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The U.S.-China relationship currently faces significant rivalry that impacts collaboration, yet history shows that even rivals can work together on shared challenges. Understanding and advancing methods for cooperation among nonstate actors will be critical for addressing major global issues, per commentary from Center for Strategic and International Studies.

A new commentary from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft critiques the American Enterprise Institute's call for substantial increases to Pentagon spending, arguing it ignores the detrimental outcomes of past military interventions. The report asserts that a military-first strategy has consistently failed to achieve its objectives and has created further instability.

U.S. allies contribute more to global security than often perceived. Current NATO spending targets do not fully capture each country's capabilities and contributions, which differ widely, per commentary from RAND Corporation.

China is poised to strengthen its political and economic presence in the Middle East over the next four years. This engagement will be motivated primarily by a need to secure energy resources and enhance diplomatic relations, per commentary from Brookings.

Invading Mexico will not effectively resolve the cartel problem and may worsen existing issues, such as migration and international relations. Military incursions could undermine bilateral cooperation and fail to yield strategic success, posing significant risks to U.S. interests, per commentary from Cato Institute.