Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

With his allies in the legislature scoring big in midterm elections, the Philippine leader is well placed to continue beating a path to Beijing's door.

In seeking to check Beijing's rise, Tokyo is pursuing closer links with its wider region -- thereby offering smaller countries a choice apart from overbearing U.S. or Chinese influence.

As Beijing increases its ties in the Pacific subregion of Melanesia, Australia is forced to reckon with a more permanent Chinese presence on its doorstep.

Its armed forces have grown by leaps and bounds in the past 20 years, but China has a lot of work to do if it's ever going to catch up to the U.S.

Unable to deter Beijing's expansion into the area, Washington could up the ante by subsidizing the deployment of a new missile system.

For all it encompasses -- 16 countries, almost half the world's population and a third of its economic output -- the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership's boost to trade will remain modest as long as it sidesteps nontariff barriers.

Ahead of national elections, Thai military leaders instituted measures to curb civilian power, limiting the risk of the political chaos that marked 2014.

With the Philippines concerned about the vagueness of America's commitments to its defense, the U.S. secretary of state has moved to reassert his country's support.

Companies began shifting their investments and operations from China to the nearby, lower-cost region years ago. The U.S.-China trade war is speeding up the trend.