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

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

China’s massive, continent spanning OBOR project is attracting increasing support from Asian governments, including many that have long had poor relations with China.  This development has to be understood in terms of the regions’ enormous infrastructure deficit, the lack of alternative funding, and the changing reality of Asian geopolitics and economic relations.   China has become the principal...Read More

On 22 June 2013 the Bank of England concluded a Rmb200bn. (US$32.6bn.) currency swap agreement with the Peoples Bank of China in order ‘to promote bilateral trade between the two countries and to support domestic financial stability should market conditions warrant’ (Bank of England 2013; Noble 2013). This is the first such agreement with a...Read More