The economic and political gaps between China and the West is one of the defining challenges of the modern era. Avner Greif, Joel Mokyr and Guido Tabellini argue that institutions and culture played a key role in setting Europe and China on divergent paths well before the onset of the Industrial Revolution

The world is drifting toward a fragmented trade environment defined by subsidies, retaliation and industrial duplication. Jianwei Xu discusses how the world is moving into a period of entrenched manufacturing overcapacity, threatening deflation and stagnant growth

Global political tensions have amplified economic uncertainty. Roberta Arbolino and Paolo Di Caro evaluate the negative implications for consumption, investment, and saving decisions, and for the effectiveness of structural policies

Ignacio García Bercero argues that the current turbulence being experienced by the world economy is also an opportunity for the EU to forge a coalition in support of rules-based trade and global trading system reform

Chinese lending to African countries has surged. Vito Amendolagine, Andrea Presbitero and Roberta Rabellotti argue that Chinese lending may contribute to export growth and enhanced productivity in African countries

Alicia García-Herrero considers the Kazan summit and argues that the West should pay attention as BRICS is consolidating into a China-dominated bloc that aims to shape the global order