China

Philippines

Military & Security

Politics

The Philippines' national security advisor called for the expulsion of Chinese diplomatic personnel allegedly responsible for recording and leaking a purported Jan. 3 phone conversation between a Chinese diplomat and a Philippine admiral, Bloomberg reported on May 10.

Philippines, China: Philippine National Security Advisor Calls for Expulsion of Chinese Diplomats

Serbia

Hungary

Economics

China and Hungary have upgraded their relationship to an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era," Chinese President Xi Jinping announced during a joint conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Bloomberg reported May 9. 

China, Hungary: Xi and Orban Announce New Investment in Hungary, Enhance Bilateral Relations

United States

Environment, Science & Technology

U.S.-China Relations

Science & Technology

The U.S. Biden administration is scheduled to announce changes to Sec. 301 tariffs on China on May 14, including new tariffs on key industries such as electric vehicles, battery technologies and solar cells, Bloomberg reported on May 9.

China, U.S.: Washington To Place New Tariffs on China as Soon as May 14

Taiwan

Vietnam

On May 18, opposition lawmakers from Taiwan's conservative Kuomintang, or KMT, and centrist Taiwan People's Party, or TPP, will visit the Taiwan-administered Taiping Island in the South China Sea to inspect a new pier and observe coast guard drills, Focus Taiwan reported on May 9.

Taiwan, China: Opposition Parties To Visit Taiping Island, Aggravate Fringe National Security Issues

Angola

Angola reached a deal with the China Development Bank to release cash held as collateral in an escrow account to ensure the country can meet its interest repayments, Angolan Finance Minister Vera Daves de Sousa told the Financial Times on May 8. 

Angola: Government Reaches Deal With China Development Bank on Debt Interest Payments

The U.S. Commerce Department will hear testimony on whether to reclassify Vietnam as a "market economy" from its current designation as a "non-market economy with heavy state influence," Reuters reported on May 8.

Vietnam, U.S.: Commerce Department to Review Vietnam’s ‘Non-Market Economy’ Status 

China's industry ministry released new draft guidelines for the electric vehicle battery industry that will "Guide enterprises to reduce manufacturing projects that simply expand production capacity," as well as "strengthen technological innovation, improve product quality, and reduce production costs," Bloomberg reported on May 8. 

China: EV Battery Guidelines To Address Quality, Not Western Overcapacity, Concerns

Cyber

The U.S. Commerce Department is weighing new export restrictions on closed source or proprietary artificial intelligence models to China, Reuters reported on May 8.

U.S., China: Washington Weighs Restrictions on AI Model Exports to China

Assessments

Brazil

Chile

Spain

Russia

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin Goes to China, New U.S. Tariffs on China

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left), surrounded by their respective delegations, hold a meeting in Beijing, China, on Oct. 18, 2023. 

Energy

The Russian president will likely push for greater trade, military and energy cooperation, but a breakthrough is unlikely unless it happens on China's terms.

What To Expect During Putin's Trip to China

Japan

North Korea

South Korea

Natsumi Sakai (C) of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan poses with others after receiving news that she won the by-election for the Tokyo No. 15 district seat for the lower house, in Tokyo, Japan, on April 28, 2024.

Recent by-elections reveal that a slush fund scandal is continuing to take its toll on Japan's ruling party, but Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to remain in power, for now.

By-Election Losses Shake Japan's Ruling Party, but Kishida Stays the Course

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Dec. 15, 2023, in in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Democratic backsliding will likely complicate government efforts to attract Western investment, but could portend improved relations with neighbors and Russia and China.

Gauging the Implications of Kyrgyzstan's Democratic Backsliding

Chad

Panama

France

Panamanian presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino on May 1, 2024, in Panama City. Panamanians will vote May 5 to select their next president and all 71 members of the National Assembly.

The Weekly Rundown: Panama Holds General Elections, Xi Visits Europe

Snapshots

Europe

Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen between the Chinese and French national flags in Beijing on Jan. 9, 2018. 

During the rare visit, the Chinese president will seek to ease EU trade tensions and secure Beijing's economic presence and influence in Central and Eastern Europe.

What To Expect During Xi's Trip to Europe

Media

Podcasts

What is the future of Japan and the U.S.'s military relationship?

Essential Geopolitics: What Continued U.S.-Japan Cooperation Means for China

Columns

On Geopolitics

Australia

Fiji

Indonesia

New Zealand

Singapore

United Kingdom

India

A 3D rendering of Southeast Asia from space at night with city lights showing Southeast Asian cities in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

In the Asia-Pacific, countries are increasingly pursuing complex networks of political, economic and defense ties as part of a burgeoning "multi-alignment" strategy that seeks to avoid U.S.-China strategic competition.

Examining 'Multi-Alignment' in the Asia-Pacific

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Argentina

Bolivia

Peru

Palestinian Territories

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his wife, Begona Gomez, arrive Oct. 5, 2023, at the Carlos V Palace at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Sanchez is expected to make an announcement about his political future on April 29 following his surprise decision April 25 to suspend public appearances after a court in Madrid announced an investigation into his wife for alleged influence-peddling and corruption.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: South American Foreign Ministers Visit China, the Spanish Premier Announces His Political Future

An aerial view shows residential buildings under construction by Chinese real estate developer Vanke in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, on March 15, 2024. 

Without productivity-enhancing economic reform, China's economic growth will likely continue to slow amid insufficient demand and continued over-investment.

Gauging the Risk of a Systemic Financial Crisis in China

Ecuador

Iran

Israel

A banner depicts IRGC missile models aimed at Israel on April 16 in the Iranian capital of Tehran. The ongoing confrontation may be entering a de-escalation phase after the April 19 Israeli counterstrike to Iran's April 13 salvo against Israel.

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Iran Conflict, Ecuador's Constitutional Referendum

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands following a joint press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. 

Greater U.S.-Japan defense cooperation will exacerbate China's sense of entrapment, furthering Beijing's partnerships with authoritarian regimes and its long-term preparations for a Taiwan conflict.

Japan-U.S. Relationship Serves as a Model for Indo-Pacific Security, a Bad Omen for China

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Philippines, China: Philippine National Security Advisor Calls for Expulsion of Chinese Diplomats

China, Hungary: Xi and Orban Announce New Investment in Hungary, Enhance Bilateral Relations

China, U.S.: Washington To Place New Tariffs on China as Soon as May 14

Taiwan, China: Opposition Parties To Visit Taiping Island, Aggravate Fringe National Security Issues

Angola: Government Reaches Deal With China Development Bank on Debt Interest Payments

Vietnam, U.S.: Commerce Department to Review Vietnam’s ‘Non-Market Economy’ Status

China: EV Battery Guidelines To Address Quality, Not Western Overcapacity, Concerns

U.S., China: Washington Weighs Restrictions on AI Model Exports to China

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