Dogs of war straining at the leash in East Asia
Current events in the South China Sea have the potential to set off a major conflict
Asia
Interpreting Xi´s Europe visit
Xi's visit to Europe had “business” written all over it, but does not mean that a lot will change in China's Europe policy in the coming decade
Ukraine: the silver lining for China
China could reap a strategic benefit from almost every possible outcome of the Ukraine crisis, and has begun to prepare for all these scenarios
How Abe makes Washington listen
Japanese Prime Minister Abe gives Washington a wakeup call about potential conflict in East Asia, now that immobility is no longer a viable option for dealing with China
Why Europe can’t leave Asia to the US
Can Europeans safely ignore rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific? European policymakers may want to focus on their near neighbourhood and the transatlantic relationship but one way or the other they will have to deal with the fallout from rising tensions in Asia
Asia: Taking the EU seriously?
All indications are that the European Union is still having a hard time with East Asia. Despite a series of high-profile summits with China, Japan and Korea the EU is struggling to find a common approach.
China’s Third Plenum: great expectations
The resolution from the Third Plenum puts the party above all, clearly separating politics from economics. While there is still hope for change, there is overabundant evidence that Mr. Xi’s dream for China does not include the major reform that many hope for.
The NSA and Snowden: the boomerang flies on
Edward Snowden may become the most famous civil rights case this century, and throw up issues of data protection, intelligence, and the relationship between partners and allies that concern citizens of all free states
Europe flunks the solar panel test
The debate over whether Chinese solar panels benefit from unfair subsidies is damaging to the EU and its negotiating position. Thanks to changes in the energy market it is the wrong test case for Europe as it deals with Beijing.
Think again: European decline
Although it may seem that Europe is down and out as it struggles with multiple crises, things are in fact far, far better than they appear on the surface.