Month: January 2024
AI nationalism
Ever since Openai, an American firm, launched Chatgpt, its human-like conversationalist, in November 2022, just about every month has brought a flurry of similar news. Against that backdrop, the three latest announcements might look unexceptional. Look closer, though, and they hint at something more profound. The three companies are, in their own distinct ways, vying
Xi Jinping and China in 2024
Just over a year ago, Mr Xi abandoned his strict “zero-covid” measures, which had been in force for nearly three years and had led to ever more frequent, brutally enforced lockdowns. The economy failed to gather momentum. Youth unemployment soared and the property market continued to slump. Foreign investors in China grew more nervous. The
BRICS De-Dollarization Change
Established in 2009 as an informal alliance, the BRICS group, which was initiated by Russia is aimed at providing a platform for its members to counter the dominance of the United States and its Western allies in the global order.The rationale for the expansion of the alliance lies in the quest for alternative arrangements to
China to sanction Taiwan
Taiwan this month accused China of economic coercion and election interference after Beijing announced the end of tariff cuts on some chemical imports from the island, saying Taipei violated a trade agreement between the two sides signed in 2010.That came after China said it had determined Taiwan had put up trade barriers in contravention of
Uganda frustrated with non-tariff barriers on other East Africa member countries
In his end-of-year message yesterday, President Museveni said people who are subjecting non-tariff barriers to member states are doing it to milk popularity but if mobilisation is done to show how their policies hurt all people of their countries, they would be exposed. Although President Museveni didn’t name the countries that have imposed non-tariff barriers,
EU faces tests in 2024
Recent weeks have seen a lot of discussion of war fatigue and waning solidarity in Brussels. EU member states are finding it difficult to unanimously sign off on the financial aid that the European Union has promised. The current approach, that it is up to Ukraine to decide whether to negotiate with Moscow, may be
Russia: victory over Ukraine in 2024
A complete Russian victory is possible. However, such a victory would only be possible if there was a total collapse of organized resistance from Ukraine, which isn’t likely to happen. A recent polling of the Ukrainian population in November and December by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology revealed that the willingness of people to