The increase in trade between China and Germany during the last decade – and, in particular, in German exports to China – has exceeded all expectations. Germany is China’s number-one trade partner in the EU and China is the top foreign investment destination for German companies.

Jordan is experiencing a slow-burning awakening. Inspired by regional revolutions and in the face of deepening political and economic malaise, King Abdullah is confronting unprecedented levels of discontent from both the traditional opposition and his longstanding support base.

On 1^st April Burma will hold parliamentary elections that are likely to see opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi win a seat. The country is undergoing swift political and societal changes after decades of military rule, and the government says the reforms are ‘irreversible’. Some now argue that the EU needs to lift all its sanctions right away. 

As the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, the urgency of finding a political solution is increasing. Kofi Annan has launched this process, but more effort will be needed to unify the international community to exert pressure on Bashar al-Assad.

After the ‘phantom presidency’ of Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin will find himself president of a changed Russia. Kremlin authority is weaker, the economy faces structural problems and the restless middle classes are confident enough to protest against the government.

With the EU agreeing to a second Greek bail out, the spotlight is on the delicate balance between demands for fiscal rectitude and the argument that growth needs flexibility. Berlin thinks the only solution to the crisis is a German one, and that means fiscal rectitude above all else.

The second annual edition of ECFR’s groundbreaking ‘European Foreign Policy Scorecard’ suggests that Europe is now a problem for the economic prospects of the rest of the world, rather than part of a solution to the world’s problems.

The trial and sentencing of the former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko in 2011 is a double challenge to the European Union – testing both its credibility and the transformative capacity of its soft power. Kiev ignored clear warnings from Brussels and key member states, and then failed to deliver on promises of compromise.

Europe must shift the balance of power with Algeria, one of its key energy suppliers, in order to encourage much needed political reform and safeguard its own interests. The EU has a window of opportunity: Algeria has already felt the pressure for change, and indicated this week that it is willing to come to the negotiating table on a action plan for reform.

The overall outcome of Sunday’s elections – with only tame parties standing in opposition to Putin – is not in doubt, but the specific results may signal that the Putin system is losing its legitimacy, just as he readies himself to retake the presidency (possibly until 2024). But Putin would not be returning to the same Russia as when he last held the presidency: buffeted by economic turbulence and fearful of stagnation, Russia is now post-BRIC.