By Brian Boyd This is the second of a two part-series Rival trading blocs emerging Privately most major nation states are acknowledging that global trade is becoming dysfunctional. At the macro level that WTO has become powerless to prevent or even slow down the fracturing of the long-running, international ‘rules-based order’. On a regular basis China and the US exchange …

By Brian Boyd This is the first of a two part-series Introduction The first half of 2024 saw some reportage that dialogue between the US and China had improved. The discussions apparently were about ensuring ‘hot ‘conflict did not accidentally occur between the two superpowers. A senior US White House official said: “The US has sought increased military-to-military engagement in …