Too many of the world’s small countries, those with populations of less than 1.5 million, are sinking fast — in more ways than one. The latest warnings come from the Pacific region. At a recent conference in Australia, it was reported that some members of the Pacific Islands Forum — a 16-state group dedicated to [...]

After viewing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s interview on “60 Minutes” and then, soon thereafter, “Watchmen” — a new movie about flawed heroes with special powers in an alternate world — I wondered which was more fantastic: fact or fiction.

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA — After a recent column about the global recession, in which I described our situation as bad but not desperate, several readers angrily responded: “There’s really no reason for optimism. If you’re that hopeful, why didn’t you provide some inspiring examples?”
Happy to oblige. In fact, I am visiting one of them right [...]

When British Prime Minister Gordon Brown uttered the word “depression” recently, listeners gasped. A similar effect immediately rippled across Europe and around the world. By the time that Brown’s office was suggesting that he had made a mistake, the damage was done. Another potential “crisis of confidence” had emerged, and I would like to know [...]

President-elect Barack Obama has already demonstrated a sensible impulse: to make haste slowly as he prepares to tackle the nation’s pressing issues in a pro-active, bipartisan manner. His next steps will be most effective if they captivate, inspire, energize and assist Americans.
Obama has no choice about the No. 1 priority, the economy. He cannot avoid [...]

DANSHUI, Taiwan — In the distance lies China, the regional behemoth that has risen to global prominence in a little more than a generation and a top contender for the short list of critical foreign-policy issues facing the next U.S. president. More specifically, the China-Taiwan relationship deserves special priority, for it holds the key to [...]

Now that both the Democratic and Republican presidential-campaign teams have a strong component of foreign-policy expertise, how will they use it?
They had better act quickly, because time is short. During the few months before Election Day, voters should demand that the presidential contenders address the international challenges facing the United States with clarity and [...]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — If America’s key asymmetric advantage is its people, as U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asserted during a national conference last week, then why are we waiting to engage everyone in a serious, public debate on how best to maximize the application of this nation’s strengths against the weaknesses of its [...]

When a country has a complicated, problematic and history-burdened relationship with another nation – as China has with Japan – one would anticipate strained ties at best. Why, then, has Chinese President Hu Jintao undertaken a state visit to Tokyo?

When I wrote about presidential dream tickets nearly a year ago, with U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona leading Republicans and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as the No. 2 for Democrats, criticism rained from many directions.
“There is no way McCain will be the Republican nominee,” hundreds of people said. “Obama does not have [...]