Forget Greenland. Let’s buy North Korea.
Buying the world’s biggest island would be a very splashy play. Really, what could possibly go wrong?
Foreign Concept
Foreign Concept provides international affairs coverage by Mark Porubcansky, a foreign correspondent and editor for 30 years, who, until recently, served as foreign editor of the Los Angeles Times.
China wants to avoid a crackdown on Hong Kong. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
China is probably willing to use force, and take a big hit to its international standing, if it deems the protest a threat to the Communist Party and the system. But the cost would be substantial at a time when China can ill afford it.
Why China may want a second Trump term
In some ways, the Trump presidency has been a gift for China.
It’s time to get serious about white nationalist terrorism
Yes, gun control would help. But confronting violent white extremists requires a broad counterterrorism strategy that employs sophistication, resources and persistence.
In a troubled Europe, Greece is a bright spot. Yes, Greece.
The huge deficits are gone. The government is taking in more money than it is spending. Unemployment is still too high but going down. And the economy is growing.
Trump has said Somalia is ‘broken.’ So what is his administration doing to fix it?
In attacking Omar and the other members of Congress, Trump said they ought to focus on fixing foreign governments that are among “the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world.” He almost certainly had Somalia in mind.
Why isn’t there more outrage over China’s actions in Xinjiang?
China has been effective at limiting the international damage from revelations that it has sent as many as 1 million people, most of them Uighurs, a Turkic Muslim minority, to what it calls vocational training camps — and what others call reeducation camps.
Is a ‘Marshall Plan for Central America’ the best way to stem migration?
Massive infusions of aid to improve living conditions have been tried elsewhere. It’s an attractive idea. But it’s also very easy to throw away a lot of money and get relatively little for it.
Trump is going to have to decide what he wants from Iran
Does the president want regime change in Tehran – with the risk of war? A substantially reworked nuclear deal? Or a tweaked deal that has his name on it rather than President Obama’s?
Russian and Chinese officials backed down after protests. Don’t expect that to be a regular thing.
The two countries learned a little something about how far they can push on citizens’ rights, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop pushing. More likely is that next time, they’ll just act a little smarter.
The new Sudan, unfortunately, may end up looking like the old Sudan
Thanks, Saudi Arabia.
Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexico could be a disaster. Or it could be a big fat nothingburger
The fact that no one, except maybe Stephen Miller, saw this coming shows just how wedded we are to the idea that politics ought to make sense.
The U.S. and the U.K. seem to be competing to see which country can screw things up worse
President Trump’s visit to Britain next week will include ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a reminder of common values and shared sacrifices. In other ways, it will be a very weird visit.
The winner of a U.S.-China trade war could be … Mexico
No matter how much power President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping think they have to shape their countries’ economic relationship, there are a lot of important things well beyond the control of either.
What’s the point of increased U.S. pressure on Iran? Not even the Trump administration seems sure
Does Trump, as he reiterated on Thursday, really want to renegotiate the nuclear treaty with Iran? Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton seem more focused on regime change.
A 21st-century Big Power rivalry is playing out in Venezuela
What the U.S., Russia and China decide to do and how they do it will help determine how badly Venezuelans suffer and for how much longer.
Trump’s decision to pull out of the Arms Trade Treaty: a cynic’s guide
Three ways to think about President Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of an agreement regulating the conventional arms trade.
Russia’s plan for 2020? Exacerbate tensions, sow mistrust, sit back and enjoy the show
Americans are doing a pretty good job of screwing up their elections all on their own, so the best way to influence an election is to act well before election day.
In Algeria and Sudan, a late bloom of the Arab Spring
The actions of protesters in Sudan and Algeria are a reminder that there are plenty of people who know very well what they’re missing, yearn for it, and are willing to risk their lives for it.
How climate change has fueled the border crisis
Those arriving at the border may cite gang violence or economic hardship for leaving. But there also is solid evidence that one factor often behind it all is climate change.
