This has been a pressing topic in the past weeks when the U.S. government took several actions to intensify its grip over U.S.-listed Chinese companies. Yesterday I discussed this topic as a panelist, together with Harvey L. Pitt, former SEC Chairman; Edward Greene, Partner at Cleary Gottlieb; Lorna Xin Chen, Asia Regional Managing Partner, Head of Greater China at Shearman & Sterling. Columbia Law Professor Benjamin L. Liebman moderated the panel.

We discussed the impact of the two recent actions by the U.S. That is, first, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCA) that seeks to address (indirectly) the long-standing…

“The clock stopped ticking. Today is a day of relief,” E.U. negotiator Michel Barnier said at a news conference in Brussels. “But tinted by some sadness, as we compare what came before with what lies ahead.”

First of all, let’s salute the achievement and its authors.

The dramatic breakthrough of the Brexit Trade Agreement is avoiding complete chaos of the export and imports of goods across the North Sea. It resolves the complexity of the Irish situation. It does, at last, gives businesses the opportunity to make the necessary changes within a framework that has been too long to obtain.

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As Joe Biden puts together a team of high quality and experienced people, it might be helpful to look at the task ahead. Many Biden Administration appointees were also in the Obama Administration. This could be misconstrued as “more of the same”, which also harmed Hillary Clinton.

I just came back from a two-week trip to Brussels, London, and Paris. As many are focused on Brexit, I was struck by the fear for Donald Trump, combined with hopes that Joe Biden can turn this ugly page in the history of U.S. international relations.

Donald Trump has damaged international trust in…

The U.S. intends to exit the Open Skies treaty. It is a 34-nation agreement allowing the U.S., Russia, and other countries to fly their aircraft over each other’s territory — increasing transparency and reducing the chances for perilous miscalculations.

Transatlantic relations are an important factor to world peace, founded on history, values, trade, culture, and personal relationships. As Joe Biden takes the reins of the new administration, he will make a point to assess the damage that his predecessor caused created over the past four years: insults to European leaders, withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change and other…

Sometimes, in a presidential debate, the most important part is what is not addressed. One of them is the fragile state of our public finance, fueled by failed war efforts, favorable taxes for large corporations and wealthy individuals, aberrant defense spending, and absurd investments like the “Mexican Wall”.

A quick look at the past

Ever since Bill Clinton managed to balance the federal budget, both Republican and Democrat administrations have largely deployed expenses that could only be funded by debt. The Trump administration is no exception to this rule, even though it was not facing a need to increase the budget deficit until the pandemic coronavirus.

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Beyond the electoral challenges of the Presidential Debate, two strikingly different types of men displayed characteristics of anger, but in completely different ways. The contrast was striking; it tells us about men in 2020.

Trump’s manhood

The display of anger by the President of the United States was constantly present: not once did he smile, his adversary’s differences of opinions or criticisms were simply unbearable to him. His first term in office displayed his vision of leadership; he has eliminated any form of opposition in his close circle. Prompt to retaliation and bullying, being exposed to someone questioning his beliefs for ninety…

“This is a fantastic moment. We can now move forward as one country — with a government focused upon delivering better public services, greater opportunity and unleashing the potential of every corner of our brilliant United Kingdom while building a strong new relationship with the EU as friends and sovereign equals,”

A quote from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Jonson in January 2020, signing the withdrawal agreement that exited the U.K. as a member of the European Union.

The loss of trust

Now, eight months later, Boris Johnson reneged his earlier signature, by pushing for a bill that will break the U.K.’s …