The Communist Party Congress in China marked the culmination of Xi's power consolidation in the country. In 2018, his country will be able to take advantage of the United States' focus on North Korea to deepen its ties, influence and power in the Asia-Pacific region.
(ANDREW BURTON/Getty Images) A floor hand works on an oil rig in North Dakota that drills into a shale formation. The oil boom in North Dakota, caused by recent developments in shale oil extraction and refinement, has been worrying to Saudi Arabia and other countries involved in a deal to cut oil production. As the global oil market has recovered, concerns that production quotas could drive the price of oil high enough to incentivize an uptick in U.S. shale oil drilling have mounted. (CHIP SOMODEVILLA/Getty Images) U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. In 2018, Trump and his administration will continue to pursue the protectionist trade agenda unveiled in 2017. Although the United States may still leave the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the move appears unlikely given the United States' trade imperatives and the deal's support in Congress.
