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China Note

Xi’s COP26 Snub Raises Questions About China’s Climate Plans

Rachel Cheung Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021

China’s lukewarm engagement of COP26 highlights the challenge it faces in balancing its carbon goals with sustaining economic growth. Given its significant role as both a cause of the problem and a provider of the solution, whether China strikes the right balance will have consequences for the fate of the entire world.

WPR Is Hiring an Associate Editor

The Editors Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021

World Politics Review is seeking an associate editor with deep knowledge of international affairs and top-notch editorial skills. The associate editor will oversee oversee WPR’s daily briefings.

Middle East Memo

Israel’s ‘Terrorism’ Designation of Palestinian NGOs Is a Dangerous Escalation

Thanassis Cambanis Monday, Oct. 25, 2021

Israel’s terrorism designation against historical, well-known Palestinian rights groups represents a new high-water mark in the country’s democratic erosion. These bans represent a major test case for U.S. President Joe Biden’s democracy agenda—and Washington’s willingness to draw red lines on Israel’s illiberal lurch.

Erdogan’s Africa Diplomacy Puts Turkey’s Ambitions to the Test

Chris Olaoluwa Ogunmodede Monday, Oct. 25, 2021

Summary: Erdogan’s diplomatic tour of Africa comes as Turkey seeks to expand its footprint there, amid growing tensions in its own backyard and with partners like France and the United States. But there are questions about Turkey’s ability to commit the resources needed to mount a challenge to its wealthier, more powerful rivals.

Q&A

Ali Wyne on Achieving ‘Durable Coexistence’ With China

The Editors Friday, Oct. 22, 2021

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai recently outlined how the U.S. could sustain what she called “durable coexistence” with China. On the Trend Lines podcast this week, Ali Wyne unpacked what the Biden administration’s approach to trade talks says about the broader state of play in U.S.-China relations.

Weekly Wrap-Up

China’s Missile Test, Digital Currencies and More

Judah Grunstein Friday, Oct. 22, 2021

Last month, the surprise announcement of the AUKUS security partnership put China on notice that the U.S. was adding some bite to its “pivot to Asia.” This week, the shoe was on the other foot, as news broke that China reportedly tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic delivery system that took U.S. intelligence by surprise.

Africa Watch

Nigeria’s #EndSARS Protesters Haven’t Given Up Their Fight for Justice

Chris Olaoluwa Ogunmodede Friday, Oct. 22, 2021

Last year, Nigerians took to the streets during widespread protests against police brutality, popularly known as #EndSARS. Twelve months after the bloody conclusion of the demonstrations, little has been done to bring justice and restitution to victims of abuses at the hands of Nigerian security forces.

Europe Decoder

Everyone Stands to Lose From the EU-Poland Rule-of-Law Dispute

Dave Keating Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021

The stakes involved in the EU’s rule-of-law dispute with Poland are high, with all sides standing to lose if a resolution isn’t reached. A confrontational approach raises the risk of further discord within the bloc. But letting the precedent that EU court rulings can be ignored stand could imperil the EU’s legal order.

China’s Media Crackdown Is an Assault on Fan Activism

Prachi Vidwans Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021

China’s media crackdown has garnered much attention for the way it restricts free expression, but it also aims to curtail online fan culture. Over the past two decades, fan communities have become a powerful political force—one that the Chinese Communist Party, it seems, is now taking seriously.

China Note

China’s Economic Slowdown Is the Price of Tackling Long-Term Risk

Rachel Cheung Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021

Despite an economic slowdown brought about in part by tightened screws on key economic sectors, Beijing does not appear willing to relax its regulatory crackdowns, which it sees as a necessary step in “decoupling” from the U.S. and minimizing long-term risks, and for which the slowdown is a price worth paying.

Middle East Memo

The Path to Change in Iraq—and the Obstacles Blocking It

Thanassis Cambanis Monday, Oct. 18, 2021

The results of Iraq’s legislative elections have made possible many important shifts in the country’s internal balance of power. But the risk of violence during the transition period looms large in a country where losing factions have often resorted to negotiating with violence and threats to destabilize the state.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Iraq’s Elections, a Call for Intergenerational Justice and More

Judah Grunstein Friday, Oct. 15, 2021

Initial results from Iraq’s elections last weekend suggest that Moqtada al-Sadr was the big winner and pro-Iranian parties the big losers. But with turnout at a record low 41 percent of registered voters, the election is being seen as an expression of Iraqis’ disillusionment with the country’s electoral politics.