Diplomacy and International Politics

Amb. Nicholas Burns talks about recent attacks by Hamas on Israeli territory and US President Trump's announcement on the Golan Heights.

Philippe Le Corre of the Harvard Kennedy School says the concept of China's Belt and Road Initiative is still "fairly vague." He adds that European countries should discuss the idea of reciprocity with Beijing, so that it won't be a "one-way road."

Since ascending to China’s top leadership, Xi Jinping has become well-known for his frequent overseas travels. Now that the annual session of the National People’s Congress is nearly over, the Chinese president can look forward to a busy international agenda, writes Philippe Le Corre.

News, interviews and stories from around the world with Dotun Adebayo for March 13, 2019.

The Trump administration has never shown much interest in human rights. Last year, it pulled the United States out of the U.N. Human Rights Council. In 2017, within months of President Trump’s inauguration, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said diplomats should not let human rights values become “obstacles” to achieving national goals. Trump has spoken favorably about some of the world’s most vicious dictators.

The U.S. is pressuring allies to bar Huawei equipment from telecom networks, saying the company has strong ties to China's government. Some allies push back saying they can mitigate security risks.

China hopes to see good results from trade talks with the United States, the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday (Feb 11), as the the latest round of negotiations began in Beijing.  

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian recounts his 544 days in an Iranian prison during a talk with R. Nicholas Burns of the Harvard Kennedy School.

China sees itself as a leading world power that asserts its interests and shapes global affairs accordingly.

Trump administration claims of progress in talks with the Taliban have sparked fears even among the president's allies that his impatience with the war in Afghanistan will lead him to withdraw troops too soon, leaving the country at risk of returning to the same volatile condition that prompted the invasion in the first place.