Politics

This NBR report examines key issues confronting the subregion of Micronesia within the Pacific Islands and considers strategic avenues for strengthening future U.S. engagement amid climate and health security challenges and U.S.-China competition. The report draws on the Pacific Islands Strategic Dialogue convened by NBR in May 2022 in Tamuning, Guam, in partnership with the University of Guam and with support from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Strategic Trends Research Initiative.

Energy security has risen to the top of the economic agenda across the Indo-Pacific in the wake of supply chain disruptions, heightened geopolitical tensions, and the Covid-19 pandemic. This report from NBR’s Energy Security Program examines the region’s competing energy and economic security pressures and climate goals and evaluates the implications for regional countries and the United States.

Authored by experts at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, this NBR Special Report uses an econometric approach to identify chokepoints within technology supply chains and evaluate options for addressing related threats to economic and national security.

This new NBR Special Report assesses the current state of U.S.-ROK cooperation on export controls, artificial intelligence, and data policy; identifies challenges and barriers to greater collaboration; and proposes practical options for policymakers and businesses in both countries to advance their common interests. Experts from the United States and South Korea have collaborated on each chapter, first presenting the U.S. and ROK perspectives on a given topic, followed by a jointly authored conclusion with a set of policy options.

China’s military modernization, coupled with increasingly assertive behavior, has led to more frequent and dangerous encounters between the PLA and the militaries of countries across the Indo-Pacific. These interactions have heightened tensions, with specific incidents emphasizing the risk of miscalculations that could escalate into major conflicts. Through case studies on Australia, India, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam, this report aims to understand the PLA’s strategic calculus on escalation, assessing the potential for conflict in the region and exploring shared threat perceptions, regional responses, and implications for deterrence.

This NBR Special Report presents case studies of how six regional countries (Australia, India, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam) view China’s development of its nuclear weapons and other WMD capabilities. The case studies are preceded by an introduction from editor Bates Gill that discusses key findings and policy implications.

This report explores key security issues in Melanesia from the perspectives of both regional and U.S. experts. Collectively, the essays examine Melanesia’s unique security challenges; assess the impact of strategic competition on countries, governments, and communities; and explore options for how Melanesian nations can manage increased attention from external actors.