Publications

China Policy Monitor No. 1663

January 29, 2026 Joshua Eisenman

Top general under investigation for "grave violations";
China expands power generation for AI;
China "shot itself in the foot" with the One Child Policy;
Peru's president had secret meetings with Chinese businessmen; 
China buys more Indian goods, but large trade deficits persist

Iran’s Digital Repression Has Entered A New Phase

January 29, 2026 Ilan I. Berman Forbes

Today’s internet blackout in Iran, in other words, is merely the most visible manifestation of an accelerating information arms race. Iran’s radical regime is racing to consolidate digital control over its captive population. If it succeeds in doing so, Iran’s brave protesters will find themselves truly cut off from the outside world.

China Policy Monitor No. 1662

January 23, 2026 Joshua Eisenman

PRC reports largest ever trade surplus;
Chinese, Canadian leaders ink deals, slash tariffs;
State TV airs PLA "decapitation" strike drill on Taiwan;
China debuts "Drone Killer" weapons system; 
China's East China Sea gas exploration fuels tensions with Japan

A Canadian Solution to the Greenland Problem

January 22, 2026 Damjan Krnjević Mišković The National Interest

Canadian and European political leaders of various stripes seem to be tripping over themselves to articulate a sensible position on the escalating conflict between NATO allies over Greenland, a Danish colonial possession until 1953 that is now an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, and a territory the United States now seeks. However, this collective incoherence does nothing to reduce tensions, much less help overcome the danger we all face. As a Canadian, I propose an outside-the-box compromise solution that puts Canada First. 

Washington Must Get Serious About Eurasia

January 22, 2026 Ilan I. Berman The Washington Times

Big changes are afoot in Eurasia. Over the past several months, the region has undergone a series of tectonic shifts, as countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus have recalibrated their respective foreign policies and expanded ties with the West.

China Policy Monitor No. 1661

January 20, 2026 Joshua Eisenman

Beijing will pay $26B in pregnancy and childcare subsidies in 2026;
China, Russia, Iran hold naval drills in South Africa;
China's influence will grow, as trust in U.S. fades -- New poll;
Navy sailor gets 16 years for selling classified material to China; 
Beijing installs loyalist to lead AIIB

Spiritual Science and Sacred Tradition: The Esoteric Sources of Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s Worldview – Part III

January 16, 2026 Alexander John Paul Lutz Hypotheses

To make sense of how Gamsakhurdia engaged with Georgian Christian mysticism, I organize his sources into two analytical categories—what I term the “Gelati current” and the “prophetic current.” These are, crucially, not divisions that Gamsakhurdia himself articulated, but rather, groupings that help illuminate the different functions these sources served in his thinking.

Spiritual Science and Sacred Tradition: The Esoteric Sources of Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s Worldview – Part I

January 16, 2026 Alexander John Paul Lutz Hypotheses

In these pieces, I begin (but certainly do not finish) the process of undertaking that engagement by tracing and examining the esoteric sources that shaped Gamsakhurdia’s worldview. To Gamsakhurdia, Georgia was not just a newly independent state among many newly independent states, but the bearer of an ancient history and a future mission of great significance. It was a chosen mediator between—and synthesizer of—worlds: Western and Eastern, earthly and divine.

China Policy Monitor No. 1660

January 5, 2026 Joshua Eisenman

Wang Yi hosts Thai and Cambodian FMs for talks in Yunnan;
Russia vows to support China if it attacks Taiwan;
Beijing sanctions U.S. defense firms, seizes "non-existent" assets;
China proposes strict new rules to curb AI companion addiction;
Revised civil aviation law covers the "low altitude economy"

Beijing Is Facing A Population Bust

January 2, 2026 Ilan I. Berman Newsweek

When it comes to a nation's potential, few factors matter more than demographics. The pace of a country's population determines a great many things, from the vibrancy of its society to its global competitiveness.

China Policy Monitor No. 1659

December 23, 2025 Joshua Eisenman

U.S. approves $11 billion Taiwan arms package;
House Committee issues recs to deter China from attacking Taiwan;
China supports Venezuela amid U.S. pressure;
U.S. and China boost counternarcotics cooperation;
Chinese firms move to Singapore to avoid U.S. tariffs

China Policy Monitor No. 1658

December 17, 2025 Joshua Eisenman

U.S. special forces seize Chinese military cargo bound for Iran;
Man pleads guilty to smuggling $160 million in AI chips to China;
PLA fighters lock radar on Japanese jets;
Chinese and Russian bombers hold joint drills near Japan;
China's $1T surplus prompts criticism...
... And levies from Mexico, Europe

Central Asian States and the Bagram Dilemma

December 16, 2025 Aleksandar Ivanović Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

The tense clash in opinions over Bagram has left Central Asian countries, Afghanistan’s northern neighbors, in a complex position. The five states initially hinted at opposition to Trump’s efforts, shown in a joint statement of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan.

Kinmen: Taiwan’s Forgotten Line

December 15, 2025 Shayna Faul The National Interest

Yet the real challenge facing Kinmen isn’t military—it’s a matter of political economy. Administratively tied to Taiwan, Kinmen illustrates the complex dynamics of geopolitical influence and economic integration.

China Policy Monitor No. 1657

December 15, 2025 Joshua Eisenman

A Coast Guard standoff between disputed islands;
Amid demographic crisis, China starts taxing birth control;
China delays publishing home sales data;
China cancels Japanese music acts amid frosty ties;
Russia sells Yuan-dominated bonds

Space Roles and Missions: From Fragmentation to Unity

December 11, 2025 Peter GarretsonJackson Schnabel American Foreign Policy Council

The United States faces a fundamental organizational crisis in space. America’s space enterprise remains fragmented across multiple agencies with unclear roles, overlapping responsibilities, and competing authorities. This institutional confusion undermines national security, stifles commercial innovation, and threatens U.S. leadership in the vital space domain.

Europe’s Next Big Task Is Military Transport

December 4, 2025 Ilan I. Berman Newsweek

Military readiness isn't simply about money. It also depends on mobility. Put another way, even if it is produced in greater quantities than before, European battlefield equipment won't do the Ukrainians—or anyone else—much good if it can't be transported to the frontlines.

China Policy Monitor No. 1656

December 1, 2025 Joshua Eisenman

U.S. restricts visas for Central Americans with PRC ties;
Huawei, ZTE seal 5G deals with Vietnam amid U.S. tariffs;
Taipei announces $40 billion budget for "Taiwan Dome";
PBOC expands crackdown on cyber currencies;
China is closing the military power gap

Deterrence and the Industrial Base: the U.S. and China

November 28, 2025 Larry M. Wortzel American Foreign Policy Council

China has emerged as America’s primary geopolitical, economic, and military rival, rapidly building a modern industrial base tightly aligned with its strategic ambitions. The United States, by contrast, now depends on overseas suppliers for key components and resources essential to its defense industrial base.