Using diplomacy to meet economic needs

The year 2018, among other things, was marked by turbulence, from the China-US trade frictions and the lingering economic downturn in European economies to the increasingly complicated situation in the Middle East and the crises in Latin American countries. Which means 2019 could throw up more uncertainties.

Several prominent features were evident globally last year. First, competitions among major countries dominated global politics. A critical shift in US politics was a return to the great power competition, which many regard as the most significant geostrategic development.

In addition, US policymakers also issued a series of reports re-appraising many of the US' national security objectives and identifying China and Russia as major rivals, which was a shift from past US foreign policy.