GPF Team

Dec. 30, 2016 The Italian banking crisis is not just an Italian problem.

Dec. 30, 2016 The biggest myth surrounding the issue of China as a holder of U.S. debt securities is the outsized role China is perceived as playing. U.S. government debt currently totals $19.89 trillion. This is a somewhat misleading figure, however. Intragovernmental holdings make up $5.47 trillion of that figure, which means that almost 30 percent of the debt is money that the U.S. government owes itself. Of the remaining $14.41 trillion, $6.15 trillion is held by foreign sources, and the rest is held by various U.S. pension funds, insurance companies and other investors. Of the amount held by foreign sources, only $1.84 trillion is held by China, 61 percent of which is held in U.S. Treasury securities. (The rest is in equities and corporate or U.S. agency securities, as shown below.)

Dec. 29, 2016 Will there ever be a two-state solution?

Dec. 29, 2016 Beijing faces a number of constraints.

Dec. 28, 2016 Russia’s recent military adventures have mostly aimed to create an illusion of strength.