by Jim Wolf | 13 Apr 2023 | China, Decoders, Politics, United States, World
Even as the U.S. and China stare each other down, China is bridging conflicts in regions the U.S. once dominated. Are we looking at a new world order? Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, hold hands with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince...
Some experts say that the world is entering a period of a renewed Cold War. This Decoder from ND correspondent Jim Wolf dives into the role China plays as new allegiances are formed and countries take ideological stands on democracy versus autocracy. Help your students draw the connection between past and present with this classroom article.
Exercise: After reading the article as a class, have students create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting what the article describes as a potential “new world order” and the first Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union. For both past and present, students should consider: major world powers, alliances (including non-aligned nations), proxy conflicts/Cold War “hotspots”, effectiveness of diplomacy, ideological conflicts, etc.
by Jane Macartney | 10 Mar 2023 | Decoders, Educators' Catalog, Politics, Russia
The relationship between China and Russia seems to grow closer as the U.S. and China look at each other with hostile eyes. At what point does this become scary? Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, toasts with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to the Conference...
Especially pertinent after Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow last week, this article from correspondent Jane Macartney decodes the Russian-Chinese relationship — and its effects on the war in Ukraine and beyond. While China has stopped short of providing lethal material support to Moscow, its overall trade with Russia reached a record high in 2022. Help your students understand all the moving pieces of this geopolitical puzzle with this Decoder.
Exercise: After reading the article, show students this political cartoon of Putin and Xi Jinping. Students should draw parallels between the article and the cartoon’s symbols, characters and captions. Prompting questions: Who are the characters in the cartoon? Why does Xi appear conflicted in the image? How does the image represent what Macartney described in her article? Explain to students that this cartoon was published in 2022. How has the Russian-Chinese relationship evolved since then, with Xi’s latest state visit to Moscow?
by John West | 24 Jun 2022 | Economy, Human Rights, Politics, World
Many have predicted this would be the ‘Asian Century.’ But the world is increasingly fractured as we enter a new “Cold War.” Elderly wait for a free vegetarian lunch in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing, China, 13 May 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) For some...
by Alan Wheatley | 3 May 2022 | Economy, Russia, Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is likely to prompt firms to re-examine supply chains and bring business closer to home, even if that means lower profits. Pipeline taps at a chemical plant near Cologne, Germany, 6 April 6, 2022. Germany relies heavily on imports of...
by Jill Moffatt | 8 Mar 2022 | China, Human Rights, Sports, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows
China is spotlighting the Paralympic Games and winning medals. But do its broadcast coverage and athletes’ success mask inequitable rights? China’s athletes parade at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, 4 March 2022. (AP...
