Bartapest
@bartapest.bsky.social
Author/speaker. Asia's rise, int'l trade, sustainability, strategic foresight, migration, Montréal & fúbol. McGill U Prof & Distinguished Fellow at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Fmr Asian Dev Bank & OECD. On Threads at bartedes. 🇨�
African nations face 10% U.S. tariffs plus 50% surcharges for surpluses. Meanwhile, China is extending its zero-tariff policy to all of its 53 African diplomatic partners.
February 15, 2026 at 12:14 AM
African nations face 10% U.S. tariffs plus 50% surcharges for surpluses. Meanwhile, China is extending its zero-tariff policy to all of its 53 African diplomatic partners.
Canada has what the world wants - new account on #Bluesky documents Canada's diversification of trade, the impacts of Trump's trade war on Canada on the U.S. economy, and ways in which Canada is adapting to a disrupted world order: @worldwantscanada.bsky.social.
February 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Canada has what the world wants - new account on #Bluesky documents Canada's diversification of trade, the impacts of Trump's trade war on Canada on the U.S. economy, and ways in which Canada is adapting to a disrupted world order: @worldwantscanada.bsky.social.
Waymo’s self-driving cars have a human-sized hurdle: open doors. Since the tech can’t close them yet, Waymo is piloting a program in Atlanta using #DoorDash drivers to swing by and shut them for a fee. High-tech meets the gig economy. 🚗💨
February 14, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Waymo’s self-driving cars have a human-sized hurdle: open doors. Since the tech can’t close them yet, Waymo is piloting a program in Atlanta using #DoorDash drivers to swing by and shut them for a fee. High-tech meets the gig economy. 🚗💨
Houston, we have a problem. #AI shanakaanslemperera.substack.com/p/the-depart...
The Departure
Nine Days in February That Revealed How the Most Powerful Technology in Human History Outran Every Institution Built to Contain It
shanakaanslemperera.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:27 AM
Houston, we have a problem. #AI shanakaanslemperera.substack.com/p/the-depart...
Full decoupling from China’s advanced technologies is impractical and uncompetitive for US firms. Despite political pressure to derisk and reduce reliance, the US may lack the immediate industrial capacity to onshore at scale if it continues to exclude Chinese supply chains. -Kate Logan, ASPI
February 8, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Full decoupling from China’s advanced technologies is impractical and uncompetitive for US firms. Despite political pressure to derisk and reduce reliance, the US may lack the immediate industrial capacity to onshore at scale if it continues to exclude Chinese supply chains. -Kate Logan, ASPI
Alphabet, Amazon, Meta & Microsoft are together anticipating capital spending of around $650B this year, up from "only" $359B in 2025. A decade ago, that number was only $31 billion. This doesn't include spending by other companies on data centers, semiconductors, software development, etc.
February 6, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Alphabet, Amazon, Meta & Microsoft are together anticipating capital spending of around $650B this year, up from "only" $359B in 2025. A decade ago, that number was only $31 billion. This doesn't include spending by other companies on data centers, semiconductors, software development, etc.
An increasing number of Fortune Global 500 companies have made commitments to #nature dimensions beyond carbon: www.mckinsey.com/capabilities... #ESG #sustainability
www.mckinsey.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM
An increasing number of Fortune Global 500 companies have made commitments to #nature dimensions beyond carbon: www.mckinsey.com/capabilities... #ESG #sustainability
No, the #renminbi is not going to replace the U.S. #dollar as the world's leading currency: bigtrendsguy.medium.com/the-yuan-and... #Xi #China #currency #Trump #trade
The Yuan and only?
The undisputed hegemony of the U.S. dollar has long been the bedrock of the global financial architecture, but the foundations are…
bigtrendsguy.medium.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Economists say that U.S. businesses are largely at a “no-hire, no fire” standstill, leading many to limit new work, if not pause openings entirely amid economic uncertainty. Hiring has stagnated overall - with the country adding a meager 50,000 jobs last month. #winning #Trump
January 29, 2026 at 3:32 PM
China is leading an unprecedented #energy boom, adding 543GW of capacity in one year - surpassing #India’s entire grid. By outpacing the U.S. in new generation since 2021, Beijing aims to secure a competitive edge for energy-intensive future industries like #AI and robotics.
January 28, 2026 at 1:17 PM
The net outflow from African nations to #China between 2020-2024 was US$22 billion, a reversal from the net inflow of $30 billion over the preceding five-year period. The turnaround reflects rising #debt repayments and a sharp drop in the amount of Chinese loans to #Africa.
January 27, 2026 at 8:36 PM
A Brookings Institution global study warns that generative AI’s risks currently outweigh its benefits in #education. The study concludes that #AI may undermine foundational childhood development, potentially blocking future gains: www.brookings.edu/articles/a-n... #chatGPT
A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect | Brookings
This report explores the potential risks generative AI poses to students and outlines what we can do now to minimize them.
www.brookings.edu
January 26, 2026 at 11:43 PM
A Brookings Institution global study warns that generative AI’s risks currently outweigh its benefits in #education. The study concludes that #AI may undermine foundational childhood development, potentially blocking future gains: www.brookings.edu/articles/a-n... #chatGPT
The Bank of Canada has just confirmed that an increasing share of Canadian businesses are reporting higher sales to non-US markets in response to trade tensions with the United States. #Canada's diversification push is already registering. #Carney #middlepower #Sovereignty #trade
January 21, 2026 at 7:27 PM
The Bank of Canada has just confirmed that an increasing share of Canadian businesses are reporting higher sales to non-US markets in response to trade tensions with the United States. #Canada's diversification push is already registering. #Carney #middlepower #Sovereignty #trade
Report from Caixa Bank Research casts some doubt on the overall net benefits enjoyed by countries participating in #China's Belt & Road Initiative: www.caixabankresearch.com/en/economics... #infrastructure #Asia #latam #Africa #energy
The Belt and Road Initiative: a double-edged sword? (part III)
The BRI has become a key element for China’s global positioning. Faced with weakened domestic demand and chronic overcapacity, the initiative has facilitated the opening up of new markets, the diversi...
www.caixabankresearch.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Report from Caixa Bank Research casts some doubt on the overall net benefits enjoyed by countries participating in #China's Belt & Road Initiative: www.caixabankresearch.com/en/economics... #infrastructure #Asia #latam #Africa #energy
How should we rate Carney's trip to China? My take: bigtrendsguy.medium.com/grading-carn...
Grading Carney’s trip to China
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing this week marks the first trip to China by a Canadian leader since 2017. This…
bigtrendsguy.medium.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:50 PM
How should we rate Carney's trip to China? My take: bigtrendsguy.medium.com/grading-carn...
Boston Consulting Group has crafted 4 #trade scenarios for 2034 : 1) Self-sufficiency: Extreme protectionism; 2) Regional strongholds: Trade within local blocs; 3)
Multi-nodal patchwork (deemed most likely): Trade among 4 major power nodes; & 4) Rules-based trade: A return to open, stable markets.
Multi-nodal patchwork (deemed most likely): Trade among 4 major power nodes; & 4) Rules-based trade: A return to open, stable markets.
January 16, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Boston Consulting Group has crafted 4 #trade scenarios for 2034 : 1) Self-sufficiency: Extreme protectionism; 2) Regional strongholds: Trade within local blocs; 3)
Multi-nodal patchwork (deemed most likely): Trade among 4 major power nodes; & 4) Rules-based trade: A return to open, stable markets.
Multi-nodal patchwork (deemed most likely): Trade among 4 major power nodes; & 4) Rules-based trade: A return to open, stable markets.
Le premier ministre Legault, le plus impopulaire au Canada, a annoncé sa démission. On retiendra son déficit record, ses attaques répétées envers les migrants et la minorité anglophone, ainsi que le fiasco coûteux de SAAQclic. Bon débarras. #CAQ
January 14, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Le premier ministre Legault, le plus impopulaire au Canada, a annoncé sa démission. On retiendra son déficit record, ses attaques répétées envers les migrants et la minorité anglophone, ainsi que le fiasco coûteux de SAAQclic. Bon débarras. #CAQ
North Sea Farm 1 off the coast of the #Netherlands, backed by @Amazon’s US$100m climate fund, achieves the world’s first #seaweed harvest co-located with an offshore wind farm: sustainabilitymag.com/news/combini...
Combining Seaweed & Renewables: Amazon’s $100m Climate Fund
North Sea Farm 1, backed by Amazon’s US$100m climate fund, achieves the world’s first seaweed harvest co-located with an offshore wind farm
sustainabilitymag.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:14 AM
North Sea Farm 1 off the coast of the #Netherlands, backed by @Amazon’s US$100m climate fund, achieves the world’s first #seaweed harvest co-located with an offshore wind farm: sustainabilitymag.com/news/combini...
The Bank ofAmerica is offering residential electric vehicle charger financing. Financing #EV chargers alongside the cars themselves could make it easier for drivers to go electric by reducing upfront costs.
January 11, 2026 at 1:47 AM
The Bank ofAmerica is offering residential electric vehicle charger financing. Financing #EV chargers alongside the cars themselves could make it easier for drivers to go electric by reducing upfront costs.
Anselm Küsters, tech researcher and historian at @CEPS_thinktank, assesses that when something goes gravely wrong, #AI systems trained on older data from a relatively “peaceful” world might not be equipped to handle a more chaotic one: www.cep.eu/eu-topics/de...
AI as Systemic Risk in a Polycrisis (cepAdhoc) | cep - Centre for European Policy Network
www.cep.eu
January 11, 2026 at 1:42 AM
Anselm Küsters, tech researcher and historian at @CEPS_thinktank, assesses that when something goes gravely wrong, #AI systems trained on older data from a relatively “peaceful” world might not be equipped to handle a more chaotic one: www.cep.eu/eu-topics/de...
Canadian PM Mark Carney visits #China next week, the 1st time a Canadian leader has visited the country since 2017. He seeks to reset relations, focusing on economic opportunities, e.g., in energy. He'll also seek lower Chinese duties on Canadian agricultural products.
January 8, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Canadian PM Mark Carney visits #China next week, the 1st time a Canadian leader has visited the country since 2017. He seeks to reset relations, focusing on economic opportunities, e.g., in energy. He'll also seek lower Chinese duties on Canadian agricultural products.
Reposted by Bartapest
