Executive Summary: The Resolution from the Third Plenum focused primarily on economic reform but reinforced the Party’s existing strategy rather than announcing a change in overall direction. The Resolution does nothing to mitigate concerns about the real estate sector, weak domestic demand, subsidized export-oriented manufacturing,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s State Statistics Agency, Rosstat, reported increased growth in arms manufacturing industries during the first half of 2024. However, this growth is less impressive when considering physical manufacturing data as it is dependent on ruble prices. Russia was only able to increase the... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia currently has the largest fleet of icebreakers in the Arctic. Its lead over others, however, is somewhat deceptive as most are small and devoted to clearing ice from harbors rather than keeping the Northern Sea Route open. The United States, Canada, and... MORE

Executive Summary: Mongolia is engaging in efforts, including bilateral negotiations and official visits, to improve relations with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan following a long period of stagnant foreign policy toward Central Asia. These states share a Soviet legacy, resource extraction-oriented economies, and similar geopolitical and... MORE

Executive Summary: EU member states and other Western powers have introduced restrictive sanctions against Russia’s diamond-producing industry, a major contributor to the Russian economy, such as restrictions against the import of Russian diamonds directly or from other countries. Other diamond-producing countries, many of which are... MORE

Executive Summary: Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has solidified his position as the driving force behind achieving a “high-quality socialist market economy” by 2029. The recent CCP Central Committee Plenum indicated that he would rule until at least 2032. The Third Plenary... MORE

Executive Summary: As new peace proposals are published, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not appear to be any closer to accepting negotiations with Ukraine to conduct a ceasefire or end the war. The European Union, except for Hungary, is showing stronger support for Ukraine, aiming... MORE

Executive Summary:  A recent report from the Royal United Services Institute shows data on the production rates of Russian arms, including the manufacturing of BMP-3 armored vehicles from the Kurganmashzavod (KMZ) manufacturing company, the only producer of this vehicle. Despite increasing employees, working hours, and... MORE

Executive Summary: Beijing, Bishkek, and Tashkent signed a joint agreement in June to finance and begin constructing the oft-discussed China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway by October 2024. After many years of discussion, China finally pledged to finance over half of the project’s costs, and the parties appear to... MORE

Executive Summary: Ant Group’s strategy since the fallout from its canceled IPO in 2020 and subsequent crackdown on the fintech sector has seen it seek opportunities while capturing projects within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that are aligned with government priorities. Key markets for... MORE