The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) marked its 60th anniversary in 2019 with the release of a "Strategic Annual Report" and the hosting of a Tokyo Global Dialogue to disseminate the research findings and regional analyses of JIIA's study groups. The current year's sixth iteration of this endeavor features a new report title reflecting a deliberate reorientation.

In the previous "Strategic Annual Report" I pointed out that the end of the post-Cold War era has ushered in an "era of turmoil" threatening the foundations of the US-led international order and giving rise to such circumstances as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and escalating tensions in the Middle East. A series of unresolved conflicts have left the international community in a state of confusion. The rules-based international order and the international architecture embodied in the United Nations and the G20 have become dysfunctional, creating further difficulties in addressing urgent global issues that require multilateral cooperation, including nuclear disarmament, the rapid evolution of AI and other technologies, and climate change. Against this backdrop, the November 2024 US presidential election resulted in the return of President Donald J. Trump. How the Trump administration will tackle these issues in its second term - and how US allies, major Western countries, and the emerging and developing powers of the Global South will respond - can only be ascertained by carefully observing future developments. With so many problems piling up, there has never been a more vital time for policy think tanks to provide perspective on international politics. Accordingly, our "Strategic Annual Report" heretofore published in conjunction with the Tokyo Global Dialogue has been renamed "Strategic Outlook" to place greater emphasis on delineating future prospects. We have also decided to encourage individual researchers as far as possible to present their own views and recommendations on the actions and roles expected of Japan in the belief that this will stimulate discussion among our readers.

We sincerely hope that this "Strategic Outlook 2025" will help readers from all quarters attain a better understanding of international affairs.