China

Economics

China's State Council revealed it was considering having local governments and state-owned enterprises help buy millions of unsold homes at large discounts to provide housing to low-income families and offer badly needed funding for debt-ridden real estate developers, Reuters reported on May 15. 

China: Housing Support Could Rekindle Demand, But Scale and Funding are Constraints

Russia

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, in multiple formats, and they signed 11 cooperation documents, the Financial Times reported on May 16. 

Russia, China: Xi and Putin Pledge Deepened Cooperation, But Major Breakthroughs Prove Illusive

United States

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

U.S.-China Relations

Science & Technology

Microsoft offered to relocate 700-800 employees at its China cloud-computing and artificial intelligence arm outside of China, including Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported on May 16.

China, U.S.: Microsoft Looks To Relocate Some Chinese AI and Cloud Computing Staff Outside of China

Benin

Niger

Benin announced that it would "punctually and provisionally" authorize the loading of Nigerien crude oil at the terminal of Seme following a demand from Nigerien customs to participate in loading operations, Radio France Internationale reported on May 15.

Benin, Niger: Benin Temporarily Authorizes Nigerien Oil Exports Amid Chinese Mediation

Europe

The European Commission will start a formal review of the bloc’s semiconductor supply chain to assess reliance on Chinese imports for so-called legacy chips, which are mature and low-end semiconductors (at or above 28 nanometers) used in all sorts of products, from household appliances to cars and medical devices, Politico reported on May 15. 

EU, China: Brussels To Launch Formal Review of China's Role in Legacy Chip Supply Chains

France

Riots broke out in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, including gun fire directed at security personnel, over a proposed election law that would allow French residents who have lived on the island for 10 years to vote in local elections, France 24 reported on May 14.

New Caledonia: Violent Riots Rock French Pacific Territory

Japan

South Korea

Japan will take over servicing U.S. F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft stationed in-country at Misawa and Kadena air bases from South Korea starting in 2025, Nikkei Asia reported on May 14.

Japan, U.S.: Japan To Begin Servicing F-15s and F-16s

The European Commission will close investigations under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation into Chinese solar panel manufacturers bidding in a public procurement procedure for the construction of a 110 megawatt solar park in Romania after the companies involved withdrew from the tender, according to a statement from Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton published on May 13.

EU, China: Brussels Closes Anti-Subsidy Probe as Firms Withdraw Bids in Procurement

Assessments

Cambodia

Vietnam

The Mekong River and Tonle Sap River meet at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The project will substantially reduce Cambodia's trade dependence on Vietnam, while contributing to China's broader geopolitical goal of constructing a global network of friendly ports.

Cambodia's Funan Techo Canal Marks a Loss for Vietnam and a Win for China

Australia

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands' newly elected prime minister Jeremiah Manele speaks during a press conference in Honiara on May 2, 2024.

The leadership change will maintain the strategic Pacific Island nation's new pro-Beijing bent, driving the U.S. and Australia to scale up their own influence campaigns.

The Solomon Islands Elects Another Pro-China Prime Minister

Brazil

Chile

Spain

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. 

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

North 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

Serbia

Hungary

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

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

Fiji

Indonesia

New Zealand

Philippines

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

<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

China: Housing Support Could Rekindle Demand, But Scale and Funding are Constraints

Russia, China: Xi and Putin Pledge Deepened Cooperation, But Major Breakthroughs Prove Illusive

China, U.S.: Microsoft Looks To Relocate Some Chinese AI and Cloud Computing Staff Outside of China

Benin, Niger: Benin Temporarily Authorizes Nigerien Oil Exports Amid Chinese Mediation

EU, China: Brussels To Launch Formal Review of China's Role in Legacy Chip Supply Chains

New Caledonia: Violent Riots Rock French Pacific Territory

Japan, U.S.: Japan To Begin Servicing F-15s and F-16s

EU, China: Brussels Closes Anti-Subsidy Probe as Firms Withdraw Bids in Procurement

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