Caption
A photo shows US and Israeli flags projected on the historic walls of the Old City near Hebron Gate in Jerusalem on June 22, 2025. (Getty Images)
Tensions have risen in the South China Sea as China undertakes a campaign to convert reefs into islands among the disputed Spratly Islands. While the U.S. has sent a naval reconnaissance patrol plane over the site, China has asserted territorial claims and reportedly placed artillery on some of the newly created real estate.
On the morning of June 19, Patrick Cronin, Paul Giarra, and Michael Frodl joined Hudson Senior Fellow Seth Cropsey for a discussion on the roots of the current situation, its strategic and commercial implications, and U.S. policy options to balance this challenge to the international order.
Related Events
24
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Operation Epic Fury: Strategy, State of Play, and Theories of Victory
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
David Albright
Can Kasapoğlu
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Ray Takeyh
Nadav Samin
Ilan Berman
Zineb Riboua
H.E. Yechiel Leiter
Joel Scanlon
24
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Operation Epic Fury: Strategy, State of Play, and Theories of Victory
This conference convenes leading experts and policymakers to examine why the conflict began, assess the current state of play, and explore competing theories of victory.
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
David Albright
Can Kasapoğlu
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Ray Takeyh
Nadav Samin
Ilan Berman
Zineb Riboua
H.E. Yechiel Leiter
Joel Scanlon
25
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Operation Epic Fury and the Future of Warfare: A Conversation with Senator Joni Ernst
Featured Speakers:
Peter Rough
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
John P. Walters
25
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Operation Epic Fury and the Future of Warfare: A Conversation with Senator Joni Ernst
Please Join Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees, for a discussion with Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia Peter Rough on Operation Epic Fury, the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East, and how the conflict is shaping the future of warfare and strategy.
Featured Speakers:
Peter Rough
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
John P. Walters
25
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Postponed | Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Jimmy Panetta
25
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Postponed | Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Please Join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Michael Doran for a discussion on the region’s significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking its potential in an era of renewed great power competition.
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Jimmy Panetta
23
March 2026
Past Event
Zimbabwe’s Land Seizures and the Road to Resolution
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Meservey
Deon Therons
Allan “Rusty” Markham
John “JT” Tomaszewski
23
March 2026
Past Event
Zimbabwe’s Land Seizures and the Road to Resolution
Join Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey as he hosts a panel of experts to discuss the history of land expropriation in Zimbabwe, the status of the land compensation agenda, and how policymakers can rectify an issue that bedevils US-Zimbabwe relations.
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Meservey
Deon Therons
Allan “Rusty” Markham
John “JT” Tomaszewski
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Caption
(Screenshot via BBC)
Caption
A US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft flies over the US Central Command area of responsibility during Operation Epic Fury, March 9, 2026. (US Air Force)
