In The News

Project Syndicate: Explaining Global Recovery Amid Political Recession

Michael Spence August 4, 2017
A disconnect between political dysfunction and strong economies is disconcerting. Michael Spence, Nobel laureate in economics, suggests the global economy may not be reaching its full potential. “Leaders in Europe, as well as in a number of emerging economies, have now concluded that both the UK and the US are unpredictable and unreliable allies and trading partners,” explains Spence. “Asia, with...

Forbes: What the Gold Rush in Chinese Football Teaches Us about Globalization

Stefan Hall July 4, 2017
European soccer teams already bear the mark of globalization, with many teams sponsored or owned by investors from other continents. China has been entering the global stage in recent years, and China’s President Xi Jinping has professed his love for the sport. Sports can be a show of soft power, notes Stefan Hall for Forbes, since “sporting events can be used to spread a nation’s cultural values...

The Diplomat: Asia and the Fall of Coal

Nithin Coca June 26, 2017
Asia, accounting for about 60 percent of the world’s population, is abruptly shifting away from coal toward renewable energies, especially solar. The most populated nations could lead the continent. “From 2002 to 2012, the global coal trade doubled, with the four largest Asian economies – Japan, South Korea, China, and India – accounting for the majority of imports,” reports Nithin Coca for the...

BBC: Why Citizenship Is Now a Commodity

Katie Beck June 5, 2017
For more than two decades, governments have dangled citizenship in exchange for investments. “As more countries tighten their borders and paths to immigration, a new industry is working to bypass those restrictions – for a hefty fee,” reports BBC News. “The specifics of different investment citizenship programmes vary by country. They allow foreigners to invest in real-estate projects and...

Bloomberg: The Saudi Oil Blunder That Will Keep Costing

Leonid Bershidsky May 30, 2017
On May 25, 14 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), along with 10 other oil-producing nations led by Russia, agreed to a deal that would limit oil production until March 2018. OPEC nations represent just over 40 percent of global oil production, reports the US Energy Information Administration, with Saudi Arabia and Venezuela among OPEC’s largest producers. With...

Caixin: One Belt, One Road as China’s 21st Century Marshall Plan?

David Vines May 17, 2017
China could be on its way to leading the global economy, helped by One Belt, One Road. David Vines, writing for Caixin, compares the initiative to the Marshall Plan during the last century, which benefited Europe and Japan. China, with big investments in infrastructure, could emerge as a leader in setting rules and standards for global governance, but Vines points to two risks: First, “The Belt...

Deutsche Welle: China's Xi Uses Silk Road Summit to Call for Rejection of Protectionism

May 15, 2017
China’s summit on a modern-day Silk Road – encouraging infrasructure development, trade and other connections – is the antithesis to protectionism or extreme nationalism. The One Belt, One Road initiative is “a multi-year plan to build a web of infrastructure and transport links connecting Asia, Europe, Africa and other regions,” explains Deutsche Welle, adding that some countries express concern...