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Climate action is caught in the increasingly volatile push-and-pull between cooperative global governance and great power competition, a fraught dynamic readily apparent in relations between China and the United States. China–US bilateral relations are widely acknowledged as a keystone for international efforts to address climate change. But the actions that both countries put forward to address climatic changes ‘indifferent to geopolitical rivalries’ are inevitably impacted by that very rivalry. There is, of course, optimism over the more constructive climate relations that the two have demonstrated since the resumption of formal China–US climate diplomacy this summer, after an 11-month halt following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022. But the hiatus itself a...

Jamie McGeever, the writer for the financial markets, previews the day ahead in Asia. With uneasiness and fear over China sweeping financial markets, the People's Bank of China is likely to slash interest rates on Monday, but it may have to throw caution to the wind and 'go big' to calm investors. Investors will be paying attention to three policy decisions from Asian central banks this week, including China's. On Thursday, the Bank of Korea and the Bank of Indonesia are both likely to maintain their current interest rate policies. Along with the annual Jackson Hole Symposium, where Fed Chair Jerome Powell will talk on Friday, the PBOC's decision and broader events concerning China's markets and economy will occupy investors' attention this week. This week in South Africa, Pre...

As a result of the assaults on minorities, notably Christians and their churches, the CPI pleaded on US Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday to end all financial and military assistance to Pakistan. It also called for the United Nations to step in to prevent things from becoming any worse. In light of this onslaught on Pakistan's religious minority, we urge Vice President Joe Biden to end the United States' military and financial support for Pakistan. When assisting Christians, he should remember the persecution they've faced and the destruction of their churches. Atul Kumar Anjan, national secretary of the CPI, told reporters in Patna that "the minorities, including the Christians, are in extreme trouble there." The Left leader said the United Nations "should warn Pakistan and s...

Despite predictions of a post-pandemic economic resurgence, China has seen its GDP for the second quarter fall well short of projections, and the nation has entered deflationary zone for the first time since 2021 as a result of decreasing prices. In a frantic effort to pretend everything is OK, Beijing has lowered interest rates and ceased publicizing ugly young unemployment numbers. Bank of America analyst Michael Hartnett released a research note on Friday in which he described the new China figures as "positively shocking" and warned of the increased potential of a significant credit event that would send stock prices much down and demand a coordinated international reaction. One source of "event risk," he continued, is the continuing liquidity issues for real estate giant Cou...