Political Risk Must-Reads

Eurasia Group’s weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie — presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer.

Must-reads

"Russia to invest $1 bln in rare earths to cut dependence on China"
Gleb Stolyarov, Reuters
With China currently producing 90 percent of the world’s rare-earth supplies, Russia has announced its desire to get involved too. After all, Russia’s rare-earths consumption is expected to quadruple by 2020.

"China Billionaires: Sharp Rise in Richest"
Sky News
A decade ago, China had no dollar billionaires. Now China has more than any other country except the United States. What sectors do the wealthiest Chinese hail from?

"Fertility Rate Stabilizes as the Economy Grows"
Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times
The financial crisis wasn’t just a market crash; the United States’ birth rate fell precipitously too. Has that trend finally bottomed out?

Longer read

"A House Divided: Finding Peace in Multiethnic Myanmar"
Jim Della-Giacoma, Richard Horsey, World Politics Review
Ethnic tensions in Myanmar run deep, but there hasn’t been an ethnic census in Myanmar since 1931, when the country was still under British rule. Can a government in the midst of a political opening secure peace between various ethnic groups?

Weekly bonus

"How Much Will the Defense Industry Make From a Missile Strike Against Syria?"
Ray Downs, Vice
Interested in the price tag for a limited strike against Syria? This piece conjectures and crunches the numbers.