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FOREIGN POLICY POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES

The Foreign Policy Domain tracks and reports on policies that deal with US treaty obligations, relations with other countries, engagement with international organizations, and trade policies. The domain tracks policies emanating from the White House, the Department of State, United States Agency for International Development, Office of the US Trade Representative, and Office of the US Representative to the United Nations.

Latest Foreign Policy Posts

 

Understanding China’s Foreign Policy (Foreign Policy Brief #232)

Foreign policy is a collection of goals, strategies, and actions that a government uses to guide its relationships with other countries and international organizations. Such goals include national security, economic prosperity, global stability, and values promotion. China’s foreign policy seeks to advance all of these goals using the tools of diplomacy, economic measures, military power and soft power (sharing a nation’s culture, values, and media to build good will and influence opinions).

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Week That Was: Global News in Review (Foreign Policy Brief #233)

The US war on Iran has now passed the six-month mark, negotiations have been abandoned and last week saw renewed fighting with Tehran attacking American bases across the Middle East. This came after a US strike was alleged to have hit a home hosting a wedding event, killing five people and wounding dozens. Washington  also launched a new aggressive economic pressure campaign and blockade to coerce Iran into submission. Tehran on its part is now threatening military escalation and a wider war.  The head of Iran’s National Security Council said recently that Tehran is planning to announce a maritime “exclusion zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz where it intends to stop vessels attempting to transit the waterway without Iranian permission.  The conflict currently appears to have no likely end  in sight.

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Understanding China Part III: How China’s Economy and Defense System Work (Foreign Policy Brief #228)

China’s economic and defense systems are increasingly integrated under a unified strategy of “high-quality development” and “military-civil fusion.” In March 2026, the National People’s Congress formally adopted the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), which serves as the master blueprint for the nation’s trajectory through the end of the decade. The central pillar of this plan is the cultivation of “New Quality Productive Forces,” a term championed by the leadership to describe a shift away from traditional, labor-intensive manufacturing toward a technology-led economy driven by artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and green energy.

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Week That Was: Global News in Review (Foreign Policy Brief #227)

Recent days have seen resumed fighting between the United States and Iran. Multiple days of US airstrikes targeting Iran, following Iran’s attacks on three ships in the strait. US and Iranian officials had agreed to a preliminary memorandum of understanding to end the costly and destructive 110 day conflict. Both the US and Iran, along with their allies, agreed to declare an end to military operations on all fronts, which includes Israel’s war on Lebanon. Including Lebanon in the deal had been a hurdle in reaching the deal as Israel has refused to end its attacks and withdraw from Lebanese territory.

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United States Men’s National Team World Cup Post-Mortem (Foreign Policy Brief #226)

Obviously, the loss to Belgium is the most disappointing moment of the World Cup for the USMNT and their fans. Losing 4-1 to Belgium came as a shock to most USA fans, and clearly to the players as well; however, perhaps it should not have since the only time the USA has ever beat Belgium was in the 1930 World Cup (the very first World Cup ever). Since 1930, Belgium has won every time they have played the United States. So, though, the USMNT was riding a serious wave of fandom and support, but the historical data suggests that they may have never really stood much of a chance anyway.

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