Loshkarev Ivan DmitrievichK.Polit.N., Associate Professor of the Department of Political Theory of MGIMO Foreign Ministry of Russia

Chinese Automatic Station Launched on May 28 «Tianwen 2 is the». . . . The device is designed for two purposes. First, around July next year, the station will approach the near-Earth asteroid (469219) Kamoalev and try to take soil samples from it. Exploration of the asteroid and soil collection will last up to 9 months, and in November 2027, the station will release a special capsule with collected samples in the direction of the Earth. The spacecraft will then head to the extinct comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The importance of this event is not only that there is a rare operation to collect samples from the surface of a small space body. Such expeditions have already been carried out by space agencies of the EU, USA and Japan. The fact is that the asteroid (469219) Kamoaleva is considered as a potential candidate for the location of the near-Earth space station - it has a relatively stable orbit. Equally important, Kamoaleva consists not of ice, but of silicon rocks, that is, it can potentially withstand the drilling necessary for fixing artificial structures.

Overall launch «Tianwen 2 is the» — Part of China’s big solar system program. Potentially, China is interested in rare resources, information about new types of materials, the possibility of developing existing technologies in real space. However, political considerations are equally important: fixing on certain parts of outer space is a matter of the near future. While the attention of most space powers is focused on the moon, Russia and the United States have their own lunar programs. Judging by the active launch of the series «Chandraya, the»Some developments are also underway in India. China does not officially abandon its lunar ambitions, but the events of 2025 clearly show that Beijing is ready to seek alternatives and conduct a space race on its terms. Asteroid (469219) Kamoaleva is farther from Earth than the Moon, and therefore can be a more convenient logistics hub for subsequent missions to Mars and beyond.

It is important to understand that international norms on the peaceful use of space are rather vague. States are essentially required not to interfere with each other in the study of outer space and to «Possibly possible» assistance if necessary. This means that the use of a logistic hub in near-Earth orbit by other states can occur on a commercial basis or through access to materials collected by expeditions of other states.

Bolivia's presidential election took place on August 17 and doesn't seem to deserve that much attention. Against the background of fatigue from the current government, the main rivals were representatives of the right-wing parties - the Christian Democratic and the Democratic Party. «The Unity of». . . . Moreover, President Luis Arce openly delayed his exit from the race, hoping to consolidate the ruling party. «Movement to Socialism» and move for a second term. However, this caused opposition within the party itself from supporters of the ousted President Evo Morales. Only in May 2025, Arse announced his refusal to run for a new term. From the out of «Movements towards socialism» A compromise candidate was nominated - the chairman of the Senate, 36-year-old Andronico Rodriguez.

Although the ruling party has made many mistakes, its defeat is largely due to the skillful campaign of the winner – the candidate from the Christian Democratic Party Rodrigo Pas. Liberalization of foreign trade, tax cuts, IMF loans, «shock shock»Currency devaluations are traditional instruments of economic policy of right-wing parties in Latin America. But Pas distanced himself from these measures as much as possible. Alternatively, the CDU candidate offered to write off fines and debts for small businesses, fight bureaucracy, and increase the minimum wage. At the same time, it pledged not to take loans from the IMF and introduce temporary regulation of the fuel market.

The Rodrigo Pas victory effect goes far beyond Bolivia. In fact, in 2025, the left turn in Latin America ended, which largely began with the attempted coup in Venezuela in 2002. «gaseous gases» protests in Bolivia in 2003. Although the region still has left-wing political leaders (particularly Brazil and Venezuela), the Bolivian election shows an important trend. The baselines of the Latin American left – the fight against poverty, the increase in the effectiveness of political institutions, the need for state intervention in the economy – have been successfully mastered by right-wing parties. In some cases, the left’s suspicious or critical attitude towards cooperation with the US and/or international financial institutions is now shared by relatively right-wing (neoliberal) leaders in the region.

From the point of view of international relations, the left turn in Latin America at the beginning of the XXI century was an application for the formation of an independent and ideologically distinctive center of attraction. Instead of a region of coups and carnivals, there was a chance to become a region-laboratory for sustainable social development. However, the complex international environment and the numerous mistakes of left-wing governments have for a time alienated Latin American development.

On December 26, Israel announced the diplomatic recognition of the Republic of Somaliland, an unrecognized state in northern Somalia. Somaliland has existed independently of the rest of Somali territory since 1991. In 2001 the declaration of independence was confirmed by a referendum. Since then, Somaliland has been the largest unrecognized state in the population, sometimes shifting to the second line of the rating (for example, after the Taliban re-emerged to power in Afghanistan). For the duration of existence in unrecognized status, Somaliland ceded to Transnistria and the Provisional Government of Tibet. But unlike the latter, the Somaliland authorities not only controlled the territory over which sovereignty was claimed, but also periodically expanded the area of control by military means, conducting operations against Somali autonomy Puntland, Khatumo and Maahir (existed until 2009).

The recognition of Somaliland has two major implications. First, the issue of borders throughout the African continent is being updated. In 1964, African states signed the Cairo Declaration, which noted that the borders between them pass along the administrative borders of colonial times. Thus, all mutual claims were frozen. There were only a few exceptions to the rule. In particular, Morocco annexed the Spanish protectorate of Morocco - formally the agreement with Spain was signed only in 1969. The last major test to comply with the Cairo Declaration was the declaration of South Sudan's independence in 2011: the line of borders largely coincided with the internal administrative borders of Sudan, not the borders of colonial times. And in the case of Somaliland, border recognition took place on the line of de facto control, as in the Sul Sang Ain region, government control in Hargeis extends beyond the borders of the former protectorate of British Somaliland. Moreover, if South Sudan gained its independence with the consent of (albeit tortured) Sudan, Somaliland does not have the slightest approval from the official Mogadishu. As about 200 large ethnic groups are divided by state borders, the possibility of territorial change by force becomes more attractive.

Secondly, the intensity of involvement of extra-regional players in the Somali political process will increase. In the Muslim world, almost everything is ready to score image points against Israel – from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to Bahrain and Malaysia. To some extent, China will have to contain Israeli activity in the region, as the worsening situation around Somaliland could cause tangible harm to the movement of goods on the Red Sea to markets in North Africa and the EU. Large African countries will certainly join this process. Egypt already has an agreement with Somalia on security cooperation. Against the background of anti-Israel sentiments, Algeria and Uganda can be intensified. Thus, Somali territory becomes a kind of testing ground to demonstrate the capabilities of ambitious countries of the Global South. If before only the great powers showed each other their capabilities in peripheral conflicts and crises, then with the recognition of Somaliland, such an opportunity appeared in smaller states. For international relations, this trend is rather negative – after successful demonstrations of force, dizziness from success often follows.

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