United States

China

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

The U.S. government is weighing whether to ban home internet routers sold by Chinese manufacturer TP-Link as a part of an ongoing investigation into whether the devices are enabling cyberattacks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 18.

U.S., China: Washington Considers Ban on Popular Chinese Routers

U.S.-China Relations

Sub-Saharan Africa

Economics

In a draft of the U.S. continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14, 2025, released on Dec. 18, lawmakers included several measures designed to tighten restrictions on China and protect U.S. supply chains.

U.S., China: Washington's Continuing Resolution Draft Focuses on China, Leaves Out Africa

Europe

Romania

Politics

The European Commission is investigating TikTok for a suspected breach of the EU Digital Services Act over alleged failures to thwart foreign election interference in Romania's Nov. 24 presidential election, the commission announced on Dec. 16.

EU: European Commission Investigates TikTok Over Election Influence in Romania

The United States and China renewed their 1979 Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement for five years, the South China Morning Post reported on Dec. 13.

China, U.S.: Renewal Science Pact Shows Way Forward for Cautious Engagement

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an alliance with other members of the BRICS trade bloc and "other interested states" for developing artificial intelligence, Reuters reported on Dec. 11.

Russia: Putin Announces BRICS AI Alliance Network

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will finalize a new 25% tariff on imported Chinese tungsten products and double an existing 25% tariff to 50% on Chinese solar wafers and polysilicon, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 11.

U.S.: Washington To Finalize Tariffs on Chinese Solar Wafers, Polysilicon and Tungsten

Google Quantum AI built a quantum computer chip called Willow that reduced errors exponentially as it increased the number of qubits, a unit of computing information, Google's researchers said in a paper published in Nature on Dec. 9. 

U.S.: Google Quantum AI Achieves Breakthrough Necessary for Scaling Up Quantum Computers

China's State Administration for Market Regulation said in a Dec. 9 statement that it was opening up a probe into Nvidia over suspicions that the U.S. technology company was violating China's anti-monopoly law and the terms of the regulator's 2020 conditional approval of Nvidia's $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, an Israeli-American networking hardware company.

China: Beijing Accuses Nvidia of Breaching Anti-Monopoly Law

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant science and technology analyses. 

Technology

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Agriculture

COVID-19

Supply Chains

_Energy

Environmental Issues

Globalization

The 4th Industrial Revolution

Assessments

Cargo containers painted with Chinese and U.S. flags. Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

Energy

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

2025 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

U.S.-Iran Relations

India

The Geopolitics of Water

Depleted groundwater reserves threaten India's agriculture, energy and manufacturing sectors, potentially sparking unrest and inter-state disputes in the absence of a coordinated national policy.

The Geopolitics of Water: India's Groundwater Crisis

Iran

Bangladesh

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) arrive for a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25, 2020.

While U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will maintain many of the outgoing Biden administration's overarching policies toward South Asia, bilateral relationships will grow increasingly transactional.

What Trump's Second Term Means for South Asia

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Japan

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.

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

Mexico

Ukraine

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

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

Global Elections

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.

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

Despite the growing convergence between water stress and climate finance, water-related finance and investment will continue to lag, exacerbating water stress challenges in many developing countries.

The Geopolitics of Water: Water Stress Is Not Drawing Enough Climate Investments

Cambodia

Laos

Thailand

Vietnam

Amid pressing energy and geopolitical needs, the accelerating construction of upstream dams will exacerbate the Mekong River region's water shortages and environmental degradation.

The Geopolitics of Water: National Interests Sideline Environmental Concerns in the Mekong River Region

Columns

On Geopolitics

App icons of social media platforms Twitter, Mastodon, Discord, Facebook, Reddit, Parler and Truth Social, are seen on an iPhone. 

As mis- and disinformation proliferate online, government-led content moderation efforts threaten to do more harm than good.

Can Europe Solve the Puzzle of Content Moderation?

Taiwan

The sample of an Intel chip is displayed during Computex 2024 in Taipei on June 4, 2024. 

If Intel's bold new business strategy fails, it would serve a painful blow to U.S. semiconductor ambitions and likely cement the global dominance of Taiwan's TSMC.

The U.S. Semiconductor Industry's Strategic Challenges

Ethiopia

Sudan

Algeria

Bahrain

Egypt

Iraq

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Qatar

Syria

Turkey

Yemen

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

The Geopolitics of Water: In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

Media

Podcasts

Why is semiconductor production limited to a handful of regions?

Applied Geopolitics: U.S.-China Strategic Competition: The Role of Technology

Environment, Science & Technology

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., China: Washington Considers Ban on Popular Chinese Routers

U.S., China: Washington's Continuing Resolution Draft Focuses on China, Leaves Out Africa

EU: European Commission Investigates TikTok Over Election Influence in Romania

China, U.S.: Renewal Science Pact Shows Way Forward for Cautious Engagement

Russia: Putin Announces BRICS AI Alliance Network

U.S.: Washington To Finalize Tariffs on Chinese Solar Wafers, Polysilicon and Tungsten

U.S.: Google Quantum AI Achieves Breakthrough Necessary for Scaling Up Quantum Computers

China: Beijing Accuses Nvidia of Breaching Anti-Monopoly Law

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