China will be in the spotlight at the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual health forum, with major powers pushing for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic and for Taiwan to be granted a seat at the table. The World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s decision-making body, will meet online for a shortened agenda on […]
Inside the rarified atmosphere of the Great Hall of the People, the aroma of disinfectant will mingle with a whiff of economic distress. A toxic mix before Premier Li Keqiang gives his annual state-of-the-union-style speech at the National People’s Congress in Beijing later this week. Outside, the air will be virulent as the fallout from the […]
We are all statists now. Since the coronavirus pandemic struck and the global economy unraveled, we have looked to governments to mobilise medical resources, implement containment measures, and spend previously unimaginable sums to support workers and businesses. Out of these emergency policies could arise new institutions and ways of solving problems that will benefit us […]
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal on Sunday, signalling the end of a months-long stalemate that plunged the country into a political crisis. The breakthrough, which sees Abdullah heading peace talks with the Taliban, comes as Afghanistan battles a rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus and surging violence that saw […]
Trump remains the unpredictable force that he has been since he began running for the presidency. Trump’s presidency could be destroyed by the pandemic if it continues to rage and the economy remains stagnant or worse. But Trump has shown that he is the ultimate political survivor. Biden should beware. Read Here – The National […]
The hybrid regime ruling Pakistan – a political party backed by the military establishment – has been doing everything to suppress the opposition and dissenting voices in the press but has failed miserably to change the economic fortunes of the country or to bring normalcy to the political discourse. Read Here – Asia Times
The two countries have promised to work together to fight the disease and have both denounced American attempts to blame Beijing for the outbreak, but the rise in Russian cases threatens to undermine China’s own efforts to stop it spreading – particularly in the border province of Heilongjiang. Read Here – South China Morning Post
China’s apparent attempt to pull off a cyber heist of critical medical and laboratory data occurs against the backdrop of duelling narratives about the origins and handling of COVID-19. These two issues highlight Asia’s new era of cyber and information warfare. Read Here – The National Interest
China should prepare for more inflammatory comments from US President Donald Trump and his team as relations between the two countries come under increasing pressure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic recession it created, according to observers. Read Here – South China Morning Post
The pandemic is amplifying the risk of a world-wide food-price spike, which would trigger outright crises in many developing countries. Governments must therefore work together to address disruptions to food supply chains and prevent food protectionism from becoming the post-pandemic new normal. Read Here – Project Syndicate
looking beyond borders 