An economic slowdown, a tanking stock market, and an infant-vaccine scandal are all feeding domestic discontent, while abroad, in Western capitals and financial centers, there’s a growing wariness of Chinese ambitions. And then there is the escalating trade war with the U.S. China initially refused to believe it would happen, but in the past few […]
As the first wave of renewed U.S. sanctions against Iran goes into effect Tuesday amid rising street protests over the country’s disastrous economy, analysts are divided about whether popular anger over runaway inflation and unemployment will be directed at the government in Tehran—or at the United States. Read Here – Foreign Policy
US companies in China are bracing for more retaliatory pain from Beijing as the trade row between the two countries shows no sign of abating. Observers said some American firms had reported higher costs and much greater regulatory scrutiny, and feared a major drop-off in business from rising nationalism. The fallout follows a decision by Washington […]
Governing Pakistan is an unenviable task in the best of times, not least when the country is faced with an economic meltdown and a diplomatic squeeze. The solution to both is intrinsically linked — with the US holding one of the keys to relieving the pain. Incoming prime minister Imran Khan isn’t going to have […]
US President Donald Trump says Beijing “is talking to” Washington about their trade dispute, claiming his tariffs strategy is working against China and other trade partners. But Chinese analysts are cautious, saying there could be more tit-for-tat trade measures to come before the two sides get back to the negotiating table. Read Here – South China […]
Nearly 17 years since 9/11, Osama bin Laden’s family remains an influential part of Saudi society – as well as a reminder of the darkest moment in the kingdom’s history. Can they escape his legacy? Read Here – The Guardian
As the only advanced industrial democracy that has closed its borders to unskilled migrant labor since the end of World War II, Japan has long been viewed as hostile to immigration. Although the number of foreign nationals in Japan has grown at a rapid pace in recent years—from 850,000 in 1985 to almost 2.6 million in 2017—foreign residents still make […]
The reaction to this week’s announcement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of a US$113 million infrastructure fund is that it was more than a tad underwhelming. When set against potentially upwards of US$1 trillion in financing for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – to which the new US fund is a thinly veiled response – that […]
Is US President Donald Trump really going to amp up trade tariffs against China? And with its back against the wall, will Asia’s biggest, most influential economy use a sharp currency devaluation as a form of retaliation? In Southeast Asia, home to some of the world’s most China-dependent economies, astute market watchers say they are as clueless […]
UN headquarters in New York is not the only global entity experiencing a cash crunch. Those focusing on humanitarian aid delivery in conflict zones, providing care to refugees, and preventing starvation and disease to families displaced from their homes are all operating in an unforgiving environment. Wealthy donors in the European Union, North America, Asia […]
looking beyond borders 