Global Rivalries

Donald Trump is flying into Beijing with the world’s two most powerful rivals trapped in a dangerous bargain: they cannot trust each other, but they may no longer be able to afford a full rupture.   The summit with Xi Jinping, set for Thursday and Friday in Beijing, is not a diplomatic reset. It is a stress test for a fragile US-China truce built after years of tariffs, export threats, military tension, and strategic suspicion. &nbs...

Coffee is no longer just a morning habit. It is becoming a signal of how climate pressure, Asian demand, and European regulation are reshaping global trade.   For decades, the market was easy to read. Brazil’s weather shaped supply, while Europe and North America shaped demand. Traders watched harvests, prices moved, and consumers rarely thought about the politics behind the cup.   Today, that old model is breaking. Coffee is ...

From soybeans and oil to rare earths, clean electricity, the Amazon, and global diplomacy, Brazil now sits on several of the world’s most explosive fault lines. Food prices, climate targets, green technology supply chains, and the balance of power between the US, China and Europe all increasingly pass through Brazil.   That gives Brazil serious leverage. It also traps the country in a brutal contradiction. Brazil wants to be seen as ...

The next shock from the Middle East may not come through oil tankers. It could come through the thin submarine cables carrying internet traffic between Europe, Africa, and Asia.   Even after the recent de-escalation between the United States and Iran, the region’s undersea telecoms network remains a major security concern. The danger is not just slower internet. A serious disruption in the Red Sea could expose how much of the global ...

Japan and China are facing a sharp rise in negative public opinion, with surveys showing record levels of distrust.   New data reveals a deep divide between the two Asian powers as political tensions, territorial disputes, and historical issues continue to shape views across both countries today.   Massive Drop in Public Trust Between Japan and China Surveys show Japanese negative views of China near 89%, while Chinese negative vie...