China

Japan

Taiwan

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

China resumed a ban on seafood imports from Japan and paused talks to resume Japanese beef imports, according to Kyodo News on Nov. 19, while Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Nov. 19 noted that Beijing would retaliate further if Japan did not apologize for recent remarks about Taiwan.

China, Japan: Beijing Rapidly Expands Retaliations Over Taiwan Spat

South Korea

The South Korean navy informed Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force that it would not participate in a joint search and rescue drill slated for late November, which would have been their first instantiation of that joint drill since it was halted in 2018, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Nov. 17. 

South Korea, Japan: Cancelled Joint Drills Show Tensions Slowly Rising

Indonesia

Japan and Indonesia's defense and foreign ministers held a two-plus-two meeting and established a new high-level framework to accelerate defense cooperation and equipment transfer discussions, Nikkei Asia reported on Nov. 18. 

Japan, Indonesia: Tokyo, Jakarta Deepen Security Ties

China's Embassy in Japan on Nov. 14 warned citizens online not to travel to Japan, leading several major Chinese travel agencies to suspend Japan trips, according to Kyoto News on Nov. 17. 

China, Japan: Tourism Ban Likely To Stick as Takachi Avoids Apology

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on Nov. 7 that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan would "threaten Japan's survival," a term allowing the deployment of Japan's military, and Chinese consul general in Osaka Xue Jian responded by sharing an article about her comment on X on Nov. 8 and stating, "the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off."

Japan, China: Dueling Comments About Taiwan Show Straining Ties

China accepted a shipment of Japanese scallops, marking the first instance of China importing Japanese seafood since Beijing banned these goods in August 2023, Jiemian reported on Nov. 7.

China, Japan: China Resumes Japanese Seafood Imports in Sign of Temporary Truce

United States

In reference to the recent U.S.-South Korea plan to build a nuclear submarine, new Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on a TBS television program on Nov. 6, "all of the surrounding countries have nuclear submarines."

Japan, U.S.: Defense Minister Says Japan Wants Nuclear Submarines

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a news conference in South Korea on Nov. 1 that "I have no time to think about dissolution [of the lower house] right now," adding that she would focus instead on economic support measures, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Nov. 3.

Japan: Despite Takaichi's Claims, Threat of Snap Elections Still Looms

Assessments

Angola

South Africa

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Russia

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

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Malawi

Mozambique

Rwanda

Tanzania

Uganda

Zambia

Europe

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

Netherlands

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?

Israel

Palestinian Territories

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

Syria

Turkey

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

Australia

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'

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office on Sept. 6, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan's leadership contest will threaten to split the ruling party as conservative and reformer factions compete to place their leaders in the country's highest office.

In Japan, Ishiba's Resignation Sparks a Volatile Party Leadership Contest

<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

China, Japan: Beijing Rapidly Expands Retaliations Over Taiwan Spat

South Korea, Japan: Cancelled Joint Drills Show Tensions Slowly Rising

Japan, Indonesia: Tokyo, Jakarta Deepen Security Ties

China, Japan: Tourism Ban Likely To Stick as Takachi Avoids Apology

Japan, China: Dueling Comments About Taiwan Show Straining Ties

China, Japan: China Resumes Japanese Seafood Imports in Sign of Temporary Truce

Japan, U.S.: Defense Minister Says Japan Wants Nuclear Submarines

Japan: Despite Takaichi's Claims, Threat of Snap Elections Still Looms

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