Posts From Patrick Jarvis
A Dark ‘n’ Stormy Future for Chinese Economic Coercion?
The opening shots in a Taiwanese trade response to Chinese economic coercion appear to be filled with Lithuanian rum. The Taiwanese National Development Council recently posted on Facebook recipes for “dark ‘n’ stormy” cocktails, French toast, and steak, among other items in an effort to promote consumption of the 20,400 bottles of rum diverted to Taiwan. The large shipment was purchased by the country’s state-owned Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor (TTL) company. While Taiwan’s decision does encourage citizens to try fun new cocktails and recipes, it appears to be primarily a strategy to offset risks for friends and partners in international trade.
Omicron and the Olympics: How long can China’s “Zero-Covid” policy last?
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are particularly important for China and for its leader, President Xi Jinping. The spectacular 2008 Summer Olympics were seen as China’s “coming out party,” a vibrant showcase for the successes of three decades of “reform and opening” and the country’s newfound national confidence and wealth. In a similar fashion, the 2022 Olympic games represent an opportunity for President Xi to demonstrate his successes in office. Perhaps chief among his accomplishments is the highly effective domestic management of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Olympics and the Omicron variant of Covid-19 pose a major source of risk to this success.
