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US President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025.

What will happen when Trump meets Xi?

Richard C. Bush, Kyle Chan, Jonathan A. Czin, Vanda Felbab-Brown, Ryan Hass, Yingyi Ma, Scott M. Moore, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Susan A. Thornton +4 more

May 5, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 15: An activist holds a U.S. flag during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 15, 2025. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments that day in Louisiana v. Callais, a major case concerning a congressional map that created a second majority-Black district in Louisiana.

Supreme Court decision alters 2026 midterm election outlook

William A. Galston, Elaine Kamarck, Jordan Muchnick

April 30, 2026

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 13: Fuel prices are displayed on a sign as customers fill their vehicles at a gas station on April 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Another oil crisis is here. How will American drivers respond?

Adie Tomer, Ben Swedberg

April 27, 2026

As border enforcement expands, ‘colonia’ communities are left without basic infrastructure

Andrik Gonzalez, Tonantzin Carmona

April 30, 2026

Why is spending on health care slowing?

David M. Cutler, Janice C. Eberly, Richard G. Frank, Lev Klarnet, Jón Steinsson

April 30, 2026

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Brookings expert Landry Signe' at the World Bank/IMF Spring meetings in April 2024

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We bring together leading experts in government, academia, and beyond to provide independent, nonpartisan research and analysis on the most important issues in the world.

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China

Pedestrians walk past a screen showing the Shanghai composite index in the Jing'an district of Shanghai on March 2, 2026.

China Beijing’s approach to the conflict in Iran and its implications for China

Ryan Hass, Patricia M. Kim, Yun Sun, Dennis Wilder, Thomas Wright

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the traveling press before boarding Air Force One at the Palm Beach International Airport on April 25, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Diplomacy & Multilateralism Five things to watch as Trump goes to Beijing

Patricia M. Kim

Illustration showing profiles of U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping in front of their countries' respective flags

International Affairs What does China want from a Trump-Xi summit?

Kyle Chan, Jonathan A. Czin, Ryan Hass, Patricia M. Kim

Members of the Chinese Military delegation march into the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People on March 12, 2026 in Beijing, China

China Is China’s military as strong as it looks?

John Culver, Jonathan A. Czin, Ryan Hass

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Climate & Energy

This aerial image shows a vehicle driving through a solar farm, which produces energy that could power nearly half the town, on former US President Jimmy Carter's land in Plains, Georgia, on February 22, 2023. - Jimmy Carter, the 98-year-old former US president who led the nation from 1977 to 1981, is receiving hospice care at home, where he will spend his "remaining time," his nonprofit foundation said on February 18, 2023. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Cities & Communities Beyond ‘clean’ versus ‘cheap’: The energy and growth strategy that states and regions are missing

Owen Washburn, Ryan Donahue, Greer Brigham, Xavier de Souza Briggs

Cars drive past Moscone Center North Hall under a skybridge, surrounded by GDC, Game Developers Conference banners and green bike lanes - San Francisco, California, USA - March 15, 2025

Transportation Why more states are passing laws to help people drive less

Riley Sandhop, Ben Swedberg, Adie Tomer

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Where rising climate risks and insurance costs will hit hardest

Manann Donoghoe

This picture taken at sunset on November 12, 2025 shows wind turbines and power poles as fumes rise from the cooling towers of the lignite-fired power station operated by German energy giant RWE near Neurath, western Germany.

Energy Security System integration: The key to Europe’s energy trilemma

Samantha Gross, Constanze Stelzenmüller

See more on Climate & Energy

Iran

Mural on a wall in Iran.

Defense & Security Will the Iran ceasefire hold?

Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Mara Karlin, Suzanne Maloney

Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi attends the special meeting on Iran, initiated by Russia, prior to the IAEA's Board of Governors meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on March 2, 2026.

Arms Control & Nonproliferation Avoid any temporary deal on Iran’s nukes

Michael E. O’Hanlon

A woman displays an AI-generated image of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military uniform on her cellphone screen during a pro-government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 6, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence Generative AI as a weapon of war in Iran

Valerie Wirtschafter

Large oil tankers berthed at the Port of Mutrah in Muscat, as regional tensions in the Strait of Hormuz raise concerns over global oil supply disruption and energy market instability.

Energy Industry The Iran conflict’s energy shocks are not yet fully realized

Samantha Gross

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2026 Midterm Elections

The U.S.-Mexico border wall is seen on the outskirts of Eagle Pass, Texas, on February 19, 2026.

Immigrants & Immigration How 2026’s divisive immigration politics could lead to a solution down the road

E.J. Dionne, Jr.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: A customer shops in a grocery store on March 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data that was released the consumer price index increased seasonally adjusted 0.3% for the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.4%.

U.S. Economy Why affordability will be a key issue in the 2026 midterm elections

William A. Galston

An aerial view shows cooling vent fans on the roof next to generators on the lower level of a Digital Realty data center in Ashburn, Virginia on November 12, 2025. Data centers are the physical infrastructure that make our digital lives possible, yet most people have never seen one up close or understand how they operate. Roughly 12,000 data centers are in operation in the world, with about half in the US, according to Cloudscene, a data center directory.

U.S. Economy How rising electric rates could affect the 2026 midterms

Darrell M. West

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 03: U.S. Representatives of the 119th Congress are sworn in during the first day of session in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on January 3, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Congress House retirement wave signals deep institutional frustration

Abby Ward, Molly E. Reynolds

See more on the 2026 Midterm Elections

Education

A sign at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, promotes the Kalamazoo Promise on Aug. 12, 2017. The program provides free college tuition to eligible graduates of the district.

Higher Education Getting state ‘free college’ right: Design choices that matter

Katharine Meyer, Isabel McMullen

A teen girl uses a laptop

Children & Families Tips for parents: Raising resilient learners in an AI world

Rebecca Winthrop, Emma Venetis

Drawn graduation cap on top of USD bills against a blue background.

Higher Education Financial aid for students without financial need: What does it mean for public policy?

Phillip Levine

Artificial Intelligence Generation AI starts early: A guide to technologies already shaping young children’s lives

Sweta Shah

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event

May 11

2026

China US-China competition: Policy priorities from Capitol Hill

The Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

Monday, 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm EDT

Upcoming Event

May 12

2026

Regulatory Policy The rise of prediction markets: Level playing field or rigged game?

The Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

Tuesday, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm EDT

Upcoming Event

May 12

2026

Congress Changing legislative norms in an era of conflict

Online only

Tuesday, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT