civilian vessels suffered collateral damage. The consequences of Russian missiles damaging civilian vessels, especially vessels exporting grain from Ukraine, are significantly broader than just on the war in Ukraine, including how it affects the grain market and prices. The only pragmatic option for truly ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea as well as protecting civil infrastructure and citizens is to defeat Russia’s capability to conduct air strikes at their source. – Russian Attacks on Ukrainian Grain Shipments in Black Sea Hold Broad Implications Amid War – Jamestown
(Boris Bondarev – The Jamestown Foundation) Russian President Vladimir Putin has again threatened Western countries with nuclear retaliation, claiming that Ukraine’s use of Western weapons means direct participation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in his war against Ukraine. Western states should respond to this the same way they have to the previous threats: take note and proceed with their plans anyways, acknowledging that Putin is afraid of drastic and unpopular steps. The Kremlin does not know how to respond to Western countries crossing its redlines and therefore relies on intimidating rhetoric. In some cases this use of language is still fulfilling its role, as it has occasionally succeeded in hindering the West from assisting Ukraine. – The West Must Carefully Consider True Meaning of Putin’s Red Lines – Jamestown
(Vladimir Socor – The Jamestown Foundation) NATO’s outgoing Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has called for maximizing military assistance to Ukraine to change Russia’s calculus and bring Moscow to the negotiating table. This scenario spells, however, a territorial compromise at Ukraine’s expense rather than victory in war. Stoltenberg cautions against trying the “freeze” model of conflict management as seen in Ukraine in 2014–2022 under the Minsk agreements. This message contradicts suggestions by some Western commentators to “freeze” this war in place. Additionally, Stoltenberg enunciates a foundational concept for NATO to adopt and implement: “There can be no sustained security in Europe without a stable Ukraine. And no lasting security for Ukraine without NATO membership.” However, winning the war is the only possible guarantee of Ukraine’s “irreversible path to NATO.” – NATO’s Outgoing Leader Stoltenberg Reflects on Missed Opportunities in Ukraine (Part Two) – Jamestown
Taiwan – China
(Crisis Group) The new Taiwanese president has adopted a tougher stance on his country’s autonomy from China. Beijing, in turn, has amped up its pressure on the island. To avoid a mounting escalation, Taipei should tone down its rhetoric and Beijing should curb its military intimidation. – The Widening Schism across the Taiwan Strait | Crisis Group
United Kingdom
(James Babbage – RUSI) Last month the National Crime Agency (NCA) published its National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). It highlights each of the threats the Agency is focused on tackling, from firearms and drugs to child sexual abuse, modern slavery, human trafficking and economic crime. For the first time ever, the top headline this year is not about criminal behaviour; rather, it is about how much more vulnerable we all are to becoming victims. Changes in organised crime are being driven, more than anything else, by our routine dependence – in our personal and working lives – on online services. Indeed, the majority of crime now occurs online or is enabled by online resources. We have all become more vulnerable to organised crime as a result of living more of our lives online. – Charting the Future of Organised Crime – and the UK’s Response | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)
United Nations
(Nilima Gulrajani, Erik Lundsgaarde – ODI) The Summit of the Future has concluded with a Pact for the Future finally agreed over the weekend. The Pact aims to revitalise multilateral cooperation at a testing time for global governance, development finance and international peace and security. Diplomats in New York are celebrating the Pact’s language on UN Security Council reform, digital governance and IMF quota reform, even if it remains a hugely ambitious wish list that sits somewhat at odds with the widely observed global trend of fiscal belt-tightening and multilateral distrust. – A Pact for the Future needs a stronger awareness of UN financing in the present | ODI: Think change
(Thomas Hale, Anne-Marie Slaughter – ASPI The Strategist) International cooperation tends to be hardest when it is needed most. On 22 and 23 September, world leaders convened in New York for the United Nations Summit of the Future, which member states called for in 2020 on the UN’s 75th anniversary. The meeting’s agenda was as ambitious as its name suggests, aiming to forge consensus on peace and security, development, new technologies and the protection of future generations. – UN looks to rectify the past in its Pact for the Future | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)
USA
(John Bridgeland, Elizabeth (Beth) Cameron, J. Stephen Morrison, Jennifer B. Nuzzo, Aquielle Person – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) American democracy and public health effectiveness are inextricable. American health security depends on maximizing the ability to live in a free, pluralistic society able to coherently manage a public health emergency. In turn, the health of US democracy depends on citizens’ faith and trust in institutions—especially government—to protect them in a crisis such as a pandemic. Given disease threats like mpox or H5N1 avian flu, the looming potential for a worst-case biological crisis begs for a well-prepared nation. Unfortunately, the United States, because of or despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, is now more politically polarized and less prepared to mount a united response to a major health emergency. That is a collective danger that threatens Americans and imperils the world. – Strengthening democracy and pandemic preparedness go hand in hand – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (thebulletin.org)
(Jeremy Shapiro – European Council on Foreign Relations) On the campaign trail, the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris seems almost allergic to policy specifics. She has only sat for one network interview since President Joe Biden left the race in July, given no press conferences, and delivered a series of speeches that are heavy on mood and light on policy. Harris is running a “vibes” campaign, asking voters to vote for a feeling – for optimism, for enthusiasm, for joy – rather than for her tax plan or her Middle East strategy. – Letter from Washington: The unbearable lightness of policy | ECFR
(David Uren – ASPI The Strategist) United States presidential candidate Donald Trump sees the continued dominance of the US dollar in international transactions as a matter of national security. ‘If we lost the dollar as the world currency, I think that would be the equivalent of losing a war,’ he told The Economic Club of New York earlier this month. – Trump flags US dollar dominance as national security priority | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)
(Council on Foreign Relations) Alice Hill, the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR, and Varun Sivaram, a senior fellow for energy and climate at CFR, discuss what the United States has done and should do to confront a changing climate. – The Climate Challenge, With Alice Hill and Varun Sivaram (Election 2024, Episode 2) | Council on Foreign Relations (cfr.org)
(Center for a New American Security) The Center for a New American Security released a new report, Integration for Innovation: A Report of the CNAS Defense Technology Task Force, by Michael Brown, former director of the Defense Innovation Unit; the Honorable Ellen Lord, former under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Andrew Metrick, former CNAS defense fellow; and the Honorable Robert O. Work, former deputy secretary of defense. – Top Former Defense Officials Release New Report on Accelerating DoD Innovation | Center for a New American Security (en-US) (cnas.org)
(Newsweek/Center for a New American Security) The integrity of U.S. election systems has been a focal point of concern since foreign interference was uncovered in the 2016 presidential election. Synack, a cyber security company founded by former members of the National Security Agency, has hired 1,600 ethical hackers to test the security of government institutions and corporations. – Army of ‘Ethical Hackers’ Defends Election Voting Systems Against Russia | Center for a New American Security (en-US) (cnas.org)
USA – China – Latin America
(Brookings) Strategic competition between the United States and China is impacting how the two countries relate to each other across the world, including in Latin America. How are the United States and China approaching Latin America and where do their interests intersect? What is the character of their interactions in the Western Hemisphere—rivalry, cooperation, or something in between? And finally, should competition with China be used to motivate American policymakers to devote more attention and resources to Latin America? – How are the United States and China intersecting in Latin America? (brookings.edu)
USA – Europe
(Giuseppe Spatafora, Christian Dietrich – European Union Institute for Security Studies) On 5 November 2024, US citizens will elect their 47th president. After President Biden’s decision to withdraw his candidacy this summer, the two candidates are former President Donald Trump and sitting Vice-President Kamala Harris. Their positions on many issues are radically different, including the US role in the world. – The US elections: what choices for Europe? | European Union Institute for Security Studies (europa.eu)
USA – India
(Harsh V. Pant, Kartik Bommakanti – Observer Research Foundation)
In a significant milestone, the United States and India reached an agreement to establish a semiconductor plant in India that will cater to national security and defence. As a Quad member whose interests largely align with the US, India makes for a compelling partner in the face of China’s emergence as a major geostrategic threat and technological challenge. More specifically, this latest agreement is the result of an initiative between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the United States Space Force (USSF). Critical materials essential for semiconductor development and manufacturing—such as infrared, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide—are central to the agreement. What makes this agreement stand out is its unique collaborative nature, involving a key branch of the US military, the USSF, and Indian industry. – Fab pact: A harbinger of good things ahead (orfonline.org)
