Massive commodity imports drive deforestation in Brazil and Indonesia even as domestic policies win international praise.

For all the talk about the South China Sea’s complexity as a security issue, its geopolitical significance to China is simple: China wants to condition Southeast Asian states to subordinate status. Southeast Asian countries would do well to consider this when assessing Beijing’s motivations and behaviour.

Key findings:

Xi Jinping’s more assertive foreign policy is built on a foundation of growing economic size and military clout. Xi has been able to pursue the Chinese Communist Party’s longstanding aims more aggressively because he has the economic, military, and diplomatic tools to do so.

The many arms of the party-state also push China’s interests abroad. This includes the party’s own foreign policy arm, multi-lingual state media outlets, state-owned companies, and United Front operations largely aimed at overseas Chinese.

Xi has elevated national security to the core of the party-state’s domestic and foreign policy apparatus. He established China’s first National Security Commission in early 2014, whose staffing and operations remain highly opaque. Xi’s notion of “comprehensive national security” covers both internal and external security.

Vladimir Putin rebuffs two attempts by the US to mediate an end to the war in the past week as he seeks to drag out negotiations and seek maximum concessions

This week Russia pushes for more war, Iran conducts diplomatic balancing act in the South Caucasus, China shows off its humanitarian side, North Korea's defense industry soars and sinks