China

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Economics

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in Shanghai with a business delegation following a Jan. 5 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in which they discussed technology and cultural goods exchanges and their shared history of fighting for independence from Japan, Yonhap News Agency reported on Jan. 6.

South Korea, Japan: Lee's Historical Visits, Trade Opportunism Constrain Tokyo Ties

Military & Security

China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Jan. 6 that it was banning all exports of items on its list of dual-use goods to "Japanese military users, for military purposes, and for any other end-user purposes that could enhance Japan's military capabilities."

China, Japan: Export Curbs To Impede Japan's Military Modernization, Harden Its National Security Focus

United States

North Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, where the two sides signed 15 memorandums of understanding, including on establishing a ministerial-level commercial dialogue and deepening cooperation on artificial intelligence and cultural product exchanges, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 5.

South Korea, China: Lee-Xi Chat Rosey on Economic Ties, Mixed on North Korea

Taiwan

China conducted the second and likely final day of its Justice Mission 2025 military drills around Taiwan, with Taiwan's defense ministry detecting 103 Chinese military aircraft, naval vessels, coast guard ships and amphibious vessels practicing raids and seizing ports, the South China Post reported on Dec. 30.

China, Taiwan: Missile Tests, Drills in Japan's EEZ Amid Second Day of Military Exercises

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Emperor Naruhito during his first official visit to Japan, Kazinform reported on Dec. 19.

Kazakhstan, Japan: Tokayev Visit Elevates Ties at Inaugural Central Asia Plus Japan Summit

The Japanese government publicly reaffirmed that it will not possess, produce or permit the introduction of nuclear weapons in its territory, Reuters reported on Dec. 19.

Japan: Prime Minister Reaffirms Nonnuclear Policy

Israel

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Science & Technology

The U.S. Trump administration plans to sign the Pax Silica Declaration with Australia, Japan, Israel, Singapore and South Korea on Dec. 12, forming a coalition designed to counter China's control of critical minerals and its growing clout in the artificial intelligence sector, Politico reported the same day.

Global: U.S., Five Others To Sign Pax Silica Declaration in a Bid To Counter China in CRMs, AI

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier sailed through the Miyako Strait near Japan's Okinawa islands from late Dec. 5 to Dec. 6 and conducted around 100 jet takeoff and landing drills on Dec. 6, spurring Japan to scramble jets from nearby Naha air base, Jiji Press reported on Dec. 7. 

China, Japan: Jet Lock-On Incident Shows Deepening Diplomatic Feud

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Flight routes.

Cyber

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Angola

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United Kingdom

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

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: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

South Sudan

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The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Over the next decade, Kenya and Tanzania will compete for the title of East Africa's leading trade gateway, particularly as global demand for Central Africa's critical minerals grows. 

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 1 

Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire

Argentina

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Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

Snapshots

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025.

Sanae Takaichi's appointment as prime minister will reduce short-term political instability in Japan and strengthen U.S. ties, but her conservative government will struggle to recover domestic support and could alienate neighboring countries.

New Premier Takaichi a Quick Fix for Japan's Long-Term Political Problems

Media

Podcasts

On Oct. 4, conservative candidate and former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi won the leadership election of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, clearing the way for her to become Japan's next prime minister after a Diet vote tentatively scheduled for mid-October.

Essential Geopolitics: Who Will Be Japan's Next Prime Minister?

France

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Tetsuo Saito, the leader of Japan's Komeito party, attends a meeting at the Diet in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2025.

The collapse of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's longstanding coalition with Komeito increases the likelihood of a fragile opposition government taking power, which could strain U.S.-Japan trade ties while improving Tokyo's regional diplomatic prospects.

End of an Era: Japan's 26-Year Coalition Government Falls Apart

Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected LDP leader, on Oct. 4 in Tokyo.

Takaichi will lean into populism, spurring near-term growth but exacerbating long-term economic challenges, while her nationalism will bolster Japan's military and boost U.S. ties even as it strains those with Japan's neighbors.

Japan's Conservative Takaichi Set To Become Next Prime Minister

Tajikistan

Azerbaijan

Georgia

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

The candidates running in the leadership election of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party -- (from left to right) Takayuki Kobayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi -- pose after delivering speeches at the kick-off of the campaign in Tokyo on Sept. 22, 2025. 

Global Elections

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Oct. 4 vote for party president and therefore prime minister will influence the trajectory of Japan's fiscal policy and foreign relations.

Japan's LDP Leadership Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Guyana

The President of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a General Assembly meeting to vote on a two-state solution to the Palestinian question on Sept. 12 at the United Nations in New York. Countries including Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom will likely formally recognize Palestinian statehood over the next several days at the assembly.

The Weekly Rundown: Western Countries Recognize Palestine, the EU Discusses a 'Drone Wall'

<p>Japan is a mountainous, volcanic island chain located in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands arc from Russia in the north toward the Korean Peninsula in the south. The country has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of minor ones extending through the Ryukyu island chain framing the East China Sea. Japan&#39;s rugged terrain and lack of interregional connecting rivers isolated its population into separate, densely populated coastal plains. The Yamato plain, which dominates the &quot;Inland Sea,&quot; the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The Inland Sea saw the rise of early Japanese maritime culture and facilitated communication and political control. As Japanese culture expanded over the island chain, the seat of power moved to the more productive and strategically located Kanto plain, Japan&#39;s core region and home to Tokyo, the world&#39;s largest metropolitan area. The country&#39;s primary geographic challenge is sustaining its large population on an island with little arable land and few natural resources. Japan&#39;s geography has prompted the country to alternate between periods of isolationism and expansion. When Japan unifies under strong centralized control, it is often drawn toward the continent for resources and land. This happened in the late 1500s and again in the early 1900s, leading to World War II. Given its location, the Korean Peninsula has been the corridor of invasion between Japan and China, and its status remains of strategic importance to Tokyo. The lack of natural resources in Japan continues to force the country to seek them abroad, leaving the country to balance between U.S. naval dominance and China&#39;s expanding maritime interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

South Korea, Japan: Lee's Historical Visits, Trade Opportunism Constrain Tokyo Ties

China, Japan: Export Curbs To Impede Japan's Military Modernization, Harden Its National Security Focus

South Korea, China: Lee-Xi Chat Rosey on Economic Ties, Mixed on North Korea

China, Taiwan: Missile Tests, Drills in Japan's EEZ Amid Second Day of Military Exercises

Kazakhstan, Japan: Tokayev Visit Elevates Ties at Inaugural Central Asia Plus Japan Summit

Japan: Prime Minister Reaffirms Nonnuclear Policy

Global: U.S., Five Others To Sign Pax Silica Declaration in a Bid To Counter China in CRMs, AI

China, Japan: Jet Lock-On Incident Shows Deepening Diplomatic Feud

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