The Global Eye : CSIS

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is moving at breakneck speed to develop the institutions, as well as legal and regulatory mechanisms, necessary to strengthen cyber governance. This policy trajectory has been particularly evident during the last few months, a period that featured:
President Xi Jinping’s speech on cybersecurity to a meeting of the Leading Small Group (LSG) for Network Security and Informatization;
The National People’s Congress announcement that China’s Cybersecurity Law will go through a second reading (three readings are required for passage) this June;
And the State Council’s public notification of work being done on laws related to encryption and critical infrastructure, two hot-button cyber issues

https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-make-newly-established-cybersecurity-association-china

With a Dozen Economic Reform Packages under His Belt, Indonesia’s Jokowi Settles In (CSIS)

Last September, almost a year after taking office, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo released his first installment of policy packages intended to stimulate the Indonesian economy. Focused on improving industrial competitiveness through reducing red tape, the reform package removed 89 business investment regulations and eased the acquisition of licenses, land, and bank accounts

https://www.csis.org/analysis/dozen-economic-reform-packages-under-his-belt-indonesia%E2%80%99s-jokowi-settles

Energy 101: Electricity (Michelle Melton, CSIS)

Electricity is an integral part of life in modern society and a key input in economic growth. It is a unique commodity whose ubiquity can obscure the sector’s financial, technical, and regulatory complexity. This complexity is compounded by the diversity of regulatory and market forms around the world.

This fact sheet, the seventh in a series from the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, provides an overview of electricity markets and policy

https://www.csis.org/analysis/energy-101-electricity

Navigating Gulf Waters After the Iran Nuclear Deal (Melissa Dalton, CSIS)

Following the implementation of the JCPOA, tensions remain high in the Gulf. Even with inferior naval assets, Iran chooses to provoke its neighbors with asymmetric tactics. The United States must balance fostering the progress of renewed diplomatic relations with Iran, while easing friction among its Gulf partners. Preventing miscommunication, miscalculation, and dangerous provocation should be a priority. Policy prescriptions such as building tactical communication channels, developing crisis-management mechanisms, and enforcing rules of engagement in the Gulf will assist in this effort. Militarily, the U.S. must enhance its current force posture to deter aggressive activities in the Gulf, including conducting multilateral exercises with its allies and partners, promoting the acquisition of missile defense systems by GCC countries. Utilizing this multipronged approach will mitigate the risk of unintended conflict in the Gulf

https://www.csis.org/analysis/navigating-gulf-waters-after-iran-nuclear-deal

The Changing Security Structure in the Middle East (Anthony H. Cordesman, CSIS)

On May 26, 2016, the Burke Chair circulated a speech to the International Symposium on International Relations and Security at the Turkish War College entitled The Changing Security Structure in the Middle East

https://www.csis.org/analysis/changing-security-structure-middle-east-0

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Afghanistan: Deciding the Future of the Not Quite “Forgotten War” (Anthony H. Cordesman, CSIS)

The Obama Administration is in the process of making one of the most important decisions it will make in its final year, one that will shape its legacy for the future: whether and how the United States should support the Afghan government in its continuing war against the Taliban, ISIS, the Haqqani Network, and other violent Islamist extremists

https://www.csis.org/analysis/afghanistan-deciding-future-not-quite-%E2%80%9Cforgotten-war%E2%80%9D

Monday, 23 May 2016

Modi’s First 24: An International Perspective on Economic Reform (Richard M. Rossow, CSIS)

It has now been two years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office, following a historic victory for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the spring 2014 parliamentary election. At the two-year mark, opinion remains divided as to whether he has met expectations for economic reforms. From the perspective of the international business community, there is a stark contrast between the government’s extremely proactive measures to increase the scope for foreign investment and its simultaneous lack of interest in deepening India’s interconnectedness on trade

https://www.csis.org/analysis/modi%E2%80%99s-first-24-international-perspective-economic-reform