How Trump and Xi Could Cement Beijing’s Advantage for Years to Come; Can Trump Get a New Nuclear Deal With Iran?;  Why China Waits
Foreign Affairs This Week

May 15, 2026 | View in Browser | Sponsored by International Monetary Fund

 

This week’s highlights:

- America Has Lost Its Leverage Over China by Henrietta Levin

- Can Trump Get a New Nuclear Deal With Iran? by Matthew Sharp and Nate Swanson

- Why China Waits by Amanda Hsiao and Bonnie S. Glaser

- The Winners and Losers of the Iran Energy Shock by Benjamin H. Bradlow

- Podcast: Nicholas Burns unpacks what will happen when the two superpowers meet

- The Stakes of Trump vs. Xi by Kurt M. Campbell

- America and the Gulf Still Need Each Other by Daniel Benaim and Elisa Ewers

 

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A Chinese national flag in Beijing, May 2026 

America Has Lost Its Leverage Over China

How Trump and Xi Could Cement Beijing’s Advantage for Years to Come

By Henrietta Levin

 
Holding an Iranian flag in Tehran, May 2026 

Can Trump Get a New Nuclear Deal With Iran?

Washington Has More Demands—and Tehran Has More Leverage

By Matthew Sharp and Nate Swanson

 
Chinese soldiers in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 2026 

Why China Waits

Beijing Is Playing a Long Game on Taiwan

By Amanda Hsiao and Bonnie S. Glaser

 
A “not available” sign at a gas station in Quezon City, Philippines, March 2026 

The Winners and Losers of the Iran Energy Shock

How the War Created a New Geopolitical Divide

By Benjamin H. Bradlow

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Beyond the Ledger: How Tokenization Is Reshaping Finance

 

Financial assets are moving onto programmable digital platforms — and it’s changing more than just how transactions are processed. New IMF analysis shows that tokenization is fundamentally restructuring how banks, asset managers, and markets handle settlement, liquidity, and risk. But realizing the benefits requires strong governance, clear rules, and global coordination.

 

Read the Full Paper

Cover image of “Tokenized Finance”
Cover image of “Tokenized Finance”

Beyond the Ledger: How Tokenization Is Reshaping Finance

Financial assets are moving onto programmable digital platforms — and it’s changing more than just how transactions are processed. New IMF analysis shows that tokenization is fundamentally restructuring how banks, asset managers, and markets handle settlement, liquidity, and risk. But realizing the benefits requires strong governance, clear rules, and global coordination.

 

Read the Full Paper