Jeff M. Smith
Heritage Foundation
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Jeff:
Privileged Billionaire Michael Bloomberg Needs To Apologize to the Chinese People
Michael Bloomberg owes the Chinese people an apology. At a business forum he hosted in Singapore earlier this month, the former New York mayor and Democratic presidential candidate felt compelled to publicly condemn former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s characterization of China’s government as a “coercive autocracy.” Mr. Bloomberg offered his apologies to anyone at the forum that might… → Read More
Could America Have Avoided Tragedy in Afghanistan?
Much has changed in Afghanistan since the Biden administration withdrew U.S. forces a year ago. A Human Rights Watch report calls the situation there a “human rights nightmare.” → Read More
South Asia: A New Strategy
The U.S. government should develop a coherent and coordinated strategy for South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The United States has a number of vital interests at stake in the region that includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the vast Indian Ocean. Perhaps most important, the region has become an increasingly vital theater of… → Read More
The Reign of the Rajapaksas Ends, Again
It was rather remarkable: In the 21st century, no Asian country had defaulted on its sovereign debt. Until now. For the past several months Sri Lanka, a small island nation off India’s southern coast straddling the region’s crucial waterways, has been embroiled in an economic and political crisis. It reached a crescendo in July, when street protests forced the resignation and hasty departure of… → Read More
Could America Have Avoided Tragedy in Afghanistan?
We are beginning to understand the dire economic and human costs of the Taliban takeover. → Read More
Taiwandia: The Slow, Quiet Development of India-Taiwan Relations
At first blush, Taiwan’s diplomatic space seems to be shrinking. The number of countries offering Taiwan diplomatic recognition has been dwindling. Since 2019, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, and Nicaragua have all switched recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China. Today, only 13 countries and the Vatican City still recognize the island state. On the other hand, many countries… → Read More
President Biden Should Strengthen Alliances During Asia Trip
During his upcoming trip to South Korea and Japan, President Joe Biden should affirm the U.S. commitment to defending our allies against increasing Chinese and North Korean military threats. China is the preeminent global security threat, and enhancing both alliances are critical to augmenting Washington’s ability to counter threats to U.S. strategic interests. Biden should also urge Seoul and… → Read More
India and the U.S. Navigate Their Differences
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in April hosted their Indian counterparts, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. The ministers met for the fourth edition of the 2+2 defense and foreign policy dialogue that began during the Trump administration. → Read More
Don’t Let Putin’s War in Ukraine Damage U.S.-India Ties
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has profoundly affected the European security order and plunged the West’s relationship with Russia to lows not seen since the Cold War. It is also having some important second-order effects, including raising some uncomfortable questions in the U.S. about India’s longstanding partnership with Russia. → Read More
The Indo-Pacific Strategy Needs Indo-Specifics
The Biden administration’s newly released Indo-Pacific Strategy embraces many of the priorities and initiatives adopted by the Trump administration. → Read More
The Biden Administration Must Provide Clarity on Its Approach to Afghanistan
One year after the U.S. and the Taliban signed an agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha to pave the way for a reduction in Taliban violence and a potential reduction in U.S. troop presence, → Read More
China’s Rise and Balancing in the Indo-Pacific: Taking Stock in 2021
Balancing is one of the oldest and most intuitive concepts in international relations. It posits that to deter aggressive or coercive acts by other nation states, countries will seek out a stable or favorable balance of power. → Read More
Rising Above the Fray: The Trump-Modi Chapter in India-U.S. Relations
President Donald Trump will arrive in India next week, his first visit to Asia’s democratic heavyweight and a lynchpin of the administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. It’s now clear the president won’t leave Delhi with a modest trade deal that’s been the subject of years of contentious negotiations but there will plenty of other takeaways, including some U.S. defense sales and a rousing reception… → Read More
Playing the Right Hand: US Negotiations With the Taliban
Washington needs to remain clear-eyed about its goals as it looks to exit Afghanistan. → Read More
Reality in Afghanistan: Securing America’s Interests
As part of an effort to bring 40 years of wars—in which the U.S. has been involved for 18 years—to an end in Afghanistan, there have now been eight rounds of direct talks between the U.S. and the Taliban. While the U.S. government is right to pursue a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan, progress has been painfully slow. To date, the Taliban have refused to engage in direct… → Read More
Sri Lanka: A Test Case for the Free and Open Indo–Pacific Strategy
Over the past three years, Sri Lanka has been a bright spot for U.S. foreign policy in the Indo–Pacific. The coalition government led by President Maithripala Sirisena and the more reform-minded prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has expanded relations with the U.S. and India to balance the country’s firm embrace of China during the tenure of President Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005–2015). → Read More
India and Pakistan: Living on Borrowed Time
Pakistan’s security establishment must be convinced the cost for using terrorism as an instrument of state policy outweighs the benefits. → Read More
Why America Cannot Afford to Pull Out of Afghanistan
While the White House and U.S. military commanders insist no decision has been made, Washington is alive with speculation that President Donald Trump intends to order the withdrawal of half of the 14,000 U.S. military personnel currently operating in Afghanistan. The president, who has been critical of the Afghan war in the past, made an abrupt decision to withdraw all U.S. military personnel… → Read More
Congress Is Standing United On the Indo-Pacific
Senators are unifying around a bill that will signal to the world how unified the U.S. government is on key geopolitical issues shaping the Indo-Pacific. → Read More
COMCASA: Another Step Forward for the United States and India
The conclusion of the COMCASA agreement between India and the United States is a big deal. → Read More