Economics & Finance

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Alex Kozul-Wright

Canary in the cobalt mine

Canary in the cobalt mine

Washington makes overtures to Beijing in Republic of Congo Though details of the Republic of Congo’s (ROCs) restructuring deal with China remain undisclosed, they’ve crucially been approved by the International Monetary Fund. A deal was struck on April 29thand “represents a decisive step to restore debt sustainability”, according

Bond holders skittish of Kirchner return

Bond holders skittish of Kirchner return

With elections just over six months away, the release of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s autobiography, Sincerely, has sent Argentinian bond yields soaring. But why has the suggestion of a Fernandez presidency spooked the bondholder community? Ms Fernandez, who oversaw the country from 2007 to 2015, has not yet declared

Challenge of our age (or one of them at least)

Challenge of our age (or one of them at least)

“Sustainable debt for sustainable development”, cooed Christine Lagarde at Tuesday’s Paris Forum meeting, which brought together dozens of ministers of finance and central bank governors. Winston Churchill’s famous quip about Russia, “it is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” could just as readily be applied

Michael Lewis: leading author or toothbrush salesman?

Michael Lewis: leading author or toothbrush salesman?

Michael Lewis is out with a new podcast series entitled Against the Rules. In it, he looks at examples of contemporary American life in which refereeing and arbitration, designed to make games fairer and more balanced, are coming under growing strain. More and more, it seems Americans want the rules

It’s the Economy Cupid

It’s the Economy Cupid

China has recently drawn fiscal bows from its policy quiver Over the past few weeks, articles have spawned and multiplied about efforts to stimulate the Chinese economy through fiscal policy, see China Targets Stimulus. But few of these articles have examined how officials are attempting to breathe life into businesses

The Price is Right – China and the Balkans

The Price is Right – China and the Balkans

The political economy zeitgeist appears to be giving off static noise. On the one hand we’re told China is seeking to expand its influence through Belt and Road, on the other it is turning its attention inwards to focus on domestic consumption. Perhaps China’s political elite, ever the