By David A. Parker & Matthew P. Goodman — This December will mark the 15th anniversary of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). To listen to some of this year’s election rhetoric, the U.S. decision to allow China into…
By Conor Cronin — Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has had a reputation for inflammatory and crude remarks since long before voters in the Philippines elevated him to the presidency on May 10. In recent weeks, however, much of that incendiary…
Who is he? Marciano Paynor, Jr. currently serves under Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte as chief protocol officer of Malacañang Palace. He held the same post under former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Fidel Ramos. In 2015, Paynor led the National Organizing…
By Scott Kennedy — China hosted the 11th G20 leadership summit on September 4–5, 2016, in the city of Hangzhou, about 110 miles southwest of Shanghai. The meeting brought together the regular G20 members, plus the heads of seven international…
By James Wallar — At the ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit meetings in Laos from September 6-8 President Obama would be wise to lay out a vision of how other ASEAN member states can join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)…
By Phuong Nguyen — Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong will pay an official visit to Washington, complete with a state dinner in his honor hosted by President Barack Obama, on August 1-2. The visit comes as the two countries…
Who is she? Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir is a U.S. diplomat who served as executive assistant to the under secretary of state for political affairs from 2011 to 2015. She served as the U.S consul general in Belfast from 2009 to…
Who is she? Rena Bitter is the consul general at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a position that she has held for three years. Prior to this position, she served as the director of the…
By Esther Sainsbury — U.S. president Barack Obama recently said that he was “confident” Congress would pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal in 2016. But with no apparent effective legislative strategy, the conclusion of Obama’s presidency fast approaching, and…
By Richard M. Rossow — From June 6 until June 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will make his fourth visit to the United States since becoming the prime minister in May 2014. While leader-level summits between the United…