China’s Next Geopolitical Goal: Dominate Antarctica
The Biden administration has an opportunity to push back against China’s ambitions in the Antarctic and affirm the international institutions that it has promised to revive.
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Publications
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2449
Biden team preps retaliation for Solarwinds hack;
Moscow, Beijing plot joint lunar station;
Bitcoin mine "digs deep" in Siberia";
Sputnik-V vaccine slated for Italian production;
Russia slows down Twitter;
Russia plans conference to further "inter-Afghan talks"
Will Biden’s Real China Strategy Please Stand Up?
From the outset of the Biden administration, there has been widespread speculation about the future of America's China policy.
China Reform Monitor No. 1457
China caught in "low-fertility trap" - Demographers;
Beijing enforces "Patriots Only" rule in Hong Kong;
China and Russia partner on Lunar Space Station;
Pakistan bans China's Tiktok for "immoral and indecent content";
China grants Sri Lanka $1.5 billion currency swap
State of Islamism 2021 | Issue 1 | Jordan
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has faced growing internal instability and a mounting challenge from extremist actors.
Iran’s Opposition Is Sending Washington a Message
Something profound is taking shape inside Iran. Mere months from the country's next presidential election, and in the midst of a U.S. push for reengagement with its clerical regime, recent days have seen new signs of life from—and coordination among—Iran's notoriously fragmented opposition.
Resource Security Watch No. 36
Climate and a volatile Middle East;
The world looks to wind;
Climate and the new U.S. agenda
Global Islamism Monitor No. 86
Thinking anew about ISIS finances in Washington...;
...as the Islamic State surges in Iraq...;
...and focuses on Syria's refugee camps;
France's shifting counterterrorism project in Africa
Israel Has Good Reason to Be Wary of ICC Probe
The question now is whether, as the ICC seeks to assume more power and expand its jurisdictional authority, its upcoming probe will generate more unwarranted slanders against the Jewish state.
U.S. Territories: The Frontlines of Global Competition With China
U.S. territories and possessions in the Pacific and the Caribbean find themselves on the front lines of Beijing's malign influence, economic predation, and military ambitions.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2448
U.S.-Russian competition heats up in Africa;
Navalny-linked medical union labeled "foreign agent";
Putin tries to take minors off the table;
A social media campaign against pro-Navalny protestors;
The tug-of-war over Nord Stream II heats up
Biden has a Mandate to Compete with China
Since the very start of President Biden’s term in office, speculation has swirled about whether his administration — which is now busy reshaping U.S. policy toward the Middle East and Europe — will stay the course when it comes to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
China Reform Monitor No. 1456
Schools must "cultivate masculinity" - Ministry of Education;
China uses crackdown on pirates to enhance censorship;
Pakistan military airlifts China's first COVID-19 vaccines;
China cracks down on fake COVID-19 vaccines;
Chinese and Indian troops pull-back from disputed border
Africa Political Monitor No. 12
Asian tensions a boon for Africa;
2020: The year of Tunisian immigration;
Russian vaccines to the rescue;
Eritrean troops believed behind massacre in Axum
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2447
Moscow aborts vote on Dzerzhinsky statue;
Prigozhin and others added to FBI most wanted list;
COVID forces Russian diplomats out of North Korea;
Russian outrage at U.S. strikes in Syria;
Russians mark anniversary of Nemtsov murder;
Navalny sent to notorious penal colony
Biden’s Mideast Policy Could Become A Victim Of Beijing’s Success
Just weeks into its tenure, the Biden administration is already executing a profound pivot in the Middle East.
China Reform Monitor No. 1455
New law expands powers of China's Coast Guard;
White House challenges China, WHO on COVID;
More international outcry over China's Xinjiang abuses;
Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arriving in Africa
Former Finance Minister warns of fiscal risks
Joe Biden’s Pressure On Saudi Arabia Has High Stakes
Washington should have every interest in nurturing Riyadh’s current course, and ample reason to fear the potential consequences of nudging it in the opposite direction.
Extend the Compacts, Strengthen U.S. Security in the Pacific
In mid-January, the White House declassified the "United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific," a document which had guided U.S. policy toward the region over the past several years
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2446
A new disease rises in Russia;
Russia approves its third vaccine;
EU pushes new sanctions;
A Russian spy in Sweden;
Climate change opens the Arctic;
Prison abuse caught on tape
Defense Technology Monitor No. 62
Space solar power-beaming on the horizon;
Another step toward robotic space-based manufacturing;
Augmented reality advances;
How tea is inspiring technology;
The future of armor: Fish scales?
What Israel Is Telling Biden About Iran
Iran is "at least two years" away from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran Democracy Monitor No. 215
Iran navigates the vaccine landscape;
Israel's plan B, back on the table?;
The cost of cryptocurrency;
Iran blocks Signal
The risk of China appeasement — redux
When it comes to China, President Joe Biden has proven himself something of a wild card.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2445
Regional university expels student protestors;
Lavrov threatens EU over sanctions;
Navalny supporters rethink protest tactics;
Whelan lawyer: Swap talks are ongoing;
Cyberattack on France linked to Russian hacker group;
Russia, Iran kick off joint naval drill
Indo-Pacific Monitor No. 15
Burma's military asserts dominance;
Istanbul, Tehran, Islamabad renew plans for Asian railroad;
Thai protesters embrace new tactics;
China ups the ante in the South China Sea
What India’s Relationship with Iran Means for America
No matter how warm relations between Washington and Delhi become, history shows that some level of non-alignment will always be part of India’s policies.
Joe Biden’s Secret Weapon For Resetting Iran Policy
VOA can play a crucial role in outreach to the Iranian people. But the White House should get serious about fixing its problems.
China Reform Monitor No. 1454
China's new anti-monopoly rules target tech giants;
New Pentagon task force to review China policy;
New rules for artists;
UK blocks CGTN, China blocks BBC;
'Deep concern' about WHO probe --NSA Sullivan
Why a crisis in the Pacific islands matters for Washington and Beijing
Last week, five Pacific islands countries withdrew from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the region’s premier multilateral organization.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2444
Sputnik-V surges in Central Asia;
Crimea running low on water;
Kyiv requests Twitter remove verified check in Crimea;
Russia places growing emphasis on hypersonic systems;
Russia turns its attention to Navalny ally...;
...as opposition leader's wife flees to Germany
The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire
The Kennedys in the World tells a new, rich, fascinating, and consequential story about Jack, Bobby, and Ted Kennedy.
Africa Political Monitor No. 11
Swiss unfreeze Tunisian ex-president's assets;
Vaccine diplomacy at play on the Continent;
China gains access to more Congolese cobalt;
Sudan and South Sudan to increase oil production...;
...while tensions with Ethiopia escalate
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2443
Editor/Journalist detained for "call to protest";
Navalny doctor dies suddenly;
Diplomats booted over protest participation;
Zelensky bans pro-Kremlin media;
Harsh prison conditions for Navalny protestors
China Reform Monitor No. 1453
Thousands flee Hong Kong for Britain amid crackdown;
China to stop recognizing British national overseas passports;
HK education bureau releases new school national security guidelines;
China cuts trade with Nepal by 95%;
China blocks UN condemnation of Myanmar coup
Trouble in Paradise: Why a Pacific Islands Squabble Matters for Washington
The Pacific Island Forum is in danger of breaking apart and may only make great power tensions with China worse.
Global Islamism Monitor No. 85
Africa's extremism woes;
Saudi textbook start to turn the page;
Biden backtracks on the Houthis
Final Frontier: Why the Space Force Is Here to Stay
The Space Force is an indispensable part of that forward-looking vision; it represents a key instrument of American technological leadership and diplomacy.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2442
Corruption investigation focuses on Kadyrov relatives;
Second round of protests rock Russia, thousands arrested;
Whelan's family hopes Biden can free accused spy;
Sputnik-V trials show 92% effectiveness;
Navalny receives prison sentence;
Joint Russia-Turkey military center opens in Azerbaijan
Ideology Is Making Iran Even Sicker
A year into the coronavirus, the progression of the disease in the Middle East is decidedly mixed. Some countries, such the nations of the GCC, have weathered the pandemic comparatively well as a result of what scholars have termed "authoritarian management." Other nations, however, have been profoundly ravaged by the illness.
China Reform Monitor No. 1452
CPEC loan strains China-Pakistan relations;
U.S. says China's repression of Uighurs is "genocide";
China sanctions 27 former U.S. officials;
Twitter locks China's embassy account for "dehumanizing" Uighurs;
With COVID cases mounting, China to test all Lunar New Year travelers
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2441
Court finds Russia committed war crimes in Georgia;
Foreign Ministry fumes over State Department Alert;
Sputnik-V vaccine: A new tool against Ukraine;
RFE/RL fined by Russian court';
New Navalny raids in Moscow;
The risks of the India-Russia missile deal
Iran’s Ayatollahs Want a New Deal
Make no mistake. Whatever they might proclaim publicly, Iran's leaders are desperate for a new diplomatic agreement with the West.
Global Islamism Monitor No. 84
ISIS adapts in the Philippines...;
...and rears its head in Russia;
Jordan's IAF falls short;
How ISIS won hearts and minds
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2440
An uncertain future for Nord Stream 2;
A new Olympic anthem for Russian athletes;
Putin documentary goes viral;
A lifeline for a new START;
Hungary defies EU, approves Sputnik-V for use;
Thousands arrested in pro-Navalny protests
Iran Democracy Monitor No. 214
Fear and loathing (of Western vaccines) in Iran;
Iran as laboratory;
Iran capitalizes on U.S. political unrest;
Destitute in Tehran
Resource Security Watch No. 35
A renewed focus on climate change in national security;
Dimming the sun to prevent global warming?;
National security concerns lead Ottawa to block Chinese mining;
Japan joins the battle against illegal fishing
Defense Technology Monitor No. 61
Fighting for neuro-rights;
Debating human enhancements;
Debating keeping a man in the loop;
The Pentagon's intelligent spy plane;
Russia now building helicopter drones
China Reform Monitor No. 1451
NASA scientist pleads guilty to lying about China ties;
China's economy, currency surge;
Workers urged to avoid traveling for Chinese New Year;
U.S. imposes sanctions on CNOOC over South China Sea;
Citing forced labor, U.S. bans cotton, tomatoes from Xinjiang
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2439
Seven years on, a step toward Crimean justice;
Sobol's campaign manager under the microscope;
Russia's military instructors in Africa eye the exits;
Russia wants out of the Open Skies Treaty;
Yet another European NGO declared "undesirable";
A bitter welcome for Navalny