Recent Posts

In fining Google, Europe gets almost everything wrong

In a long-awaited decision, the European Commission fined Alphabet Inc’s Google a record 4.3 billion euros ($5 billion) for unfair business practices. The commission won some praise for standing up to big tech. But theatrics aside, this decision is misguided, harmful to consumers, and almost entirely beside the point. Start with the alleged offenses. Google licenses its Android software to ...

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Xi’s foreign policy needs a Confucian overhaul

China has suffered a series of diplomatic blows lately. Relations with the US are at a multi-decade low as a trade war escalates. This month, Malaysia suspended four Chinese-backed projects as its prime minister tries to pull away from Beijing’s orbit. From Myanmar to Sri Lanka to Vietnam, China’s overseas investm-ents are being met with a growing backlash. These are ...

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The world’s most powerful chat app is squandering its lead

Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s strategy for expanding WeChat Pay globally is pretty straightforward: Follow the (tourism) money. Grace Yin, operations director of WeChat Pay’s international business, summarised Tencent’s approach at the RISE Conference earlier this month in Hong Kong: If a place has a Chinese tourist, then this place is our target. It’s a smart strategy. Simple, elegant and actionable with ...

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