A dispute over a few rocky outcroppings in the middle of the ocean threatens to have Japan and China at each others throats.The problem began back in April when Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara announced that the city intended to buy the disputed Diaoyu Islands (see map). The word “islands,” is a bit of an exaggeration; they […]

With U.S., EU and UN sanctions continuing to hit the Iranian economy, Iran’s game of “chicken” isn’t working out that well. The Financial Times reports: A delay in feedstock imports, a result of sanctions, has pushed the price of chicken up 30 per cent over the past week alone. Prices for other staples are also […]

Now that the spat between China and the Philippines has been temporarily resolved, Beijing’s aggressive posture in the oil- and gas-rich waters has exacerbated tensions with Vietnam.The Financial Times explains the latest showdown: Vietnam on Wednesday accused China of acting “illegally” after state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (Cnooc) invited foreign companies to tender for […]

A new Pew survey paints a grim picture of U.S.-Pakistani relations. According to Pew’s numbers: A 74%-majority of Pakistanis see the U.S. as an enemy, and most think U.S.-Pakistani relations have failed to improve over the last few years. Moreover, for a growing number of Pakistanis, enhancing the relationship between the two countries is not […]

State and local pensions in the US are currently in the middle of their gravest yet, but many people — deceived in many cases by union leaders and politicians trying to keep the scam operating for just a little while longer — continue to deny that there is even a crisis. Alarmingly, this includes a […]

As the banana war between the Philippines and China dies down, Max Boot has some strong words for the Obama administration’s handling of the incident. He criticizes the U.S. decision to remain neutral between a regional friend and America’s chief competitor: The Chinese leadership must figure they have a better chance to assert their claim […]

European leaders have gotten a bad rap over the past few years for their timid and inept handling of the largest crisis Europe has faced in a generation. Unfortunately, things are likely to get worse before they get better.Europe has an immensely confusing and byzantine system of chairmen and secretaries, capped off by its rotating […]

At a time when so many establishment paragons have failed, it’s reassuring that we still have people like Bob Zoellick serving this country. From U.S. Trade Representative to Deputy Secretary of State to head of the World Bank, Zoellick’s talent and determination have proved invaluable, and we at Via Meadia are pleased to see that […]

Bit by bit, the international community is learning just how unpleasant the Libyan afterparty can be. It’s not just that ex-Qaddafi mercenaries and terrorists have taken over a huge part of Mali. Other Sahel countries are fragile too, and the U.S. announced that it believes that Africa’s three most visible Islamist terror groups in Africa—Al […]

One of the byproducts of China’s rapid modernization is its increasing dependence on oil from the Middle East. China now gets about half of its oil from the Persian Gulf countries, and its never-ending thirst for crude has profound geopolitical ramifications.Keith Johnson of the Wall Street Journal has a neat summary highlighting the importance of […]