From ChatGPT to Chat CCP: The Future of Generative AI Models in China

Only three months into its release, ChatGPT has already created a frenzy among people around the world. Source: Reuters Chinese regulators recently warned tech companies not to release ChatGPT-like products, for fear that chatbots would spread “disinformation” by the U.S. government. With all the hype surrounding OpenAI’s natural language model setting off an “AI Arms … Continue reading From ChatGPT to Chat CCP: The Future of Generative AI Models in China

The Case for a Nuclear South Korea

President Yoon Suk Yeol pays respect to the late president Park Chung-hee, who attempted to build a nuclear weapon during the 1970s but was thwarted by American intervention. Office of the President of the Republic of Korea For the first time, a South Korean president officially mentioned the possibility of his country going nuclear. Although … Continue reading The Case for a Nuclear South Korea

The Geopolitics of Nuclear Fusion

Image Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory / Flickr On December 5th, a team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved ignition, creating a nuclear reaction which generates more energy than it consumes. The breakthrough was announced by the Biden administration on December 13th, once again sparking conversation surrounding nuclear fusion and its … Continue reading The Geopolitics of Nuclear Fusion

The Future of The Indo-Pacific Through the Lens of Demographics

Image Source: NPR The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s ballistic missile launch on November 19 was not a typical launch test. What surprised the world that day was not its latest destructive missile that could reach the continental United States, but the first public appearance of Kim Jong-un’s little-known daughter. The young girl with … Continue reading The Future of The Indo-Pacific Through the Lens of Demographics

PRC’s Renewed Soft Power Strategy and U.S. Global Health Security Efforts in Latin America

Image Source: Observer Research Foundation, Diplomacy Gone Amiss. When Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” in 1990, he could not have known how strongly the People’s Republic of China (PRC) would buy into the concept; China’s leader Hu Jintao declared in 2007 that the PRC needed to invest more into soft power. Since that … Continue reading PRC’s Renewed Soft Power Strategy and U.S. Global Health Security Efforts in Latin America

No, Taiwan’s “Blue Wave” Is Not an Endorsement of Reunification

Image Source: CNBC The Kuomintang (KMT) party had much to celebrate on November 26. Not only did its candidates win 13 of the 21 cities and counties in Taiwan’s 2022 midterm elections, but the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) captured only five seats, the fewest since its founding in 1986. President Tsai Ing-wen, who has achieved … Continue reading No, Taiwan’s “Blue Wave” Is Not an Endorsement of Reunification

Reversing strategic neglect: The US-Pacific Islands Country Summit

Photo credit: US State Department On September 28-29, the United States hosted the historic US-Pacific Islands Country Summit in Washington, DC. The event marked the first summit between the U.S. and the Pacific Islands and was the first time in forty years that the U.S. President met with a congregation of leaders from the Pacific. … Continue reading Reversing strategic neglect: The US-Pacific Islands Country Summit

China’s Dismissal of #MeToo as a Tool of Western Influence Harms Women

Image source: Weibo via ABC News Australia The #MeToo movement empowered women all across the globe to speak out against sexual harassment, including in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Yet progress in China has stifled, as social media censorship reframed the public conversation online and those in power wielded their influence to penalize victims … Continue reading China’s Dismissal of #MeToo as a Tool of Western Influence Harms Women

What Does Bongbong Marcos’ Win Mean for the United States in Southeast Asia?

Credit: RPSantos / Flickr Few countries are more vital to the United States’ strategy in Asia than the Philippines. Once a U.S. colony, the Southeast Asian archipelago remains a key ally to the United States and an important bulwark against China’s territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. But in recent years, the Philippine government … Continue reading What Does Bongbong Marcos’ Win Mean for the United States in Southeast Asia?

The Revival of Strategic Competition in West Africa: Western Intransigence and Eastern Assertiveness

The Reemergence of Geopolitical Alignment On September 1, 1961, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 25 heads of state hailing from four continents—from Cuba in the West to Indonesia in the East, gathered to formally establish the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Born ideologically of the movements for anti-colonialism, non-interference, and pacifism, it would morph into an explicit geopolitical position … Continue reading The Revival of Strategic Competition in West Africa: Western Intransigence and Eastern Assertiveness