In The News

Financial Times: Inside China’s Secret “Magic Weapon” for Worldwide Influence

James Kynge, Lucy Hornby and Jamil Anderlini October 26, 2017
The United States once charmed the world with innovations and a confident culture – but stagnation, insecurity and a lack of civility have weakened what Harvard’s Joseph Nye identified in the 1980s as soft power. China’s Xi Jinping, in consolidating his own power, sees value in presenting a confident and caring face to the world. The headquarters for China’s soft-power strategy is in Beijing and...

Inside Climate News: US Unprepared to Face Costs of Climate Change, GAO Says

Georgina Gustin October 25, 2017
The United States is not saving money by ignoring the risks of climate change. "The Government Accountability Office, in a report issued on Tuesday, cited a range of research concluding that the costs of worsening droughts, floods, wildfires, heat waves and storms will run into hundreds of billions of dollars and threaten many parts of the economy, while hitting some regions particularly...

ANI: Singapore Passport Is World’s "Most Powerful"

ANI October 25, 2017
Traveling without delays or complications has value, and Arton Capitol has assigned Singapore’s passport its top ranking for visa-free travel to 173 nations. “This is the first time an Asian country has been announced as having the most powerful passport, according to the Passport Index,” reports ANI. Historically, European nations have often filled the top ranks of most powerful passports. This...

The Washington Post: Parts of Niger and Mali Are Lawless; US Strategy Might Make It Worse

Max Bearak October 24, 2017
News reports emerged that four US soldiers were killed after a surprise attack in Niger, and US lawmakers expressed surprise that troops were stationed in the country. “The United States has about 800 troops in Niger, a number which has been steadily increasing since they first deployed there in 2012,” reports Max Bearak for the Washington Post, adding that the United States “is eyeing a larger...

The Japan Times: Abe Emerges Stronger With Win; Nation Still Divided Over Constitutional Revision

Reiji Yoshida October 23, 2017
Despite a low turnout by voters who had to contend with a typhoon, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s coalition has won a supermajority in Japan’s Lower House of Parliament after Sunday’s election. Reporters in Japan expect a continued push for constitutional changes that would dispense with severe limits on the country’s self-defense. A national referendum for considering such changes requires two-...

Caixin: Xi Offers Clues to China’s Future Economic Policy

Wang Tao October 21, 2017
China will soon be the world's largest economy, and the world’s eyes are on China’s 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, which lays out an agenda and priorities for the next five years. President Xi Jinping admits that “uneven and inadequate development” is at odds with “people’s ever-growing demand for a better life.” China will not embark in any major policy shifts and aims for...

Economist: Scrapping Iran Deal Could Embolden Hardliners

October 21, 2017
While US military forces have worked alongside Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, to counter the Islamic State in Iraq, political moves out of Washington may unravel any conciliatory efforts between the two countries. As Donald Trump works to undo many of former US President Barack Obama’s foreign and domestic policies, he simultaneously emboldens Iranian hardliners, argues the Economist...