The Senate’s recent adoption of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act is an important measure to protect U.S. research, innovation, and trade secrets from increasingly aggressive Chinese economic espionage. This past June, FBI director Christopher Wray cited a 1300 percent increase in Chinese economic espionage over the past decade, with the bureau opening a new investigation on the matter every 10 to 12 hours on average.

SOURCE: "What the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act Gets Right (and What It Gets Wrong)" by CSIS' Jake Harrington, and Riley McCabe.

In May 2021, the IEA released its long-awaited roadmap for a net-zero world by 2050. Several conclusions made headlines, including the observation that in a net-zero trajectory there would be no need for investment in new oil and gas supply and by 2050, global demand for natural gas would shrink by 55 percent—a vastly different global gas market from what we see today.

SOURCE: "Gas Line, Q2 2021" by CSIS' Nikos Tsafos.

The rapid retreat of the Venezuelan state has afforded guerrillas the ability to operate unhindered—19 out of Venezuela's 24 states count an active guerrilla presence. This loss of territorial sovereignty has contributed to an unfolding security crisis on both sides of the Venezuela-Colombia border that presents a clear potential for regional volatility.

SOURCE: "Attack on Colombian President Shows the Insecurity Borne of Venezuela’s Criminal Sanctuary" by CSIS' Ryan C. Berg and Alexandra Winkler.

In the wake of the military coup in Myanmar, the U.S. government has imposed sanctions on various parties, two of which are military owned holding companies controling sizable chunks of the nation’s economy. If the sanctions are effective, Myanmar could lose $5.5 billion in foreign investment—impacting not only the owners, who are the targets, but also the employees, whose jobs become collateral damage once the companies are harmed.

SOURCE: "Moral Dilemmas: Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?" by CSIS' William Reinsch.