A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
Why China Can’t Take Over The World
China is preparing to surpass the United States as the world’s largest economy, in purchasing power parity terms. Already its economy is 80% the size of ours, and if current growth rate differentials persist, it will take China only about four more years to surpass us. At market exchange rates, China’s GDP is smaller, and is expected to remain less than ours until 2028. This is hardly surprising.
How Language Seems To Shape One’s View Of The World
Lera Boroditsky once did a simple experiment: She asked people to close their eyes and point southeast. A room of distinguished professors in the U.S. pointed in almost every possible direction, whereas 5-year-old Australian aboriginal girls always got it right.
Outcry over Islamabad Restaurant’s Restrictions on Pakistani Customers
Pakistanis online are outraged over reports of a French restaurant's ban on reservations by Pakistani customers. "La Maison" in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, requires customers to provide information such as an individual's nationality and passport number. The only Pakistani customers reportedly allowed are dual-citizenship holders or Pakistanis accompanied by foreigners.
NAFTA At 20: Has It Been A Success?
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a free trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico that has created a $19 trillion market with 460 million consumers. It isn’t merely the size of NAFTA that makes it remarkable but also the fact that it was the first U.S. trade agreement that included both developed and developing countries.
Iranian Officials Are Active On Social Media Yet Iranians Are Banned From Using Them
Iran is a country of many contradictions. You have have heard that before. Unrelated men and women aren't allowed to mingle freely, yet they find a way to do so. Women are required to cover their hair, but many cover it in a way that becomes a fashion statement. There are many others. Here's another contradiction: Iranian officials — including the President Hassan Rouhani and foreign minister Javad Zarif — are frequent users of social media. Yet Iranian citizens are officially banned from signing up.
‘All Change’ At The Top In Brussels In 2014
The new year will see a changing of the guard in Brussels, with top posts at NATO and the major European institutions changing hands. NATO will get a new secretary-general; new presidents will be sought for the EU Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament; and hopefuls will jostle to succeed Catherine Ashton as the EU's foreign-policy chief.
The Year Of Living Dangerously?
In the spirit of the season, let me hazard a prediction: 2014 will be the year that America’s Israel debate begins to pass the organized American Jewish community by. The first reason is the end of the American-dominated peace process. Despite John Kerry’s best efforts, the most likely scenario is that 2014 will be the year he fails.
Are Mexico’s Zapatista Rebels Still Relevant?
January 1, 2014 marks 20 years since the Zapatista rebels rose up in arms and drew the world's attention to the plight of Mexico's impoverished indigenous population. January 1, 2014 marks 20 years since the Zapatista rebels rose up in arms and drew the world's attention to the plight of Mexico's impoverished indigenous population.
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