Salman Rafi Sheikh

When it comes to estimating the health of China’s economy, including its exports, most Western political and economic pundits tend to look at Chinese trade and economic relations with the West (the US and the EU) mainly. In making these assessments, these pundits quite often ignore China’s trade ties with the ‘Global South’ (ASEAN, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, etc.) and the impact this trade has on the growth of China’s political and economic influence worldwide.

When leaders of the Group of 7 (G7) recently met in Italy to discuss various challenges facing them, the outcome was more rhetoric than action. The many announcements, e.g., the 10-year-long military pact between the US and Ukraine, are little more than many other similar promises of military aid made recently – promises that have not been able to make any difference…

On May 31, US President Joe Biden made a crucial announcement regarding Israel’s acceptance of a “lasting” ceasefire in Gaza. Later that day, Hamas welcomed Biden’s peace plan and his call for “a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of [Israeli] occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction and prisoners exchange”. According to Biden, this was Israel’s plan for a multi-stage end of the war…