On the first day of China's annual trade event with Arab states, an expo that aims to bolster natural-energy imports and foster economic relations, some are calling its promotion of a "harmonious" society in the restive Middle East a departure from its traditional policy of non-interference in international politics. Domestically, the term "harmonious society" is often used in political speeches and public-service ads to illustrate Beijing’s vision of an economically sated – and dissidents say, politically obedient – homeland.

Looking to widen business arrangements with South American countries and increase trade with the region to $25 billion by 2015, India has lined up a series of high-level visits over this month and next, and is offering sops to exporters to explore markets in the continent. Talking to FE external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said, “India and Latin America have a large scope and potential to cooperate in the fields of energy, education and several other fields.” On the importance of the region, Khurshid said, “Latin America is something we need to work on.

Ahead of the G20 meeting, president Xi Jinping has met his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. It’s the third meeting between the two leaders this year. Both sides vowed to boost their comprehensive cooperative relationship. Xi says China-Mexico relations have entered a new phase, and that the two countries should continue to boost bilateral investment and economic cooperation.

The United States fear that the potential European trade deals with Sub-Saharan African nations (the Economic Partnership Agreements or EPAs currently under negotiations) might affect the benefits to its own companies, as reviews its own preferential trade initiative with the continent, Voice of America informs.

During the first years of the implementation of the North American free-trade agreement, commentators argued that it in fact stood for two bilateral agreements: the first between Canada and the United States, and the second between the United States and Mexico. This has now become an outdated point of view. Today, almost twenty years after its implementation, NAFTA is no longer considered a two-part deal between three countries. NAFTA is both a mirror and a motor of a far more integrated North American region.

For the United States and the European Union, TTIP represents a chance to tackle issues that continue to hinder the true potential of transatlantic trade. Unlocking that potential requires ambitious standards surrounding regulatory harmonization, intellectual property protection and enforcement, and market access.

In Cuomo’s first major venture trying to resolve an international border disagreement – the worsening Peace Bridge situation – the governor and his team have unleashed a hardball strategy that has infuriated Canadians and aroused the concerns of federal officials in Ottawa and Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to China this week seeking more trade with the world’s second-biggest economy. While his hosts welcomed the overture, they were focused on the Middle East peace process.