What's New: Economy

March 01, 2023

The Reckoning That Wasn’t : Why America Remains Trapped by False Dreams of Hegemony

The erudite Foreign Affairs piece dated 28 February 2023 by Andrew J. Bacevich, Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University and Chair of the Board of his co-founded Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, describes how America's zeal to save the world for freedom and democracy was borne of its laudable successful role in ending the Second World War.

Empowered by the national imperative in NSC (National Security Council document) 68 (1950), and egged on by America's long-established "military-industrial complex", the United States has been trapped by its Second World War glory in continuing to play the role of world policeman, only to end in one monumental fiasco after another - e.g. Vietnam War, the World on Terror (Iraq) and the War in Afghanistan - at gigantic cost in blood and fortune to itself and many times over to its perceived adversaries.

The author's hope that this tragedy of self-imposed errors may be corrected is, however, a triumph of hope over reality. America's military-industrial complex remains deeply entrenched, its tenacles reaching to all levers of state power and politics, including influential privately-funded national thinktanks. The intricate power web is exposed in depth in Jane Mayer's revealing book -Dark Money: How a Secretive Group of Billionaires is Trying to Buy Political Control in the U.S (Scribe 2016)

What is more, the Ukraine war, which the author well defines as a truly proxy war, has in many ways a hidden agenda to break Russia first, so as to concentrate later on breaking China next. The latter is firmly held to be the greatest existential threat to the endurance of US hegemony, the bedrock of America's military-industrial complex.

Indeed, the groundwork for the "Contest of the Century" is well underway, including intensifying, no-holds-barred, bipartisan pushback against and demonization of China, hyping it into a sabre-rattling existential contest "between democracy and autocracy", oblivious to possibilities of "harmony despite differences" according to Chinese philosophy.

Posted at 03:15 PM in Asia, Books, China's Rise, Current Affairs, Defense, Democracy, Economy, EU, Eurasia, Europe, Finance, Future, Geopolitics, Globalization, Japan, Military, Politics, Regional development, Russia, South China Sea, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Technology, UK, Ukraine , United States, Warfare, World | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 03, 2023

China, India power game for Sri Lanka; Russia, Pakistan oil deal

Exclusive live interview on 27 January 2023 with Press TV.

Posted at 09:38 PM in Asia, Banking, China's Rise, Current Affairs, Defense, Economy, Emerging Economies, Geopolitics, India, Military, Politics, Regional development, Southeast Asia, Television, Warfare | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 21, 2022

Forum MEDays 2022, Tangier, Morocco, 2-5 November; "From Crises to Crises; Towards a New World Order?"

The MEDays Forum is organized by the Amadeus Institute, a Moroccan think tank based in Rabat and chaired by Brahim Fassi Fihri under the patronage of King Mohamed VI. It is considered by some observers to be the African Davos, as it is attended by some African heads of state and senior policy advisors including those from Western countries. The 14th Edition was held in Tangiers from 2 to 5 November 2022.

My attendance as a sponsored Speaker included speaking engagements on three separate sessions: Day 3 - Round Table 3 - Global Energy Governance: New World Order, New Energy Order?; Day 3 Session 8 - Doing business in Africa in times of crises: How can China contribute; Day 4 - Session 10 - US-China relations and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region: Is a Pax Sino-Americana possible in this fractured world? Details of the Forum program may be accessed here.

I reported on my interventions on Day 4 - US-China Relations in an Op-ed published by China Daily on 20 November 2022.

Following are some images of my attendance at the Forum:

Posted at 08:58 PM in Africa, Asia, China Business, China's Rise, Climate Change , Consumption, Covid-19, Current Affairs, Development_, e-Commerce, Economy, Emerging Economies, Energy, Eurasia, Europe, Food and Water Security, Gas, Geopolitics, Globalization, History, Hong Kong, ICT, Innovation, Investment , Manufacturing , Middle Class, Middle East, Military, North Korea, Pakistan, Politics, Population, Public health , Regional development, Russia, South China Sea, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Sustainable Development, Taiwan, Technology, Turkey, UK, Ukraine , United States, Urbanization, Warfare, World | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 26, 2022

Andrew's October 2022 Newsletter

(My quarterly Newsletter goes out to some 8,000 professional contacts worldwide. The following is my October 2022 issue. Back numbers may be accessed under What's New on my website)

Greetings!

The world we have known for decades has now been turned upside down. A sense of uncertainty, anxiety and foreboding permeates everywhere. The Ukraine War is dragging on to a shivering European winter. Hell-bent on racking a revanchist Russia, it is threatening to engulf the rest of the world with nuclear Armageddon. Historic inflation and Fed rate hikes are ravaging economies across the globe. Extreme drought and weather conditions bear witness to worsening global Climate Change. Far-right neo-Nazi and neo-Fascist political parties are having a field day in hitherto liberal European democracies. All these are set on the grand stage of a no-holds-barred smokeless war of titans mounted by the United States, the extant world hegemon, against China as its perceived challenger, at the expense of collateral disruptions in four corners of the globe.

To make some sense of all this chaos, the following may offer some helpful perspectives.

Geopolitics

How American hubris is hastening the decline of US-led global order (Op-ed in South China Morning Post)

Can SCO summit lead to a new world order? (Live TV panel on TRT World)

Will NATO’s new strategic concept work? (Live debate on Inside Story with Aljazeera English)

Russia's war games with China - implications (Live TV panel discussion on TRT World)

Efforts to battle climate change should not be smeared as ‘China threat’ (Op-ed in China Daily)

China's solar power manufacturers dominate global green energy market (Live interview on RT)

China-US relations 'headed to worst ever times' over Pelosi visit (A commentary)

Solomon Islands signed security pact with China earlier in 2022 angering US, allies (TV interview on Press TV)

Implications of the Biden-Xi 2-hour 17-minute talk (Hong Kong Today on RTHK radio morning news)

China warns Asian nations to avoid being used as 'chess pieces' by big powers (Live TV discussion on Press TV)

US arms sales increase under Biden (Press TV news report)

China
China could turn "winter of despair" into "spring of hope" (Op-ed in China Daily (English) republished in Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabi c
China's latest China's troubled economy Q2 2022 (Exclusive live TV interview on Aljazeera English News, Washington D.C.)
Why are Chinese companies leaving US stock markets? (A commentary)
Sichuan earthquake and why is it so important (Exclusive live TV interview on TRT World)

Ukraine

How the Ukraine War changes Global Geopolitics (Op-ed in World Geostrategic Insights) republished in French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic

How the Ukrainian Crisis redefines Eurasian geopolitics in a changed world (An in-depth international conference PowerPoint presentation)

Putin accuses US of 'trying to prolong Ukraine war, destabilize region' (Live interview on Press TV)

Taiwan

Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan hastens its reunification with mainland (Op-ed in China Daily)

Pelosi's visit to Taiwan Spiking Tensions Between the U.S. and China - whys and wherefores (Exclusive interview with Rome-based World Geostrategic Insights) republished in French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

China: US weapons sale sends wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces (Live interview on Press TV)

Pelosi's Taiwan visit and US-China relations (broadcast in Persian) (Pre-recorded interview in English broadcast in Persian on Iran International, only in last segment from time counter 38:03)

US military exercises in Taiwan Strait in coming weeks (Exclusive live TV interview on Aljazeera English Channel)

Taiwan faces fallout of Pelosi visit (Live TV interview on WION)

Implications of Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit (Exclusive Live TV interview on RT)

Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit explained (dubbed in Russian) (Pre-recorded TV interview broadcast in Russian on Ren TV)

China starts live-fire exercises around Taiwan in response to Pelosi visit (Live interview on Press TV)

Nancy Pelosi says China cannot prevent world leaders from travelling to Taiwan (Live interview on Aljazeera English Channel)

Japan

Pentagon: Washington approves potential deal to supply 150 advanced air-to-air missiles to Japan (Live discussion on Press TV)

North Korea

North Korea passes a law allowing it to carry out a preventive nuclear strike (Exclusive interview on Press TV)

Pyongyang says joint U.S.-South drills justify North nukes development (Live discussion on Press TV)

North Korea’s leader heats up the rhetoric against the US (Live discussion on Press TV)

Middle East and Africa

What does China's massive African debt forgiveness tell us about so-called "debt trap diplomacy"? (Exclusive interview on RT)

Biden's plan for the Middle East (Pre-recorded English interview broadcast in Russian on IZ TV)

Hong Kong

President Xi affirms long-term role of the ‘one country, two systems’ (Op-ed in China Daily)

CGTN Washington DC - The Heat: Hong Kong celebrates 25 years since its return to China (Live TV panel discussion on CGTN, Washington DC.)

Priorities and challenges for the HKSAR new administration (Backchat on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)

Forthcoming conferences

As an invited sponsored Speaker, I will be appearing in person at the 14th MEDays Forum to be held in Tangier, Morocco, from 2 - 5 November, 2022 on the theme of "From Crisis to Crisis: Towards a New Global Order?" I will be sharing my presentations in quarterly newsletters in due course.

Speaking and lecturing opportunities

Separately, I am planning a month-long sojourn in London before summer 2023. During my stay in London, I remain open to invitations or proposals for interviews, speaking engagements, visiting lectures or tailor-made electives as a visiting/adjunct professor.

International investment opportunities

I have accepted the invitation to join the International Advisory Board of Silk Road Partners, an international investment firm. See its corporate profile. If you are interested in getting in touch with us, please give me a shout.

Consultation services

Please email me at andrewkpleung@gmail.com or text my Hong Kong mobile +852 98198987. I can also be reached on Skype at andrew.k.p.leung, LinkedIn at andrewleunginternational, Whatsapp at (852) 98198987, WeChat at Andrewkpleung, Facebook at andrewkinpongleung, and Twitter at @Andrewkpleung

Business networking and speaking platform in Hong Kong

As an Advisor to the Denmark-based Executives' Global Network Hong Kong, I welcome your suggestion of a suitable speaker for an EGN event in Hong Kong. This will be entirely at our own cost with acknowledgement of your support, provided that we are not asked to cover any speaking fee, travel or accommodation expenses.

RSS feed and weblinks

My postings are regularly uploaded under my three blogs CHINAwatch, Publications and What is New on wwwandrewleunginternationalconsultants.com A collection of leading China media and research sites can be found under China Links.

Please feel free to save my website on your computer, laptop, tablet, iPhone or iPad as a reference resource. If you wish instant access as soon as my postings appear, just click on “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” under RSS Feed on top of the right-hand column of each blog. Select the appropriate Google feed option. It is free of charge.

This newsletter is uploaded to my website here. You may save it for reference or reading at leisure. You are free to share it on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Twitter or other social media devices.

Cheer up and chill out

I have added some more inspirational translations to my repertoire of inspirational music, videos, songs and words.

Courtesies

I look forward to your guidance, advice, comments, suggestions, and criticisms. You may share the above contents with colleagues or friends. You are also welcome to publish any of them with full attribution.

If you think that I may add value to your endeavors in any way, please let me know how I may help. If for any reason you do not wish to receive my emails, just ask me to delete your name from my databank permanently.

Best personal regards,

Andrew K. P. Leung, SBS, FRSA
International and Independent China Strategist
www.andrewleunginternationalconsultants.com

Positions

Chairman and CEO, Andrew Leung International Consultants and Investments Limited

(Founded in London, now re-incorporated in Hong Kong; name changed from Andrew Leung International Consultants Limited as from 10 July, 2017)

China Futures Fellow, Berkshire Publishing Group, Massachusetts, USA (2011-13)
Brain Trust member, The Evian Group (global think-tank), Lausanne, Switzerland

Gerson Lehrman Group (Global Experts) Council Member
International Expert, Reuters Insight Community of Experts, Thomson Reuters

Senior Analyst, Wikistrat , a cloud-sourced global strategic consultancy based in Washington D.C.

Senior Consultant, MEC International (a UK-based global strategic energy consultancy)

Distinguished Contributor, Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance (ATCA) (global think-tank)

Professor of Practice, Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (2018-20)

Certified Sustainable Development Planner, World Institute of Sustainable Development Planners

Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA)

Elected Member, Royal Society for Asian Affairs

Think-tank Research Fellow, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai Campus, PRC (14.4.2017-13.4.2020)

International Advisory Board Member, Silk Road Partners

Download Silk Road Partners - corporate profile 24-06-2022

Advisory Board member, The e-Centre , European Centre for e-Commerce and Internet Law, Vienna

Honorary Adviser, International Institute of Management (IIM)

Advisory Board member, The Global Analyst, India

Honorary President, China Hong Kong Economic and Trading International Association (from 28 March, 2016)

Global Commercial Agent, Changsha City, China

Hong Kong Advisory Board member, Denmark-based Executive Global Network (EGN)

Visiting Professor, London Metropolitan University Business School

Governing Council Member, King’s College London, UK (2004-2010)
Advisory Board member, China Policy Institute, Nottingham University, UK (2005 -2010)

Visiting Professor, Sun Yat-sen University Business School, China (2005-10)
Founding Chairman, China Group, Institute of Directors City Branch, London, UK (2006-2010)
Vice Chairman, 48 Group Club, UK (2008-2010)
Committee Member of RSA, London Region, UK (2006-2010)
Included in UK's Who's Who since 2002
Awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in the July 2005 Hong Kong Honours List

Posted at 11:30 PM in Asia, Banking, Biotechnology, BRICS, China Business, China's politics, China's Rise, Cities, Climate Change , Consumption, Currencies, Current Affairs, Defense, Democracy, Development_, e-Commerce, Economy, Emerging Economies, Energy, EU, Europe, Finance, Food and Water Security, Future, Gas, Geopolitics, Globalization, Healthcare, History, Hong Kong, Innovation, Investment , Japan, Life, Manufacturing , Middle Class, North Korea, Population, Regional development, Russia, Science, Sustainable Development, Taiwan, Technology, Television, United States, Urbanization, Vietnam, Web/Tech, World | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 17, 2022

How the Ukrainian Crisis redefines Eurasian geopolitics in a changed world

A PowerPoint presentation (via Zoom) at the 9th Annual International Conference on Eurasian Politics and Society (IEPAS 2022) from 13-16 July, 2022 held at St John University, York, UK under the aegis of the Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN).

Download How the Ukrainian Crisis redefines Eurasia Geopolitics

Download IEPAS2022-Conference Programme and Abstract Book (with minor amendments)

Posted at 03:20 PM in Africa, Asia, Banking, BRICS, China Business, China's politics, China's Rise, Climate Change , Consumption, Currencies, Current Affairs, Defense, Democracy, Denuclearization, Development_, e-Commerce, Economics, Economy, Emerging Economies, Energy, EU, Eurasia, Europe, Finance, Food and Water Security, Future, Gas, Geopolitics, Globalization, Healthcare, History, Hong Kong, Innovation, Investment , Manufacturing , Middle Class, Middle East, Military, North Korea, Population, Regional development, Russia, South China Sea, Sustainable Development, Taiwan, Technology, United States, Urbanization, Vietnam, World | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 29, 2021

Andrew's January 2022 Newsletter

(My quarterly Newsletter goes out to some 8,500 professional contacts worldwide. The following is my January 2022 issue. Back numbers may be accessed under What's New on my website)

Greetings! May I first wish you a promising and rewarding 2022, pandemics notwithstanding!

From a trade and tech war, US bipartisan pushback against China is morphing into a clash of civilizations. Along with close Western allies, the United States is doubling down on demonizing China at every turn, imposing sanctions, denying access to markets and technologies, expanding provocative "Freedom of Navigation Operations" in the South China Sea, employing "salami slicing" tactics to advance Taiwan's de facto independence, and calling for a "diplomatic boycott" of China's Winter Olympics. All the while, the US expects China to open up more of its markets, cooperate on Climate Change, North Korea, Iran and Afghanistan, in short to bow in all to US-defined rules and objectives. All these are opening up "century of humiliation" wounds of a more globally-influential, technologically-savvy, militarily-advanced, and ideologically-self-assured China under President Xi.

Attitude is no strategy. Unsurprisingly, the US tactic of maximum coercion doesn't appear to have yielded fruitful results, not to mention broken global supply and value chains, and rising domestic inflation. "Strategic miscalculations" abound, forgetting that politics remains the art of the possible. This is especially true with a peer competitor set to become the world's largest economy within a decade, one on which 128 of 190 countries worldwide depend as their largest trading partner, and one with a completely different ideology, culture and ancient civilization.

The following may hopefully offer some fresh perspectives.

US-China Rivalry

Seven reasons the US and China should be building more bridges not tearing them down (Op-ed in the South China Morning Post)

To avert mutual destruction with China, President Biden should move from "maximum confrontation" to "constructive re-engagement" (An in-depth analysis)

How will a new US-China "Cold War" play out? (Feature article in World Strategic Insights) Also published in French, Italian, Russian, and Arabic. The originating analysis is here.

Competition Without Catastrophe - Can America both challenge and coexist with China? (Op-ed in World Strategic Insights) The originating analysis is here.

What are America's anti-China "strategic miscalculations" or "misjudgments"? (Live interview with Press TV)

What the US-led Democracy Forum doesn't say (Live interview with Press TV)

Xi-Biden virtual summit (Radio interview with Washington-DC based Feature Story News)

US-China tensions (Indus News In Focus TV panel discussion)

Mainland China

China's Sixth Party Plenum, the New Cold War, and the Contest for new Global Order (A PowerPoint presentation)

Xi's Plan to build PRC 3.0 - November Party Plenum (Feature article in World Strategic Insights) Also published in Spanish, French, and Russian A background analysis is here

China: The Evergrande Crisis (Feature article in The Global Analyst) Also republished with permission in Spanish in World Strategic Insights

China's Common Prosperity Goal (Feature article in The Global Analyst) Also republished with permission in Spanish in World Strategic Insights

Is China's Dual Circulation Strategy moving from market driven growth to planned allocation? (Op-ed in World Strategic Insights) The originating analysis is here.

China's Stagflation Risks - Warning Signals (Feature article in The Global Analyst)

CPC's Central Committee Sixth Plenum - What does it signify? (Backchat with Radio Television Hong Kong)

China: Time of Xi (3-part TV documentary introducing President Xi's vision of the China Dream)

Russia

President Putin's virtual summit with President Xi - what's on the agenda - Russian TV channel (Pre-recorded video interview dubbed in Russian)

Taiwan

China may possess 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, unlikely to invade Taiwan in next few years (An in-depth analysis)

China warns U.S. against having any illusion about Taiwan (Live interview with Press TV)

US to pay unbearable price over Taiwan (Live interview with Press TV)

Taiwan plans to boost combat capabilities of its reserve forces (Live interview with Press TV)

China defends recent drills near Taipei (Live interview with Press TV)

U.S. special forces quietly training Taiwanese (Live interview with Press TV)

Rising tensions over Taiwan (Live interview with Press TV)

India

Modi-Putin summit on defense cooperation - what does it imply? (The Debate on India's Republic TV)

How to de-escalate tensions over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China (Live panel discussion on India's CNBC TV18)

How Indian television hypes up one-sided rhetoric to demonize China as aggressor (Live panel discussion on India's Republic TV)

From Indian border clashes to tension over Taiwan (Live panel discussion on India's CNBC TV18)

Taliban, Pakistan

Taliban and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) (Pre-recorded TV interview broadcast in Persian on Iran International TV headquartered in London).

North Korea

N. Korea views joint U.S.-South war games as rehearsal for possible invasion (Live interview with Press TV)

Covid-19

China calls U.S. intelligence review into origins of COVID-19 'political & false' (Live interview with Press TV)

Hong Kong

One Country Two Systems Revisited (Chapter 7 in The Rise of China – Fresh Insights and Observations, published by the Paddy Ashdown Forum (PAF)

Hong Kong elections: 153 hopefuls vying for 90 seats, first time every constituency being contested (Live TV interview on Channel News Asia (CNA))

Hong Kong social welfare spending cuts (Backchat on Radio Television Hong Kong)

China's Winter Olympics

China warns not to politicize sports as some western countries boycott Beijing game (Live interview with Press TV)

Cheer up and chill out

I have added some inspirational translations to the repertoire of inspirational music, videos, songs and words.

Invitation for expressions of interest in investment opportunities

An upended world abounds with fresh BUY and SELL investment opportunities on many fronts across the globe, including new technologies, new markets and new businesses. If you wish to avail yourself of my business network worldwide, please drop me a line on a strictly no-commitment basis initially.

Consultation services

Speaking and lecturing invitations

I am open to invitations or proposals for speaking engagements, visiting lectures and tailor-made electives as a visiting/adjunct professor.

Business networking and speaking platform in Hong Kong

RSS feed and weblinks

My postings are regularly uploaded under my three blogs CHINAwatch, Publications and What is New on www.andrewleunginternationalconsultants.com A collection of leading China media and research sites can be found under China Links.

Please feel free to save my website on your computer, laptop, tablet, Blackberry, iPhone or iPad as a reference resource. If you wish instant access as soon as my postings appear, just click on “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” under RSS Feed on top of the right-hand column of each blog. Select the appropriate Google feed option. It is free of charge.

This newsletter is uploaded to my website here. You may save it for reference or reading at leisure and to share it on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Twitter or other social media devices.

Courtesies

Best personal regards,

Andrew K.P. Leung, SBS, FRSA

International and Independent China Strategist

www.andrewleunginternationalconsultants.com