New translations from Chinese media sources illustrate Beijing’s narrative of "American decline" and the steady deterioration of its international influence. However, Beijing's underestimation of U.S. resilience is leading it to miscalculate its own relative power. The United States continues to outspend China on research and development (3.1 percent for the United States compared to 2.2 percent for China in 2019) and a flurry high-level U.S. meetings over the past several months indicate strengthened relations with partners in Europe and Asia—hardly signs of U.S. decline.

SOURCE: "How Beijing's Narrative of U.S. Decline Is Leading to Strategic Overconfidence" By CSIS' Jude Blanchette and Seth G. Jones.

The July 2 ransomware attack targeting Kaseya, a U.S. company whose software manages networks, systems, and information technology (IT) infrastructure, is estimated to have affected between 800 and 1,500 downstream businesses—potentially the largest number of victims of a single ransomware attack so far.

SOURCE: "Kaseya Ransomware Attack Demands Action to Match Rhetoric" by CSIS' Emily Harding, Riley McCabe, and Jim Lewis.

The expanding global nature of competition and improvement of Chinese and Russian denial and deception capabilities is occurring as the number of U.S. military overseas shrinks. In 2021, there remains 171,111 active-duty U.S. personnel overseas—the lowest level since 1950. This decrease in U.S. ground and maritime forces will require the United States and its partners to improve air, space, and other surveillance capabilities to monitor adversary actions across the globe.

SOURCE: "Hiding and Finding: The Challenge of Security Competition" by CSIS' Seth G. Jones.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the world economy, accounting for most businesses across nearly every region. In Africa, SMEs are an important driver of economic growth and represent an estimated 80 percent of jobs across the continent. However, these businesses are frequently informal—making it difficult for them to access financing and make investments needed for growth, leading to stagnation.

SOURCE: "Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa through Blended Finance" by CSIS' Daniel F. Runde, Conor M. Savoy, and Janina Staguhn.