The plot thickens. At least four foreign objects have now been shot down over the US. The Chinese are livid. The Americans are baffled. No one seems to know exactly what’s going on. While it’s possible that China’s President, Xi Jinping, was simply paying homage to Nena’s Europop classic, ’99 Red Balloons’, politicians are now […]
Fifty years ago, Richard Nixon became the first American president to visit China in July 1972, making possible the normalisation of the relations between both countries after decades of rivalry. His visit may not have been possible without a chance encounter between two table tennis players. At the end of the Second World War, the […]
It’s just a balloon. Nothing to worry about. Just your regular, normal, giant spy balloon. Please don’t shoot at it. One of the more puzzling sources of friction in foreign affairs over the past week was the unannounced appearance of a vast white balloon above the United States. Bristling with technology and drifting more than […]
I’m deeply envious of 14-year-old me’s ability to spend entire days staring at my computer playing video games, because I’ve been on my laptop for ten consecutive hours today in meetings and I can feel my brain melting. The day started with my first tutorial at 11am. My expectations were pretty low for attendance for […]
“America is back,” US President Joe Biden boldly asserted at the Munich Security Conference this February, outlining a combative but calculated attitude in dealing with America’s most militaristic adversaries. Unlike previous presidencies, Mr Biden seemingly has no interest in a foreign policy ‘reset’ with Russia. His views are clear and uncompromising: Russia represents the “biggest […]
All the world’s a stage but, as the world’s hegemon, the United States are more than a mere player. After a year in which Israel’s domestic and coronavirus policy has led to significant abuses of human rights, the Biden administration must rethink their diplomatic relations and incentivise the Israeli government to change their policies. The […]