The election of Jeremy Corbyn as the new leader of the British Labour Party is a reminder that life is rich with paradox. Globalization – the web of travel, technology, trade, and information that binds the world ever more closely together – is hardly a new phenomenon. But politics in many developed democracies has lately been […]
The Australian economy could get a shot in the arm from the change in prime minister even before Malcolm Turnbull talks policy. Industry bodies have welcomed the arrival of a PM with a track record in business, and analysts say the former investment banker could lift consumer and business confidence through his popularity with voters and […]
Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road, a 7,000-km-long trade route created by camel-driving merchants, started to link China with Europe via central and west Asia. Today, the ancient invention still inspires both China and the United States when they work out their respective blueprints to promote regional development. Sprouting from the inspiration, the US “New […]
Premier Li Keqiang says that China’s economy remains a source of the world’s growth thanks to people’s zest for innovation, entrepreneurship and stronger international cooperation. China’s confidence is well-grounded and not “blind optimism,” the premier said in a speech at the World Economic Forum’s event in northeast China’s Dalian, known as Summer Davos. Read Here – […]
For Xi, even the slightest perception of a stumble is politically risky. In the two-and-a-half years since he came to power, his anti-corruption drive has turned many of his former comrades into bitter enemies. The bureaucracy, frozen in fear and outraged about the loss of many of its privileges, including entitlements to bribes, may well […]
Contrary to what incompetent propagandists keep saying, it was not Gorbachev who ruined the Soviet Union, but the top of the state machinery who revolted against his democratic reforms. Boris Yeltsin’s deadly enmity played a disastrous role. Leonid Kravchuk, the former ideology chief of the Communist Party in Ukraine, made the second largest personal contribution […]
Some believe, or fear, that Modi is so powerful that he is a shoo-in for a second term in 2019. But a year in office has made it apparent that Modi’s mind is too old for the composite mind of India. In 2014, a youth wave voted Modi into power. It does not seem impossible […]
The good news is Xi is changing tack. Rather than just tossing more stimulus at the economy and stocks, he’s redoubling efforts to reform the inefficient and opaque state-owned enterprises at the root of so many of China’s vulnerabilities. In other words, Xi is finally working to strengthen China’s foundations rather than papering over the […]
China’s growth has slowed largely as a result of changes in its fundamentals: less favorable demographics, a shift in emphasis from exports and public investment to the service sector and domestic consumption, and lower demand from advanced economies. But China’s past success also contributed to this slowdown, in the form of higher wages, which narrow […]
With Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled to visit the United States late this month, U.S. commentators and presidential hopefuls are debating whether Xi’s planned state visit should be downgraded or even cancelled. Organizers of the visit settled on the September timing knowing full well the presidential campaign would likely produce a toxic media environment. Read […]
looking beyond borders 