The US-China rivalry has found its sharpest edge in semiconductors. Washington uses export controls to choke Chinese access to advanced chips. Beijing races to build domestic capacity. Every state in between is being forced to choose sides in a contest they did not start.
The green energy transition runs on lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements — and most are concentrated in a handful of countries. The scramble to secure them is reshaping alliances, fuelling conflict in Africa and intensifying the US-China economic rivalry.
The Nile, the Indus, the Mekong — rivers do not respect borders. As populations grow and glaciers shrink, the states sharing these waters face a stark choice: negotiate or fight. The history of transboundary rivers is a history of both, often simultaneously.
Sanctions, tariffs, export controls, debt diplomacy — economic tools have always had geopolitical uses. What has changed is the scale and precision. The United States weaponises the dollar. China weaponises supply chains. Trade is no longer just commerce.
