The New Silk Road

Beijing is plotting a number of strategies to manage U.S. pressure in the coming year.

Beijing's economic and military expansion into South Asia challenges New Delhi's ability to maintain its influence over its neighbors.

The recent summit between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping brought promises for continued cooperation with an eye toward pressuring India.

For Moscow and Beijing, the more Washington tries to squeeze them, the smaller their differences with each other become.

The country's president has axed his erstwhile ally in favor of a former rival and strongman. The implications of the upheaval, however, will extend far beyond the island nation's shores to even affect the growing Sino-Indian rivalry.

While Israel needs the investment, it remains wary of Beijing and close to Washington.

Beijing has loudly proclaimed that its "anti-extremism" campaign involving Xinjiang's Uighurs is an internal matter. Now, however, the United States is considering whether to slap sanctions on China over the matter.

For Riyadh, the $10 billion investment represents a commercially viable alternative to a direct bailout as Islamabad struggles with a worsening foreign exchange crisis.

An EU representative stressed that the Continental proposal is not a reaction to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Beijing and Tokyo are still in the midst of a strategic competition, but they both have something to gain from collaborating on overseas business ventures.