Japan and South Korea share a difficult history that complicates their bilateral relationship. This is a problem since an effective Japan-Korea alliance would be a bulwark against China’s regional ambitions and allow the U.S. to redirect resources to other parts of the world. The long-discussed U.S. pivot to Asia, announced
Operation Epic Fury is the 2026 U.S.-led military campaign against Iran. The operation marks one of the most significant escalations in Middle Eastern conflict in the post–Cold War era and stretches beyond the issues between Iran versus the U.S.-Israel sides. As of 2026, the most powerful countries are the United
China has worked to build a diplomatic position in the Middle East, cultivating an image as a non-interventionist power that can be everyone’s friend and no one’s enemy. However, when the drums of war began to sound over the Strait of Hormuz, China found itself exposed to a conflict it
China is rapidly increasing its economic and military strength and asserting itself more aggressively on the world stage. Until President Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, China was careful to downplay its ambition and growing international power. Now, the country is a near-peer competitor of the United States military in
From October 25 to 28, the ASEAN 47th Summit in Kuala Lumpur became the world’s most important diplomatic scenario. The summit gathered thirty heads of state and government, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The gathering, thus, has been crucial not only for the future of
Xi Jinping had a September full of diplomatic wins. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held its 25th summit in Tianjin, drawing the largest attendance in its history. Later, Beijing hosted a military parade commemorating the defeat of Japan in World War II, referred to in China as “The War of
Introduction Against a backdrop of ever-increasing Chinese aggression and coercion in the South China Sea, Taiwan has sought to emerge from the shadow of its colossal neighbor and colonizer-to-be. As such, several regional nations have emerged as partners to Taipei in an effort to exert pressure on Beijing and to
The members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have worked to maintain a balanced approach in their relationship with China and the US. ASEAN acts increasingly as a bridge and an intermediate market between superpowers. Nevertheless, rising trade barriers, sanctions, and tensions add further complexity to the delicate
In this episode of Orion Talks, Marta Furlan is joined by Dr Rahul Verma to discuss and explain India’s latest elections. Dr Verma reflects on some of the reasons – economic anxiety, unemployment, disaffection – that may explain why the BJP (the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi) fared worse
In this episode of Orion Talks, Marta Furlan is joined by Prof Min Ye to discuss President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to France, Serbia, and Hungary – his first visit to Europe in five years. Prof. Ye sheds light on the overall objective of this trip and explains how this
PDF DOWNLOAD Orion Policy Institute’s Senior Fellow Suat Cubukcu interviewed Jacob Zenn for the OrionTalk to discuss the implications of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan for Africa. Jacob Zenn is a faculty at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at Jamestown Foundation in Washington DC. He studies insurgency groups in
Download PDF The withdrawal of US military from Afghanistan has been on the presidents’ agenda over the last decade. The decision to actually do so, however, has been delayed multiple times because of the U.S. concerns about a resilient Taliban insurgency and the inability of the Afghan government to
