China understands that North Korea is no longer the besieged ally with no gateway other than Beijing, and that leaving the field entirely open to Russia carries a mounting strategic cost

Trump's allies and rivals seek new deterrence

Since last May's brief yet dangerous military confrontation between two nuclear-armed powers, a tenuous calm has held. But should a new war erupt, the margin of error this time will be far slimmer.

The Communist Party's general secretary since 2012 may have grown up in a secure compound for the elite, but he forged his values in the fields of rural Shaanxi province

From Tokyo's perspective, there were three key issues: Taiwan, Iran, and the broader bilateral framework

Beijing can't easily afford to escalate any economic struggle with Washington

The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a fragile space of competitive geopolitical coexistence between the US and China. But it should be carefully managed.

China and the United States have a chance to clinch some economic win-win deals this week, provided politics does not get in the way

Beijing can help Washington find a way out of its Gulf quagmire, but it won't come cheap. Xi Jinping may wonder aloud if the Americans still plan to defend Taiwan.