The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
The Renminbi Appears to be Undervalued by 30 Percent
English Summary
The analysis argues that the Renminbi (RMB) is significantly undervalued—estimated at 30% or more—because China's official current account data substantially understate its true external surplus. This undervaluation stems from several statistical distortions, including an economically inconsistent investment income deficit and methodological changes in balance of payments goods reporting. The finding implies that addressing the RMB’s valuation gap is a critical structural reform point, offering the most direct path to mitigating concerns over China's trade surplus and encouraging Beijing to shift its growth model toward supporting internal demand.
中文摘要
本分析認為，人民幣（RMB）被嚴重低估——預計至少低估了30%——其根本原因在於中國官方的經常帳數據大幅低報了其實際外部盈餘。這種低估源於多項統計失真，包括經濟上不一致的投資收入赤字，以及支付平衡商品報告方法論的變動。研究結果指出，解決人民幣的估值缺口是一個關鍵的結構性改革點，這是緩解外界對中國貿易順差擔憂、並鼓勵北京將其增長模式轉向支持內需的最直接途徑。
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