Japan's government has decided to release into the ocean millions of tons of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, scene of a meltdown in 2011. The government and the power company are reassuring neighboring countries and fishermen of the wastewater's safety, but there are reasons for concern, not least the precedent being set.

Electric vehicles are touted as one answer to the climate crisis, but as Barry Commoner warned years ago, there is no such thing as a free lunch. The mining, processing, and manufacture of EV components, dominated so far by China but being challenged by the US and several other countries, are causing severe harm to the environment and health of African and Latin American workers. Multinational corporations are in an intense competition over lithium, bauxite, and other minerals, but their...

The July coup that ousted a democratically elected leader in Niger is the seventh in West Africa since 2020. This time it has aroused the anger of the African Union and the regional economic bloc ECOWAS; the latter issued an ultimatum to the Niger junta that was ignored. Meantime, the coup leaders have reportedly asked for help from the Wagner mercenary group stationed in Mali if an intervention occurs. At this date the situation is a standoff, but one thing is clear: Any form of outside...

A plan was recently proposed by a number of foreign policy experts to bring about a cease-fire in Ukraine in the wake of a presumed "bloody stalemate." The experts meeting apparently took place with the knowledge of the US and Russian governments. Ukraine, however, was not represented. For that reason and a number of others, such as the recommendation for further upgrading military aid to Ukraine, this Track 2 effort to encourage negotiations is flawed.

The judicial overhaul law that the far-right, ultrareligious cabinet members in the Netanyahu government has now pushed through the Knesset has ignited outrage among Israeli citizens and unusually sharp criticism in the Biden administration. Israel's democracy has turned illiberal, and in the process is shattering the notion of shared values between Israel and the US. Some normally strong supporters of Israel in the US are calling for a reevaluation of US aid. With the Israeli extremists...

Yellen's trip moved the needle on US-China dialogue only slightly forward. She apparently did not bring any new economic or financial proposals to the table, leaving the US with unmet grievances about treatment of its corporations and leaving China with unmet grievances about US and allied denial of advanced semiconductor technology. John Kerry is next up for meetings in Beijing on climate change. We'll see if he and his Chinese counterpart can come up with specific cooperative projects.

The justice department's China Initiative, under both the Trump and Biden administrations, has had lasting negative effects on scientists of Chinese descent who work in US universities and laboratories. This episode provides the details of both psychological and career distress. Lost sight of is the exceptional value these Chinese scientists have for the US economy and technological leadership--a value stressed by the academic communities that provide their home base. Right-wing charges that...

The indictment of Donald J. Trump is a matter of national security, not just American politics. To read the many charges against Trump is to be reminded that there are real secrets of state. Trump blithely ignored the guardrails, though for what ultimate purpose remains a matter of speculation. What Trump's concealment of the documents and obstruction of the federal investigation show is that he remains what he has been since 2016: a threat to national security.

For all the talk about shared values when India's Prime Minister Modi visited Washington, he and President Biden had one common aim: cement India's strategic partnership with the US. India wanted to gain access to US military technology, and the US was intent on extending containment of China in Asia. Democracy has nothing to do with the two countries' increasing closeness.

Is Vladimir Putin supremely confident, or is he worried about the war in Ukraine? Western intelligence seems of two minds about Putin's thinking, on one hand dismissing his bluster but also believing he will only stop when defeated. In essence, Putin may think that so long as Ukraine cannot win, Russia cannot lose; and Biden may believe that so long as Ukraine cannot lose, Russia cannot win. This wide gap promises a war without end.

Taiwan is the central issue obstructing normal US-China relations. Despite US professions of support for the "One China" principle, Beijing sees US violations of that principle. In this episode, the focus is on remarks by a senior Chinese America watcher, Prof. Jia Qingguo. Though a longtime supporter of US-China engagement, Jia reports on mounting Chinese concern about US policy on Taiwan and changing Chinese perspectives on nuclear weapons as well. Jia's comments bode ill for the immediate...

Assumptions in the US and elsewhere about "no limits" to Chinese aid to Russia in the Ukraine war have long been unfounded. Chinese self-interest, not US threats or Russian desires, have guided China's war policies. But China's stance could change, most likely if the US continues to upgrade its political and military support of Taiwan.

In this episode I pause to take stock of the Ukraine war: what we know and don't know. Most importantly, we don't know what it will take to bring this war to a close, or at least to a cease-fire. We know about about the costs of the war for both sides, but not the tipping point at which interest in negotiations will emerge. Are we headed to a stalemate or an at least partial Ukraine success in its upcoming counteroffensive? In the end, war weariness may be the crucial factor in stopping the...

US officials complain that they are having a hard time making contact with their Chinese counterparts. That is clearly the consequence of the falling out over the Chinese balloon incident. A recent speech by treasury secretary Janet Yellen affirmed US interest in a "constructive relationship," but the speech fell short in reassurances to China about economic decoupling. US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns made more positive statements about resuming dialogue, and was rewarded with a meeting...

The civil war within the military in Sudan is a betrayal of its people's hope for a peaceful democratic transition after 30 years of murderous rule by Omar al-Bashir. At this time, the best the two competing generals have accomplished is brief cease-fires. Prospects for a power-sharing arrangements look bleak, and for democratic rule even bleaker.

The US government is seeking either to ban or force the sale of the popular Chinese-owned TikTok app. But the case against TikTok neglects two matters: the US government's own spying on citizens under cover of law, and the questionable political motives that seem to dictate the specific effort to kill TikTok. A middle-ground solution is available--allowing TikTok to continue operating but ensuring that its database resides in the US--but the Biden administration has lost interest in it.

The visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Beijing couldn't have gone better from China's point of view, since he didn't raise a fuss about human rights, a peace plan for Ukraine, or Taiwan. Xi Jinping gave Macron nothing of political value. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who accompanied Macron, was far more principled, but her views probably counted for less than Macron's.

The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on global warming reinforces the scientific consensus that by 2030 humanity must either cut greenhouse gas emissions in half or face climate catastrophes that will worsen living conditions for everyone. “The climate time bomb is ticking,” says the UN secretary-general. In this 75th episode, I review the IPCC report, finding little reason for optimism even in cases of climate adaptation and mitigation.

Haviv Gur, Senior Analyst with the Times of Israel, comment on the current impasse over the Netanyahu coalition's judicial reform legislation. He points to possible points of compromise but also to the political obstacles to actually achieving one. Gur also assesses the Israeli military's situation as many reservists have stepped away from their duty in protest of the far right's proposals. Finally, Gur discusses President Biden's intervention in Israeli politics. (Unfortunately, an...

Prof. Chung-in Moon of Yonsei University in Seoul is a leading authority on Korea and East Asia security issues. In this 73d Podserve episode, he evaluates North Korea's latest round of missile tests, comments on South Korean interest in having its own nuclear weapons, and offers steps to negotiate and normalize relations with the North. Prof. Moon also notes Trump's missed opportunity in 2019 to strike a deal with Kim Jong Un.

Israel's democracy is imperiled by far-right legislation that would drastically curtail the independence of the court system, including the Supreme Court. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition would be given extraordinary power akin to that of an authoritarian regime. Mass protests have been accompanied by warnings from intelligence and military officials, reservists, and business leaders. But so far, Netanyahu has refused to back down, fearing loss of the extremists' support.

Johns Hopkins University political economy Professor Ho-fung Hung, author of City on the Edge: Hong Kong Under Chinese Rule, talks about the city's history of resistance since ancient times, the benchmarks of resistance in the 1970s and 1980s, and China's crackdown in 2020. He points to Beijing's broken promises to Hong Kong on universal suffrage and autonomy, just as it did to Tibet in the 1950s. Prof. Hung reflects on the reasons for his long-term optimism about Hong Kong's future, and on...

In this interview on KBOO.fm, Portland, Oregon, I explore some of the key issues raised in my new book, Engaging China: Rebuilding Sino-American Relations (Rowman & Littlefield). These include the evolution of US-China tensions from the Obama administration to the present, how an engagement strategy might work, the impact of the China Initiative on US-China exchanges, and an overall critical evaluation of the Biden administration's China policy.

The Chinese high-altitude balloon incident has needlessly raised US hackles. It was not a security threat, and it could have been dealt with diplomatically, by being put on Secretary of State Blinken's agenda when he made his trip to Beijing. Postponement of that trip only feeds the anti-China frenzy in Washington.

Prof. Katz discusses Russia's relations with Iran, Syria, Israel and other countries; points out how Russia has effectively handled its Middle East ties in the midst of war in Ukraine; and underscores the balancing act of traditional US partners in the region as they maintain ties with Moscow while identifying with some of Washington's priorities.