China

Japan

Vietnam

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Military & Security

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Science & Technology

Japan and Vietnam upgraded bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam's top-level diplomatic designation, Nikkei Asia reported on Nov. 27. 

Japan, Vietnam: Tokyo, Hanoi Elevate Ties to Top Tier

United States

Australia

Philippines

Taiwan

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that his country and the United States began joint maritime and air patrols on Nov. 21, Channel News Asia reported the same day.

Philippines, U.S.: Washington and Manila Start Joint Naval and Air Patrols in the South China Sea 

On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to discuss export controls, while Kishida urged China to end its import ban on Japanese seafood, The Japan Times reported on Nov. 17.

Japan, China: Xi and Kishida to Remain at Odds on Export Controls, for Now

United Kingdom

Japan and the United Kingdom agreed to further deepen defense ties following talks in Tokyo between the two countries' foreign and defense ministers, The Japan Times reported on Nov. 8.

Japan, U.K.: Countries Continue Deepening Defense Ties

The Japanese government scaled back purchases of U.S. arms and delayed purchases of Japanese weapons in response to the sinking value of the yen versus the dollar, as well as general price inflation, Reuters reported on Nov. 3.

Japan: Yen Depreciation, Inflation Hamper Defense Buildout, Leadership Prospects

Europe

Russia

Energy

The United States placed sanctions on over 200 Russian individuals and entities, including LLC Arctic LNG 2 -- the operating company for Russia's 19 million ton per annum Arctic LNG 2 project that plans to ramp up production over the next few years, S&P Global reported on Nov. 2.

U.S., Russia: U.S. Issues Sweeping Sanctions Against Russia, Including Arctic LNG 2

The details of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's $113-billion stimulus package were revealed Nov. 2 following his Cabinet's approval of the package, Reuters reported.

Japan: $113-Billion Stimulus Unlikely to Boost Support for Kishida and His Party  

China's nuclear arsenal expanded from 400 to 500 warheads between May 2022 and May 2023, a faster pace than the U.S. Department of Defense's previous projections, Politico reported on Oct. 19.

China: Nuclear Posture Shifts Could Influence Taiwan War Contingency Planning 

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Bank of Japan headquarters is seen in Tokyo on Sept. 22, 2022. 

High government debt is unlikely to keep the BoJ from fighting inflation with rate hikes. But as it adopts more flexible policies, the bank will need to be wary of tightening too much, too early.

Japan's Central Bank Mulls More Policy Flexibility Amid an Uncertain Inflation Outlook

Assessments

Argentina

Egypt

Israel

Palestinian Territories

An Israeli tank on Oct. 20, 2023, at Kibbutz Beeri near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip. igh-level representatives from the Gulf and other Arab countries, Turkey and Europe plus U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres among others will meet Oct. 21 in Cairo to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas War and humanitarian crisis.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A Summit in Egypt as Israel Prepares to Invade Gaza, Argentines Head to the Polls

Marshall Islands

Solomon Islands

South Korea

Maldives

EU Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis speaks March 16, 2023, in Brussels.

The Weekly Rundown: The U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit, China-Japan-South Korea Talks

Snapshots

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at the opening ceremony of the International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation that commemorated the 20th anniversary of trilateral cooperation among China, South Korea and Japan, in Beijing, China, on May 10, 2019. 

U.S.-China Relations

A trilateral summit may increase economic cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea, but their security interests continue to diverge.

China, Japan and South Korea Will Resume Trilateral Talks, but Diplomatic Hurdles Remain

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (center) attends an executive meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party at the party's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 13, 2023, ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle.

Japan's Cabinet reshuffle may facilitate new stimulus and improve the ruling party's popularity, but hard economic challenges loom.

In Japan, Kishida's Cabinet Reshuffle Is Intended to Facilitate a Snap Election

U.S. President Joe Biden boards a helicopter outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 17, 2023, as he departs for Camp David in Maryland, where he'll host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit. 

The Aug. 18 meeting will yield defense and intelligence arrangements aimed at anchoring the trilateral relationship in a permanent structure that cannot easily be undone by future administrations. 

What to Expect From the U.S.-Japan-South Korea Summit

The Tokyo Skytree (right) and Mount Fuji (back left) are seen from the I-Link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, Japan, on July 2, 2023.

Barring a change of government or an economic downturn, Tokyo appears set to keep wielding trade restrictions in response to Beijing's own economic coercion tactics and threatening military activities.

Will Japan Sustain Its Economic Restrictions on China?

Mali

Mexico

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the 28th term deputies' oath-taking ceremony at the Turkish Grand National Assembly on June 2, 2023, in Ankara. Speculation is rife that former Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek will be appointed head of the Turkish Treasury in a move likely to delight international investors.

The Weekly Rundown: A Possible Economic Shift in Turkey, the Shangri-La Dialogue

Media

Podcasts

What forces are at play in shaping South Korea's strategic geopolitical relationships?

Applied Geopolitics: South Korea's Response to Shifting Geopolitical Balances 

Then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (center left) walks alongside Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen after arriving at the president's office in Taipei on Aug. 3, 2022. 

The U.S., Japan and Europe's growing political support for Taiwan has the potential to accelerate China's military and economic coercive efforts and further decouple global supply chains.

The Evolving Taiwan-China Relationship, Part 4: Diplomatic Relations

Thailand

Ukraine

Supporters of AKP and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 12, 2023, in Istanbul.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A G-7 Summit in Japan, Significant Elections in Turkey

Chile

Saudi Arabia

Russian soldiers march in Moscow on May 4, 2023, during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade on May 9.

The Weekly Rundown: Russia Marks Victory Day, Japan's Leader Visits South Korea

<p>Japan is a mountainous, volcanic island chain located in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands arc from Russia in the north toward the Korean Peninsula in the south. The country has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of minor ones extending through the Ryukyu island chain framing the East China Sea. Japan&#39;s rugged terrain and lack of interregional connecting rivers isolated its population into separate, densely populated coastal plains. The Yamato plain, which dominates the &quot;Inland Sea,&quot; the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The Inland Sea saw the rise of early Japanese maritime culture and facilitated communication and political control. As Japanese culture expanded over the island chain, the seat of power moved to the more productive and strategically located Kanto plain, Japan&#39;s core region and home to Tokyo, the world&#39;s largest metropolitan area. The country&#39;s primary geographic challenge is sustaining its large population on an island with little arable land and few natural resources. Japan&#39;s geography has prompted the country to alternate between periods of isolationism and expansion. When Japan unifies under strong centralized control, it is often drawn toward the continent for resources and land. This happened in the late 1500s and again in the early 1900s, leading to World War II. Given its location, the Korean Peninsula has been the corridor of invasion between Japan and China, and its status remains of strategic importance to Tokyo. The lack of natural resources in Japan continues to force the country to seek them abroad, leaving the country to balance between U.S. naval dominance and China&#39;s expanding maritime interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan, Vietnam: Tokyo, Hanoi Elevate Ties to Top Tier

Philippines, U.S.: Washington and Manila Start Joint Naval and Air Patrols in the South China Sea

Japan, China: Xi and Kishida to Remain at Odds on Export Controls, for Now

Japan, U.K.: Countries Continue Deepening Defense Ties

Japan: Yen Depreciation, Inflation Hamper Defense Buildout, Leadership Prospects

U.S., Russia: U.S. Issues Sweeping Sanctions Against Russia, Including Arctic LNG 2

Japan: $113-Billion Stimulus Unlikely to Boost Support for Kishida and His Party

China: Nuclear Posture Shifts Could Influence Taiwan War Contingency Planning

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