Xi’s confused new world order
LAST WEEK, in a pretty and highly curated parade, Chinese leader Xi Jin Ping proclaimed a new world order defined by the usual his...
AI and the Decline of Offshoring
THE LEADING cause of offshoring has always been the comparative advantage of countries that either have lower costs of labor, artificially lowered currencies or...
Dead global institutions in a bifurcating world
THE AGE of Globalization is slowly giving way to the Age of Bifurcation.
It’s not necessarily a return to the Cold War, but the...
The complicated relationship of the bear and the dragon
THE ANCHORAGE Accords recently ended with some moderate optimism. Although US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not reach a ceasefire...
When maps change
RUSSIA and the United States are reported to be nearing a peace agreement with regard to Ukraine, though nothing is certain yet.
Rumors hint...
Vulnerability of the fish and rice corridor
THE MALACCA dilemma, one of China’s greatest strategic vulnerabilities, forces the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to have a clear interest over the Southeast...
Thailand and Cambodia’s tizzy fit, and ASEAN dysfunction
LAST WEEK, Thailand and Cambodia were launching rockets at each other.
The situation is fluid and the conflict may change quickly. Maybe, the dispute...
Choosing a side
THERE WAS a time when I thought the Philippines, through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), could stand up to outside powers.
Unfortunately, ASEAN...
Trump’s 20% tariffs on PH
SO, UNITED States’ President Donald Trump has announced a 20% tariff on Philippine exports to the United States. This was done in the midst...
BRICS’ serious concerns over American tariffs
BRICS member states recently drafted a statement for a meeting on July 7, 2025. The draft expressed “serious concern” over American unilateral tariffs and...