On the surface, the similarities between 1960s Iran and modern Saudi Arabia seem self-explanatory. Like Saudi Arabia today, Iran in the Pahlavi era was ruled by a monarchy with a close (but complicated) relationship with the United States. Indeed, Tehran and Riyadh would go on to become the “twin pillars” of Nixon’s strategy for keeping the […]
Here are some of China’s economic pain points: bloated state-owned companies; banks with rising bad loans and local governments drowning in debt; massive overcapacity in the property market; bad investment in the wrong places. Read Here – Bloomberg
In the ultimate analysis, the Bihar election turns out to be a referendum on Modi himself. The single resounding message is that the Modi government’s lackluster performance is steadily eroding the overall credibility of the prime minister and his party. Read Here – Asia Times
If China is indeed making the transition it has long said it wishes to make, it would look like what we are now seeing. Both the IMF and the World Bank have in recent months pointed to compelling evidence that the transition is well under way, and it’s one of which they heartily approve. It’s […]
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 […]
President Maithripala Sirisena’s sudden indisposition during the New Year holidays had politicians on both sides of the House considering a potentially serious constitutional bombshell. The possibility of the Rajapaksa family making a come back, not just as members of parliament, but even as political masters of the country till 2021 has emerged a real possibility. Mahinda […]
So Merkel-Land is looking at stasis, thanks to too much chumminess among the parties. In the next four years, we won’t be seeing any more magazine covers celebrating Angela I as “queen” or “empress” of the Continent. Read Here – Bloomberg
So what is likely to come out of the party meeting? There will probably be few specifics about what shape individual policies may take. But there will be no dearth of broad statements by top leaders, including Party Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, laying out long-term goals for the country. Read Here – […]
China‘s contribution to the global economy will be in its steady growth and structural transformation; only long-term reforms can sow the seeds of prosperity. Measures used in emergencies – moves that break market rules – can be effective for a short time but they have long-term disadvantages. Read Here – Caixin
For the most part, India’s current growth slowdown and its fiscal and current-account deficits are not structural problems. They can all be fixed by means of modest reforms. This is not to say that ambitious reform is not good, or is not warranted to sustain growth for the next decade. But India does not need […]
looking beyond borders 