China

Nepal

Economics

Politics

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, who is currently on a four-day trip to China, said he discussed boosting cooperation in trade, agriculture, health, tourism, and science and technology research with Chinese officials, Reuters reported June 16.

Nepal: Foreign Minister Visits China Days After Visiting India

Myanmar

Military & Security

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing during the latter's state visit to China, where the two leaders signed 18 cooperation agreements, Xinhua reported June 16.

China, Myanmar: Beijing Gives Myanmar's New Government a Legitimacy Boost

Taiwan

Taiwan's National Security Bureau announced online on June 15 that it had established a reporting hotline to encourage Chinese citizens, including public officials, to provide intelligence to Taipei about China's ruling regime.

Taiwan: Intelligence Hotline Raises Risk of Chinese Retaliation

Hong Kong SAR, China

Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse announced on June 15 that the Hong Kong government plans to issue its first five-year plan (FYP) for economic development in the third quarter of 2026, in line with Beijing's national 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-30.

Hong Kong: Five-Year Economic Plan To Mimic China-Style Mixed Economy

United States

Cheng Li-wun, the chair of Taiwan's main opposition party, Kuomintang, met with six U.S. members of Congress on June 12 in Washington, D.C., including Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, who urged Cheng to fund more U.S. arms purchases, and Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

Taiwan, U.S.: U.S. Snubs Taiwanese Opposition Head, Boding Ill for Cross-Strait Talks

Europe

Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told parliament that the European Union must strengthen its trade tool kit to counter competitive distortions and shore up European security, signaling support for tougher trade measures ahead of the June 18-19 EU summit, though he stopped short of naming China explicitly, Bloomberg reported on June 11.

EU, China: Merz Backs Tougher China Trade Measures Ahead of Brussels Summit

Chinese Maritime Safety Administration, or MSA, maritime law enforcement vessels in the waters east of Taiwan broadcast messages to three Taiwanese commercial vessels on June 7 and 9 inquiring about their origin and destination and asserting China's sovereignty over the waters, according to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, or CGA, on June 9.

China, Taiwan: Vessel Inquiries East of Taiwan Preview Trade Quarantine

North Korea

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 8, Xinhua News Agency reported the same day. 

China, North Korea: Xi Talks Diplomacy, Development With Kim, Avoids Nukes

Assessments

A digital illustration of Europe.

The EU's push to reduce its reliance on foreign technology suppliers risks angering both China and the U.S., while execution will be hindered by domestic industrial constraints and internal political divisions.

Key Takeaways From the EU's Tech Sovereignty Package

Peru

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Armenia

Russia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

U.S.-Iran Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

Media

Podcasts

U.S.-China Relations

How has U.S. grand strategy in the Pacific changed over time?

The Decision Advantage: Taiwan Arms Sales and the U.S.-China Trade War

Snapshots

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) gestures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. 

North Korea's growing relations with Russia and potential reengagement with the U.S. appear to be driving China to pursue a rapprochement after years of diplomatic inaction.

Xi-Kim Summit Signals a Thaw in Long-Frozen Ties Between China and North Korea

Australia

Fiji

Japan

India

(From left to right) Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hold a joint press conference after their Quad meeting in New Delhi on May 26, 2026.

The meeting proved the grouping is still functional, but it faces strong constraints in turning ambitious coordination frameworks into functional maritime, infrastructure, critical minerals and energy initiatives that blunt Chinese regional influence.

Takeaways From Quad Summit: New Initiatives, Enduring Constraints and Future Uncertainty

Mexico

South Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3, 2025, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Middle East, Putin Heads to Beijing

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026.

Despite a mutual desire to stabilize relations, Xi and Trump's meetings produced few tangible results, sustaining the risk of future tariff escalations, export restrictions and other coercive measures.

Xi-Trump Talks Fail To Move the Needle on Major Issues

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.

The May 14-15 meetings will likely yield a limited extension of the current U.S.-China economic detente while leaving core strategic disputes over technology controls, Taiwan and Iran largely unresolved.

Trump-Xi Summit Likely To Preserve Trade Truce, Test Strategic Fault Lines

Kenya

France

United Kingdom

Boats on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the United States and Iran will remain elevated, especially around the strait, following the May 7 U.S.-Iran exchange of attacks and Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates.

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, France Convenes an Africa Summit

A Chinese vessel participates in oil exploration.

Energy

While China has so far fared well, persistent Strait of Hormuz disruptions would test its oil reserves and drive more defensive policies to secure growth, energy and export competitiveness.

Time Will Test China's Economic Resilience Against Iran War Shocks

Philippines

Vietnam

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

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

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Nepal: Foreign Minister Visits China Days After Visiting India

China, Myanmar: Beijing Gives Myanmar's New Government a Legitimacy Boost

Taiwan: Intelligence Hotline Raises Risk of Chinese Retaliation

Hong Kong: Five-Year Economic Plan To Mimic China-Style Mixed Economy

Taiwan, U.S.: U.S. Snubs Taiwanese Opposition Head, Boding Ill for Cross-Strait Talks

EU, China: Merz Backs Tougher China Trade Measures Ahead of Brussels Summit

China, Taiwan: Vessel Inquiries East of Taiwan Preview Trade Quarantine

China, North Korea: Xi Talks Diplomacy, Development With Kim, Avoids Nukes

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