<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>

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

Australia

Samoa

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

China

Timor-Leste

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Indonesia

Japan

Kiribati

Laos

Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Mongolia

Myanmar

Nauru

New Zealand

North Korea

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Singapore

Solomon Islands

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Vietnam

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The New Silk Road

Modernizing China’s Military

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Globalization

Social Issues

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

Moscow Looks to the East

China in Transition

A Japanese Awakening

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

Assessments

United States

Iran

Europe

Russia

India

Employees walk at the construction site of a gas metering station, part of the pipeline link between Bulgaria and Greece near the village of Malko Kadievo, on March 18, 2022. 

Economics

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

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

The Weekly Rundown: No U.S.-Iran Breakthrough, EU Ban on Spot Market Russian LNG

U.S.-Iran Relations

A Chinese navy ship (background left) is seen while an Australian navy ship (right) takes part in a maritime cooperative activity with the Philippines and Canada in the disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sept. 3, 2025.

China, the Philippines and Vietnam's efforts to rebalance coercive activity with diplomatic engagement have temporarily lowered escalation risks, but persistent rivalries ensure long-term volatility.

In the South China Sea, Managed Tension Masks Long-Term Volatility

Canada

Peru

Israel

Lebanon

Hungary

A digital screen displaying news of U.S.-Iran peace talks April 10 in Islamabad. The United States and Iran are set to begin contentious talks April 11 in Islamabad, Pakistan, with disputes over the 10-point proposal as a framework for discussions and major gaps between U.S. and Iranian demands.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Talks, Hungarians Vote

Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary To Lam speaks during the opening session of the National Assembly in Hanoi on April 6, 2026.

The leadership consolidation points to a governing model focused on speed, discipline and execution, albeit with increased risks stemming from reduced internal debate and fewer institutional checks.

Vietnam's Lam Makes History by Assuming Dual Role of Party Leader and President

Media

Cuba

Mexico

Venezuela

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Forecast Webcast

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2026 Second-Quarter Geopolitical Forecast.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast Webcast

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi answers questions at a legislative budget committee session in Tokyo on April 7, 2026, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) looks on. 

Japan's ability to sustain increased spending on defense and other strategic investments in the coming years will be constrained by sluggish economic growth, high government debt and a challenging geopolitical landscape.

Reviewing Japan's New Budget: Balancing Spending Hikes and Fiscal Reality

Columns

On Geopolitics

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Eurasia

South Asia

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

Snapshots

Afghanistan

Nepal

Pakistan

A freight train carrying cargo containers rides along a railway track in Ajmer, India, on Aug. 26, 2025.

Global Trade

New Delhi's decisions to permit specific imports and fast-track minority investments highlight its strategy of addressing critical manufacturing shortages, though relations are unlikely to extend beyond low-level confidence-building measures.

India Cautiously Opens up to Chinese Investment

Djibouti

Damage at the Azadi Sport Complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 3.

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Taiwan's KMT Restarts China Talks

Myanmar's then-military chief Min Aung Hlaing prepares to deliver a speech during a memorial event at the Myanmar International Convention Center in Naypyidaw on March 28, 2026, to mark the first anniversary since a 7.7-magnitude tremor killed more than 3,800 people in Myanmar.

Myanmar's transition from military to civilian governance will not lead to a meaningful transfer of power, nor will it impact the country's civil war.

Myanmar's Government Transitions to Civilian Rule in Name Only

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is considering dissolving parliament for a general election, well ahead of the early-2028 deadline, to seek a fresh mandate before potential fuel subsidy reductions force higher prices on consumers, Bloomberg reported on April 24.

Malaysia: Anwar Weighs Early Polls Before Fuel Subsidy Pain Hits

Environment, Science & Technology

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump accused China of carrying out "industrial-scale" theft of U.S. artificial intelligence technology, saying China-based actors used proxy accounts and jailbreaking techniques to extract proprietary data from leading U.S. models, The Financial Times reported April 23.

U.S., China: White House Accuses China of 'Industrial-Scale' AI Theft Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

U.S.-China Relations

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has signaled growing opposition to a windfall tax on gas exports that had been expected to be proposed for the May 12 federal budget, making its inclusion unlikely in the upcoming legislative session, the Australian Financial Review reported on April 23.

Australia: Fuel Diplomacy Shelves Canberra's Gas Tax Push

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Vietnamese leader To Lam agreed to expand cooperation on energy security, supply chains and infrastructure during the former's four-day visit to Hanoi, Yonhap News Agency reported on April 22.

South Korea, Vietnam: Countries Deepen Energy and Supply Chain Coordination

Indonesia is exploring imposing a levy on ships transiting the Strait of Malacca, arguing that Indonesia should better capitalize on its position astride the major global trade and energy route, citing Iran's proposed tolls in the Strait of Hormuz as precedent, Channel News Asia reported on April 22.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore: Jakarta Floats Fees for Malacca Strait Transit

Japan's government unveiled revisions to its rules on defense equipment and technology transfers, abolishing the restriction that had largely confined transfers to nonlethal items, according to a Ministry of Defense readout on April 21.

Japan: Tokyo Opens the Door to Lethal Arms Exports

Thailand said it will accelerate a long-aspired landbridge project linking new ports on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand across its Isthmus of Kra in the south of the country, arguing that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has underscored the value of controlling alternative transport routes, Bloomberg reported on April 20.

Thailand: Hormuz Shock Rekindles Bangkok's Landbridge Ambition, but the Project Still Faces Long Odds

Kazakhstan

China's technology conglomerate Tencent acquired a 3.2% stake in Kazakhstan's financial technology company Kaspi.kz for about $518 million through the purchase of American depositary receipts, Bloomberg reported on April 20. 

Kazakhstan, China: China's Tencent Acquires Stake in Kaspi.kz

Asia-Pacific

SITUATION REPORTS

Malaysia: Anwar Weighs Early Polls Before Fuel Subsidy Pain Hits

U.S., China: White House Accuses China of 'Industrial-Scale' AI Theft Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Australia: Fuel Diplomacy Shelves Canberra's Gas Tax Push

South Korea, Vietnam: Countries Deepen Energy and Supply Chain Coordination

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore: Jakarta Floats Fees for Malacca Strait Transit

Japan: Tokyo Opens the Door to Lethal Arms Exports

Thailand: Hormuz Shock Rekindles Bangkok's Landbridge Ambition, but the Project Still Faces Long Odds

Kazakhstan, China: China's Tencent Acquires Stake in Kaspi.kz

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support