The thaw between China and India in Beijing grants Russia a major political victory, mainly delivered by the US’s fumbling and mismanagement. America needs to act fast and accurately to address the situation. In 1972, Nixon’s trip to China didn’t end the Vietnam War, but it offset the political debacle there and put a different […]
It’s much ado about something. The Indian shift away from the US could be a significant setback for America. Although nothing is set in stone, the United States could pay a price. (Marco Mayer interviews Francesco Sisci) (first published in the Italian magazine Starmag) On the eve of a historic meeting in Beijing between Indian […]
The ghost of a new, strong China-India relationship is looming, threatening to weigh on the whole Asian balance of power and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The US may have lost a battle. As US President Donald Trump met in Washington with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, and a group of European leaders, China and […]
Revisiting Ancient China’s World Knowledge (talk delivered at the Hong Kong Book Fair in July) By the late 16th century, before Europeans arrived in China via sea routes, how much did ancient Chinese people know about the world? How did they imagine and understand the world they inhabited? This is not merely a question of […]
Stable-currency could further divide the USA and China, with one country embracing it and the other rejecting it. The two are re-engineering themselves in different directions. Who will be right? American stable currency, based on crypto, promises to change the US and the world with it. Yet China is very cautious. It’s not just money; […]
When asked about the Dalai Lama fleeing to India from Tibet in 1959, Mao allegedly said: “Better in India than in the USA.” He was surely right then. Now, 66 years later, the 14th Dalai Lama is 90, and the choice of his reincarnation can become a very sensitive international affair. The key issue is […]
Pope Leo will have to face the delicate issue of China, yet he may want to see how the problem is perceived in Beijing. Here is a summary. One of the most delicate topics Pope Leo will have to address is undoubtedly China. The meticulous Vatican diplomacy will surely be able to tell him every […]
