The China-Russia partnership is a highly consequential geopolitical alignment driven by a shared goal of countering U.S. hegemony and reshaping the international order into a multipolar system. While not a formal alliance, this relationship is strengthened by Russia's increasing economic reliance on China following Western sanctions, which allows Beijing to leverage its influence. Policymakers should note that while the partnership projects deep solidarity (as seen in high-level summits), it remains complex and limited by mutual mistrust and competing strategic interests. This enduring alignment poses a significant challenge to U.S. interests and requires continued diplomatic vigilance.
Trump’s Personal Investments and Government by Deal
English Summary
The article argues that the Trump administration's tendency to treat policymaking as a series of personalized 'deals'—such as trading export permissions or government stakes for revenue—undermines predictable market function. Key evidence includes the president's personal investments in major companies like Nvidia, Intel, and Boeing, which are directly affected by the administration's discretionary policies. The core finding is that this 'government-by-deal' approach forces businesses to focus on political favor rather than sound business judgment. Therefore, the policy implication is that the executive branch must be restricted from wielding such broad, discretionary power over individual companies and sectors, favoring instead a neutral, predictable regulatory framework.
中文摘要
本文論述川普政府將政策制定視為一系列個人化的「交易」——例如以貿易出口許可或政府股權換取收入——的做法,損害了市場的預測性功能。關鍵證據包括總統在輝達(Nvidia)、英特爾(Intel)和波音(Boeing)等主要公司進行的個人投資,這些投資直接受到政府自由裁量政策的影響。核心發現是,這種「以交易為政府」的模式迫使企業將精力放在爭取政治青睞,而非依循穩健的商業判斷。因此,政策意涵是,行政部門必須限制行使如此廣泛的、針對個別公司和產業的酌情權力,而應轉向建立一個中立、可預測的監管框架。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that the U.S., through recent policy signals—such as questioning NATO's value or sympathizing with great-power territorial claims—is inadvertently adopting the core tenets of non-alignment, prioritizing transactional national interests over binding alliances. Historically, while non-alignment allowed developing nations to gain benefits without commitment, the analysis notes that this approach lacks the deep trust and shared obligations necessary for robust security structures. The implication is critical: by undermining established alliances, the U.S. risks losing its greatest strategic asset—the network of mutual commitments—as allies actively seek alternative bilateral or regional defense pacts.
-
3.
The roundtable established that implementing generational bans represents a powerful, long-term strategy for tackling deeply entrenched public health crises like tobacco use. Using the UK’s permanent ban on selling cigarettes to those born after 2009 as key evidence, experts analyzed how such policies fundamentally alter market dynamics and consumer behavior over time. These lessons suggest that other nations facing persistent addiction challenges should consider adopting similar age-gating or generational restrictions to accelerate decline and set a precedent for future public health policy interventions.
-
4.
The CSIS analysis finds that the U.S. grid's regulatory framework for connecting large loads is severely fragmented and unprepared for the massive electricity demands posed by AI data centers. FERC has mandated significant reforms across six regional operators, requiring them to modernize interconnection studies, prevent cost-shifting, and establish clear tariffs for co-located generation. Evidence shows that most operators fall far short of these new standards, necessitating complex, multi-year policy adjustments rather than simple compliance. Policymakers must coordinate federal regulation (FERC) with state utilities to accelerate grid modernization, ensuring energy affordability while maintaining technological competitiveness.
-
5.
The Brookings report argues that while modern economies are fundamentally regional in nature, effective governance requires states to align their authority and resources with empowered local cross-sector networks. Current state economic development systems are often fragmented and ill-equipped to manage structural shifts like AI or the energy transition. To modernize, policymakers must adopt a structured 'state-regional' model where states define strategic clusters and allocate capital, while regions coordinate execution using deep local knowledge. This approach has proven successful in catalyzing billions in private investment by ensuring state resources are deployed strategically across multiple sectors to achieve measurable economic growth.