<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

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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

A man fills up his truck at a Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) station in Kuching, Malaysia, on June 20, 2025.

Energy

Politics

While fuel subsidies have so far cushioned the impact, if the Iran-related energy disruptions persist, the government may have to sacrifice economic reforms to preserve political support before the next election.

Malaysia's Ballooning Fuel Subsidy Costs Will Test the Government's Reform Agenda

United States

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 18.

Economics

Global Trade

Military & Security

The Japanese prime minister may offer economic and security concessions during her upcoming summit with the U.S. president to avoid direct entanglement in the Iran conflict while preserving the relationship with Washington.

Iran War Heightens Stakes of Key Takaichi-Trump Summit

U.S.-Iran Relations

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Environment, Science & Technology

Demographics may not be destiny, but it does play a major role in questions of national power.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

Iran

Israel

Ukraine

A large plume of smoke rises March 7 over Tehran after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital during the night.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Takaichi Meets With Trump

Canada

India

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Australia, on March 5, 2026. 

Canada's push to deepen economic and security ties with India, Australia and Japan faces constraints and may inadvertently strengthen the U.S.-led regional structure Ottawa is trying to hedge against.

The Promise and Limitations of Canada's Push to Diversify Strategic Partnerships

Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Feb. 22, 2026. 

Kim Jong Un's latest directives suggest a willingness to pursue high-level negotiations with the United States and China in pursuit of critical economic concessions.

North Korea's Party Congress Points to Diplomatic Window of Opportunity

Media

Podcasts

How will election results impact Vietnam's economic growth in the near term?

The Decision Advantage: What To Expect From Vietnam's Leadership Election Results

Chile

Colombia

Lebanon

Germany

Greece

France

United Kingdom

Cyprus

Netherlands

Spain

Italy

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 2, 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top military leaders, prompting a new wave of Iranian retaliatory missile attacks across the region. 

The Weekly Rundown: War in the Middle East, U.S.-China Trade Talks

The U.S. Supreme Court in October 2024 in Washington.

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against the Trump administration's tariffs imposed under the IEEPA still leaves Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam vulnerable to other trade escalation mechanisms.

Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam Assess Their U.S. Trade Deals After IEEPA Tariffs

The Tehran skyline on Dec. 30, 2025. On March 2, U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet in Vienna, Austria, to begin technical talks on a nuclear deal.

The Weekly Rundown: The Conflict in the Middle East, Merz meets Trump 

Myanmar's military-backed parliament announced it will begin selecting a new president on March 30 under the 2008 constitution, Reuters reported on March 20.

Myanmar: Junta Advances Managed Civilian Transition Through Presidential Selection Process

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and pressed her to expand Japan's security role in the Strait of Hormuz, and while Takaichi declined to commit direct military involvement, she left open limited non-combat support, The Asahi Shimbun reported on March 20.

Japan, U.S.: Trump-Takaichi Summit Deepens Industrial Ties but Highlights Limits to Security Cooperation

Police in Wuhan arrested seven people and gave administrative penalties to four companies amid a crackdown on trafficking in nationally controlled fentanyl precursors, China's official outlet Xinhua reported on March 19.

China, U.S.: Fentanyl Arrests Will Help Beijing Avoid Higher U.S. Tariffs

U.S.-China Relations

Malaysia's trade minister said the U.S.-Malaysia Agreement on Reciprocal Trade is "no longer applicable" following the U.S. Supreme Court's Feb. 20 ruling striking down the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariff mechanism central to the deal, Nikkei Asia reported on March 18.

Malaysia, U.S.: Kuala Lumpur Declares Trade Deal 'Null and Void'

Thailand's House of Representatives voted to confirm incumbent Anutin Charnvirakul of the center-right Bhumjaithai Party as prime minister, with over 290 of around 500 lawmakers backing his candidacy following the Feb. 8 general election, the Bangkok Post reported on March 19.

Thailand: Anutin Reelected as Prime Minister

Kazakhstan

A preliminary hearing began in Astana on a lawsuit filed by China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Co., or CNODC, seeking to overturn Kazakhstan's April 2025 order that redistributed tariff revenue on Russian crude transiting to China via Kazakhstan, Kursiv reported on March 17.

Kazakhstan: Tariff Clash Over Russian Oil Puts Spotlight on Key China-Bound Oil Artery

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Australia on March 23-25 to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with both sides indicating the long-negotiated Australia-EU free trade agreement is in its "final stretch" and likely to be finalized during the visit, the Australian Financial Review reported on March 18.

Australia, EU: Trade Deal Likely Imminent as Strategic Pressures Override Agricultural Deadlock

U.S. President Donald Trump late on March 16 told reporters that the United States had requested that China delay a summit in Beijing with President Xi Jinping by "a month or so," Bloomberg reported the same day.

U.S., China: Trump Delays Long-Sought Trip to Beijing Due to Iran War

Asia-Pacific

SITUATION REPORTS

Myanmar: Junta Advances Managed Civilian Transition Through Presidential Selection Process

Japan, U.S.: Trump-Takaichi Summit Deepens Industrial Ties but Highlights Limits to Security Cooperation

China, U.S.: Fentanyl Arrests Will Help Beijing Avoid Higher U.S. Tariffs

Malaysia, U.S.: Kuala Lumpur Declares Trade Deal 'Null and Void'

Thailand: Anutin Reelected as Prime Minister

Kazakhstan: Tariff Clash Over Russian Oil Puts Spotlight on Key China-Bound Oil Artery

Australia, EU: Trade Deal Likely Imminent as Strategic Pressures Override Agricultural Deadlock

U.S., China: Trump Delays Long-Sought Trip to Beijing Due to Iran War

Forecasts

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