Ideas

Best of 2019: Ideas

Revisit some of the best op-eds and commentary we had the privilege of publishing over the past year.

Ideas

The Trump Administration’s ‘Denuclearization’ Is A Road to Nowhere

U.S. policy will remain stuck as long as the administration continues to convince itself that the North’s nuclear dismantlement can be achieved on Washington’s timeline.

Ideas

America's Rivalry With China Is Nothing Like the Cold War

In today’s circumstances, Cold War–era policies are not only unnecessary, but likely to catalyze a destructive spiral of heightening tensions that would make the world a more dangerous place.

Threats

How North Korea Soured on Donald Trump

Kim Jong Un only wanted to engage with the president. Now he’s turning on him.

Ideas

Don’t Demand Protection Money from Japan. Do Ask Tokyo to Rethink Its Defenses

A well-fortified Japan could take the lead in its own security, with U.S. forces acting as a backstop rather than the primary combatants.

Ideas

Dear Pope Francis: While You're in Japan, Call for No First Use

The pontiff was already planning to call for global nuclear disarmament. Asking the U.S. to adopt a no-first-use policy would make the world a bit safer, faster.

Ideas

To Deter China, Deepen the US-Indian Partnership

Here are some ideas for the upcoming 2+2 defense and foreign affairs ministerial conference.

Policy

Esper, Milley Push South Korea to Pay More for US Troop Protection

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo declined to confirm reports that Trump is asking for a 400-percent hike.

Ideas

Selling F-16s to Taiwan Is Bad Business

The jets will inflame, not stabilize, cross-strait relations.

Science & Tech

How AI Will Predict Chinese and Russian Moves in the Pacific

As Pacific Air Forces builds a picture of normal traffic, they'll start looking for suspicious patterns — and even predict what's coming.

Ideas

Challenges Pile up on US-South Korea Alliance Agenda

Summer 2019 has been a watershed moment for trends that threaten to compromise South Korea’s position in Northeast Asia.

Threats

China’s Spies Are on the Offensive. Can the US Fend Them Off?

Recent events suggest Beijing has increased both the scope and the sophistication of its efforts to steal American secrets.

Threats

The Biggest Winner Of the Japan-South Korea Dispute? China

The Pentagon is on edge after Seoul ends an intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo.

Ideas

China’s Credibility Problem

Beijing’s string of violated agreements is starting to weigh heavily on U.S.-China relations.

Ideas

The Bill for ‘America First’ Is Coming Due

Two of America’s closest treaty allies have announced military efforts explicitly designed to exclude the United States.

Threats

How the US Could Lose a War With China

It’s not that the Chinese Communist Party would take over Washington. But in its own region, China has the advantage.

Threats

South Korea's Tough Choice: The US or China?

Caught between its security ally and its top trading partner, Seoul is trying to have it all.

Ideas

How Smaller States are Choosing Sides in the Indian Ocean

From Sri Lanka to Kenya, governments try to balance major-power influence — except in arms purchases.

Ideas

The US Wants to Sell Taiwan the Wrong Weapons

The proposal to send tanks, and not A2/AD weapons, exposes a flawed American strategy.