The article outlines how a successful modern foreign policy career requires blending traditional diplomatic expertise with private sector acumen. Juster's career trajectory—from international law to high-stakes diplomacy (e.g., the Gulf War) and subsequently to the technology sector—demonstrates this synthesis. Key evidence includes his work managing complex negotiations under duress and his involvement in co-founding the U.S.-India High Technology Group. The implication for policy is that effective geopolitical strategy must actively integrate private sector knowledge and technological considerations to manage modern economic and security challenges.
Cross-strait crossroads: Pathways for America’s Taiwan policy
English Summary
This Brookings-RAND joint initiative examines whether current U.S. policy toward Taiwan and cross-strait relations remains adequate amid a deteriorating security environment in the Taiwan Strait. Through a series of expert workshops, the project explores five distinct policy pathways: limiting U.S. commitments while boosting Taiwan's self-defense, calibrating diplomacy to stabilize cross-strait dynamics, pursuing a more active denial strategy, and shifting toward strategic clarity. The analysis weighs how each option would affect U.S. deterrence posture, Taiwan's domestic politics, Beijing's strategic calculus, and broader Indo-Pacific security. The initiative signals growing mainstream debate within the U.S. policy community about whether the longstanding framework of strategic ambiguity should be revised or replaced, with significant implications for alliance management and escalation risk in the region.
中文摘要
此布魯金斯學會與蘭德公司聯合研究計畫探討,在台灣海峽安全環境持續惡化之際,美國現行對台及兩岸關係政策是否仍足以因應當前局勢。該計畫透過一系列專家工作坊,評估五種不同的政策路徑:限縮美國承諾同時強化台灣自我防衛能力、校準外交手段以穩定兩岸動態、採取更積極的拒止戰略,以及轉向戰略清晰。分析權衡每一選項對美國嚇阻態勢、台灣內部政治、北京戰略考量及更廣泛印太安全的影響。該倡議反映出美國政策圈內部就長期以來的戰略模糊框架是否應予修正或取代,正展開日益主流化的辯論,對區域聯盟管理及升級風險具有重大意涵。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The Brookings report argues that closing long-term fiscal deficits cannot be achieved solely by taxing high earners or corporations. Analysis shows that the required savings necessitate broad-based tax increases that would significantly impact middle and lower-income families, as targeted taxes on the wealthy are insufficient. The report notes that high-tax OECD nations achieve high revenues through broad consumption taxes (like VAT) rather than exclusively through highly progressive taxes on the rich. Consequently, any major tax-funded deficit solution would impose a substantial burden on the working class, potentially without the comprehensive social benefits enjoyed by European counterparts.
-
3.
The analysis concludes that China will hold the upper hand at the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, leveraging its dominance over critical minerals, rare earths, and magnet supply chains. This geopolitical leverage, combined with global instability (such as the Iran conflict), allows Beijing to dictate terms and buy time to consolidate its technological and industrial self-sufficiency. Strategically, the U.S. must avoid granting China a managed equilibrium by maintaining 'maximum pressure' on key sectors like AI and tech, rather than seeking broad agreements that could undermine American leadership.
-
4.
The article argues that the ongoing Iran War has triggered a severe global hunger crisis, exacerbated by U.S. aid cuts and policy neglect, pushing millions to the brink of starvation. Key evidence includes the termination of U.S. support in countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, coupled with supply chain disruptions and massive cost increases across the region. Policy recommendations are urgent: the U.S. must immediately deploy its $5.4 billion in unspent humanitarian funds, establish a humanitarian corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, and reinstate life-saving aid to critical nations.
-
5.
The analysis cautions that the upcoming Trump-Xi summit must not result in short-term strategic concessions for the US, which risks undermining long-term stability. China is rapidly consolidating global power, leveraging US policy shifts and increasing its assertiveness across the Indo-Pacific and in technology. Strategically, the US must prioritize addressing the immediate crisis in Iran, where China holds significant leverage, and must also focus on joint cooperation on AI. Ultimately, the US must resist political impulses and pursue a robust strategy to counter China's growing challenge to global dominance.