fora

"It's obvious that diplomacy and all of the fora and meetings that exist in the region are not preventing China's aggression and intimidation," Mr Shoebridge says.

"Most countries these days tend to participate in multiple fora and alliances," says Ravinder Kaur, a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

"International NGOs and intergovernmental organizations could also play an important role in the synthesis and dissemination of new research, making sure it contributes to debates at international fora such as the climate and biodiversity COPs."

In that case, the consultant predicted, the EU would briefly voice displeasure in global fora, but would not sanction South Korea.

For decades, U.S. scientists have led the world in documenting the risks of climate change, and U.S. diplomats have cast global warming as a dire threat in international fora.