Research Library

Recent federal research security initiatives have put the U.S. at risk of losing its lead in science and technology, write senior fellow Neal F. Lane, Steven Pei, and Jeremy Wu. They lay out a path toward clear, fair policy that safeguards America’s security and competitiveness while fostering a welcoming research environment for foreign talent.

While the U.S. has tried to appear assertive in taking action against China’s trade practices, this strategy has yielded limited results. In a new commentary, fellow Simon Lester summarizes current U.S. policies addressing China’s trade conduct and advocates for the U.S.’ revitalized engagement with the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement system.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative recently stepped back from ongoing negotiations on digital trade at the World Trade Organization, citing unsettled domestic policy, and suspended support for digital trade rules in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework too. But if the U.S. wants to be a part of the conversation, it should reengage and help craft rules flexible enough to meet its future domestic policy needs, writes nonresident fellow Simon Lester.

Taiwan’s Jan. 13 elections saw voters assert an increasingly diverse and inclusive democratic identity. Allies and foes alike should take note, writes fellow Steven W. Lewis.

Will 2024 be another chaotic year in U.S. foreign policy? From Ukraine to the Israel-Hamas war, fellow Joe Barnes reviews the major challenges President Joe Biden faced in 2023 and what they could mean for the November election.

Where do the GOP presidential hopefuls stand on major foreign policy issues? Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes explores the Republican candidates’ likely policy approaches to the Ukraine war, Chinese expansionism, fentanyl at the border and more.

Among his 2024 Democratic challengers, Biden has the clearest foreign policy record — but it may be difficult to maintain his current balancing act on Ukraine and China when it comes to the general election, writes Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes.

Despite recent claims that “free trade is dead,” fellow Simon Lester explains that America was never close to anything resembling free trade in the first place. Instead, current U.S. trade policy, just like past policy, reflects a messy mix of free market and industrial policy views.

As the U.S. doubles down on trade protectionism, it risks weakening the global trade system and harming the American businesses, workers and consumers it aims to protect.