Pope Benedict XVI made reaching out to other faiths and promoting Christian unity hallmarks of his tenure. Pope Francis will continue this work, not only because he has a history of facilitating religious dialogue, but also because global Catholicism requires it.

The United States worries about China's rise, but Washington rarely considers how the world looks through Beijing's eyes.

Yet another bout of worry about long-term U.S. decline has generated yet another countersurge of defensive optimism. What new books by Robert Kagan and Robert Lieber miss, however, is the critical role played by multilateral institutions in the perpetuation of the United States' global leadership.

The bold visions of Francis Fukuyama, Samuel Huntington, and John Mearsheimer, however powerful, do not hold up as reliable predictors of particular developments.

Democratic presidential front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama agree on many foreign policy issues, although they continue to try to highlight distinctions.

China signals its political direction and likely future leaders at the close of the Communist Party Congress.

South Koreans face a generational divide over policy toward North Korea, weighing a soft approach to their neighbor's nuclear moves or an alignment with the more hard-line U.S. stance.

While U.S. cultural exports, from Hollywood movies to books to fashion and soft drinks, exercise a dominant influence in the world marketplace, experts say America's "soft power" is declining. That creates opportunities for China.

Daniel Markey examines the identity, interests, and popular standing of Pakistan's major leaders, particularly with respect to their willingness to cooperate or engage in partnerships with the United States.

Michael Hodin, Robert Hormats, and Jane Shaw discuss what is in store for the public and private sectors given a rapidly graying United States.

Experts discuss the role of the UN Millennium Development Goals as a framework for new government development policy, the importance of increasing aid funding transparency with developing nations, and the impact of the financial crisis on the developing world.

Imam Feisal speaks about the need for interreligious dialogue and cooperation while addressing the debate surrounding the community center near the World Trade Center.

Nigerian foreign minister Henry Odein Ajumogobia discusses the challenges and prospects of Nigeria at fifty and the strengthening of Nigeria's bilateral partnership with the United States.

Through the U.S. presidential nominating process, voters have offered a muddled view on foreign policy issues but they continue to generate heat on the campaign trail.

China is expanding its use of cultural, educational, and diplomatic tools to increase its appeal across the world. The move comes as U.S. cultural influence slips and some say the United States may be losing its "soft power," or ability to gain influence through non-coercive means.

The founding father of modern Singapore answers the toughest questions that matter most to thoughtful Americans weighing the challenges of the next quarter century.

A remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.

The trial of a punk band in Russia reflects the Putin regime's hard-line opinions on political dissent, and those views are shaping its foreign policy, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

Damage to America's image in the wake of calls to burn the Quran in the U.S., followed by a weekend of anti-Muslim demonstrations, could be long lasting and far reaching, says public diplomacy expert Joseph S. Nye Jr.