Belt and Road Initiative debt: defaults and the Renminbi
The BRI at a crossroads Belt and Road Initiative debt has become one of the defining fault lines in 21st-century geopolitics. When China launched the BRI in 2013, the ambition was clear. It aimed to replicate the ancient Silk Road — financing infrastructure that would bind Asia, Africa, and Europe into a single commercial network, […]
China Export Controls: Gallium and Germanium as Geopolitical Weapons
How China export controls reshaped global supply chains China’s gallium and germanium export controls have become a defining case study in supply chain weaponisation. In August 2023, global exports of both metals from China collapsed to near zero almost overnight. China is the world’s dominant producer of both. Market forces did not cause this collapse […]
US, China and the petro-dollar system
US, China and the petrodollar system sit at the intersection of geopolitics and financial power — a never-ending story that defines the global power scenario of the 21st century. Financial superiority has become an increasingly decisive realm of this contest. If we take a snapshot of the current state of the two currencies — dollar […]
The rise of Sovereign Uncertainty
Uncertainty is the sovereign that has ruled since the beginning of the year, elevated to power by the U.S. president and further strengthened following the Liberation Day of April 2. This uncertainty severely prejudices any business daring to make forecasts about the future; therefore, it severely prejudices investments. In such a scenario, companies are acting […]
China-EU Automotive Trade War: Retaliation Reshapes Europe’s Automotive Sector
As part of the China-EU automotive trade war, Beijing has frozen investments in European countries supporting tariffs. Automakers like Stellantis are forced to reassess production strategies and navigate the growing uncertainties of an escalating trade conflict. The EU’s Tariff Decision and Industry Reactions In late 2024, the European Union imposed tariffs of up to 45% […]