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Photo by Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters |
Improved ties between the United States and its great-power rivals, Russia and China, may be imminent. While such a shift may never materialize, the world is grappling with this possibility. And in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region, responses are likely to be mixed, says RAND's Derek Grossman.
U.S. allies and close partners may voice deep concerns. Japan is worried that improved U.S.-China ties could embolden Beijing to seize disputed islands or even attack Taiwan, which might have “the most to lose” from this potential shift, Grossman says. South Korea, which is almost exclusively focused on the threat from North Korea, could also face enormous strategic consequences. And Australia, which has identified Beijing as its top geostrategic threat, has seen Chinese warships conducting live-fire exercises nearby in recent weeks.
However, most countries in the region—especially those “perpetually worried about being stuck in the middle”—will probably express “cautious optimism,” says Grossman. They will hold out hope that if the world's most powerful nuclear-armed rivals can stay on speaking terms and peacefully work out their differences, then the Indo-Pacific could become more stable.
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Severe droughts are no longer confined to the arid American West; they can occur in almost any part of the country. That's why it's crucial for cities to plan for how to prevent and limit the effects of water scarcity. Insights from a recent RAND study can help. Our researchers looked at major water supply crises around the world—from Cape Town to Las Vegas—and identified key lessons that can help other cities avoid the worst impacts of future droughts.
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Six out of ten Americans have one chronic disease, and four out of ten have two or more chronic diseases. This accounts for 90 percent of annual U.S. health care costs. According to Mahshid Abir, a RAND researcher and a practicing emergency physician, addressing the problem will require tackling all the contributing factors. These include lifestyle factors, low health literacy, ineffective preventative care, and poor health care access. “The country's chronic disease epidemic has been decades in the making,” she says. “Change will not happen overnight.”
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RAND Recommends
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- In the Washington Post, RAND's Samuel Charap discusses the U.S. proposal for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, which he says “goes a long way toward repairing the U.S.-Ukraine relationship given that Kyiv and Washington are now on the same page.”
- In a Small Wars Journal interview, RAND's David Ochmanek describes the old American approach to war and why a new approach is needed. For example, rather than thinking in terms of weeks to months to prepare, he says, military leaders now must think in terms of days.
- Beijing acknowledged for the first time that U.S. sanctions in response to China's subjugation of the Uyghur people are hurting business. RAND's Raymond Kuo explains what this might mean for Beijing's legitimacy in China's Xinjiang region.
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Events
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Monday, March 17, 2025 – Washington, DC
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Wednesday, March 26, 2025 – Online
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