The global footprint of criminal groups from China has expanded along with China’s economic and geopolitical presence. North America’s fentanyl crisis has thrust these international criminal networks to the policy forefront in the United States, but the scope of organized crime from China extends far beyond drug trafficking and money laundering. Chinese criminal groups engage in poaching and wildlife trafficking, cybercrime, elaborate fraud and scams, and human trafficking and enslavement. Long experienced in illegally bringing people to the United States and Canada, criminal networks from China have intensified activities at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Because of their linkages to the Chinese government and their own entrepreneurial skills, China-linked criminal networks are likely to expand their geographic reach and deep role in various illegal economies in 2024. Vanda Felbab-Brown, Diana Paz García, and Vibha Bajji outline key areas for the U.S. government to watch in the coming year.
Addressing short-lived climate pollutants after COP28. While they linger less in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, short-lived climate pollutants like methane and nitrous oxide are still significant contributors to climate change. The latest U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28) was another missed opportunity to address these harmful pollutants, Barry G. Rabe argues.
A midwinter update on Ukraine. With the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaching in February and the European continent in the grip of deep winter, Constanze Stelzenmüller provides an overview of where the war stands.
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