Dispatches
Beating back terror in Africa
Africans are containing terror and terrorists, but declaring victory against the forces of revolution and insurrection in 2018 is premature. It is still a massive work in progress. In addition to the swirl of repetitive civil conflict in such disparate African countries as Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South […]
CETA: Getting to ‘yes’
In the summer of 2016, the world watched in awe as Britain voted to exit the European Union. An isolationist fever gripped the European continent, throwing it into uncertainty and threatening the future of the most modern trade agreement in the world — the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Today, much of that […]
Asian nations’ hotlines with China
In December 2015, China and South Korea established a telephone hotline between their national defence ministries. Mainland China and South Korea share a maritime border in the Yellow Sea as well as bordering Air Defence Identification Zones. While there are some maritime and fisheries issues between them, the two countries enjoy generally peaceful relations. According […]
Latin America: An economic recovery in sight
Latin America will enter 2018 on the path to economic recovery from a long recession after the end of the commodities boom of the early 2000s. The region is still smarting under pressures brought to bear by U.S. President Donald Trump on undocumented migrants and especially on Mexico, thanks to his stated aim to renegotiate […]
Russia and Eurasia: Limited advances in 2018
In 2018, Russia will retain its renewed prominent place on the world stage. Vladimir Putin’s vision and military spending have made his country a major player in Syria and the Middle East. In Europe, involvement in Ukraine and the absorption of Crimea continue despite western sanctions, and, across the continent, Russian support fuels nationalist politicians who are […]
Africa: Not much reason for optimism
Terrorism, civil conflict, global warming, population growth, urbanization, education, economic sustainability, managing China, strengthening leadership and improving governance are Africa’s 10 most pressing problems as 2018 unfolds. None of these acute challenges is new, but 2018 will see each of them become more central to Africa’s ability to improve the standards of living and social […]
Canada and the U.S.: Trade tremours
Looking ahead at what to expect from the U.S. and Canada in 2018 means thinking about the concepts of “disconnect” and attempts to make connections. For the U.S., a disconnect is likely to continue between political institutions and constituents. That disconnect will also continue with Canada bilaterally and with many countries — thanks to American […]
Asia: Economic growth; political flux
In the fall of 2017, there were two events in Asia that will set regional patterns into 2018 and beyond. First, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s secretary-general speech to the 19th Chinese Communist Party Congress in October contained his declaration that he would continue to work toward the “Chinese Dream” of becoming a developed country and […]
The Middle East: Some hope, much despair
Who would have predicted a missing-in-action Lebanese prime minister, one of the deadliest earthquakes in the world and that Syria would lapget ahead of the U.S. in climate policy by joining the Paris Agreement? Change in the Middle East defies prediction. Political leadership has a tendency to swing from the tedious (such as the 42-year […]
Putin’s plan for the west
According to press reports, U.S. President Donald Trump, in his desire for reconciliation with Russia, was initially considering removing sanctions on Russia and recognizing a Russian zone of influence in Eastern Europe. In fact, Trump might not have achieved reconciliation through such measures. What Russia seeks is more than a zone of influence: It wants […]
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