This year’s G7 annual gathering of developed economies in Biarritz, France, yielded very little in the way of solutions for a sagging and troubled global economy, and the various social and environmental challenges facing globalisation. The ineffectiveness of this select group in influencing the course of world development is doubtless due to a variety of...Read More

“Almost the single worst abuser of everybody.” This was how US President Donald Trump described Vietnam’s approach to trade in an interview in June. His damning verdict was followed a few days later by an announcement from the US Department of Commerce that it would be imposing duties of up to 456 per cent on Vietnamese...Read More

The escalating USA trade war must be seen as part of a much wider US push-back against a rising China, and indeed much of the global system that is considered not to be acting in the American interest. For China, this raises concerns over the impact on its economy and highly integrated domestic and international...Read More

Dr Karine Lisbonne de Vergeron’s latest article ‘The New Silk Roads: European Perceptions and Perspectives’ was published in the December edition of the academic journal, International Studies. The focus of this article is on European perceptions and attitudes towards the New Silk Roads or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The New Silk Roads is neither...Read More

There are three major concerns with regard to Brexit for the UK: the internal UK economic and political damage caused by Brexit; the geo-political damage done to and by the UK in leaving the EU at a time of intensifying militant nationalism across not only Europe, but the world; the unconstitutional and undemocratic manner in...Read More

After President Trump killed the Iran nuclear deal in early May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, later in the same month, announced that crushing new sanctions against Iran are coming in a speech at the Heritage Foundation – unless Iran effectively agrees to a ‘self regime-change’, in the words of Jonathan Cristol writing for...Read More

In the last forty years, China has achieved an unprecedented economic and social success. This success is based on 5 main pillars that we, in Italy and Europe, should study well to understand the challenges and opportunities that China presents to us. The 5 pillars are: Control of tariffs Control of migration Control of demography...Read More

As Theresa May’s Conservative government and the European Union prepare negotiating positions for a future post-Brexit relationship, the UK’s financial services trade with the EU’s Single Market looks set to become a key battleground in upcoming talks.  Alongside Brexit negotiations, the European Commission has announced its intentions to complete a Capital Market Union that will...Read More

27 out of 28 EU ambassadors criticize the “New Silk Road” initiative (yi dai yi lu 一带 一路) because they believe it is a project aimed at opening new markets for China to reduce its overproduction. In other words, they rightly fear that China is going to compete directly with Europe in serving the countries covered...Read More

Federal Central Banks is a unique study that critically examines the role and impact of central banks in federal and confederal political systems. It has been written and compiled by members of the Banking and Monetary Committee of the Global Policy Institute. It conducts a detailed examination of the history, design and operation of central banking...Read More