As a top destination for foreign investment, the United States seeks to strike a balance between national security and its commitment to open markets, explains this Backgrounder.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses former secretary of state Hillary Clinton's role in advancing women's rights on the U.S. foreign policy agenda.

Department of the Treasury Assistant Secretary Marisa Lago delivered these remarks at the Seminar on the U.S. Regulatory and Institutional Environment for Chinese Foreign Direct Investment on September 25, 2013.

"Kenya ranks among the top U.S. foreign aid recipients in the world, receiving significant development, humanitarian, and security assistance in recent years. The country, which is a top recipient of police and military counterterrorism assistance on the continent, hosts the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in Africa. Nairobi is home to one of four major United Nations offices worldwide."

Since it gained independence from France in 1960, the West African country of Senegal has been a bastion of stability and democracy on a continent that has seen relatively little of either.

When Nitish Kumar became chief minister of the dirt-poor Indian state of Bihar in 2005, kidnapping was said to be the leading industry in the capital city of Patna.

In October 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to seize a palatial cliff-top home in Malibu, California. The 16-acre property towers over its neighbors, with a palm-lined driveway leading to a plaster-and-tile mansion.

The unusual trial of Bo Xilai and China's crackdown on both corruption and press freedom reveal a confused and conflicted leadership, says CFR's Jerome Cohen.

While much has been made of the uncertainty amid Egypt's political turmoil, one thing is clear: the participation of women is critical to Egypt's future.

Read full answer

Max Boot argues that suspending military assistance would likely have little effect on the Egyptian generals' actions, but it would give the U.S. more credibility on the subject of human rights.

"Cutting off aid is the only serious way to tell the Egyptian military that its current conduct is beyond the pale," writes Elliott Abrams.

"The Obama administration must now make the long overdue move to suspend American assistance until Egypt's government demonstrates a return to a political process," writes Isobel Coleman.

"The United States government announced last week that it would not, after all, make a determination as to whether the ouster of Egypt's Mohamed Morsi constituted a 'coup.' This decision has both important strategic and financial implications for the United States. By not designating Morsi's expulsion as a military coup, U.S. law allows the United States to continue its $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt. This second largest foreign aid package, after Israel, is tied to the Egypt-Israel peace treaty and also contributes to the annual budgets of major American defense companies."

Michael Spence writes that slowing growth puts Chinese authorities in the tricky position of shifting their economy from a growth model based heavily on public investment-led growth to a growth model that mixes more domestic consumption with higher-yielding forms of investment.

Shannon O'Neil discusses how Mexico has gotten better at exposing corruption but also why it still falls short in prosecuting the accused and convicting perpetrators of these types of crimes.

What's happening in Syria isn't a pretty sight, as the moderates struggle to survive without the expected Western aid.

Shannon O'Neil explains why Latin America is steadily growing in global importance.

The UN Security Council's Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea submitted this report on July 12, 2013, pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea and in accordance with paragraph 13 (m) of Security Council resolution 2060 (2012). These resolutions address how the UN Security Council will monitor peace and security efforts in the region and report on violations such as trading arms and charcoal or funding terrorist organizations.

President Barack Obama gave these remarks in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 1, 2013. He spoke about economic growth and development in African countries, African Growth and Opportunity Act, and the Trade Africa initiative.