Global Insights

This episode is part one of two of our conversation on U.S. migration. Over the past few decades, migration from Central America’s Northern Triangle has more than tripled. Millions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are in the process of uprooting their lives to take on the dangerous journey to the U.S. in the hope of a better life. Despite President Biden’s early commitment, submitting a $4 billion plan on his first day in office to tackle the root causes of migration, the approval of t...

Under the rule of President Xi Jinping, China has become a 21st century power, and a formidable competitor to the United States. Having consolidated greater power in his person than any other leader since Mao and abetted by a loyal cadre that make up China’s top leadership, Xi’s global ambitions for China has led him to abandon decades of Chinese restraint in favor of a muscular approach designed to restore China’s historical status as a leading power. Join us for the fifth episode in our Dee...

In late 2022, mass demonstrations broke out in China against the Zero Covid Policy. In a rare move, the Chinese government acknowledged these acts of dissent by relaxing Covid restrictions. However, despite this concession, there were many reports of protesters being tracked down with the help of an advanced state surveillance system and severely punished, with aggressive interrogations and threats to families. What are the politics of human rights and dissent in contemporary China, given the...

Compared to his predecessors, Xi Jinping is more focused on military modernization, which he views as a prerequisite for achieving the “China Dream” of national rejuvenation by the midcentury. China also intends to be entirely independent in its defense sector and compete with other well-established military industries such as Russia and the United States. What are the current capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)? What are China’s short-term and long-term goals for the PLA? What...

On March 5th, Chinese outgoing Premier Li Keqiang opened the National People’s Congress meeting with his annual Work Report and revealed a growth target of “around 5%”, the lowest since 1976. For decades, the country had expanded by more than 10% annually. Even though China missed its target last year by a wide margin due to its zero-Covid policy, not many people expected this low of a target from Xi Jinping’s government. What kind of economic policy will China need to adopt to revive its eco...