Tensions between China and Taiwan have reached alarming heights as a surge in military activity from Beijing heightens the possibility of warfare. A key instigator is the 2024 election of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who describes himself  as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence.” Lai’s election coincides with an exacerbation in Chinese aggression, including a 300 percent increase in military flights around Taiwan since May and a major October drill involving Chinese army, navy, air, and rocket forces that encircled the island. Most recently, in early November, over 35 Chinese military aircraft, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and drones, were detected flying to the south of Taiwan for two consecutive days.

On Sept. 12, North Korea revealed a glimpse into their uranium enrichment facilities, boasting to the world the speed of their nuclear technology advancement despite the sanctions placed on them by the international community. 

The United States’ strategy of export restrictions on computing chips has proven futile as Chinese companies find ways to circumvent these barriers. As China surges ahead with state-backed investments and open-source innovation, the U.S. risks losing its technological edge unless it reevaluates its approach in this escalating AI competition.

The United States must consider its next steps, as the temporary license to ease restrictions on Venezuela’s oil sanction is set to expire on Thursday. The agreement's condition, which provides necessary breathing room for Venezuela's oil and gas sectors, would depend on President Nicolas Maduro making democratic progress by the upcoming election date of July 28.

On April 14, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sat down with CNN to discuss his upcoming summit with President Biden. During the discussion, Kishida discussed the rising tensions around the world as well as how Japan’s foreign policy is acclimating to the new geopolitical environment.

On Tuesday, April 9, Chinese State Official Wang Yi hosted his Russian counterpart Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing for talks on economic and security cooperation. The new cooperative measures are set to displace American influence in Asia and Europe, the United States’ most strategically important region and former most strategically important region, according to political scientist and professor John Mearsheimer.