The Trump administration’s blame-driven approach to U.S.-China relations fueled mutual losses and entrenched scapegoating of China for U.S. domestic issues. Ultimately, subnational diplomacy and pragmatic collaboration are essential for rebuilding constructive ties.

The recent election in the United States has given Russia an opportunity to restart strategic dialogues. Under Donald Trump’s leadership, however, U.S.-Russia relations are likely to be dominated by containment and counter-containment. Meanwhile, Russia believes that Russia-China relations are central to world security and can counter Trump’s inclination to make peace through force.

Sacrificing others is no answer when seeking to save oneself. But the EU is doing just that: It is willing to sell out China to gain the favor of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump and maybe avoid Trump’s tariffs. It won’t work.

Alternative pathways to development are possible, as demonstrated by China. Global institutions are in need of an overhaul. But time waits for no one, and new institutions are being forged.

A change in America’s political leadership will bring challenges, but China is not as vulnerable as some say. Aggressive U.S. policies could push China to diversify its investments and explore new markets, while projecting itself as a stable and predictable power.

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election is worrisome. People-to-people exchanges between China and the United States faced many challenges during his first term, and the Republican Party Platform is not friendly to outsiders. There could be stormy weather ahead.

As the outgoing Biden administration gives way to the incoming Trump administration, Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping met in Lima, Peru for the final time as national leaders. The working summit meeting caps four years of turbulent relations between the two nations and governments. But despite tensions, the two sides have managed to successfully reestablish channels of intergovernmental communication that have served to stabilize the relationship to some extent.

Europe may be entering a quasi-competitive phase with the United States — no longer occupying the center of U.S. foreign policy. Rather, it will have to face Trump’s tendency to de-prioritize allies, which will likely add fuel to Europe’s drive toward strategic autonomy.

Collaborating in various fields after expansion, BRICS members remain dedicated to coping with U.S. hegemony and sanctions, as well as reducing trade and investment barriers and accomplishing common development. The group’s influence is on the rise.

BRICS represents a major shift in how Global South states are approaching their international agenda, and the latest summit in Russia - amid conflict in Ukraine and changing winds in America - is an opportunity for member nations to play the part of a leader among their peers.