<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

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the third session of the G-20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 19, 2024.

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Multiple political disputes could see Yoon start stretching the limits of his power as his term winds down, pushing anti-union activity and arms exports.

In South Korea, Political Clashes Limit the President's Room To Maneuver

Columns

On Geopolitics

United States

Ukraine

Russia

On April 16, 2024, 155mm caliber shells are shown after manufacturing, ready for shipment at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Trump's return to the White House and North Korean support for Russia have shifted the conflict's dynamics, likely portending a further weakened position for Kyiv.

Bracing for a Protracted War in Ukraine: The Narrowing Path to a Ukrainian Victory

Snapshots

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 11, 2024.

While Ishiba is unlikely to leave office anytime soon, Japan's new minority government will impede domestic policymaking, which could fray U.S.-Japan ties if defense spending reforms are delayed.

Japan's PM Ishiba Survives To Struggle Another Day

Global Elections

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Sri Lanka

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.

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas 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: Japan Selects a Prime Minister, Trump's Shadow Looms Over COP29

3D illustration of two folders and a rubber stamp with the word "declassified" printed on a document.

Cyber

The outgoing U.S. Biden administration's liberal use of "intelligence diplomacy" as a tool of foreign policy raises questions about how the incoming Trump administration will take up the torch.

Declassified: The Future of U.S. 'Intelligence Diplomacy'

Mexico

Iran

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

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

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.

Energy

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

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) and his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Gang, meet at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on Sept. 9, 2024. 

Trump is more likely to impose tariffs to minimize the trade deficit, while Harris is more likely to call for supply chain decoupling from China -- either of which could strain U.S.-Vietnam ties.

What a Trump vs. Harris Presidency Would Mean for Vietnam

India

Indian soldiers walk along a road near the Zojila mountain pass that connects to Ladakh, bordering China, on Feb. 28, 2021. 

While their recent efforts to ease bilateral tensions will probably reduce the risk of border clashes, deep-seated mistrust between the two strategic rivals will very likely limit the scope of any reconciliation. 

After a Tense Few Years, India and China Try To Turn Down the Heat

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of North Korea's artillery firing, at a railway station in Seoul on Jan. 6, 2024.

With both sides threatening overwhelming retaliation and having greater capabilities to make good on those threats, provocations along the North-South border now carry a greater risk of erupting into military clashes.

The Rising Risk of Military Clashes on the Korean Peninsula

Thailand's Constitutional Court dismissed a complaint alleging that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is exercising undue control over the ruling Pheu Thai party, or PTP, which he founded though is no longer a member of, and is using that influence to undermine the country's monarchy, The Bangkok Post reported Nov. 22.

Thailand: Dissolution Threat Against Ruling Party Dismissed, Other Cases Still Pending

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that Washington would furnish the Philippines with an undisclosed number of unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, for use within the so-called West Philippine Sea (the section of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone) that it disputes with China, the South China Morning Post reported Nov. 21.

U.S., Philippines: Alliance Deepens in Last Months of Biden Administration

Thirteen months after signing an investment framework agreement with the China Road and Bridge Corporation, or CRBC, to construct the Funan Techo Canal in Cambodia, the expected Chinese funding has not materialized, Reuters reported Nov. 21.

Cambodia, China: Funding for Funan Techo Canal in Doubt

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

The U.N. Climate Change Conference's new draft text on a climate finance agreement still includes separate options for the so-called New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance, differing both on the scale and scope of commitments, as well as which countries will contribute, Argus Media reported on Nov. 21.

Global: Disagreements Over COP29 Finance Target Remain as Summit Enters Final Hours

Brazil

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and China's President Xi Jinping signed 37 bilateral cooperation agreements in areas ranging from trade and investments, finance, technology and mining to communications, sustainable development, tourism, sports, health and culture, Reuters reported on Nov. 20.

Brazil: Lula Skips BRI Membership but Announces 37 Cooperation Agreements With China

Leaders of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People released a statement on Nov. 20 pledging to consider raising the minimum annual threshold for income tax to 1.03 million yen ($6,600), cutting gasoline taxes, and "increas[ing] the take-home pay" in an upcoming economic support package.

Japan: Ruling Party Accepts Opposition Economic and Political Demands

China reclaimed its status as the second-largest bilateral donor to Pacific island countries (after Australia) following a pandemic lull, supplanting the United States with a surge in official development financing, loans and grants, according to findings published in a Lowy Institute report on Nov. 19.

China, Pacific Islands: Beijing Supplants U.S. as Second-Largest Bilateral Donor

Pakistan

China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Nov. 19 that it will send troops from the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army to participate in "Warrior-VIII" joint counterterrorism exercises alongside Pakistani troops in Pakistan.

China, Pakistan: Joint Counterterrorism Exercises To Begin Amid Uptick in Militant Attacks

Asia-Pacific

SITUATION REPORTS

Thailand: Dissolution Threat Against Ruling Party Dismissed, Other Cases Still Pending

U.S., Philippines: Alliance Deepens in Last Months of Biden Administration

Cambodia, China: Funding for Funan Techo Canal in Doubt

Global: Disagreements Over COP29 Finance Target Remain as Summit Enters Final Hours

Brazil: Lula Skips BRI Membership but Announces 37 Cooperation Agreements With China

Japan: Ruling Party Accepts Opposition Economic and Political Demands

China, Pacific Islands: Beijing Supplants U.S. as Second-Largest Bilateral Donor

China, Pakistan: Joint Counterterrorism Exercises To Begin Amid Uptick in Militant Attacks

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support