Beijing Steps Out of the Shadows

The Contest of the Century

As Beijing bureau chief for the Financial Times, Geoff Dyer watched China begin to wield its power not just for domestic economic growth but to expand its geopolitical reach around the globe. Dyer visits Zócalo to ask whether China is destined to unseat the U.S. in a new world order. Below is an excerpt from his book, The Contest of the Century: The New Era of Competition with China–and How America Can Win.

Beijing was in a state of heightened anxiety and had been for weeks. Each day in the run-up …

by Geoff Dyer | February 12, 2014

Sick and Tired of Hearing About Rising China?

Arguments Against the Narrative of China’s Ascendance and America’s Decline

February 11, 2014

Booming China—and its perils and possibilities—has become a genre all its own in the 21st century. Economists write books about the country’s dragon economy. Environmentalists warn of China’s growing need …

Can We Stop Worrying and Love Iran?

A Lot Could Go Wrong in Continuing U.S.-Iran Negotiations. But So Far, A Lot Has Gone Right.

by Hussein Banai | February 7, 2014

If no good deed goes unpunished, no good diplomatic deed goes unopposed, and certainly the ferocity of opposition to the tentative nuclear deal between Iran and the international community (represented …

When Did Cuba Stop Being Sexy?

The U.S.-Cuba Saga Feels Like an Aging Soap Opera. Here’s Hoping President Obama’s Handshake With Raúl Castro Shakes Things Up.

by Andrés Martinez | December 19, 2013

Barack Obama’s handshake with Raúl Castro at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service made headlines around the world, but it’s understandable that the president’s “selfie” with Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt received more …

What the Heck is Hamid Karzai Thinking?

Omar Samad and Douglas Ollivant On What’s Ahead for Afghanistan and Its Obstinate President

Hosted by Anne-Marie Slaughter | December 13, 2013

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is refusing to sign the U.S. peace agreement that outlines the terms of our 2014 withdrawal. What is he thinking, and how will his actions impact …

Mandela and Tyrants: a Defense

South Africa’s Statesman Stayed Loyal To Some Nasty Friends. But His Calculations Were Not Amoral.

by T.A. Frank | December 6, 2013

In late 1992, when I was a student living in China, Nelson Mandela, two years out of prison but not yet elected president, paid a visit to Beijing University. This …

international relations

Beijing Steps Out of the Shadows

The Contest of the Century

Sick and Tired of Hearing About Rising China?

Arguments Against the Narrative of China’s Ascendance and America’s Decline

Can We Stop Worrying and Love Iran?

A Lot Could Go Wrong in Continuing U.S.-Iran Negotiations. But So Far, A Lot Has Gone Right.

When Did Cuba Stop Being Sexy?

The U.S.-Cuba Saga Feels Like an Aging Soap Opera. Here’s Hoping President Obama’s Handshake With Raúl Castro Shakes Things Up.

What the Heck is Hamid Karzai Thinking?

Omar Samad and Douglas Ollivant On What’s Ahead for Afghanistan and Its Obstinate President

Mandela and Tyrants: a Defense

South Africa’s Statesman Stayed Loyal To Some Nasty Friends. But His Calculations Were Not Amoral.

Get More Zócalo

What Communist China Taught a 6-Year-Old American Boy

With Tiananmen Square as My Playground, I Learned Lifelong Lessons About Diplomacy, Authority, and Democracy

For China’s One-Party Rulers, Legitimacy Flows from Prosperity and Competence

The West Still Underestimates Beijing’s Ancient Social Contract with “Heaven”

How Will China’s Rise Change the Chinese-American Experience?

What Does China’s Growing Middle Class Desire Most? Blue Skies.

Decades of Rapid Industrialization Created Massive Pollution, Now Wealthier Chinese Are Demanding a Cleaner Environment

Get More Zócalo