Economy
India’s Rice Export Boom Fuels a Looming Groundwater Crisis
India’s rise to become the world’s largest rice producer and exporter has been hailed by politicians as a triumph of policy and farmer resilience....
Africa Squeezed Between Import Substitution and Dependency Syndrome
Squeezed between import substitution and dependency syndrome, a condition characterized by a set of associated economic symptoms—that is, rules and regulations—the majority of African...
Financial Brief: A weekly roundup on the geopolitics of money | Dec 24
EXECUTIVE TAKEAWAYS: The final week of 2025 delivered a stark message: the era of easy money is over. In a synchronized pivot, the world’s...
The BRICS’ Dollar Dilemma: Grand Plan for Local Trade Lacks Critical Details
Brazil handed over the BRICS Presidency to India on December 12, 2025, though India will formally take over on January 1, 2026. Brazil handed...
How the 2025 Central Economic Work Conference Shapes China’s Economic Development
The Central Economic Conference was held in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, December 10 and 11, 2025, to discuss all aspects of the anticipated...
Competing for the High Frontier: U.S., Europe, and China in the New Space Economy
The “New Space Economy” (NSE) has emerged as one of the most influential concepts of the past decade, marking the rapid, commercially driven transformation...
US and Russia Engage in Talks to Resolve Trade Disputes and Expand Economic Ties
Despite the complexities posed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the United States has been taking conscious steps to improve commercial relations with Russia. Unsurprisingly, Russia,...
The eight key tasks of China’s economic work in 2026
The Central Economic Conference in Beijing in December 2025 identified eight key tasks for China's economic work in 2026. Several of these areas particularly...
Charting the Course: How Shipping Companies Plan Their Suez Return
Major shipping companies are planning for a potential return to the Suez Canal after experiencing two years of disruptions due to security risks in...
Stabilizing Foreign Investment: China’s Dual Strategy Featuring the CIIE and Hainan FTP
The Central Economic Conference meeting in Beijing in December 2025 proposed that “adhering to opening up to the outside world and promoting win-win cooperation...