Новости за 29.08.2016

Allan Nixon, The Diplomat
What does Beijing stand to gain from its new defense deals in the Western hemisphere?

Barton Swaim, Washington Post
Its focus is mainly on laws and government structure. That's a good thing.

Dominic Sandbrook, New Statesman
Like Chamberlain, Cameron seems destined to be remembered for only one thing. When students answer exam questions about Chamberlain, it's a safe bet that they aren't writing about the Holidays with Pay Act 1938. And when students write about Cameron in the year 2066, they won't be answering questions about intervention in Libya, or gay marriage. They will be writing about Brexit and the lost referendum.

Martin Caparros, New York Times
In everyday life, a country without government looks dangerously similar to another with one. There are those who praise the strength of the state for that, and many who wonder if governments are so necessary and seem uninterested in any attempt to form one. News coverage of these efforts does not get a significant readership.

Christopher Balding, Bloomberg View
Economists too often talk about policy changes in abstract, ignoring the drawbacks that even sensible reforms can bring. For years, analysts have been urging China to shift its economy away from heavy industry and toward services and consumption. Yet now that Beijing is taking heed, the costs are piling up.

Faisal Al Yafai, National
Ankara looked at the likely outcomes in Syria – an ethnic division like Iraq, an Islamist takeover like Egypt or a rumbling civil war like Lebanon in the past – and decided one was far worse. By crossing the border, Ankara is ensuring the ethnic division of Syria won't happen.

John McLaughlin, Ozy
If a two-state solution remains elusive, rapid Arab population growth within Israel means that in about 20 years the Jewish population would no longer be a majority, which would change the historic character of the country fundamentally.

Shashank Joshi, Telegraph
This is a fragile process that could evaporate in the heat of another Palestinian uprising; but if it survives, there are upsides for the West. We've long urged Arab states to tone down their hostility to Israel. While the Netanyahu government will not move on the peace process, a less hawkish successor may be more inclined to do so if relations with Arabs are on an even keel. Moreover, we have demanded that Arab allies take on more responsibility for their security rather than calling on us to intervene. Читать дальше...

Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast
The fraught frontier between Russia and the NATO-defended Baltics is full of surprises, not least its natural beauty. But tensions are building fast.

Britta Petersen, ORF
It seems that European politicians and commentators have forgotten that even the possibility of a coup indicates division bordering on enmity.

Luke Penn-Hall, Cipher Brief
In the wake of a series of hacks against government and private networks, it is clear that Russia and China are among the most active and proficient nations in regards to cyber operations.

I. Sala & I. Steger, QZ
A potential reconciliation between the Vatican and Beijing could come amid one of the worst crackdowns on religious freedoms ever in China.

Paul Goble, WoE
In case anyone thinks what Pukhov said is an anomaly, Piontkovsky shows that he and other Russian commentators have made exactly the same kind of crude arguments about Syria – and suggested that many in the West have again failed to recognize just how crude and how dangerous such words are.

Dominique Moisi, Project Syndicate
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to seek the presidency again in 2017, and his emphasis on the supposed threat of Islam to national identity, should not be surprising. Fear is a powerful weapon, and Sarkozy, like Donald Trump, is eager to wield it.

Marian Tupy, CapX
Prior to the June 23 referendum on British membership in the European Union, British voters were subjected to a barrage of warnings about the dire consequences of British withdrawal from the EU on the British economy and on Britain's international standing. Experts, foreign and domestic, predicted recession and urged voters to back the Remain campaign.Â

Will Hutton, Guardian
Brexiters claim we have avoided Armageddon, but economies have slow responses. The reality of unravelling ties with the EU will hit Britain hard.

Christopher Booker, Telegraph
The seemingly insoluble problems the European Union has brought upon itself crowd in from all directions: the slow-motion catastrophe of the euro, the unending flood of refugees; the deadly plague of terrorism; the approaching energy crunch. And now, amid that growing resentment right across Europe of all the EU stands for, it is also faced with the vote of one of its largest members to leave it altogether.

Farzin Nadimi, Washington Institute
The IRGC will likely continue using such incidents as a way to signal its domestic rivals, justify its large budget, and meet other goals, so Washington should remain vigilant and consider seeking an official channel for emergency communications.

David Patrikarakos, Moscow Times
Of all today's political bromances, perhaps the most interesting is between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Russia and Iran have enjoyed strong economic links since 1991, when Moscow agreed to build Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr. Russia badly needed the cash; Iran badly needed the expertise: It was the perfect match.

Lili Bayer, Politico EU
Underneath the booming façade lies a hollow economy.

Samuel Bendett, RealClearWorld
The Russian military continues its long-term modernization drive, aiming to re-equip its land and strategic forces. Russian daily Lenta.ru reports on the recently declassified new armored personnel carrier for the marines, designated as BT-3F. The prototype was built on the chassis of the long-serving BMP-3 line of combat vehicles and is designed both for export and for equipping Russian units. This new carrier's armament includes a remote-controlled weapons module... Читать дальше...