Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito won 293 out of the 465 seats in an election for the House of Representatives (Lower House) on October 31, 2021. This was a major political hurdle for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida—who assumed office less than a month ago and must now decide how to allocate this political capital to implement strategies on the economy, defense capabilities, and a diplomatic agenda.

SOURCE: "Japan’s Lower House Election: Kishida Gets a Mandate for Now" by CSIS's Michael J. Green, Nicholas Szechenyi, and Yuko Nakano.

Together, the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) serve as the gateway to 40 percent of all U.S. maritime imports. While recent supply chain bottlenecks at POLA and POLB can be attributed to Covid-19 supply chain disruptions and changing consumer spending patterns, the concentration of so much trade at the two facilities has long-term national security implications.

SOURCE: "No Escape from LA: Lingering Supply Chain Insecurity at Los Angeles Ports" by CSIS's Bill Reinsch.

With the world’s attention turned to Glasgow and the COP26, the biggest variable in the equation of when the world gets to carbon neutrality seems to be China. In 2020, China committed to reaching carbon neutrality, as opposed to just peaking emissions. However, the date set for this goal is 2060, a decade later than most developed economies.

SOURCE: "What Is China’s Climate Agenda?" by CSIS's Ilaria Mazzocco.

In FY 2022 fleet size for the U.S. Navy stays about the same at 296 ships as previously ordered ships arrive in large numbers and ships are retired. Ship numbers matter to the Navy due to high day-to-day demands for its forces, and the Biden administration's emerging fleet plan incorporates smaller ships and large numbers of unmanned systems.

SOURCE: "U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Navy" by CSIS's Mark Cancian.