Our Insights
Featured Insights Selected by Our Experts
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Trump 2.0
Tholos Talks with The Trade Guys, Hosted by Jake E. Jennings
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China Economic Stimulus Tracker
A comprehensive timeline of announcements and policy actions implemented by the Chinese government to stimulate economic activity.
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When Mistakes Need a Manual: China’s Guidance on Acceptable Decision-making
By Deborah Lehr, Basilinna Chair and CEO
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Silicon and Sovereignty: What Trump’s AI Pact Means for the Gulf
Talking Points by the Basilinna Team
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Why Do Culture and Heritage Matter? with Irina Bokova
Tholos Talks with Irina Bokova, Hosted by Deborah Lehr
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Is Xi Jinping Undermining China’s Path to Tech Superiority?
By Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
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Making Acquisitions in the Public Affairs Sector: Lessons from Both Sides of the Table
By Leigh Wedell, President and COO
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Trade is No Longer a Way of Opening Up Markets
With Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
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From the Middle Kingdom to the Saudi Kingdom: Opportunities Abound
By Yasser Elnaggar, Chair of the Middle East and Africa
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The New Trump Administration: Perspective from China
Talking Points by Gracie Sun, Chair of Asia-Pacific
Explore all of our Insights, Interviews, Commentary, and More
Media Type
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Hedging: Navigating Multipolarity through Quiet Power
Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has transitioned from an overzealous regional actor, engaging in armed conflicts and backing belligerent factions, toward a more measured and mature foreign policy posture. It now leverages its vast resources and the momentum of Vision 2030 to position itself as a key player on both the regional and global stage. Its leadership role in OPEC and OPEC+ has reinforced this emerging identity.
Bridging the Biodiversity Finance Gap: Green Finance as a Catalyst for Global Sustainable Development
The global community stands at a critical juncture where the loss of biodiversity is not only an environmental concern but a profound economic and developmental challenge. Biodiversity underpins ecosystem services that are vital for human survival, including food security, disease regulation, and climate stability. Yet, the loss of biodiversity, driven by perverse subsidies, bad policy, and climate change, continues at an alarming rate.
Digital Sovereignty and the New Trade Order
In episode five of our Tholos Talks series that unpacks the defining economic challenges of the 21st century — Coffee, Trade, and Tech — Jake welcomes Sabina Ciofu, Associate Director - International at techUK, to discuss the evolving landscape of digital trade policy.
When Mistakes Need a Manual: China’s Guidance on Acceptable Decision-making
In China, a nation known for five-year plans and centrally choreographed actions, it turns out that what’s really hard to plan for is fear of action. In the last year, Chinese authorities quietly released what can be described as guidance for “getting things wrong the right way” – policy guidelines outlining which mistakes by government officials are permissible and which are not.
Rising Opportunities for Business: Key Takeaways from the 11th China-Arab Business Conference
The 11th China-Arab Business Conference and 9th Investment Seminar of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum took place in Haikou, Hainan, from April 27–30, 2025, drawing over 1,000 political and business leaders from China and Arab countries.
Silicon and Sovereignty: What Trump’s AI Pact Means for the Gulf
President Donald Trump’s recent four-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates highlighted a growing shift in U.S. foreign policy, one that prioritizes technology and artificial intelligence as key levers of influence in the Middle East.
The Future of USMCA and Regional Trade Dynamics
In episode four of Coffee, Trade, and Tech, Jake welcomes Ryan C. Berg, Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to discuss the evolving dynamics of U.S. trade policy and regional strategy in the Western Hemisphere
Decoding U.S., China, and Latin America Dynamics
In episode three of Coffee, Trade, and Tech — the Tholos Talks series that unpacks the defining economic challenges of the 21st century — Jake joins Margaret Myers, Managing Director for Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs (ACF) at The John Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Basilinna Senior Fellow to decode the complex relationships between countries in the Latin America region, the United States, and China.
Facing Trade Pressures, China Renews Its ‘Opening Up’ Pledges — But What Do They Really Mean?
As global trade tensions rise and the U.S. escalates tariffs worldwide, especially against China, Beijing is taking a different path. Instead of retreating, President Xi Jinping reaffirmed during a March meeting with global business leaders that “China’s door to opening up will only become broader,” calling for the accelerated implementation of opening-up measures.
Seeking the next DeepSeek: What China’s Generative AI Registration Data Can Tell Us About China’s AI Competitiveness
In the early months of 2025, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek caught global observers off guard by releasing a highly advanced large language model (LLM) that matched top-tier Western offerings in both performance and scale.