In Other News: China's "Disease Diplomacy" in Latin America, China-India Truce, Turkey Flexing & More – June 26, 2020
June 26, 2020 China sees an opening in Latin America with “disease diplomacy.” China has taken the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to increase its presence and influence in Latin America, sending personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators to a number of countries and looking to partner with Brazil for Covid-19 vaccine trials. Even before […]
In Other News: China-India Border Clash, North Korea-South Korea Tensions & More – June 19, 2020
June 19, 2020 A border clash between Chinese and Indian soldiers this week killed at least 20 and raises the specter of escalating conflict over a long-unresolved dispute. The Actual Line of Control, established to end a 1962 border war between the two countries, has been the site of frequent small-scale brawls, but this marks […]
In Other News: Demonstrations in Europe and Around the World, Brazil's Democracy Under Threat, New Start Negotiations with Russia & More – June 12, 2020
June 12, 2020 Demonstrators have taken to the streets in Europe and around the world, inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States. Protests against the police killing of American citizen George Floyd in the United States have had global reverberations. Demonstrations have been seen in major cities of Europe, including Paris, […]
In Other News: UK Pushes Back Against China, Russia's Nord Stream II & More – June 5, 2020
June 5, 2020 The UK has begun to push back against China’s move to bring Hong Kong further under its control, pledging to open up the possibility for 2.9 million Hong Kong citizens who are eligible for British National Overseas passports to reside and work in the UK. Currently 300,000 Hong Kong residents hold BNO […]
In Other News: China Undermines Hong Kong, Brazil's President Under Fire, Mexico & More – May 29, 2020
May 29, 2020 China’s approval of a new Hong Kong national security law severely undermining the island’s autonomy will test U.S. willingness to take punitive action against one of its largest trading partners, and has the potential to scuttle the trade deal signed by the two countries in January of this year. President Trump will […]
In Other News: Social Unrest Returns to Chile, Venezuela Awaiting Fuel from Iran & More – May 22, 2020
Beijing has announced plans to implement new national security legislation in Hong Kong that would expand its powers to break up large gatherings – like protests – a significant move in China’s push to bring Hong Kong fully under mainland authority. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called it a “death knell” for the partial […]
In Other News – May 15, 2020
President Trump has amped up anti-Chinese rhetoric over the past week, floating several potential measures to punish China for the coronavirus pandemic, including demands for reparations, scuttling the trade deal, and forcibly delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock indices. Any of these steps would represent the extreme end of the foreign policy spectrum, and none […]
In Other News – May 8, 2020
The European Commission forecasts a 7.4% drop in economic growth this year, which would mark the worst contraction for the continent since World War II, dwarfing the 4.5% contraction of the 2009 recession. And the EC has warned that its forecast may underestimate this year’s actual drop in GDP. Italy, Spain, and Greece are expected […]
In Other News – May 1, 2020
China has scheduled its delayed National Party Congress meeting for May 22, signaling confidence that Covid-19 is sufficiently contained and setting the stage to announce post-pandemic stimulus measures and this year’s economic growth target. China is likely to take aggressive measures to juice its economy, which is positive news for the U.S. economy, especially for […]
In Other News – April 24, 2020
Oil prices in the U.S. turned negative this week, signaling the depth of the demand shock caused by the Great Lockdown. While prices ticked up again yesterday, partly on news that raised the risk of U.S.-Iran conflict in the Middle East (see below), there remains a real possibility that prices will go negative again as […]
