Commentary: China has invested billions in ports around the world. This is why the West is so concerned

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Army Issues

Washington has expressed concern over these actions that China is challenging US effect in its own backyard.

China maintains that its maritime politics is oriented toward the business. Yet, it has established a naval base in Djibouti, a strategically placed American society. Additionally, it is alleged that Equatorial Guinea is developing a new marine center.

According to a recent review by the Asia Society Policy Institute, plan experts believe China is seeking to “weaponise” the Belt and Road Initiative.

In order to accomplish this, it has one way in mind: making the business ports it invests in be as effective as naval bases. 14 of the 17 slots in which it holds a lot stakes have the potential to be used for marine purposes so much. These ports may then fulfill a dual purpose: they support the Taiwanese military’s logistic network and help Chinese naval vessels to travel farther away from home.

US officials worry that China might use its influence on private companies to stifle industry during a time of conflict.

HOW IS THE WEST Listening?

While China’s assets are raising concerns, the West’s determination to invest in ships at this level is limited. The US International Development Finance Corporation, for example, has a little slower, comprehensive approach for its investments, which usually leads to better outcomes for both investors and sponsor nations.

However, some European firms are acquiring stakes in organized and newly built slots in other countries, albeit not to the level of Taiwanese enterprises.

The European shipping and logistics business CMA CGM’s world port development method, for example, includes investments in 60 terminals abroad. In 2024, it acquired power over South America’s largest vessel switch in the Port of Santos, Brazil.

Trump has threatened to impose taxes as a means of limiting China’s position on the world stage. A member of his transition team’s advisor has suggested a 60 % tax on any goods passing through any other Chinese-owned or managed port in South America or the Chancay port in Peru.

Rather than making nations reluctant to sign switch offers with Beijing, but, this kind of action simply erodes Washington’s local influence. Additionally, China is likely to take punitive measures, such as outlawing the US’s import of crucial minerals.

Guest nations like Peru and Brazil, meanwhile, are using the contest for interface investment to their benefit. They are extremely asserting their freedom and adopting a plan of using ports to “play anywhere” on the international stage, drawing attention from both the West and China.

Claudio Bozzi is Lecturer in Law, Deakin University. This commentary&nbsp, second appeared&nbsp, in The Conversation.

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Indonesian mother of six aims to keep Papuan tradition alive by saving mangroves in women-only forest

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As its name suggests, only people may provide the sacred bush to collect oysters as part of a custom called” Tonotwiyat”, which means “working in the jungle”. &nbsp,

The Indonesian women go swimming and look for clams in the mangrove shelter. In this way, their garments do not get muddied, which may cause their body to ache.

Any person who enters the jungle properly be fined 300, 000 dirhams to 1 million ringgit. &nbsp,

The women easily talk and express their grievances in this classic bush that dates back hundreds of years.

” We laugh freely in ( the forest ). We talk about issues in the community, the government, and other issues like schooling or health, said Petronela, a single mother of six.

” When we return home, we may express our discourse to the town management, religion or traditional officials so that the problem can be resolved”, she said.

On a goal to defend Papua’s trees, women’s rights and native cultures, the lady tenderly as” Mama Nela” tells CNA how she has rallied the society over the years to take action and get answers.

On CNA’s Bahasa Indonesia website, her history is one of a series of articles about common soldiers. A person who rescues abandoned children and establishes a happiness facility as well as an pet partner who cares for and looks out for stray animals have been featured.Continue Reading

The struggle to find good jobs, and what youth in China, India and Indonesia are doing about it

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With guidelines that encourage urban children to be put to work, knowledge, and community growth in the countryside, Beijing has thrown its support behind remote revitalization.

Some of them are moving back to the small settlements they used to work and study in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

Cao Binyang, who grew up near Tieniu community, Sichuan state, came up in 2021. Together with other returnees and their parents, he took over an orange land and added a cafe and a store to perfect their farm-to-table strategy.

There have been 75 new people in the town over the past five years, the majority of whom have been alumni under the age of 35.

Tieniu town has grown in popularity among tourists as a result of social media. Farmers are using this increased exposure to market their produce across the nation on e-commerce programs at a higher price level.

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Gender titles emerge as new battleground

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The groundbreaking Marriage Equality Bill may lead to equality of marriage for all, but many of those who registered for wedding last week still have issues with their gender identity because their female name did not match their gender identity.

They have urged the government to complete the Gender Recognition Bill, which will let people choose their gender name and give them a gender-neutral choice when deciding whether or not to recognize as male or female.

Related appearance, personality

Many transmen transitioning to the male gender are still referred to as” Miss,” according to Atitaya Asa, a coordinator for a working group within the Transmasculine Network for Equality.

Transmen do not identify as women or consider themselves genetic women, especially those who have chosen to go through a medical change. As a result, using Miss/Ms does not adhere to their personality or life, as they conduct their lives as people.

The female title furthermore contrasts with their appearance, causing several complications, such as when travelling abroad.

Although their name remained” Miss,” the airport security staff frequently encountered problems because they perceived their traveling files as being wrong.

” Immigration officers believe our names are different on our journey files, especially in our photos. Traveling becomes challenging as a result. Some are denied access to the target country”, he said.

When they enter a banks, team lift the same problem.

Because our voices are lower than that of transgender men, many of us are suspected of being offenders, he said.

When they are admitted to a doctor, there is another situation. In many hospitals, female titles also be used to distinguish patients in hospital rooms. Because of their sex title,” Miss,” they are grouped into adult rooms.

Because transmen are a new concept in Thailand, he said,” Some medical professionals are beginning to show sex awareness, but their figures are still humble.”

The transgender recognition costs may give people the same right to self-determination.

Atitaya: Rights for transmen

Atitaya: Rights for transmen

Intersex and the’ X’ subject

According to Intersex Asia, a local community of intersex-led organizations and individuals from Asian nations, there are gender traits that are unique to people born with.

Their gender identity, however, may be adult, female, both, or neither. And the variants in sexual anatomy are normally occurring, not a weakness as many people misunderstand, it says.

The word “intersex” is used to describe people who are born with sex characteristics, such as genitalia, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, and hormones that do not meet the standard definitions of male or female, such as a person who has ambiguous genitalia, according to the group.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, authorities have estimated that up to 1.7 % of people are born with trans characteristics, which means that their identity may be simply defined as either male or female.

Being transgender is not a weakness that can be fixed with health care, said Nada Chaiyajit, a law professor from Mae Fah Luang University, who identifies as trans-intersex.

However, some trans children are forced to undergo genital operation to create their bodies adhere to sex stereotypes.

She claimed that some transgender people have experienced discrimination since birth, when they have to have gender-assigned surgery, when their parents are being questioned about their hormone levels or how much they are influenced by their bodies, or when they are asked to choose between two genitalia.

When they grow up and believe their genitalia, gender, and sex do not match up, the issue arises.

Our parents may be afraid of our ambiguous sexual characteristics, which may explain our grief.

They also worry that their kids might get bullied, but they make the decision to go for a female that causes issues because it doesn’t reflect our feelings when we grow up, she said.

She said trans people also suffer from social norms when they need to use public restrooms, wearing college uniforms, or fill out sex personality forms, and there is only a binary choice of” sexual “or” male”.

There should also be an” X “title for those who do not want to be called Mr or Ms, such as for some transgenders, gay, trans, or non-binary individuals, as they may think they are not associated with specific gender containers.

She said,” Providing the X” title may help those who don’t want to identify with any gender in the binary system express themselves freely.

There are no records that can accurately represent the number of intersex people in Thailand because people fear being targeted or bullied.

Many Thai people still label their identities as the result of adulterous deeds committed in their previous lives.

We need to impart more information to our society about our identity. Intersex is more than just a sex feature, it also refers to our gender identity. Our sexual orientation may be gay, lesbian, or transgender. We are diverse,” she said.

The UN Human Rights Council, she said, adopted a resolution” Combating discrimination, violence and harmful practices against intersex persons “on April 4 last year.

It called on member states to address stereotypes, misconceptions, stigma and taboos associated with intersex people and protect intersex persons ‘ rights.

She suggested Thailand should follow such a resolution.

The UN’s resolution, which calls on states to protect us, was published in response, adding that the government should follow suit.

Nada: Support for UN resolution

Nada: Support for UN resolution

The bill’s progress

The Gender Recognition Bill has four variations. The government approved one bill under the auspices of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, while the other three bills were put forth by the People’s Party and Intersex Thailand, two civil society organizations.

The main idea behind each of the four proposals is that people should be able to choose their gender identification and title based on their self-determined gender identity and without needing medical certification to validate their physical and psychological states.

Those bills also offer various forms of gender title apart from Mr, Miss, Mrs to Khun, Nam and no gender title. Some versions state that a person must obtain a court order in order to change their gender identity and title for the second time.

Somsri Jongpensukloet, a senior official from the Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development at Social Development and Human Security Ministry, told a seminar on” Gender recognition in Thailand: Can we identify our gender by ourselves? “at Prince of Songkla University ( PSU) that the ministry’s Gender Recognition Bill was based on self-determination.

Without the need for any medical records, individuals can independently determine their gender identity under the proposed legislation. Some people worried that gender identity would be overly extreme.

” Our measure adheres to universal human rights, which is our ultimate objective. However, we may have to look at multiple aspects and social settings, as the issue involves several parties,” she added. The cabinet has yet to submit the bill to parliament, despite having had a public hearing.

Knock-on effects

Sutthichai Ngamchuensuwan, Law Faculty Dean at PSU, said gender is no longer defined solely by biological sex, but also by social dimensions, which allows people to establish their own gender identity.

As a result, self-determination is a foundation for several countries ‘ laws.

In some countries, medical confirmation was required to change one’s gender identity, which raises the matter of costs.

Doctors have always allowed people to alter their legal gender identity at will. Having this law based on self-determination is essential, “he said.

However, the self-determination process must consider other factors, such as age and the ability to change gender in the future.

” As Thai law is based on a gender binary system, once we allow people to change their gender identification, we must consider the impact of that change on other laws, rights, marital status or other benefits based on gender identity, and way of life, particularly in the medical field, where medical treatment is still based on the patient’s gender assigned at birth, “he added.

Sutthichai: Self-determination is key

Sutthichai: Self-determination is key

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Johor deploys 200 officers to crack down on sale of subsidised RON95 fuel to foreign vehicles during Chinese New Year

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We have proof that the woman was able to replenish herself with about one liter of gasoline before being stopped. She therefore refueled with RON97, which is the Malaysian government’s designated fuel for foreign-registered cars, Lilis was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times, adding that the vehicle’s proprietor had previously made the payment using a debit card. &nbsp,

Lilis even praised the petrol station workers, who stopped the girl, for ensuring that subsidised petrol items designated for visitors were no misappropriated, Bernama reported. &nbsp,

Since 2010, the Control of Products Act of 1961 has made the sale of subsidized gasoline to foreign-registered cars illegal. If found guilty of breaking the law, petrol kiosk users who sold it could face fines of up to RM1 million ( US$ 282, 425 ) for the first offense, as well as RM3 million or a three-year prison term, or both, for subsequent offenses. &nbsp,

But, on January 15, next year, Armizan Mohd Ali, the Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, announced that gas station operators who were found guilty for the first time may face fines exceeding the RM1 million cap, adding to the pressure on the sector. &nbsp,

When asked about ideas for foreign-registered cars to use money instead of credit or debit cards to prevent similar using RON95 gasoline, Lilis responded that there was no order at the time. &nbsp,

” The main responsibility lies with petrol station users, they may take action to ensure no foreign-registered cars refuel with RON95, including assigning personnel to avoid such incidents, especially during the festive time”, she said on Saturday. &nbsp,

Petrol facilities in Malaysia are generally self-service. Patrons can use their own jets to fill their personal cars and use their credit accounts at the kiosks. &nbsp,

Now, there is no law saying that sanctions may be imposed on accidental motorists.

The Johor section of the Home Trade and Cost of Living Ministry’s Johor section mobilized 187 police officers across the state in June of last year to help with the precise diesel subsidy implementation. &nbsp,

Amir Hamzah Azizan, the next finance minister, had previously stated that the financial gasoline price for all Peninsular Malaysian gas stations may be set at RM3.35 per gallon, the market rate being determined using the Automatic Pricing Mechanism method.

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Hong Kong’s rich potential as a crypto art trading hub – Asia Times

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Hong Kong, a global hub for arts and banking, is at the vanguard of a trend where art meets bitcoin systems. The rise of NFTs ( Non-Fungible Tokens ) and RWA ( Real World Asset ) tokenization is redefining the art market, expanding its reach and lowering entry barriers.

These improvements are expected to dominate the forthcoming World Expo in Hong Kong, demonstrating how bitcoin can improve price, clarity, and cash in the arts world.

In recent years, Hong Kong’s art industry has experienced impressive growth. According to the Census and Statistics Department, the state’s industry in art, items, and artifacts reached HKD105.465 billion in 2023, a boom of over 80 % from 2019.

However, China’s craft market, for US$ 12.2 billion in 2022, overtook the UK as the country’s second-largest, reflecting the state’s rising supremacy.

As Asia’s leading craft hub, Hong Kong is home to many collectors and purchase firms, with some exceeding US$ 50 million in art investments. This jobs the area as a normal incubation for blockchain-driven art improvements.

RWA-Tokenization: Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds of Craft

RWA verification transforms real art assets into modern tokens, enabling partial ownership, lowering access barriers, and unlocking cash for high-value artworks. The Hong Kong government has opened up space for such advancements thanks to its strategic position on blockchain rules and plan support.

Yau Yo, the president of Greater Bay Area Innovation Design Alliance, an earlier NFT director who worked on projects for Asia’s actor Jay Chou, observed the transformational power of NFTs:” Jay’s NFT items sold out in time, generating hundreds of millions.

NFTs introduce online lack, enabling global achieve while disrupting traditional institutions. Artists can override intermediaries, keep more profits, and receive royalties on extra sales. But, volatility and guesswork remain challenges, requiring careful evaluation from both makers and investors”.

The power of NFTs, in my opinion, goes beyond modern art. In the conventional market, they address integrity and copyright issues by recording provenance and transaction history and acting as modern certificates for bodily artworks. Trust is bolstered by this transparency among buyers and buyers.

Anson Chan, president of Bonds Group and a dominant artwork collector, highlighted a crucial challenge:” Standard collectors prefer real artworks. For RWA-tokenization to achieve, useful solutions for keeping, managing, and insuring natural resources are essential”.

Jims, head of the RWA arts program NCollector, says artwork is ideal for RWA tokenization according to three key aspects:

  1. Standard art lovers typically face liquidity boundaries. Verification unlocks cash, fulfilling a crucial want.
  2. Art combines theoretical value with investment. RWA bridges the gap between traditional art areas and bitcoin, introducing bitcoin people to craft opportunities.
  3. Tokenization enables cross-border trading, boosting social change and global market development.”

I concur with Jim’s comments and believe that RWA has a great chance of boosting Chinese treasures ‘ international flow.

Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong’s Imperial Seal ( Made of Pure Gold ).

Art RWA Tokenization Status and Challenges

Despite its promises, craft RWA-tokenization remains in its infancy in Hong Kong. Blockchain services that offer these companies are emerging, but the general market length is also constrained. Tokenization allows high-value paintings to be divided into marketable digital currencies, solving cash problems.

For instance, a 100 million euro Rubens painting could be tokenized into 10, 000 smart contracts, priced in ETH and sold in increments. Each token would have royalty rights, guaranteeing that the original owners would receive a set profit from upcoming transactions.

From the buyer’s perspective, tokens gain value through secondary premiums or ETH price increases, with smart contracts ensuring the NFTs retain inherent value.

This contrasts with many NFTs in 2022, which were based on virtual goods and experienced a 90 % market decline in 2023. RWA-based NFTs, tied to real-world assets, offer more stability and transparency, making them a more reliable investment.

Peter Paul Rubens’ The Feast of Venus

The Art Market in Hong Kong: Current Landscape and Future Prospects

Hong Kong is Asia’s leading art trading center, with 2023 auction volumes surpassing HKD12 billion —60 % of the region’s market. The city’s strategic location, free trade policies, and robust legal and financial systems bolster its appeal to global investors. Key advantages include:

  1. Tax Incentives: Unlike Europe and the US, Hong Kong imposes no transaction taxes or VAT on art sales, attracting international buyers.
  2. Legal Framework: The city’s Common Law system and intellectual property protections ensure transparency and security in art transactions.
  3. Banking and Free Capital Flow: Hong Kong’s financial market facilitates seamless cross-border payments, supported by world-class banking services.
  4. Infrastructure: Renowned auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s operate in Hong Kong, complemented by advanced logistics and insurance services.

However, the city faces challenges in art storage. To compete with facilities like Switzerland’s Freeport, Hong Kong must develop specialized storage solutions for high-value artworks.

Jeffrey Sze, CEO of Habsburg Asia

With the HKMA and SFC enacting crypto asset regulations in 2023, Hong Kong is well-positioned to take the helm of the RWA-tokenization revolution. Blockchain technology will transform the art market by enabling fractional ownership of real-world assets, increasing investor flexibility and accessibility.

As CEO of Habsburg Asia, I oversee high-end art transactions and RWA-T operations, including works like Peter Paul Rubens ‘ Venus Fest and Picasso’s Buste de Femme Souriante. These instances demonstrate how blockchain can bridge the use of digital technology and traditional art.

With its tax advantages, legal stability, and financial innovation, Hong Kong is primed to become a global leader in art and digital asset markets, drawing increased international investment and solidifying its status as a premier art hub.

Jeffrey Sze is the GP of both the Asia Empower LFP and the Habsburg Asia ( which is partially owned by the Habsburg Family ). He specializes in high-end art transactions and RWA-T operations. In 2017, he secured a cryptocurrency exchange license in Switzerland.

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Remember Einstein? Meet the ‘bald ang moh guy’ who taught Singapore millennials how to draw on TV

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One option, however, wasn’t simple. &nbsp,

In 2008, while still living in Singapore, Einstein created an animated series called That’s Imagination for Norway Television. The success of the hit show saw the development of various options for his manufacturing business, and it eventually marked the end of his two years of living abroad. &nbsp,

He said,” It was quite an emotional decision to return to Norway in 2010 to expand my business while attempting to look after my engagement with the entire of Asia.”

I was missing my home, and that was the bigdeciding factor. I just saw my home for three days a year after going away for years.

Obtaining A UNIQUE STYLE

These days, Einstein also dons many caps as an investor, artist and illustrator, TV broadcaster and manufacturer, and art tutor to both adults and kids. But with societal press, his videos today reach thousands more.

He just created a TikTok stream and updates his current Box Yourself YouTube channel, which has over 750, 000 clients. The network has small arts and crafts projects for kids, using paper, toilet rolls and any biodegradable papers. It’s his way of introducing conservation through creativity. &nbsp,

Of course, his peculiar images remain, bright colors and exaggerated information everywhere. It’s a true memories trip.

” I’m really happy that I’ve always kept my main goal in mind, which is to teach individuals how to draw,” she said. All my shows have been about learning how to pick, color, would arts, or all of it”, he said. &nbsp,

” I consider myself a tutor – not so much a Television star – with a very, very large school”.

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Minister to board US navy vessel off Chon Buri

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PUBLISHED: 26 Jan 2025 at 04: 26

NEWSPAPER SECTION: News

Phumtham Wechayachai
Phumtham Wechayachai

Defence MinisterPhumtham Wechayachaiwill lead a delegation to visit US navy officials onboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier on Sunday for talks on boosting security and collaboration across Southeast Asia.

Ministry official Maj Gen Thanathip Sawangsang said Mr Phumtham, who doubles as deputy prime minister, and his group will board the vehicle, located in the Gulf of Thailand in the Chon Buri region, at 1pm via helicopter.

USS Carl Vinson is the US military’s next Nimitz-class supercarrier and you have a maximum of 6, 000 team people.

The fleet was launched in 1980, and it has participated in numerous ancient engagements, including the first Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War.

It also participated in numerous humanitarian procedures, such as the rescue of victims of the Haiti disaster.

US military Rear Admiral Michael S Wosje, chief of Carrier Strike Group ONE, and Captain Matthew C Thomas, the USS Carl Vinson captain, may direct a US representative on the attend.

The visit will show the ship’s architecture and numerous procedures, such as airplane launches, by the US military.

From Monday through Friday, the ship will dock there for a switch visit while it is anchored at Chon Buri’s Laem Chabang Port. Due to the fact that this is regarded as a rest time for the staff of the vessel, no squad changes will be made.

” The ministry hopes the visit will tighten the diplomatic relationship between Thailand and the US while]fostering ] knowledge exchange regarding advanced military technologies”, said Maj Gen Thanathip.

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Gold glitters at end of the world as we know it – Asia Times

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Shareholders have been betting tremendously on an AI-driven coming over the past two decades, as tech stocks have led the S&amp, P 500 to a 60 % get. But they also bought the “barbarous artifact” of a financial era that preceded the economy’s identity, pushing the price of silver up by almost as much. Importantly, gold outperformed other hedges by a sizable percentage against the buck.

Why wall against severe distress amid effervescent tech-driven optimism? The answer is a bit could get wrong—catastrophically wrong, in reality. The dollar-based global economic system’s core asset is then tech stocks. The United States has sold US$ 24 trillion more of its property to immigrants than Americans have sold to immigrants.

Graphic: Asia Times

That” net international investment position” of$ 24 trillion, up from$ 18 trillion at the end of Donald Trump’s first term in office, paid for America’s cumulative trade deficit over the past 30 years. For the past 10 years, immigrants have been buying stocks rather than US Treasury bonds, as in the history.

US federal loan is now lower than it was five years ago, thanks to international central banks. If the technology bubble turns out to be a balloon, so will the US dollar. The death of the money may depend on the competition for market share for AI. If, for example, China’s open-source DeepSeek beats ChatGPT and the other British large language concepts, tech shares was tank and, with them, the money.

Graphic: Asia Times

There are many different ways to protect against the money. Some of them are interesting. An American budget deficit of 6 % to 7 % without a war or recession, as incoming Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Congress last week, is without precedent. But the currency’s position as a reserve money means that America has first rights on the nation’s capital.

The inflation-indexed US Treasury yields surge, partially fueled by hopes for a higher US gap under Trump, propelled the dollar higher against all major currencies. If US prices increases, so does US interest charges, and the economy’s transfer rate will rise against other currencies, even while the money loses value.

Graphic: Asia Times

But even while all currencies sank against the dollar in response to rising “real” ( inflation-indexed ) Treasury yields, gold rose, breaking a pattern that prevailed from 2007 through 2022.

Graphic: Asia Times

The US and its supporters seized Russian resources in March 2022, breaking the long-term connection between TIPS and metal. China, Saudi Arabia, India, and other central banks slowly shifted resources away from Treasuries into silver. On paper, TIPS and silver offer similar payments: If the money tanks and US prices increase, both assets may gain value.

The distinction is that the Treasury cannot acquire central bank vault gold in the same way it is acquire central banks holdings of its own obligations. Up to 80 basis points ( 0.8 % ) of the rise in TIPS yields during the past six months, I showed in a January 10 analysis, can be attributed to foreign central banks ‘ sales of US Treasury securities.

The hedge fund group has turned northern banks into gold. The price of real gold and the option price on the gold price are both affected by a shift in the relationship. Implied volatility is a standardized measure of the cost of metal choices, and under normal conditions, it falls as the gold rate rises.

That’s because silver mining companies have been the biggest consumers of golden choices, when the gold rate falls, they buy alternatives to lock in their revenue, and vice versa. But in 2024, something fresh happened: The cost of gold possibilities rose along with the golden value.

The gold implied volatility against price forms a” V” in the scatter chart below. That indicates that hedge funds placed wagers on a rise in silver prices.

Graphic: Asia Times

Gold is a standout in the complex of options on macro variables ( stocks, currencies, bonds, and commodities ). While other markets are softer in terms of risk and the price of gold options ( implied volatility ) is trading at a two-year high.

Graphic: Asia Times

Gold’s virtue is that it has a government decree-free value; it is the only form of currency that can be accepted if all else fails. It is the economic resource of last resort. With some exceptions, the bill of nearly all of the major markets has increased alarmingly in relation to economic output over the past ten years.

President Trump is walking a rope, trying to stimulate financial growth through tax breaks while juggling a document non-war, non-recession budget gap. The dangerous nature of this is heightened by Gold’s outperformance.

Observe David P Goldman on X at @davidpgoldman

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