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    Trump picks official involved in Bush-era torture program as his nuclear envoy

    Marshall Billingslea oversaw Guantánamo detainees’ treatment Trump wants to negotiate new deal with Russia and China The Trump administration has chosen a special envoy for nuclear talks, with the principal task of negotiating a new arms control agreement with Russia and China, according to congressional sources and former officials. Related: US nuclear weapons: first low-yield […] More

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    Coronavirus Outbreak Puts the World’s Governments on Notice

    A lot of attention is being paid to the profound impacts COVID-19 is having on the Chinese and global economy, steering us into uncharted waters with uncertain long-term consequences. Supply chain, trade, investment, lending and GDP impacts are readily measurable, but less attention is being paid to the political impacts the virus is having around […] More

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    Washington slashes Chinese journalist quota after Beijing expels US reporters

    State department says decision based on leveling numbers between the countries rather than retaliating over content The United States has slashed by nearly half the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work for their state-run media in the United States, vowing reciprocity as Beijing restricts foreign press. Related: Amy Klobuchar to drop out of Democratic […] More

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    Will a Struggling Global Economy Survive the Coronavirus?

    On February 24, the World Health Organization declared that the world should prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic. Outbreaks in South Korea, Iran and Italy have caused alarm. Clearly, the virus has traveled widely and rapidly. Authorities have canceled concerts, carnivals and football matches as well as closed schools, imposed curfews and restricted travel. Despite […] More

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    China’s Influence Dampens International Response to Coronavirus Outbreak

    China has not exactly had difficulty projecting its power within the existing system of multilateral organizations. A Chinese national is now in charge of four of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations: the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Industrial Development Organization and the International Telecommunication Union. By […] More

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    Pakistan Takes Cues From China to Clamp Down on Freedom of Expression

    Sweeping new regulations restricting social media in Pakistan put freedom of expression and the media at the heart of the struggle to counter both civilizationalist and authoritarian aspects of an emerging new world order. The regulations, adopted without public debate, position US social media companies like Facebook and Twitter at the forefront of the struggle and […] More

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    To Out-Think Beijing, Washington Will Need to Adopt Visionary Planning

    Sino-US relations have been a marriage of mutual economic convenience that worked rather well for both countries for several decades. What is commonly referred to as “Chimerica” — where China produces products and purchases American treasury bonds, and the US purchases Chinese products and derives fiscal stability as a result of Beijing’s purchase of a […] More