Reuters (October 2)
“Tensions between the West and China are rising, from tit-for-tat trade tariffs to tech rivalry and spying allegations. The ramifications for global markets are significant, with Washington and Beijing’s determination to loosen dependence on each other fraying long-established supply chains. That could help keep inflation and interest rates elevated. Still, there are gains for emerging nations and tech giants on the right side of the power battle.”
Tags: China, Dependence, Emerging nations, Fraying, Global markets, Inflation, Interest rates, Ramifications, Rising, Spying, Supply chains, Tech rivalry, Tensions, Tit-for-tat, Trade tariffs, West
New York Times (June 19)
“China’s economic weakness holds benefits and dangers for the global economy. Consumer and producer prices have fallen for the past four months in China, putting a brake on inflation in the West by pushing down the cost of imports from China. But weak demand in China may exacerbate a global slowdown. “
Tags: Benefits, China, Consumer, Dangers, Demand, Global economy, Imports, Inflation, Producer prices, Weakness, West
Wall Street Journal (February 21)
“Arming Russia would be a new and explicit demonstration of China’s hostile intentions toward the U.S. and the West. It would certainly erase Beijing’s seeming desire… to put U.S.-China relations on a better course. It would also require a firm U.S. response, which would have to include further economic decoupling.”
Tags: Arming, China, Demonstration, Desire, Economic decoupling, Explicit, Hostile, Intentions, Relations, Response, Russia, U.S., West
Reuters (February 4)
“The global trade war is taking an unexpected turn. Beijing may ban the export of technology used to make solar panels, an industry which China dominates by controlling at least 75% of its global supply chain. That has repercussions for the West’s drive to create its own green energy industry.” Any such move is more likely “to slow, not halt” the West’s solar push. “Losing access to Chinese solar technology, such as furnaces for melting silicon, would not be an insurmountable problem.”
Tags: Ban, Beijing, China, Export, Furnaces, Global trade war, Green energy, Repercussions, Silicon, Solar panels, Solar technology, Supply chain, Technology, Unexpected, West
New York Times (September 22)
“Rattling his nuclear saber, accusing the West of seeking to ‘destroy’ his country and ordering the call-up of 300,000 military reservists, Mr. Putin implicitly conceded that the war he started on Feb. 24 has not gone as he wished.”
Deutsche Welle (March 25)
Before the war in Ukraine, “Germany received 50% of its coal, 55% of its gas, and 35% of its oil from Moscow.” The country now plans “to almost completely end Russian energy imports by the end of the year.” Achieving the plan means “a considerable amount of progress would be made in a short space of time, as the West is rushing to wean itself off Russian energy amidst the invasion of Ukraine.”
Washington Post (March 17)
In terms of seizing Ukraine, “the extent of Putin’s failure is breathtaking.” He has, however, successfully “unified the West, prompted NATO to beef up its military spending, kick-started a resurgence of pro-democratic sentiments… and made himself the poster boy for war crimes.… Meanwhile, Russia’s economy is in shambles, losing decades of progress and perhaps permanently damaging the country’s energy markets.”
Tags: Breathtaking, Economy, Failure, Military spending, Nato, Pro-democratic, Putin, Resurgence, Russia, Ukraine, War crimes, West
The Guardian (February 24)
“The west stood back and watched in Syria – it must not do the same in Ukraine…. It’s time for the US and its allies to show their steel in the face of Putin’s aggression. We have learned that nothing else will work.”
Tags: Aggression, Allies, Putin, Steel, Stood back, Syria, U.S., Ukraine, Watched, West
The Atlantic (October Issue)
“Modern-type depression” is growing more prevalent in Japanese workplaces, but “its reach might extend far beyond Japan.” In the West, depression is often linked to personal sadness, but in Japan, depression “has long been considered a disease of fatigue caused by overwork.” Patients with modern-type depression “have the desire to stand up for their personal rights, but instead of communicating clearly, they become withdrawn and defiant.”
Tags: Defiant, Desire, Fatigue, Japan, Modern-type depression, Overwork, Patients, Personal rights, Prevalent, Sadness, West, Withdrawn, Workplaces
Washington Post (July 3)
“As the Islamic State, Iran and Greece occupy the attention of the Western world, China marches forward, except now it is not just building its economy but also a new geopolitics in Asia.”
Tags: Asia, China, Economy, Geopolitics, Greece, Iran, Islamic State, West