The Way Forward in Afghanistan

Afghan commandos on a Mobile Strike Force Vehicle in Shindand Military Base, Herat Province (Photo by Franz J. Marty/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

As the U.S. continues its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Afghan forces are proving unable to withstand the steady advance of Taliban forces on government-controlled territory, writes Ambassador Husain Haqqani in The Hill. In its eagerness to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan by the Sept. 11 deadline, the Biden administration made no contingency plans to provide air support to the Afghan forces. Instead, the hope was that the flawed peace process initiated by the Trump administration could somehow be made to work.  

Virtual Event | Can Hong Kong Remain a Global Financial Center?

Employees of Apple Daily pose for a photograph outside of the offices in June in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

Join Hudson Institute Research Fellow Nate Sibley and guests Carolyn Bartholomew, Ellen Bork, Bill Browder and Mark Clifford for a discussion on Hong Kong’s future as a global financial center, Friday at 12:00 pm EDT. The dismantling of democracy and basic civil liberties in Hong Kong has escalated significantly since Beijing imposed the draconian National Security Law in June 2020.  A survey by the American Chamber of Commerce shows that more than 40 percent of its members are now considering leaving Hong Kong, with the National Security Law the most widely cited factor in their decision. Can Hong Kong continue as a bastion of commercial success in the face of Beijing’s assault on the rule of law?

A Just Response To Communist China's COVID Cover Up

Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province on February 3, 2021 (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Chinese government must be held accountable for its deceitful handling of the outbreak of COVID-19, David Asher contends in testimony before members of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. Without a thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and steps to punish wrongdoing by the Chinese Communist Party, the U.S. will encourage further impunity for Beijing and other hostile powers. For the good of the nation, the Biden administration and the Congress must unite in a coordinated, long-term strategic response.

Modernize the US Military to Fend Off China

Bell X-1 U.S. Air Force supersonic plane (Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/Getty Images)

At a time when political consensus on anything can be hard to reach, there is general agreement that the United States military must modernize to fend off a rising China and meet other national security needs, argue Hudson Institute Adjunct Fellow Dan Patt and former acting undersecretary of defense comptroller Elaine McCusker in Breaking Defense. The changes necessary to modernize DoD operations can be made more manageable by adopting an approach built around evolutionary innovation. While the challenges ahead are daunting, with the right leadership from the new administration the U.S. has the potential to unleash an new era of innovation that will give us a competitive edge.

Virtual Event | A Conversation on Strategic Forces with Rep. Mike Turner

A Russian nuclear missile rolls along Red Square during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat in Moscow. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Representative Mike Turner will join Hudson Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs for a discussion on the future of U.S. nuclear forces and missile defense programs today at 12:00 pm. The United States faces two major power competitors in Russia and China, and both nations are investing significantly in their nuclear arsenals. The dynamic and complex threat environment requires the United States to examine how we think about strategic deterrence and ensure that we are appropriately adapting and investing in the right kinds of systems to preserve the peace and deter attacks against vital U.S. interests. Tune in this afternoon for this important conversation.

BEFORE YOU GO...

How can Western politicians keep up the pressure on China to halt its persecution of Chinese Muslims? Watch this panel discussion featuring Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Nury Turkel and journalist Emma Murphy in conversation with Nusrat Ghani and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, two British MPs at the forefront of the fight against the Uyghur genocide who have been targeted with “sanctions” by the Chinese government.