APEC’s initial aim was to drive trade liberalization in the Asia-Pacific in response to the glacial pace of global multilateral tariff reductions. The organization adopted a principle of voluntarism for tariff reductions. Rather than committing collectively to legally binding steps, APEC would act as a means to build trust, to set standards and expectations, but it would not force its members’ hands.

There have been four major PLA exercises around Taiwan since 2022. These are often seen as coinciding with important political events in Taiwan, especially when it involves American and Taiwanese political leaders.

Republican candidate Donald Trump’s victory has sparked a number of discussions about the future of the world’s security infrastructure. One of the main topics of discussion is the future of Ukraine and the Russian-Ukrainian war, topics that occupy an essential place in the rhetoric of the newly elected U.S. president.

When President-elect Donald Trump takes office for the second time, the Indo-Pacific will look quite different than it did during his first presidency. Indeed, the region may be teetering on the edge of a far more violent future. The president-elect has an opportunity to avert that future. But to do so, he will have to cast aside his most counterproductive predispositions.

The signing of the Treaty of Comprehensive Partnership between North Korea and Russia in June 2024 has paved the way for strengthening bilateral ties between Moscow and Pyongyang and marked the onset of the global order transition, which was already underway.

The South African government has called on Taiwan to relocate its representative office from the capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg. While the South African government denies such claims, this shift is widely attributed to pressure from China.

At their 16th summit in Kazan, Russia, the BRICS countries took a further step towards geographical expansion with the inauguration of a partner group. However, given the growing internal heterogeneity of the group, it is questionable whether the inclusion of 13 new countries will help the organization to evolve from a loose association of emerging economies into a more formalized global alliance.

The second Trump administration is expected to continue the competitive stance toward China established in his first term and upheld by the Biden administration. While some advisors lean toward isolationism, Team Trump generally agrees on bolstering Taiwan’s defense readiness and deterring China.