The challenge from China
By Fareed Zakaria Secretary of State John Kerry’s first foreign trip is an impressive swing through nine countries in Europe and the Middle East. But I wonder if he should instead have visited just two countries, China and Japan. That’s where the most significant and dangerous new developments in international relations are unfolding. The world’s second- and third-largest economies … Read more
The China Syndrome
Why the Asian giant could be Obama’s second-term foreign policy headache By Fareed Zakaria The second terms of U.S. presidents tend to be difficult for any number of reasons, but they are often disrupted by a foreign policy crisis. It’s easy to see how that might happen over the next four years with Iran or … Read more
China’s Economic Crisis
By Fareed Zakaria There has been much speculation about power struggles in China in the wake of the ouster of Bo Xilai, the powerful Communist Party boss of Chongqing who used populism, money and intrigue to rise to the top. Had he not been brought down this year — by a series of mistakes, revelations … Read more
Bo Xilai and the Return of Politics
China prospered in part because it purged itself of real politicians. That’s over By Fareed Zakaria The storm over the blind activist Chen Guangcheng has understandably captured the world’s attention in the past week. But an event of much greater significance remains the ouster of Bo Xilai, the powerful party boss of Chongqing. The rise … Read more
A Post-American World in Progress
Why emerging powers didn’t lead in 2011 and won’t in the coming year By Fareed Zakaria The past year has been filled with tumultuous events—the Arab Spring, the euro-zone crisis. But the most striking trend of 2011, one that will persist in 2012, was one that got little notice: the emerging powers that weren’t. By … Read more
How to Be a Real Superpower
China has enjoyed peace, stability and free trade. It should also help produce them. By Fareed Zakaria The Republican primary campaign has not been noteworthy for its discussion of foreign policy. But one set of statements stands out: Mitt Romney’s on China. In a series of speeches, responses and op-eds, Romney has taken a fierce … Read more
How China Can Help Europe Get Out of Debt
By Fareed Zakaria The European crisis is no longer a European crisis. It has morphed into something that could easily engulf the global economy. Because of its size, because it involves governments and not just banks, and because it comes at a moment of great weakness, this crisis is more dangerous than the one posed … Read more
China’s New Parochialism
By Fareed Zakaria On any particularly hot day this month, people around the world will do what they have done for decades: go to an air-conditioned movie theater and watch a summertime blockbuster. The latest, biggest movie is Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which has broken box-office records in the U.S. and in many of … Read more
Xi Jinping: Heir Apparent
By Fareed Zakaria During the Cold War, scholars would analyze new Russian leaders for clues that they might open up their political system. If they liked jazz and scotch, they were deemed pro-Western reformers. The guessing game has shifted to China and Xi Jinping, 57, who will likely be appointed President in 2012. You can … Read more
The Dangerous Chip on China’s Shoulder
By Fareed Zakaria At a recent dinner devoted to U.S.-China relations, talk turned to the quarrel between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. A prominent banker impatiently waved off the discussion. “America and China have more important things to talk about than a few rocks in the middle of … Read more
