In Part III of Global Trends, we learn about some broad geopolitical trends. Lately, I have come across various articles that discuss some of these salient global issues. It won't surprise you to learn many of them concern India and China! Here it goes:
1) The Wall Street Journal recently had a detailed report of the state of the India-China dispute on their border. The pictures and infographics are particularly recommended. This is one of the world's major hotspots and an unfolding crisis. I previously blogged about it here and here.
2) India in 2018 passed an unprecedented law providing medical coverage ("Modicare") to 500 million Indians. Health care costs are low in India, but the law's reimbursement rates are not very generous, which will force providers to lower costs even more. This Bloomberg article describes the law through the lens of a single provider, Dr. Shetty, who must confront the challenge of providing health services under Modicare. It is a fascinating, real-world account of the challenges faced by the health care sector in India. Highly recommended.
3) Nick Eberstadt of AEI wrote a great article over at Foreign Affairs on the role of demographics as a source of power. The article is one year old, but still very topical (demographics don't change that fast!). This is one of the major themes of Part III of Global Trends. The article discusses how demographic trends will favor India and other developing countries, but not China and Russia, countries with declining demographics. The US is somewhere in between, thanks to immigration, but this relative demographic dynamism is under obvious threat. I particularly like how the article gives a general overview of global demographics.
4) Back in the realm of geopolitics, the issue of Huawei's standing to contribute to the development of 5G technology is back in the news (WSJ). Indeed China is threatening to retaliate against Western communications equipment companies like Nokia and Ericsson in the wake of moves to ban Huawei from 5G development in several countries (most recently the UK). Yet another example of the disintegration of international linkages that had been growing ever since China started opening up to the world in the late 1970s. Now all this is being threatened. Whose fault it is - I will let you decide. What I do believe is that China has more to loose from these sorts of threats than the countries to which they are directed.