The ongoing war in Ukraine stands as the paramount geopolitical clash of the 21st century, heralding a definitive return to realpolitik in global governance.

Judging from the current international mood, neither an armistice nor peace talks will likely come about this year, and the war will continue to drag on between Russia and Ukraine. At some point, it will become politically untenable in the West and financially unsustainable in Russia.

Much can be gleaned from the text of the 10-year agreement, which was signed on Jan. 12 by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Sunak’s visit to Kyiv.

Direct military engagement by the United States and UK against Houthi forces in Yemen is not helping to resolve the crisis. It only encourages the Houthis to dig in deeper in support of the Palestinians against Israel. Resolution of the conflict in Gaza will have a positive effect on the Houthis.

Despite political warnings of Chinese power projection, China faces irrefutable geographical constraints on its naval power capabilities.

In 2024 and beyond, the two nations must strive to understand the other’s mindset. Concerted efforts will be needed to mitigate risks and enhance stability. Both should refrain from taking unilateral actions against the other worldwide based on perceptions of maritime security.

India wants to reduce China’s footprint in its industrial chains. China must deal with this by strengthening its own industrial and innovation chains. It must also improve its policy on industrial chain transfers. It should avoid contributing to India’s development at the cost of its own.

The 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum covered all aspects of the Global Security Initiative, with official representatives and scholars from China and foreign countr

The latest round of the Israel-Hamas conflict has dragged the Israeli-Palestinian issue back to center stage in the Middle East. While China played a positive role in getting Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table, the violence in Gaza could influence the election prospects of U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

A stalemate on the Ukraine battlefield has settled in, and the U.S. is adjusting its strategy. The new idea is to preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity while perfecting its war capacity. Instead, it should be isolating Russia politically and economically.