Global Governance Update

April 24, 2025

Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. Action

Esther D. Brimmer, Nina M. Armagno, and Jane Harman

An illustration of space junk around Earth, consisting of debris left in orbit from space missions, abandoned or broken satellites, satellite pieces, tools dropped by astronauts, or space rocks captured into Earth orbit. (Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)

As outer space becomes more congested with debris and international tensions escalate, threats to U.S. national security grow. Read the new Task Force Report 

See more of CFR’s work on space policy:

• Why Space Is a National Security Priority, by Jane Harman, Nina M. Armagno, and Esther D. Brimmer
• What Do Satellites Do? Here’s What a Day Is Like Without Them, by Diana Roy, George Wylesol, and Will Merrow
• The President’s Inbox Recap: U.S. Space Policy, by Oscar Berry, hosted by James Lindsay, featuring Nina M. Armagno and Jane Harman
• A New Roadmap for Space, hosted by Martin Giles, featuring Esther D. Brimmer and Simone D’Amico

President Trump’s Address to Congress: Global Reactions

James M. Lindsay et al.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Pool via Reuters)

President Trump’s address to Congress on March 4 anticipated some of the sweeping changes his administration has since put into effect on issues such as trade, international development, migration, and alliances. Find out how global experts reacted

Tariffs & Trade

U.S. Exporters Won’t Thrive in a ‘Plus-One’ World

Shannon K. O’Neil

President Trump’s tariffs will shift manufacturers from a “China plus one” to a “U.S. plus one” strategy, putting higher-cost U.S.-made goods at a global competitive disadvantage.  Read the assessment 

This Island Nation Is a U.S. Strategic Partner. Will Trump’s Tariffs Push It Toward China?

Jonathan Hillman

Trump’s tariffs are setting up Beijing to play the hero for many small economies. Find out why

How India Disrupts and Navigates the WTO

Inu Manak

India’s influence at the World Trade Organization has grown following a notable decline of U.S. power within the organization, but its opportunism and obstructionism could weaken its potential to benefit fully from the international trading system. Check out the analysis 

China

Countering Threats Posed by the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Security

Rush Doshi

Beijing’s ambitions threaten U.S. homeland security in the cyber domain and through transnational crime. Check out the congressional testimony

U.S. Soft Power Is Spiraling in Asia, With China Filling the Void

Joshua Kurlantzick

The Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. foreign aid apparatus has created a vacuum that China is rapidly filling, increasing its influence and soft power in regions including Southeast Asia. Read more on Asia Unbound 

Law & Democracy

How Polarization Undermines Democracy in South Korea

Yul Sohn and Won-Taek Kang

Protestors react after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law, which was reversed hours later, survived an impeachment motion, in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, in December 2024. He was subsequently impeached and removed from office. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

The recent political crisis in South Korea highlights both highly polarized and resilient aspects of its democracy. Read the takeaways 

Cambodia’s Descent Into a Death Spiral: Fifty Years On

David J. Scheffer

The atrocity crimes that took the lives of millions of Cambodians during the communist Khmer Rouge regime, and the need for credible justice for the survivors, led to the creation of a criminal tribunal. Read about its legacy 

Can the Courts Undo Trump’s Deportation of Ábrego García?

Phil McCausland and Matthew C. Waxman

Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation and imprisonment in El Salvador has put a spotlight on President Trump’s immigration and deportation practices and set up a legal showdown between the White House and the courts. Check out the analysis 

Can the United States Send Undocumented Immigrants to Guantánamo Bay?

John Bellinger III

The Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants includes a plan to transport potentially thousands to Guantánamo Bay. Such a move would likely spur international condemnation and a range of legal challenges. Read the brief 

International Development

The Value of Saving Women and Girls’ Lives Around the World