The Weekly Leaf
This week, the UK reacted to the recent wave of anti-immigrant riots; Ukrainian troops launched an incursion into the Kursk region of Russia; and President Joe Biden, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a joint statement calling for a resumption of discussions to conclude the ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
Read more below.
This Week's Content Highlights
Features from Aspen Strategy Group Members
Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine interviewed by Michael J. Green and Jude Blanchette for the Asia Chessboard podcast: “Debating America’s ‘Pivot’ to Asia”
Jendayi Frazer interviewed by Géraud Neema for the China Global South Project: “Jendayi Frazer on U.S.-China Geopolitical Competition in Africa”
Michael J. Green for The Australian: “Minnesota’s Tim Walz a Formidable Asset in Race for Oval Office”
David Ignatius for The Washington Post: “Biden Scrambles to Defuse the Ticking Iran-Israel Time Bomb”
David Petraeus interviewed by Marzia Hussaini for Iran International: “War Would Damage Iran and Israel ‘Very Very Substantially’”
Penny Pritzker interviewed by Michael Crowley for The New York Times: “U.S. Envoy Says Ukraine’s Economy Needs Reform and Investment to Thrive”
Jack Reed gave opening remarks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “‘The U.S. Must Modernize & Strengthen Our Military’: Jack Reed Evaluates National Defense Strategy”
David Sanger for The New York Times: “Iran’s Options for Retaliation Risk Escalating Middle East Crisis”
Anne-Marie Slaughter for the Financial Times: “What Might a Harris Foreign Policy Look Like?”
Tweet of the Week
Rising Leaders Program Highlights
Features from ASG Rising Leaders
Lauren Dickey ('22) quoted by Phelim Kine and Stuart Lau for POLITICO's China Watcher: "Biden's China Bucket List"
Daniel Lippman ('22) interviewed by Neil Cavuto for Fox Business: "Kamala Harris Can Blame Biden for the Economy"
Sara Plana ('23) started a new position as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense at the Office of the Secretary of Defense
Things to Know
Content Relevant to Aspen Security Forum Discussions
Farea Al-Muslimi for Chatham House: “The Houthis Have Cracked Down Brutally on Yemeni Civil Society. A Strategic Response Is Required”
Christy Cooney for BBC: “Venezuelan President Bans X for 10 Days Over Musk Row”
Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “Seventy Miles in Hell”
Markus Garlauskas and Matthew Kroenig for Foreign Policy: “The U.S. Must Prepare to Fight China and North Korea at the Same Time”
Michael R. Gordon, Summer Said, and Anat Peled for The Wall Street Journal: “Biden, Leaders of Egypt and Qatar Urge More Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Next Week”
Anna Gross and Stephanie Stacey for the Financial Times: “UK Faces Resistance From X Over Taking Down Disinformation During Riots”
Saif Hasnat and Andrés R. Martínez for The New York Times: “What We Know About the Ouster of Bangladesh’s Leader”
Joshua Keating for Vox: “The World Is Getting More Violent. A Top Refugee Advocate Thinks He Knows Why”
Isabelle Khurshudyan, Alex Horton, John Hudson, and Samuel Oakford for The Washington Post: “Ukraine, Powered by Western Arms, Stuns Russia in Cross-Border Assault”
Kersten Knipp for DW: "Fresh Hope for New Talks on Sudan Cease-Fire"
Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt for Foreign Affairs: “America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future”
Sheila Paylan for Atlantic Council: “How Armenia’s ‘Crossroads for Peace’ Plan Could Transform the South Caucasus”
From the Archives
Revisit our conversation on threats posed by Russia, China, and Iran; the importance of deterrence; and America's role in the world from
Jane Holl Lute, Former United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
John McLaughlin, Professor of Practice, Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University; Former Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Beth Sanner, Director, Geopolitics and Strategy, International Capital Strategies; Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Moderator: Walter Isaacson, Leonard Lauder Professor of American History and Values, Tulane University; Former President and CEO, Aspen Institute
Book of the Week
by Oriana Skylar Mastro
"Thirty years ago, the idea that China could challenge the United States economically, globally, and militarily seemed unfathomable. Yet today, China is considered another great power in the international system. How did China manage to build power, from a weaker resource position, in an international system that was dominated by the U.S.? What factors determined the strategies Beijing pursued to achieve this feat?
Using granular data and authoritative Chinese sources, Oriana Skylar Mastro demonstrates that China was able to climb to great power status through a careful mix of strategic emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship on the international stage. This 'upstart approach' ― determined by where and how China chose to compete ― allowed China to rise economically, politically, and militarily, without triggering a catastrophic international backlash that would stem its rise. China emulated (i.e. pursued similar strategies to the U.S. in similar areas) when its leaders thought doing so would build power, while reassuring the U.S. of its intentions. China exploited (i.e. adopted similar approaches to the U.S. in new areas of competition) when China felt that the overall U.S. strategy was effective, but didn't want to risk direct confrontation. Lastly, China pursued entrepreneurial actions (i.e. innovative approaches to new and existing areas of competition) when it believed emulation might elicit a negative reaction and a more effective approach was available. Beyond explaining the unique nature of China's rise, Upstart: How China Became a Great Power provides policy guidance on how the U.S. can maintain a competitive edge in this new era of great power competition."
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Brent Scowcroft Award Fellowship
The ASG launched the Brent Scowcroft Award Fellowship (BSAF), a paid, temporary, and full-time fellowship program, in recognition of ASG Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft’s long-time dedication to the group, as well as his legacy of distinguished public service. Now in its 20th year, the six-month fellowship is designed to provide an important professional stepping-stone for recent graduates with a keen interest in foreign policy and national security by way of direct exposure to the types of critical, thoughtful, and bipartisan discussions that characterize the ASG’s dialogues. Scowcroft Fellows are integral members of our team and their work contributes across all of our programs and initiatives at the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum.
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