Dexter Tiff Roberts

Who could possibly have foreseen that war on Iran would (a) make Iran retaliate by closing the strait of Hormuz, which (b) could disrupt world oil markets, enriching Russia and penalizing most everyone else?

Who, indeed, except EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER THOUGHT FOR ONE MINUTE about the situation.

Beautiful night in #Beijing, #China…

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, Premier Li Qiang announced that GDP in 2026 should grow from 𝟰.𝟱 𝘁𝗼 𝟱%. In recent years, it has been set at around 5%. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Chris Murphy: "I Just came from a two hour, closed door classified briefing on the war. It just confirmed to me it's totally incoherent. We are not gonna be able to achieve any of our stated objectives ... this is a disaster of epic proportions, a 10 day debacle"

The Play China Didn't Want Strasbourg to See When China's consulate pressured a theater in France to cancel the Taiwanese production "This Is Not an Embassy," it proved the play's point more vividly than any performance could.

China's consulate in Strasbourg pressured a French theater and city officials to cancel a Taiwanese play that simulates the opening of a Taiwanese embassy. The theater didn't budge. Read the latest from Lingua Sinica: linguasinica.substack.com/p/the-play-c...

Feature not a bug. It something and the opposite of that something are both against the rules, it just means they can arrest you whenever they want to

The consequences of this war for Americans will be bleak and take decades to unfold, but it will impoverish and provincialize them in ways that would have been unimaginable ten years ago

China hopes IVF can slow its baby bust China's fertility rate has fallen to one child per woman, prompting the government to subsidise IVF treatments through public insurance schemes across all provinces.

China mandates that its public health insurance covers IVF, hoping to boost fertility rates, but access is uneven. Reflecting the structure of China’s health system, richer provinces reimburse generously while poorer ones can't afford it, APARC's Karen Eggleston tells @economist.com.

Guys I hate to say this but the war that doesn’t make sense that happened for no reason isn’t going perfectly

Bloomberg Businessweek Daily: Split MAGA base - Bloomberg Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec bring together the latest news from the world of business and finance and the interesting stories.

Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec bring together the latest news from the world of business and finance and the interesting stories.

This to me is the most interesting—that research on Uyghurs is now considered DEI (but not another oppressed group, Mongols in China). Learned Islamophobia or just nonsensical maybe?

​​Native Students Receive Excessive Discipline in This New Mexico School District, Report Finds The Navajo Nation report echoes a 2022 investigation by New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica that found Indigenous students were punished more harshly than other students in the state’s Gallup-McKinley ...

NEW: One of New Mexico's largest school districts subjects Native students to excessively harsh discipline, a Navajo Nation report says, echoing the findings of a 2022 New Mexico In Depth and ProPublica investigation.

Not all countries will be affected equally by surging global energy prices
• Among G7, US and Canada are net energy exporters - softening the blow
• Meanwhile Italy, Germany and UK are heavily reliant on gas imports, suggesting inflation could rise fast
www.ft.com/content/9c17...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬, 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳. 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗕𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—which Beijing sees as the most important economic driver going forward—makes up only 40% of the economy. That’s lower than the global average of 55% and the 60% seen in rich countries. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 from overseas to drive its economy. While exports grew strongly in 2025, making up about 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢’𝘴 5% 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩, that's not sustainable as protectionism surges. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

As Li said last week, “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦.” open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲? It’s yet another piece of evidence that officials realize China’s old growth model no longer works.
open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

That’s the 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, and it’s now at its 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 (since 1991.) open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬, 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳. 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗕𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—which Beijing sees as the most important economic driver going forward—makes up only 40% of the economy. That’s lower than the global average of 55% and the 60% seen in rich countries. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 from overseas to drive its economy. While exports grew strongly in 2025, making up about 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢’𝘴 5% 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩, that's not sustainable as protectionism surges. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

As Li said last week, “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦.” open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲? It’s yet another piece of evidence that officials realize China’s old growth model no longer works.
open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

That’s the 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, and it’s now at its 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 (since 1991.) open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Trade War China announces 4.5-5% GDP target at NPC, its lowest level in decades. No clear path to consumption-driven economy as Beijing trims product trade-in program.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, Premier Li Qiang announced that GDP in 2026 should grow from 𝟰.𝟱 𝘁𝗼 𝟱%. In recent years, it has been set at around 5%. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

Idaho joined a growing list of red states rejecting the DOJ’s unprecedented requests for private voter data.

At least eight GOP-led states have so far refused the department’s demands — and they’re citing concerns over how such information could be used ahead of the midterms.https://bit.ly/4cwKV55

Am I surprised? No, not in the slightest; this is everything I've been observing in Xinjiang and sinicisation policy more broadly for years now. I've been warning people for years that these policies were not exceptions, but rather the rule.

So much for “de-levering the public sector.” 🤡

@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

In 1981, photographer Liu Xiangcheng captured Pu Jie, younger brother of the last Qing emperor Puyi, sitting in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City.
Born inside that palace once filled with thousands of courtiers, he now returns as an ordinary visitor.
History can be ironic.