Assessments

United States

China

Marshall Islands

Solomon Islands

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts a working lunch with Pacific Island countries in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 28, 2022.

Military & Security

Politics

The success of the regional partnership will largely hinge on Washington’s ability to balance its own security objectives against island nations’ climate and economic priorities. 

The U.S. Reasserts Itself in the Pacific Islands With a Historic Pact

U.S.-China Relations

Australia

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Nauru

New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and Fiji's prime minister Frank Bainimarama attend a joint press conference in Fiji's capital of Suva on May 30, 2022.

Economics

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

China in Transition

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

China, the U.S., and Australia will need to adapt their traditional engagement with the island nations to secure influence in the strategic maritime region.

The Pacific Islands Emerge as the Next Theater for Great Power Competition 

Security

Guidance

Japan

Iran

Libya

India

A military parade in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 18, 2019. From Feb. 1 through Feb. 11, Iran will mark Fajr Decade, its annual celebration of the Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini's 1979 return to Iran that culminated with the Iranian Revolution.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A Celebration in Iran, a Budget in India

U.S.-Iran Relations

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

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

<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>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Global Perspectives

Zimbabwe

Argentina

Venezuela

Russia

Contributor Perspectives

While some governments see cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, visually represented in this photo illustration, as a threat, others want to harness the advantages they offer.

A transition is underway as digital currencies move slowly into the mainstream. Some case studies offer clues where the shift is headed and what threats bitcoin, Libra and other systems might pose or what benefits they might bring.

The Future of Cryptocurrencies

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

Samoa

Kiribati

Palau

As U.S. focus turns away from the Pacific islands, other powers are starting to pay attention.

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

Countries like the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau enjoy a close treaty relationship with the United States, but the strategically located states are now on China's radar too.

China Sets a Course for the U.S.'s Pacific Domain

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

The U.S. State Department is seeking $7.1 billion over the next 20 years to use as economic assistance for the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) as part of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) agreements that Washington has with the three Pacific Island nations, Reuters reported March 23. 

U.S.: Biden Administration Seeking $7.1 Billion Over 20 Years in Financial Aid for Pacific Island Nations 

The United States appointed Joseph Yun to resume negotiations with three Pacific Island nations -- Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia -- to renew their Compacts of Free Association, which allow the islands' citizens to live and work freely in the United States in return for extensive U.S. military access to their territories, Reuters reported March 22.

U.S., Pacific Islands, China: New Envoy to Shore Up U.S. Presence in Pacific

The presidents of three Compact of Free Association countries -- the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau -- will travel to Washington next week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal reported May 15.

Asia-Pacific: Pacific Island Leaders to Meet Trump in Washington

Taiwan

Five Pacific island nations -- the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau -- have issued a joint communique calling for the equal diplomatic treatment of China and Taiwan, Taiwan News reported Feb. 26.

China, Taiwan: Pacific Island Nations Call for Equal Diplomatic Treatment for Beijing and Taipei

Environment, Science & Technology

The 4th Industrial Revolution

The Marshall Islands is moving forward on a plan to release its own cryptocurrency to be used as legal tender, Bloomberg reported Feb. 27, citing two government officials. 

Marshall Islands: Government Moves Forward On Plan To Release Cryptocurrency

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Eurozone

Economics and Finance

Energy

After two weeks of negotiations, representatives of nearly 200 countries have approved the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the extent of climate change in the coming decades, The Telegraph reported Dec. 12.

France: Delegates Approve Paris Climate Change Deal

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan: Presidents Meet

Saudi Arabia: Saudis Held In Syrian Jails

Afghanistan

Algeria

Luxembourg

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Armenia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Egypt

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Malta

Ukraine

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Germany

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S.: Biden Administration Seeking $7.1 Billion Over 20 Years in Financial Aid for Pacific Island Nations

U.S., Pacific Islands, China: New Envoy to Shore Up U.S. Presence in Pacific

Asia-Pacific: Pacific Island Leaders to Meet Trump in Washington

China, Taiwan: Pacific Island Nations Call for Equal Diplomatic Treatment for Beijing and Taipei

Marshall Islands: Government Moves Forward On Plan To Release Cryptocurrency

France: Delegates Approve Paris Climate Change Deal

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan: Presidents Meet

Saudi Arabia: Saudis Held In Syrian Jails

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