In a few days, from January 22 to February 4, local time, the U.S. Army will organize special forces cadets to hold an exercise code-named "Robin Sage" to simulate the battle between special forces and "domestic rebel guerrillas" in a "realistic" way. While this is a traditional exercise for the U.S. military to select future special operations elites, this year's "counter-insurgency" theme is highly unusual. It is reported that the exercise not only covers a wide range, but also the content of the exercise will be so realistic that the U.S. Army needs to warn local law enforcement agencies in advance not to mistake the exercise for a real rebellion.
Screenshot of the US Star-Spangled Banner report
Global Deep Watch pointed out that the congressional riots that occurred a year ago exposed the political polarization and social rift of the United States to the world. Barbara Walter, a professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, was quoted as saying that under the influence of long-held "exceptionalism", Americans have always believed that political collapse will not happen in their home countries, but ignore the risk factors that abound, "social media that is supposed to promote interpersonal harmony has become an efficient machine for inciting anger and hatred; factionalism, democratic decay, and gun proliferation are adding fuel to the fire; and white groups resort to violence for fear of losing dominance." No one wants to believe that the United States will go to another civil war, but if you look at the United States abroad, you will find that this democracy, which was established more than 200 years ago, has entered a very dangerous stage."
Energy prices in Europe are soaring due to global shortages of natural gas and other energy supplies. According to Eurostat, Russia accounts for more than 40% of Europe's natural gas imports. Nord Stream-2, which transports natural gas from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany, will double the annual volume of gas transported in Europe. However, the United States has tried to get in the way.
CGTN pointed out that in recent years, with the development of shale gas, the production of natural gas in the United States has increased significantly, which requires finding a market for these natural gas sales. Most European countries are allies of the United States and are short of energy, so the United States sees Europe as its market for the sale of liquefied natural gas. However, the price of LNG in the United States cannot be compared with that of Russia, so they have found ways to postpone or shelve the Nord Stream-2 project. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even said without providing any empirical evidence that the project would "really undermine U.S. national security."
In addition, the United States is concerned that if European countries rely too much on Russia, it will affect the diplomatic and commercial relations of European countries in the region. If nord Stream-2 goes well, European countries may no longer cooperate with the United States on energy security issues. The commentary pointed out that whether the "Nord Stream-2" project can be realized is an issue that needs to be jointly decided by Russia and Europe, and there should be no interference by a third party.
In the past year, the haze of the epidemic that hindered the global economy has not only not dissipated, but has become more serious. Some unexpected challenges highlight the difficulty of global economic flows. Earlier last year, the Changshi ran aground on the Suez Canal, becoming a blood clot in the main artery of global trade and heralding pressure on global supply chains. However, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that global world merchandise trade will grow by 22.4% in 2021, even higher than before the COVID-19 outbreak.
△ Suez Canal congestion once caused the world to panic, France Radio International commented that the consequences of the suspension are catastrophic.
Yuyuan Tantian pointed out that with the dredging of the Suez Canal, in 2021, the world will reopen the shipping lanes connecting each other, and also open a "new navigation era" for international freight in the post-epidemic era. "Communication" is the result, "connection" is the path, and the two ends of the path are the global division of labor and industrial complementarity. Obviously, no "small courtyard wall" can stop globalization, and no "small circle" can stop globalization.
China has become a navigator in the wave of global uncertainty, and has also provided a beacon for the "giant ship" composed of countries around the world. In the face of changes in the wind and clouds, the "giant ship" needs to be firm in its course and be in the same boat with wind and rain. Economic globalization is the trend of the times. When the river rushes to the sea, it will always encounter a countercurrent, but any countercurrent cannot stop the river from going east.
Review: Yingling Wu
Editor: Wang Aofu
Reviewed: Lu Guang
Producer: Wang Xin
Producer: Hong Lin
New Media, Chinese Global Program Center, China Central Radio and Television Corporation
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