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International Economic Relations

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Increased international trade, and the lowering of barriers to such trade, frequently results in improved international relations, but it can also lead to trade wars and tariff disputes. RAND research explores bilateral and multilateral economic relations; describes how they affect global alliances, globalization, and the economic health of nations; and recommends methods to develop, encourage, and maintain these relations among diverse nations and cultures.

Report

Potential Benefits of Economic Integration in the Levant

Sep 16, 2019

A comprehensive free trade agreement among six of the core Levant nations—Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey—could increase their average gross domestic product by 3 to 7 percent. It could also reduce regional unemployment rates by 8 to 18 percent.
Report

China's Engagement with the Developing World

Oct 16, 2018

Engaging with developing countries offers China economic growth and global influence. What are the consequences of Beijing's strategy toward the developing world for the United States?

Explore International Economic Relations

Commentary

China's Footprint in Europe

Tensions between Washington and Brussels may be helping China find a more receptive audience for its Belt and Road initiative. One of the central challenges for the United States and Europe will be to forge a more united approach to China's resurgence.

Jan 13, 2020
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: January-February 2020

Feature stories spotlight research on America's fentanyl crisis and new approaches to clinical guideline development. The Commentary column features terrorism expert Colin Clarke on the threat of white supremacists in the United States.

Jan 6, 2020
Commentary

What to Expect from China in 2020

Last year was an eventful one in China, with U.S.–China trade tensions escalating, protests in Hong Kong reaching a crisis point, and President Xi Jinping further consolidating power. What might the rest of the world expect from China in 2020?

Jan 3, 2020
Commentary

North Korea: Selling Political Deception

Why did Kim Jong-un substitute releasing the North Korean Workers' Party Plenary report instead of his traditional New Year's address? As with many things in North Korea, we do not know, forcing us to speculate.

Jan 3, 2020
Journal Article

Trade Relations Between Taiwan and South Asia Under the New Southbound Policy

This paper provides an assessment of Taiwan's global status as an economy, to discover where its global comparative advantages lie, then assesses its economic relations with South Asia.

Dec 13, 2019
Commentary

Understanding Iran's Nuclear Escalation Strategy

Throughout 2019, Iran has gradually reduced its compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. What are its goals in doing this? Why has it adopted this strategy? And perhaps most importantly, how far does Iran intend to go?

Dec 12, 2019
Commentary

Don't Expect a Thaw in Iran

Iran's recent protests could mark the beginning of a new chapter in Iran's domestic politics. Whatever happens inside the country, though, it will not likely change Iran's foreign policy.

Dec 11, 2019
Commentary

What Does Beijing Want from the Pacific Islands?

China's recent activities in Oceania highlight a formidable two-pronged strategy of diplomatic and economic engagement that Washington and its allies and partners will have to vigorously compete against to maintain their preeminence in the Pacific.

Dec 9, 2019
Commentary

With Chaos in the Streets of Iran, Here's How the United States Could Help the Iranian People

The Iranian people deserve American support. But current U.S. policies are hurting the cause that Iranians are fighting for while failing to achieve any strategic objectives.

Dec 3, 2019
Report

Russian Strategy in the Middle East Is Limited

The unrest in Syria and the Arab Spring gave Russia the opportunity to increase its economic and political activities across the Middle East. But the strengths of Moscow's strategy in the short term—its transactionalism, its balancing of multiple partners—may turn out to be its undoing in the long term.

Nov 26, 2019
Commentary

Russia's Risky Game Plan for Syria

It will take time to assess the extent to which Russia has “won“ in Syria. Absent a peaceful end to the conflict and an infusion of large-scale Western aid, downside risks for Russia could take some of the bloom off of its rose in Syria.

Oct 29, 2019
Commentary

Zimbabwe’s Neighbors Express Solidarity Against a False Enemy

The notion that sanctions are primarily responsible for the economic collapse in Zimbabwe is a useful fiction promoted by that country's authoritarian elite. In reality, the ruling party, in power for 39 years, has no one to blame but itself.

Oct 25, 2019
Commentary

U.S. Economic War on China Weakens Nuclear North Korea, Too

An effective way to bend North Korea toward denuclearization may be exerting consistent and targeted pressure on China. Diminishing Beijing's relevance isn't a cure-all. But it could pierce Kim's illusion of invincibility and place him in a bind to make some concessions.

Oct 18, 2019
Report

Proposal for a Revised Regional Order in Post-Soviet Europe and Eurasia

Disputes over the regional order in post-Soviet Europe and Eurasia are at the core of the breakdown in relations between Russia and the West and have created major challenges for the states caught in between. A new approach to the order could boost security and prosperity in the region.

Oct 8, 2019
Commentary

The Emerging U.S.–China Strategic Competition and the Role of Trans-Atlantic Cooperation

When competing with China, what role should U.S. alliances, especially the transatlantic relationships the United States has with its European partners, play? This question is potentially decisive for whether or not any strategy adopted by the U.S. to compete with China will succeed or fail.

Oct 8, 2019
Commentary

The China Dream: Never Closer, yet Never More Elusive

To achieve its goals of national rejuvenation, China needs to become a true world power. But a softening economy and political gridlock make it seem less and less likely that Beijing will realize all of its objectives.

Oct 1, 2019
Commentary

How Not to Confront China

There are several key reasons why current U.S. policy toward China may not help advance America's competitiveness or enlist much support abroad. Most notably, the administration has yet to explain what it ultimately hopes to accomplish.

Sep 23, 2019
Commentary

Beyond Hawks and Doves: A Better Way to Debate U.S.–China Policy

The best long-term outcome for U.S.–China relations may be one in which inexorably intensifying competition coexists with occasionally fruitful cooperation. It is not the most inspiring result, to be sure, but it is preferable to unconstrained antagonism.

Sep 20, 2019
Blog

E-Cigarettes, 'Stand Your Ground,' Cyber Coercion: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the planned federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes, “stand your ground” laws, understanding cyber coercion, and more.

Sep 20, 2019

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RAND Topic:
International Economic Relations

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