Asia Pacific
Russia-China rivalry in Central Asia unlikely to grow
China’s growing political and economic influence in Central Asia has not yet generated damaging rivalry with Russia
Central AsiaG20 cooperation continues without consensus or answers
The G20 Leaders’ Summit tried to make progress on reducing global hunger and poverty, and financing climate action
InternationalCybersecurity risks to banks will increase
Banks face a wide range of cyber threats, including financial cybercrime, cyber espionage and disruptive cyberattacks
InternationalLaos will likely need bailout to avoid default
The country is at high risk of defaulting on its sovereign debt
LaosProspects for climate diplomacy in 2025
The coming year looks likely to be a difficult one for climate diplomacy
InternationalCOP29 may drive forward climate finance
COP29 has disappointed and angered many campaigners, but has broken a deadlock in planning for financing climate action
InternationalPakistan will struggle to focus on economic reforms
The government is trying to implement economic reforms while contending with heightened social and political tensions
PakistanRussian reliance on China for dual-use goods will rise
China emerged as a key supplier of dual-use goods to Russia following the imposition of Western sanctions in 2022
Russia
