September 10, 2010
The World Commerce Review of September 2010 contained the following article: US-China relations: storm clouds gathering Stanley Crossick President Hu Jintao’s long-planned visit to the United States is not likely to take place soon, as Beijing has postponed the preparatory talks as tensions mount between the two countries. Their relationship has global reach and influences… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 7, 2010
We live in a new austerity world and a much more critical look must be taken of all public expenditure. It is important that the European Parliament has regular contact with third country parliaments. However, these contacts should be effective and cost-effective. 15 MEPs, representing the parliament’s political groups and a number of Member States,… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
September 3, 2010
A worrying and increasingly bitter debate continues in the United States on whether a mosque should be allowed at Ground Zero. But how widely is it understood that: • The building is two blocks away from Ground Zero and cannot be seen from there • The building is not a mosque as we know it,… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
August 23, 2010
Academic papers and books on democracy continue to proliferate. Mainstream western opinion supports views such as: • Rapid economic development quickens democratisation. • The liberal democratic path is the only sustainable route to modernity. • Non-democratic regimes are necessarily ridden with corruption and cronyism. Two questions which require far more attention than they receive are:… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
August 21, 2010
I have blogged before both on negotation and Iran. A fascinating book by John W Limbert (‘Negotiating with Iran’, 2009) brings the two aspects together. The author spent 33 years in the US Foreign Service, is a fluent Farsi speaker and has taught at the University of Shiraz. He was a captive at the siege… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
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, Iran, negotiation |
August 11, 2010
Problems relating to the South China Sea have been bubbling below the surface for a long time. However, the public entry of the United States into the arena has brought these problems to the surface. The South China Sea is now being spoken about in China as a “core interest” of its sovereignty: hitherto the… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
August 2, 2010
The European Commission launched in 2008 a voluntary register for lobbyists seeking to influence its policymaking. Interest representation is a legitimate part of a democratic system. The register was established in a Commission effort to enhance public confidence. The accompanying Code of Conduct is intended to bring more transparency to interest representation, its actors and… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
July 31, 2010
The Chinese Mission to the EU organized a workshop on China-EU relations on 17 June 2010. The following recommendations are supported by the Europeans present at the worshop, in the light of the discussions between them and representatives of the Mission, led by HE Song Zhe: Long-term 1. Mutual understanding 2. Jean Monnet methodology 3.… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
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, China-EU |
July 22, 2010
Seven individuals smashed up a Brighton factory owned by ITT of the US, at a cost of £187 000 and were recently found not guilty. In 2008, six Greenpeace members were acquitted of causing £30 000 damage to a power station owned by the German Eon energy group. In 2000, 28 Greenpeace members were found… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
July 18, 2010
The following article was published in Global Times on 30 June: Was the Toronto G20 summit from June 26 to 27 an impetus for action or a display of rhetoric? This is a difficult question to answer. The Toronto negotiations began well before the meeting. For instance, US President Barack Obama wrote to the G20… » read more
Posted by Stanley Crossick
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, G20 |
Rated 6th most influential EU blog by Waggener Edstrom. European of British nationality, for nearly 30 years Bruxellois. Deep believer in the principle of 'mutuality' and Monnet's axiom "Thought cannot be divorced from action", equivalent to Wang Yangming
