Rampant illegal fishing – by flagged vessels from many nations, not just China – has made the problem more complex. Data on arrests over illegal fishing show China is far from being the worst aggressor, and painting it as such only further muddies the water.
Hongkongers in a panic about the coronavirus epidemic are upset at being called ‘idiots’ by Singaporean minister Chan Chun Sing. He should understand Hong Kong is experiencing a complete breakdown in trust, which could happen to any city.
With a potential global pandemic and geopolitical rivalry between the two superpowers, conspiracy theorists are having a field day
The little-known but powerful US Agency for Global Media has financed protesters in the city and helped them with technical support.
Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee have blasted Michael Pack, the new czar of the US government’s global media services, for stymieing US influence operations in the city
Governments across Europe and North America have showed an almost callous disregard for the health of their citizens and the world, says PN Balji.
After months of bemoaning the strength of the greenback, the US president has good reason for now declaring his support for a strong dollar – he’s trying to shore up confidence in US paper as the Treasury goes on a borrowing spree.
The rare event of a general depreciation of the world’s leading currency suggests a fundamental lack of faith that could sink financial markets and undermine the global economy.
Beijing failed to go public with the true scale of the pandemic, hampering other nations’ ability to respond in time. China’s rise on the global stage was made possible by the goodwill of the rest of the world, and trust that had been hard earned should not be so easily squandered.
The US has been trying to provoke China into a military conflict since 2013 through the South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea, Xinjiang and recently Hong Kong. However, China will not be able to avoid being dragged into a war over Soleimani’s assassination.
If Beijing imposes its national security law, Britain will ‘have no choice but to uphold our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong’, Boris Johnson says.
The singular advantage Singapore has over Hong Kong is affordable public housing. On all other fronts, Singapore is no better than Hong Kong. Even in the fight against Covid-19, Singapore is far behind Hong Kong.
By targeting asset prices to bolster the economy, the Federal Reserve is again creating an asset bubble. The US central bank’s loose monetary policy, more than China, is really to blame for the US’ troubles now.
Both China and the US chose the wrong remedies for their ailing economies in the wake of the global financial crisis. Financial risks abound today, as they did in 2007. A decade of easy money has only compounded the problems.
By bringing in a strongman with no Hong Kong experience to lead the liaison office, the central government shows that it has learned little from the mistakes that landed the city in this crisis in the first place.
We’re all racists, it’s just a matter of degree. If The Wall Street Journal’s ‘Sick Man of Asia’ headline was racist, was it more offensive than the CCTV variety show featuring blackface? Unlike China, at least the US admits it has a problem.
The global ruling elite, who ignored expert warnings of a pandemic, are even now proposing stimulus measures to prop up markets, rather than truly help people. Expect any attempts to align supply chains to health care or welfare imperatives to meet fierce resistance from vested interests.
It’s not just lives, health and the economy that are threatened by the deadly disease. China’s authoritarian centralised system of rule is, too
The Belt and Road Initiative, hailed for promoting development, is coming under fire as debt burdens grow, reflecting a growing wariness of Beijing’s posturing as a global leader-in-waiting on an international stage that seeks to promote debate rather than censor it.
The outbreak of the Wuhuan coronavirus, also linked to a market where wildlife was sold for food, once again highlights the lack of regulation of wildlife trade. Considering the huge costs to health and the economy, it’s time to ban the trade permanently.
