Can Beijing ease the US-China trade war through Asia-Pacific cooperation?

"In his latest for the South China Morning Post, Professor Plummer co-wrote a piece with Peter A. Petri on how East Asia is adapting to the growing China-U.S. trade rift and through two regional trade agreements. "The RCEP and CPTPP offer hope in a dangerously divided world. They partly offset the damage of the US-China conflict, encourage cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, and suggest viable directions for the world trading system..."

COVID-19: A sea of debt to manage (in Italian)

Will we see an explosion of public debt after the coronavirus? In his latest for ISPI, Professor Merli examines the arguments of chief economists linked to the ECB, Goldman Sachs, and the IMF to understand the impact of adopting a huge fiscal stimulus and what countries need to do to shift their economies back on track.

Italy, after COVID, the Sardines want to 'still be there' against the far right (in French)

Le Point cites Professor Pasquino's comments to the AFP on how the Sardines movement will fare after a forced break from the pandemic. "The Sardines appeared on the occasion of an exceptional circumstance, when the control of the left could be won by Matteo Salvini...It is not certain that such conditions will recur..."

Geopolitics, Sport, Soft Power: Soccer and the Arab Gulf

In his latest for the Center on Public Diplomacy Blog, Professor Ellwood explores the main soft power strategies of the Gulf States, as well as the massive resources and finances that go into the soccer and broadcasting industries.

Iran's 'Ancient Sport' Not A Man's World Anymore

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty cites Professor Vakil on the increasing number of Iranian women partaking in the traditionally male-dominated discipline "varzesh bastani": "The tug of war over women and sports requires greater attention from the government and requires greater public pressure on the political establishment to address discriminatory practices."

A View from Italy

In his latest for the Johns Hopkins Magazine, Professor Taddei reflects on the past and present of COVID-19 in Italy, and what the recovery process should look like. "People are so concerned about preserving what they had that they are losing sight of the future. The necessary work of reorganization might seem a daunting task. Still, there are few alternatives. Large investments are needed to provide infrastructures that will allow people to interact effectively even when they are working remotely..."

'Halal' internet means more control in Iran after unrest

For Iran, the use of the internet is a potential for economic growth as well as threat for domestic revolts and unrest. To bridge this gap, authorities are planning to roll out the so-called "halal net," essentially an Iranian intranet, reports the Daily Dispatcher. According to Professor Vakil, "the government has taken the internet and effectively used it for its own purposes and also has realized the dangers of it as well"...and the country's internet policy holds a "myriad of contradictions..."

Amid pandemics and protests, is Britain facing its worst economy since the Great Frost of 1709?

The Washington Post cites Professor Zamagni's comments on the historically exceptional economic impact of the coronavirus. The Post writes that while "the Black Death in the mid-14th century and the Russian Revolution of 1917 had elements that resembled [coronavirus]...no one event was the same."

East Asia decouples from the United States: Trade war, COVID-19, and East Asia's new trade blocs

In his latest for the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Director Plummer co-wrote a working paper with Peter A. Petri addressing the decoupling of East Asia and the U.S. in the context of the trade war. They argue that while the trade war will be costly to both countries, the effects of large regional agreements in the Asia-Pacific region will be able to compensate for these effects at the global level. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will deepen China-Japan-Korea links, China's influence will increase with its BRI, whereas the U.S. will find itself in a position of self-isolation and economic loss.

Is the European Central Bank Independent Enough?

In a debate determining whether or not the ECB is independent enough in its role responding to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Professor Jones makes the case that independence is actually harmful for policy and politics during times of crisis, when "the short term matters more than longer-term credibility, when market expectations lose their anchors, and when experts find themselves making decisions that create winners and losers more obviously than they influence the achievement of some medium-term objective for expected price inflation."