In praise of supply-side economics

 On both sides of the Pacific, in China and the US, the destructive combination of recession and inflation is evolving in a classic way, to include bank failures and the popping sound of property, asset and financial instrument bubbles as they disappear in a foam of bankruptcy, negative equity and failure. If there is a […]Continue Reading

China’s Middle East reset will ultimately depend on Israel

Following political developments in the past fortnight, two state-level policy changes in the Middle East are likely to combine to have a substantial impact on regional stability. On March 10, in a deal brokered by China and signed in Beijing, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after a seven-year […]Continue Reading

The quest for green air travel

An Etihad Airways plane. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Dura-Ace

An airliner over Dubai’s coast, a single-engine helicopter, and a Japan-Abu Dhabi flight: Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has proved capable of powering air travel. But can supply rise and cost fall fast enough to make SAF a major part of the aviation industry’s journey to net-zero emissions? While aviation is responsible for about 2% of global greenhouse […]Continue Reading

Is the US constantly misreading Russia

Although US President Joe Biden’s “shock” pronouncements declaring that he wants Vladimir Putin out and both a regime change and prosecuting Russian leaders for crimes against humanity have become scarcer, these statements reflect a misunderstanding of what led to the conflict in Ukraine and what can be done to stop the war. I know of […]Continue Reading

China-Argentina on verge of region-rattling fighter deal

China may be close to clinching a huge weapons sale to Argentina involving fighter jets and armored vehicles, a deal that would give Beijing military clout in a region traditionally seen as America’s sphere of influence. This week, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Argentina’s Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja and Argentinian Defense […]Continue Reading