Every month of this year has brought new evidence that voting in 2020 hasn’t been going very well. And with perhaps the most consequential election in generations—when the nation ratifies or rejects President Donald Trump’s divisive agenda—experts are starting to believe that the general election will be much, much worse. Read Here – Politico
China is stepping up pressure on Bhutan to settle their bilateral border dispute. In addition to laying claim to more territory in Bhutan, Beijing has revived an old land swap deal that will require Thimphu to cede control over territory in order to settle its border dispute with China. Read Here – The Diplomat
Who needs Donald Trump’s America? You won’t find these words in Ant Group’s initial public offering prospectus, but they’re written between the lines in bold font as the fintech juggernaut Jack Ma built bypasses New York to list in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Read Here – Asia Times
For four years much of the foreign policy establishment has lamented America’s loss of influence on the global stage. Like an ageing athlete looking at faded trophies, it mourns a time when the United States was always comfortably ahead of all its competitors. Read Here – The National Interest
A big question is if Iran can indeed play both sides and somehow accommodate the interests of both China and India simultaneously, particularly if India continues to closely align its foreign policy with Iran’s chief rivals, the US and Israel, and is embroiled in an intractable competition with China. Read Here – Asia Times
When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, people will again be on the move, crisscrossing the planet in search of career opportunities, education, and better lifestyles. But the destinations and directions of those movements may be forever changed. Read Here – Foreign Affairs
A deep determination to battle against great odds may explain why East Asia has so far responded much better to the COVID-19 pandemic than most Western countries. And if the region’s economies also recover faster, they may well offer a glimmer of hope to a world currently drowning in pessimism. Read Here – Project Syndicate
After keeping its society and economy running throughout the coronavirus pandemic, squashing the outbreak, and donating millions of face masks to many countries, Taiwan has earned a lot of positive press internationally. But there is another vital area in which the world could also learn from Taiwan’s experience. Read Here – Foreign Policy
Australia’s strategy on engaging India has long revolved around the so-called “three Cs:” cricket, curry, and the Commonwealth. In light of the changing status of bilateral relations in 2020, let’s add a couple more Cs to the list: China, and containment of. Read Here – WarOnTheRocks
In the past three years, a growing proportion of U.N. mission chiefs, called special representatives of the secretary-general, or SRSGs, have been largely imposed by host governments or big powers, bypassing the U.N.’s competitive hiring process. The trend has raised concerns among some U.N. insiders that the selection process may result in top envoys beholden […]
looking beyond borders 