Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

Increasingly intense fire seasons threaten to leave Australia’s vital agriculture industry in ashes and engulf the government’s pro-energy policies in political controversy.

In light of the Hong Kong protests, Taiwanese voters are expected to reelect their pro-independence government on Jan. 11 -- accelerating the island’s move away from mainland China, and into the open arms of the United States.

Stratfor Asia-Pacific Analyst Evan Rees breaks down the stakes in the ongoing dispute between South Korea and Japan.

Both Tokyo and Seoul will be reticent to ease their trade spat until the economic toll outweighs the political risk of conceding. But for South Korea, that reckoning will come sooner due to its semiconductor sector's reliance on Japanese exports.

Although South Korea has decided not to rip up an intel-sharing deal with Japan, the U.S. allies are still a long way off from ending their trade standoff.

As defense minister, Gotabaya Rajapaksa made his name fighting against a long-running insurgency. Now as president, he'll have to fight against a slowing economy.

The White House has demanded that Seoul pay 400 percent more next year for U.S. military protection. That, unsurprisingly, could drive South Korea to strike out on a new path.

New Delhi's rejection of the deal's proposed terms won't keep China from pushing ahead with the massive Asian trade agreement, with or without India.

The president faces a difficult political balancing act as he tries to revive growth without straying too far from his populist base.