<p>The Asia-Pacific is home to more people than any other region. Centered on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, this region includes the easternmost countries of continental Asia as well as the archipelagos that punctuate the coast. Several of these countries, most notably China, experienced rapid economic growth in the second half of the 20th century, giving the region a new sense of global economic relevance that continues today. That relevance, however, depends largely on China, a power in transition whose rise is testing the network of U.S. alliances that have long dominated the region. How effectively Beijing manages its transition will shape the regional balance of power in the decades to come.</p>

Centered on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, the Asia-Pacific region includes the easternmost countries of continental Asia as well as the archipelagos that punctuate the coast. 

Asia-Pacific

Australia

Samoa

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

China

Timor-Leste

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Indonesia

Japan

Kiribati

Laos

Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Mongolia

Myanmar

Nauru

New Zealand

North Korea

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Singapore

Solomon Islands

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Vietnam

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The New Silk Road

Modernizing China’s Military

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Globalization

Social Issues

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

Moscow Looks to the East

China in Transition

A Japanese Awakening

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

Columns

On Geopolitics

United States

Ukraine

Russia

On April 16, 2024, 155mm caliber shells are shown after manufacturing, ready for shipment at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Trump's return to the White House and North Korean support for Russia have shifted the conflict's dynamics, likely portending a further weakened position for Kyiv.

Bracing for a Protracted War in Ukraine: The Narrowing Path to a Ukrainian Victory

Snapshots

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 11, 2024.

Politics

While Ishiba is unlikely to leave office anytime soon, Japan's new minority government will impede domestic policymaking, which could fray U.S.-Japan ties if defense spending reforms are delayed.

Japan's PM Ishiba Survives To Struggle Another Day

Global Elections

Assessments

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Sri Lanka

A ballot is cast in front of the Japanese flag. On Nov. 11, the country will select a prime minister and convene an extraordinary session of its bicameral Diet.

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Selects a Prime Minister, Trump's Shadow Looms Over COP29

3D illustration of two folders and a rubber stamp with the word "declassified" printed on a document.

Cyber

The outgoing U.S. Biden administration's liberal use of "intelligence diplomacy" as a tool of foreign policy raises questions about how the incoming Trump administration will take up the torch.

Declassified: The Future of U.S. 'Intelligence Diplomacy'

Mexico

Iran

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election event in the early hours of Nov. 6, 2024.

Economics

Trump will place more tariffs on U.S. trade partners and reduce support for Ukraine, but he will largely maintain Biden's approach to the U.S. tech rivalry with China and the Middle East conflict.

Trump's Win Will Ripple Across the World

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Azerbaijan

A sign for COP29 on Nov. 3, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Negotiators at this year's U.N. Climate Change Conference will ultimately reach a new global climate finance deal, but progress on the global energy transition will not accelerate.

Energy

Negotiators at this year's U.N. Climate Change Conference will ultimately reach a new global climate finance deal, but progress on the global energy transition will not accelerate significantly.

What to Watch for at This Year's 'Finance COP' in Azerbaijan

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) and his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Gang, meet at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on Sept. 9, 2024. 

Trump is more likely to impose tariffs to minimize the trade deficit, while Harris is more likely to call for supply chain decoupling from China -- either of which could strain U.S.-Vietnam ties.

What a Trump vs. Harris Presidency Would Mean for Vietnam

India

Indian soldiers walk along a road near the Zojila mountain pass that connects to Ladakh, bordering China, on Feb. 28, 2021. 

While their recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions will probably reduce the risk of border clashes, deep-seated mistrust between the two strategic rivals will very likely limit the scope of any reconciliation. 

After a Tense Few Years, India and China Try To Turn Down the Heat

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of North Korea's artillery firing, at a railway station in Seoul on Jan. 6, 2024.

With both sides threatening overwhelming retaliation and having greater capabilities to make good on those threats, provocations along the North-South border now carry a greater risk of erupting into military clashes.

The Rising Risk of Military Clashes on the Korean Peninsula

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zambia

Workers move batches of copper sheets on July 6, 2016, in Mufulira, Zambia. Zambia's copper output will likely steadily increase by the late 2020s on the back of a more stable tax environment and a global rush for critical minerals, but the country faces an uphill battle to meet its 2032 copper production target.

Zambia's copper output will likely steadily increase by the late 2020s on the back of a more stable tax environment and a global rush for critical minerals, but the country faces an uphill battle to meet its 2032 copper production target.

Zambia Banks on the Green Rush for Copper 

New Zealand suspended a parliamentary session after Maori members of the opposition staged a haka protest (a ceremonial dance and chant) to disrupt a vote to amend the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi that governs the rights of Indigenous Maori people, Reuters reported on Nov. 14.

New Zealand: Indigenous Treaty Bill Disrupted by Lawmakers' Haka Protest

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and U.S. President Joe Biden met for an official state visit in Washington and discussed security, trade, supply chain diversification and climate resilience, Reuters reported on Nov. 12.

Indonesia, U.S.: Presidents Meet, Create Frameworks for Future Collaboration

Taiwan's conservative opposition Kuomintang, or KMT, will hold a vote in the legislature on Nov. 18 on whether to reform the Constitutional Court to require 15 judges to be present to rule on cases (up from the current eight) and to require a two-thirds vote (10 of 15 judges), up from the current simple majority, to pass any ruling, Focus Taiwan reported on Nov. 12.

Taiwan: Opposition Goes After Top Court, Risking Protests, Institutional Infighting

Pakistan

Beijing is pushing Islamabad to allow Chinese security personnel into Pakistan to protect its interests there, fueling ongoing negotiations on a joint security management system, Reuters reported on Nov. 12.

Pakistan, China: Governments Discuss Joint Security Arrangement

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the signing of $10 billion worth of deals across multiple sectors including green energy, technology, infrastructure, critical minerals, fisheries and mining, Reuters reported on Nov. 10. 

China, Indonesia: Countries Reach $10B in Deals but Produce Diplomatic Headache

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

Negotiators attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP29, endorsed new quality standards for carbon credits, which are essential for the U.N.-backed global carbon credit market, without significant discussion on the matter, the Guardian reported on Nov. 12. 

Global: COP29 Negotiators Reach Deal on Rules for Global Carbon Market Framework

According to Ukrainian officials and a new U.S. assessment, 50,000 Russian and North Korean forces will begin a renewed assault on Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk region in the coming days, The New York Times reported on Nov. 10.

Russia, Ukraine, North Korea: Russia To Step Up Attacks on Kursk in Coming Days

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Maritime Zones act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes act into law, Nikkei Asia reported on Nov. 8.

Philippines: New Laws Strengthen Legal Position of Territorial Claims

Asia-Pacific

SITUATION REPORTS

New Zealand: Indigenous Treaty Bill Disrupted by Lawmakers' Haka Protest

Indonesia, U.S.: Presidents Meet, Create Frameworks for Future Collaboration

Taiwan: Opposition Goes After Top Court, Risking Protests, Institutional Infighting

Pakistan, China: Governments Discuss Joint Security Arrangement

China, Indonesia: Countries Reach $10B in Deals but Produce Diplomatic Headache

Global: COP29 Negotiators Reach Deal on Rules for Global Carbon Market Framework

Russia, Ukraine, North Korea: Russia To Step Up Attacks on Kursk in Coming Days

Philippines: New Laws Strengthen Legal Position of Territorial Claims

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