Does Elon Musk have a coherent vision for Twitter?

Elon Musk’s proposed US$44 billion deal to acquire Twitter and take it private is reportedly coming together as a court’s October 28, 2022, deadline is upon us. Musk told his bankers he intends to complete the deal by then – and his lenders have reportedly already begun funding the deal. If he doesn’t, Twitter’s lawsuit […]Continue Reading

Thinking through the China hype

China’s economic aspirations have evolved rapidly. What has remained constant for centuries is a determination to return to the domestic wealth and international power that most Chinese view as the only acceptable norm for a civilization that long led the global economy. Under Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin (1978– 2003), the leadership’s model of how […]Continue Reading

Xi should talk quietly and carry a bigger (reform) stick

Almost five years to the day that he inaugurated a “new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics”, General Secretary Xi Jinping returned to the Great Hall of the People to renew his ‘common prosperity’-based agenda of modernization and national rejuvenation. In his report to the 20th National Party Congress, Xi acknowledged the darkening geopolitical clouds on the horizon — the “black swans”, unpredictable dangerous […]Continue Reading

How Europe has navigated its energy crises

LNG exporters like Qatar are currently much better positioned than the US to satisfy Europe’s natural gas demand. Photo: iStock

While European energy prices have eased slightly in recent months, stress continues to build across a continent that has long been dependent on access to cheap Russian energy. Protests related to high energy costs have been held from Belgium to the Czech Republic. Fuel shortages have led to long queues to buy gasoline at fuel stations in France. The Don’t Pay […]Continue Reading