Features

Review: China experts enter their own “New Era”

27 April 2018

Two new books from respected scholars try to make sense of the country under Xi Jinping. Both see it fast moving toward a more centralised political regime, with messy and probably unpredictable consequences. As interesting is the shifting mood among China analysts themselves.

Deutsche revival depends on more than cost-cutting

25 April 2018

New CEO Christian Sewing has said saving 800 million euros this year is “non-negotiable”. Even if the German lender meets his cost targets, though, revenue must grow 5.4 pct a year for Deutsche to earn a decent return on equity by 2020. That’s hard to do while shrinking.

Breakdown: Telecom Italia’s three-way poker game

23 April 2018

The incumbent telco is entangled in its umpteenth debilitating corporate fight. The row pits U.S. activist investor Paul Singer against French financier Vincent Bolloré. But an Italian state investor may be the key player. Breakingviews explains how the cards will fall.

Review: How to deprogram economic xenophobia

20 April 2018

In "Us vs. Them", political scientist Ian Bremmer joins the crowd bewailing the retreat of globalisation. He identifies roots and risks, but finds no easy fixes. Ideas like universal basic income and taxing robots are band-aids. What's needed is a better global school system.

Review: Comey is flawed champion of civics revival

17 April 2018

In his blockbuster memoir, the ex-FBI director who prosecuted Martha Stewart and worked at Bridgewater calls Donald Trump an unethical liar and a threat to American institutions. His yarn is riveting, but reveals Comey’s mix of principled leadership and sanctimonious showboating.

Review: America’s founding was all about the money

13 April 2018

“New World, Inc.” explores the role of British merchant adventurers in laying the groundwork for the colonial settlements in Virginia and Plymouth. The book is a prequel of sorts to the Pilgrim creation myth that suggests Mammon, not religious freedom, drove America's creation.

Malaysia’s strongman can use his second chance

10 April 2018

Najib Razak's reputation took a slap with the 1MDB scandal. Still, the prime minister is likely to win a fresh mandate in upcoming polls. That can help him secure a legacy as a reformer, if he handles China's influence adroitly and meets old pledges to cut the role of the state.

Fintech lenders will struggle to regain mojo alone

9 April 2018

The likes of LendingClub, On Deck and SoFi want to put recent problems behind them. But their loan books, and earnings, are small. The banks they once dared to threaten have been catching up. Even Goldman is nipping at their heels. A bout of M&A could do them credit.

Breakdown: China’s gift to big technology

9 April 2018

Beijing has unveiled plans to allow Alibaba and other offshore-listed tech giants to sell stock using depositary receipts. The move should boost their valuations and benefit investors on both sides of the Pacific – but creates a few fresh headaches too.

Review: The ultimate truth about blockchain

6 April 2018

The technology behind bitcoin has applications that extend far beyond the crypto-currency hype. But is it the panacea for humanity’s problems? “The Truth Machine” takes a positive view of decentralised digital ledgers, but underplays fundamental questions of safety and trust.