Opinion

  China is America’s largest trading partner, and the U.S. is the largest partner for China. And while it’s true that our two countries have differences, we know that when we work together, we can accomplish extraordinary things. Cooperation between the U.S. and China, after all, is what made the Paris climate agreement possible. In the wake of the presidential …

  On Wednesday, Britain’s finance minister Philip Hammond cut UK’s economic growth forecast for next year from 2.2% to 1.4%. The announcement came exactly five months after the June 23 referendum and rattled businesses in London. The UK economy has been in a tailspin as there continues to be ambiguity over the Brexit process. Even though British Prime Minister Theresa …

  Here’s a suggestion for what should be among President Donald Trump’s priorities in Asia: Negotiate a free-trade agreement with China. You may think I’ve lost my mind. Hasn’t trade with China cost jobs and weakened U.S. industry, as Trump relentlessly argued during his campaign? Wouldn’t a free-trade pact only make matters worse? And isn’t the U.S. trade deficit with …

  Financial markets have been optimistic since the election of Donald J. Trump in the U.S., in part because investors assume that the incoming administration will pass some sort of business-friendly tax reform. But some of those reforms could hit investors in unexpected ways. One plank of Trump’s business-friendly tax reform, which Hillary Clinton proposed as well, entails giving multinational …

  Jean-Michel Paul When they were opposition figures, populists could content themselves with provocative slogans. Once in office they must produce concrete policies. The challenge for them — and for those incumbents trying to hold onto office — is to preserve the real gains of globalization while addressing the concerns of the new radical majority. Here are some policy directions …

  For those of us troubled by Brexit, and for Europeans concerned about the survival of the wider European project, a much-awaited book by one of the world’s most renowned economic historians and an expert on long-run economic growth might, on the face of it, offer some light at the end of the tunnel. According to Joel Mokyr, Europe’s magisterial …

  India is conducting a big test of the idea that getting rid of cash can help address crime and corruption. Unfortunately, it might achieve nothing more than a lot of inconvenience. Criminals and corrupt officials often conduct business in cash, because it’s hard to trace. So in a sense it’s logical to assume that abolishing cash will help reduce …

  It’s become a favorite holiday tradition around these parts: wait for the National Retail Federation annual holiday spending forecast each October, then write a few choice words about why their methodology is awful and their forecast track record is even worse. I overlooked the Federation’s Oct. 3 forecast this year, as the 2016 presidential election obscured everything else. That …

  With US President-elect Donald Trump vowing on Tuesday to scrap the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the deal’s future hangs in the balance. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pointed out that TPP without the US would be “meaningless”. The US and Japan are the core members of TPP that encompasses 40% of the global economy. Trump’s announcement to abandon TPP …

  The UK government’s decision to allocate 369 million pounds ($460 million) to fund a 10-year refurbishment of Buckingham Palace should be welcomed. Unfortunately, the British public’s complicated relationship with both the Royal Family’s finances and the nation’s landmark buildings means there’s a storm of protest instead. And that in turn leaves another of the country’s iconic buildings in jeopardy. …