North Korea’s latest missile test has put the spotlight back on its accelerated buildup of conventional and nuclear weapons.
Sue-Lin Wong/Reuters
Nuclear negotiations involving the United States and North Korea, which have proceeded in fits and starts over more than a quarter century, have been stymied by mistrust.
The United States’ deterrence record is spotty vis-à-vis North Korea, and a judgement of its success or failure hinges on how the behaviors or actions targeted by deterrence are defined.
Immigration
Herika Martinez/AFP/Getty Images
The Trump administration’s extraordinary actions to curb migration at the southern border have drawn legal challenges and public protest.
Immigration has been an important element of U.S. economic and cultural vitality since the country’s founding. This interactive timeline outlines the evolution of U.S. immigration policy after World War II.
Brexit
Sebastian Mallaby, senior fellow for international economics at CFR, discusses with James M. Lindsay the recent selection of Boris Johnson as British prime minister, the future of Brexit, and Johnson’s relationship with Donald J. Trump.
Brexit supporters argue that the EU threatens sovereignty and stifles growth, while opponents counter that EU membership strengthens trade, investment, and the UK’s standing in the world.
Asia
South Korea fired warning shots at a Russian warplane after it violated Seoul’s airspace over disputed islands. Here’s what that means for the region.
We may well come to look back on this moment as the time in which Asia began to come apart.
Trade
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Jennifer A. Hillman, CFR’s senior fellow for trade and international political economy, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the operations and functions of the World Trade Organization.
United States
If the Trump administration succeeds in securing citizenship data, the 2020 census could transform the way in which political power is distributed in the United States.
Panelists discuss preparations for the 2020 U.S. Census, including the potential influence of disinformation, changes to the nature of Census questions, and the implications of undercounting certain populations.
CFR on the Record
Jerome Powell discusses the challenges facing the U.S. economy and the policies of the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, work to address challenges of peace-building, inequality, exclusion, and injustice in a rapidly changing world. Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf discuss the vital role of a well-functioning multilateral system and how it can provide the tools and institutions needed to manage and prevent conflicts before they turn violent.
Governor Inslee discusses international climate policy and U.S. leadership in global climate action.
Expert Spotlight
Explainers
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China
Photos: Thirty Years of Protests in China Since Tiananmen
From demonstrations for religious freedom to demands for environmental protection, citizens from diverse backgrounds have challenged authority in China. Here’s a look at major protests since 1989.
Pollution
Why Air Pollution Is So Bad in Asia’s Cities
Air pollution in Asia is deadly. Here’s why it’s so bad.
China
Belt and Road Tracker
This tracker shows how the Belt and Road Initiative has changed countries’ bilateral economic relationships with China over time.
Trade
The Truth About Tariffs
Tariffs have been applied over the years to protect homegrown industries and target competitors who are seen as using unfair trade practices. They impose costs on both importers and exporters and had been in decline until the recent U.S.-China trade spat.
Wars and Conflict
Global Conflict Tracker
The Center for Preventive Action’s Global Conflict Tracker is an interactive guide to ongoing conflicts around the world of concern to the United States.
Featured Publications
President Donald J. Trump’s actions have often been rash, ignorant, and chaotic. Yet some of his individual foreign policies are substantially better than his opponents assert.
Japan’s United States–imposed postwar constitution renounced the use of offensive military force, but, Sheila A. Smith shows, a nuclear North Korea and an increasingly assertive China have the Japanese rethinking that commitment—and their reliance on U.S. security.
In chronicling the adventurous life of legendary CIA operative Edward Lansdale, The Road Not Taken definitively reframes our understanding of the Vietnam War.