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April 16, 2021

Wilson Weekly

Japanese PM Suga’s Visit Repositions U.S. Asia Strategy

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is the first foreign leader to meet with Joe Biden as president in the White House. It’s a coup for Japan and a much-ballyhooed achievement for Suga himself. But beyond bestowing Japan bragging rights, it also makes clear the priority the United States now gives to Asia and that Japan is a key partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific.

Blog Post | Sources & Methods

Yuri Gagarin: Declassified

Sixty years ago, on April 12, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to travel in outer space. Explore a wide range of documents that detail a key moment in a Cold War race – including Gagarin’s own impressions of his mission.

EVENT | Video & quotes

Beyond Exigency: Insights on Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Building Global Resilience

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) says that "we cannot afford to have our defense industrial base experience the kind of supply chain disruptions that our medical sector experienced during the early days of the pandemic.”

Indonesia’s War on Plastic Waste

Only China is a greater source of ocean plastic than Indonesia, which now is responsible for 10 percent of global plastic leakage. But in the China Environment Forum’s latest issue of InsightOut you’ll meet key actors—many of them women—at the heart of the battle to end plastic waste in Indonesia.

READ NOW

EVENT | Video & quotes

Environmental Leadership: Latin American Perspectives on the Climate Crisis

“Climate change is the most severe challenge that humanity faces this century,” observes Carolina Schmidt, Chile’s Minister of Environment. “Fighting it urgently is an ethical global imperative.”

EVENT | Video & quotes

Canada’s Implementation of UNDRIP Commitments: What Will it Mean for Business and the Economy?

“If we can bring everyone along [with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], it puts more certainty into the industry sector,” says Tabatha Bull, CEO & President of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

Is This the End of Democracy in Myanmar?

Asia Program Associate Lucas Myers examines the recent coup in Myanmar, and assesses the diplomatic dilemma for the United States as it seeks to coordinate an international response.

Upcoming Events

Peru and Ecuador: Elections and Democracy in the Andes

April 19, 2021 // 3–4:30pm

Hydrogen – Fuel of the Future?

April 20, 2021 // 10–11am

Offshore Energy: Favorable Winds for Renewables?

April 21, 2021 // 10–11am

Earth Day Dialogue with Iceland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chair of the Arctic Council, H.E. Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson

April 22, 2021 // 1–2:30pm

Wilson In the News

Biden Imposes Sanctions On Russia For Election Interference, Cyber Hacking (Here and Now / WBUR)

“We now have a lot of experience with sanctions against Russia,” says William Pomeranz. “For the most part, while they’ve had an impact, it hasn’t changed Russia’s action on the ground.”

Biden’s Withdrawal Plan Sets the Clock Ticking in Afghanistan (Foreign Policy)

Michael Kugelman writes that “the Taliban could easily decide they are better off fighting for complete power than negotiating for partial power within a system that they repudiate.”

Will We Ever Really Bring the Troops Home? (WLS-AM)

“All the polls indicate that Americans want their troops to come home,” observes Robin Wright. “But after long engagement… the fact is that the United States faces really bleak alternatives.”

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