| Foreign Policy | Washington’s Playbook for China Must Change | Evan G. Greenberg
Over the past four decades, I have built and managed businesses throughout Asia, including China. In my dealings, I met frequently with successive leaders, including President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Through that period, I have watched America’s approach to the region change from one presidential administration to the next.
Responsible Statecraft | US troops heading back to Chad? | Dan M. Ford After less than four months, the troubled African country wants us back. Washington should think twice. In an interview with Voice of America on Thursday, United States Major General for Africa Command Kenneth Ekman said that the United States and Chad have agreed on the return of a “limited number” of U.S. Special Forces personnel. Details of the agreement have not yet been made public.
MSNBC | Dramatic escalation' in Middle East as Israel begins new wave of attacks on Lebanon Israel has begun a new wave of attacks across Lebanon. NBC News' Richard Engel has our latest reporting on the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Former Department of Defense senior advisor Jason Beardsley and former State Department senior advisor Nayyera Haq join Ana Cabrera to discuss.
Christopher McCallion in a Defense Priorities explainer examines how alliances should be used in grand strategy:
Alliances are usually temporary arrangements among states to counter—or “balance” against—a specific common threat. The United States’ Cold War alliances, by contrast, have become seemingly permanent. States tend to balance power when they face a major threat. Bandwagoning, by contrast, is a particularly poor option for states with the capability to put up a fight. When threatened, states tend to join forces in alliances rather than surrender their national survival to the whims of a more powerful aggressor. Alliances, however, entail costs and risks. These include the dangers of being drawn into war through entanglement and entrapment, the deleterious effect on deterrence by allies that neglect their defense by “free-riding,” and the moral hazard produced by enabling allies to act like “reckless drivers.” Over time, the United States has shifted from a deep skepticism of “entangling alliances” to a global network of security dependents that are treated as an end in themselves, rather than a means to an end. This posture has left the United States overextended, while encouraging allies to neglect their own capabilities and preparedness. The United States can and should significantly reduce its alliance commitments, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, where threats to the U.S. are remote and local powers can balance adversaries. In Asia, the United States should act as a backstop to the regional balance of power rather than a vanguard. | 
