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Fox leads US tiger into China's crosshairs
 "Irritating Japan" is well on its way to replacing "Rising China" as the meme favored by the United States as Abe Shinzo's new nationalism exploits US backing to advance its own goals. Beijing sees "the fox pretending to the tiger's might". Tokyo is pushing bigger game, the weakened US Asian "pivot" itself, into Beijing's crosshairs.
- Peter Lee
(May 17, '13)
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Chinese opinion jars with policy on Korea
An unexpectedly significant outburst of anger from China's elite at North Korea's brazen provocations may be enough to require that Beijing try to harmonize public opinion and foreign policy on the issue. If Beijing bows to the public demands and cracks down on Pyongyang this time, it could undermine the government's ability to censor debate on internal issues.
- Niklas Swanstrom and Kelly Chen
(May 17, '13)
THE ROVING EYE
Catfight - and it's US vs EU
Forget about the Pentagon "pivoting" to Asia; nothing compares with the catfight developing between the United States and European Union over a free-trade pact proposed by Brussels, feared by many in Europe, and now pursued with a vengeance by Washington. Much lies in the hands of a European determined to be a personal winner in this transatlantic tussle, whatever its revolutionary potential.
- Pepe Escobar
(May 17, '13)
Aquino secures second-wind mandate
Philippine voters have granted approval to President Benigno Aquino's three-year-old reform agenda. Their by-elections mandate gives his administration enough popular steam to push through measures aimed at sustaining economic growth, deepening good governance, and setting the stage for his favored candidate in the 2016 presidential poll.
- Richard Javad Heydarian
(May 17, '13)
UN asks Westerners: What's bugging you?
The culinary delights of bugs and insects are well-known to Asians for their flavor and nutritional value, but, with notable exceptions, tend to disgust Westerners. They should just get over their reservations, says the UN, as insects are the food of the future.
- Heather Maher
(May 17, '13) |
US-IRAN TIES: A SPORTING CHANCE
Wrestle - in a different way
A distinct relationship that's developed between the US and Iranian wrestling organizations is culminating in the two sides teaming up to try and prevent the sport being dropped for the 2020 Olympics. Politics are easily left aside when the nations' teams hit the mats in a new twist on "ping-pong" diplomacy.
- Garrett Nada (May 17, '13)
SPEAKING FREELY
Patience needed for Sharif's India goals
Pakistan's Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif has his hands full with domestic challenges, let alone find time to pursue his stated goal of better relations with India. Benefits from that would accrue to both countries, but prudence dictates New Delhi should be ready when Islamabad (and the Pakistan military) is ready. Until then, Sharif can do with India's benefit of doubt and time.
- Ramesh Ramachandran
(May 17, '13)
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Erdogan drags heavy bag to Washington
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan steps into the White House today for a long-awaited meeting with US President Barack Obama. The conflict in neighboring Syria will likely top the agenda, and, as he carries heavy baggage across the threshold, Erdogan will be only too aware that Middle East power games are becoming more complex. - Egemen B Bezci
(May 16, '13)
Skeptics multiply as UN vote condemns Syria
 The UN General Assembly has condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's beleaguered regime, while as expected China and Russia voted against the resolution. Significant. however, was the increase in the number of skeptics who wanted neither to back Damascus nor to hamper a renewed push for peace talks.
- Thalif Deen
(May 16, '13)
A lame duck line-up for Malaysia
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has established an enlarged cabinet, though with reduced representation of the ethnic-Chinese vote, to bolster his position and chances of survival following an election that saw him win less than half the popular vote. His appointments may not be sufficient reward for allies, with rumors rife that the knives are already aimed at Najib's back. - Chin Huat Wong
(May 16, '13)
Where's all
the money gone?
Set foot just about anywhere other than the Chinese, Russian, and Iranian parts of the Eurasian landmass, and you're likely to find some kind of US base, installation, or shared facility. Private contractors have made fortunes off that global garrison, raking in US$385 billion to build and support American bases abroad since 2001.
- David Vine
(May 16, '13)
Daunting challenges await Sharif
Nawaz Sharif, heading into a third term as prime minister after historic elections in Pakistan, has little time to bask in victory. Daunting challenges piling up in the pending tray include tackling economic malaise and foreign policy matters and dealing with a military establishment that ejected him in 1999. - Sajjad Ashraf
(May 16, '13)
Manganese play may bring BHP to earth
Russian and Ukrainian success in building up manganese stocks and refining capacity could reshape global supply of the irreplaceable steel-hardening alloy. Add a potential yuan-pricing deal with China, that could have potentially damaging consequences for miners such as BHP Billiton. - John Helmer
(May 16, '13)
Gangsters, politics shake hands in Taiwan
An attempt by hundreds of members of a crime syndicate to join Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party, seemingly designed to manipulate a vote to elect the DPP chairman, has perplexed observers. China is a key suspect to be the hidden hand, as the only outside power with the clout, know-how and motive to generate such harmful press for the pro-independence party. - Jens Kastner
(May 15, '13)
Legitimacy crisis in post-election Malaysia
 Protests across peninsular Malaysia after a general election marked by allegations of irregularities and vote-buying and the erosion of popular support for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition threaten the legitimacy of the new government. While it's unlikely more planned opposition rallies will morph into an Arab Spring-like movement that overturns the result, these are tough times for Prime Minister Najib Razak.
- Anil Netto
(May 15, '13)
In Tehran, all eyes are on North Korea
Beneath North Korea's recent bellicosity there is a rational and strategic plan to challenge America's standard operating procedure for dealing with "rogue" states with credible military deterrents. That's reason enough for Iran, itself subject to economic sanctions, isolation, and containment, to watch very carefully how the US handles peninsular tensions.
- Giorgio Cafiero and Shawn VL
(May 15, '13)
Pakistan throws down gauntlet at the US
Nawaz Sharif's return to power in Pakistan electrifies South Asia politics, while the electoral turnout represents an historic vote for democracy and rejection of extremism. The Pakistani electorate has thrown down the gauntlet for Washington to grasp the benefits of strengthening the new leader's hand. The big question is whether the US wants to be on the "right side of history" or to conduct business as usual with the generals in Rawalpindi. - M K Bhadrakumar
(May 14, '13) |
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Dark shadows in data haunt India's output
A reversal of India's downward trend in industrial production in the most recent quarter will provide some sense of comfort for the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. That vanishes on a closer look at the underlying numbers. - Kunal Kundu Kumar
DYSFUNCTION TRILOGY
 The phase that launched
a thousand bubbles
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has presided over a thousand economic bubbles. Rather than ushering in investors who could help turn around economies, he and his ilk have created a class of traders who roil asset prices and maximize leverage, but produce no lasting benefits. - Chan Akya
This ends a three-part series.
Part 1: Keynes stole your ship
Part 2: Bernanke stole your pension
MICHAEL PETTIS
China growth to halve
China's economic growth, down to 7.7% in the first quarter, will decline to an average in the long term of around 3-4% annually, as rebalancing of the economy sees household consumption rise to around 50% of GDP, forecasts noted China-based economist Michael Pettis. The key is whether it is possible to maintain current levels of consumption growth once investment growth is sharply reduced.
(May 14, '13)
CREDIT
BUBBLE BULLETIN
Electronic blindness
History is replete with examples of how once the printing presses get revved up there's no turning them down, generating bubbles that must eventually burst. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's confession that he cannot identify present bubbles does not mean they are not there.
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
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Democracy lessons
from the Maldives
The Maldives is putting Indian pundits to shame. Not only there is no democracy deficit in the archipelago but the twists and turns of politics there in the run-up to the September 7 presidential elections are becoming intricate and highly competitive.
- M K Bhadrakumar
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The Party of Frankenstein apparently now sees the two-headed Bush-Cheney monster that they created in an entirely different and less favorable light. Payback, as the saying goes, is a canine lady.
H Campbell
Texas
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