Instead of reaching for the stars, like U.S. companies do, the Chinese are out to solve down-to-earth problems.

The world consumes about 100 million barrels of oil per day [bpd]. Before the war on Iran some 20% of that used to pass from the Persian Gulf region through the Strait of Hormuz to the world markets.

The talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran as agreed upon in their Memorandum of Understanding are veering off course.

The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed upon a Memorandum of Understanding.

Trump still hasn’t recognized that, after he has lost the war, the sanctions game is also over. It is certainly not in Chinese, or anyone other’s interest to help the U.S. to regain the hegemonic position it has now lost in the Gulf.

I do not know if the numbers on the Forbes char are correct but it is quite obvious that Trump and his family are using their positions to enrich themselves.

Within a few hours the latest attempt by Donald Trump to somehow change the situation in the Strait has failed.

Only an immediate end of the conflict can prevent the worst of it.

Saudi Arabia is trying to avoid damage from the war on Iran by diverting oil exports from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea through its East-West pipeline. This scheme however will fail at least as long as it takes part in that war.

The scary thing is that there is, so far, little or any opposition to these plans and only few warnings about their consequences.

China’s long term planning has allowed it to acquire some serious advantages which it now uses to counter economic and other attacks on it.

In January 2024 Taiwan’s current President Lai Ching-te won the election against two other candidates. (Taiwan has no run off elections.)

I am always amazed how little western governments are aware of their own (lack of) capabilities as well as of the nature and capabilities of their ‘enemies’.

A lot of the misunderstanding U.S. policy makers have of foreign countries is caused by the lousy reporting in U.S. media.

Last night Trump conceded that the campaign was lost. He order the U.S. fleet to retreat.

The details of the ceasefire negotiations between the U.S., Europe and Ukraine continue to make headlines despite being largely irrelevant for an end of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Trump administration is increasing its pressure on Ukraine’s (former) president Zelenski to swallow the shit sandwich.

As part of reading up on the JD Vance speech I stumbled over an outrageously arrogant attempt of reader manipulation in the New York Times.

Today the Trump administration told the Ukraine war party that their game is finally up.

In a globalized world the innovation ability of a country can be measured by the number of global patents it files.