How Far Might a U.S.-Taliban Engagement Go?
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The Taliban government in Afghanistan enjoys no formal recognition from the rest of the world, thanks largely to a poor human rights record […] More
Asia
The Perils of a U.S. Trade War with an Overconfident China
OPINION — The trade war with China is intensifying and could ultimately lead to conflict. While President Donald Trump paused tariffs for 90 days on some […] More
The U.S.-China Tariff War – and Some Lessons from History
OPINION — The United States and China are in what you might call a Cold Competition – if not a Cold War. One nation wants to […] More
On the Brink of Another India-Pakistan War
OPINION — The killing of 26 Indian tourists at Pahalgam in Indian Administered Kashmir (IAK) is the first major terrorist incident in Kashmir since Pulwama in […] More
The Latest
Expert Q&A: A Vietnam Veteran and CIA Leader on Lessons from the War
EXPERT Q&A — John McLaughlin was drafted and sent to Vietnam as an intelligence officer in 1969. He would later have a distinguished career in the […] More
50 Years Later, Reflections on Vietnam – From Those Who Lived It
SPECIAL REPORT — Fifty years ago this week, the long U.S. war in Vietnam came to an end. U.S. combat troops had left the country two […] More
A U.S.-Philippines ‘Full-Battle Test’ Aimed at China
OPINION — “Beijing’s aggressive maneuvers around Taiwan are not just exercises – they are dress rehearsals for forced unification…Russia’s growing military cooperation with China, including joint […] More
Silicon Diplomacy: How Tech Can Revive America’s Oldest Asian Alliance
OPINION — For decades, Thailand has worked to energize its economy, attract foreign investment, and modernize services for its people. Thailand is a country with remarkable […] More
Top U.S. Commanders See Major Pacific Risks
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — A pair of top U.S. military commanders warned Congress last week of dangers in their areas of operations which could factor in […] More
Dealing with Nuclear Proliferation in a Dangerous Moment
OPINION — Numerous U.S. allies have expressed concerns regarding the nuclear weapons programs of Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Most of those concerns have come […] More
To Beat China, America Must Balance AI Innovation with National Security
OPINION — While the White House is busy restricting trade with China, it keeps unlocking the back gate. Even as the Department of Commerce expanded export restrictions on March 26 to prevent […] More
Australia’s Strategic Recalibration: Navigating Trump’s Second Term
OPINION — Donald Trump’s return to the White House has dramatically reshaped Australia’s strategic landscape, forcing a delicate balancing act between alliance loyalty and national self-interest. […] More
China Military Drills, a Pentagon Memo and a Question: What Next for Taiwan?
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — Last week, the Taiwan Strait landed back on the front pages for two very different reasons: China held a two-day, large-scale military exercise […] More
Expert Q&A: What is the Actual State of China’s Nuclear Force?
EXPERT Q&A — The Pentagon has regularly warned in recent months about China’s rapid nuclear buildup, a potential sign of Beijing preparing for a “major-power war.” […] More
What Thucydides Tells Us About 2025 Superpower Relations
OPINION — “It is not your enmity that harms us so much as your friendship, which would be interpreted as evidence of our weakness, while your […] More
EXPERT Q&A: Turkey Eyes Challenges and Opportunities in Trump 2.0 Era
EXPERT Q&A – This week President Donald Trump spoke with his counterpart in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and there are reportedly plans in place for […] More
Expert Q&A: U.S. Should Reach Out to North Korea
EXPERT Q&A – As The Cipher Brief has reported, North Korea recently unveiled evidence that it is building what its state media called a “nuclear-powered […] More
Amid Tensions with China, The Philippines Worries About the U.S.
EXPERT INTERVIEW – As the world trains its focus on the headlines about Ukraine — the U.S. pivot to Russia, the pause on American support to Ukraine, […] More
Expert Q&A: China’s Effort to Map the Seabed
EXPERT Q & A – The U.S.-China competition takes many forms – from military buildups to the AI race to the recent Trump administration tariffs […] More