An unmistakable sense of unease has been growing in capitals around the world as the U.S. government from afar looks increasingly befuddled — shirking from a military confrontation in Syria, stymied at home by a gridlocked Congress and in danger of defaulting on sovereign debt, which could plunge the world’s financial system into chaos. Read […]
Obama’s failure to don a batik shirt for the closing photo shoot of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit changes little. In addition, if the past is any guide, China’s leaders will once again overplay their hand. For many of its neighbors, China’s uncompromising stance on sovereignty over various disputed atolls and islands is just too alienating. Read […]
The departure of Gambia and the fight over the Sri Lankan summit reveal how weak Commonwealth institutions have become. The secretariat is accused of actively dodging any politically sensitive issue, and its reticence to speak out means that the Commonwealth suffers from a very low public profile. A 2009 poll in seven countries showed than […]
With Indian Prime Minister Singh due to meet President Obama in Washington on September 27, hopes are modest for what the two leaders can agree or achieve together. Against a backdrop of damaged global governance, with both leaders suffering serious credibility deficits at home or abroad, it hardly seems an auspicious time to reinvigorate relations between […]
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called for “sustained political resolve, persistent commitment and tireless efforts” by both China and the United States to turn the proposed new model of major-country relations into reality. Read Here – XInhua
President Putin’s op-ed in the NYT today is fantastic. It’s a virtual end-zone twerk, as this botoxed former KGB hack brags about restoring a more peaceful world order, basks in the relatively new concept of Russia’s global stature, asserts obvious untruths – such as the idea that the rebels were behind the chemical attack of August […]
In his address on Tuesday , Obama argued that a failure to do something about Syria‘s chemical weapons would embolden Iran. That argument is superficially compelling and politically appealing. It also happens to be wrong. Read Here – Foreign Affairs
Anyone who ever worried that Barack Obama might not be Made in the USA should take comfort from his quintessentially American response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to give temporary asylum to Edward Snowden: pouting. Read Here – Reuters
How should Australia position itself between its traditional ally, the United States, and its major trading partner, China, as their strategic rivalry grows? New Prime Minister Tony Abott’s got to figure that out. Read Here – Foreign Affairs
China is not an empire, and it rejects the deep-rooted imperial thinking in forging diplomatic relations. China was humiliated and bullied for a century, which made the country much more eager for equality than its Western counterparts. Read Here – Global Times
looking beyond borders 