Recent developments are highlighting how competition over shared water resources is a major contributory factor to the growing geopolitical discord in Asia. China’s “territorial grab” in the South China Sea has been accompanied by a quieter “freshwater grab” in transnational river basins. Reengineering trans-boundary water flows is integral to China’s strategy to employ power, control, influence, and fashion a strongly Sino-centric Asia. The upsurge of resource and territorial disputes has underscored the looming dangers. Various developments indeed are highlighting the linkage between water and peace.

War displaces people and breeds refugee crises. For the Middle East, which has long been plagued by continuing violence and conflicts, it is urgent to end the wars and safeguard the peace. China-US cooperation can play an important role to facilitate post-war reconstruction and create a survivable environment for local residents, so that violence and conflict will not occur again.

Despite Donald Trump’s potentially passive attitude toward international governance and international cooperation, China and the US need collaboration in cyberspace. The threats and potential risks in cyberspace brook no footdragging, they are clear and present dangers. China-US cooperation in cyberspace not only helps all of humanity share Internet dividends, but it is also in both countries’ fundamental interest.

Both Russian and the West have lost face in this typical lose-lose situation. Moscow and Washington need to rebuild trust, reactivate the process of political resolution and produce a single draft resolution based on full consultation and the most expansive common ground among all parties.

The article details the history and hopeful future of the Chinese Space Program which will likely soon include a manned lunar mission. The program overall has, to some degree, emulated the step-by-step approach of the Apollo program; but, key differences, partnerships, and planning have shaped the slow growing but ultimately successful program. The Chinese space community learned a great deal from Apollo, including how not to get politically backed into in a corner as the U.S. did in its Cold War quest to “beat the Russians” in space.

While U.S. China relations regarding cyber security have improved over recent years, there are still large areas of distrust and room for improved communication. Namely, there are critical points regarding the 2015 agreement that are still evolving in the 2015 cyber attack agreement between the U.S. and China. Although cyber attacks have not decreased, promising diplomatic initiatives and areas of discussion have been opened.

As demands of 9/11 victim families get traction and America’s for imported energy declines, U.S. foreign policy is being dominated by “inward-looking election-year motivation”. If that continues into next year, no matter who is president, U.S. anti-terror strategy is unlikely to continue to enjoy full support from Saudi Arabia. With traditional allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel beginning to engage Russia in private, the U.S. could lose its dominant position in Middle East affairs.

The confrontation regarding plans for the THAAD system might lead to unbearable consequences if the situation gets worse. The only reasonable course for Washington and Seoul is to abandon the deployment.

The anticipated defeat of the Islamic State is not likely to mean calm in the region, since thousands of disaffected jihadist fighters will be scattered and looking for new opportunities to spread their ideology. Meanwhile, the newly energized Kurds – key players in the war against IS – will have political demands that will be difficult to satisfy, and may lead to new conflicts.

The PLA should not only collaborate in US-led exercises to get familiar with American weapon systems and the tactics they employ, the Chinese should embrace the model and initiate joint exercises of its own. That would demonstrate its readiness both to face foreign intervention and to preserve regional security and stability as it assume mores global responsibilities.