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.
America Needs an Alliance Audit
English Summary
The article argues that recent political actions, specifically those involving extortion and tariffs, have severely damaged the long-standing U.S. alliance system. While the U.S. needs to restore international cooperation, the author cautions against simply reviving the Cold War-era alliance framework. This approach is deemed inappropriate because the global landscape has fundamentally changed since the current structures were established. Therefore, future U.S. policy must conduct a comprehensive 'alliance audit' to adapt to modern geopolitical realities rather than relying on historical precedents.
中文摘要
本文論述,近期一些政治行動,特別是涉及敲詐和關稅的行為,已嚴重損害了長期建立的美國聯盟體系。儘管美國需要恢復國際合作,但作者警告,不能簡單地復興冷戰時期的聯盟框架。這種做法被認為不適當,因為自當前結構建立以來,全球格局已發生根本性變化。因此,美國未來的政策必須進行全面的「聯盟審計」(alliance audit),以適應現代地緣政治現實,而非僅依賴歷史先例。
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.