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.

"China Finds Resistance to Oil Deals in Africa"
Adam Nossiter, New York Times
Many African governments have begun fighting back against lopsided oil contracts with the Chinese that were often locked in by corrupt former regimes.

"Property Prices Keep the Locks on Myanmar"
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal
Myanmar is the poorest country in Southeast Asia, but presents a glittering opportunity as it begins to open up for investment: It’s the fastest-growing tourism market in the region and the race is on to build out infrastructure. But high-quality office space in the commercial capital, Yangon, is scarce: At $78 a square meter, it’s the most expensive in the region. Compare that with Manhattan, where the average asking rent is $49.95.

"The 50 Dirtiest Power Plants in the U.S. Generate More Pollution Than Most Countries"
Ben Schiller, Fast Company
The headline says it all. According to a recent report, if the 50 dirtiest U.S. power plants were their own country, they would be the seventh-largest emitter of carbon pollution in the world.

Turkey’s Public Relations Campaign?

"Turkey’s Government Forms 6,000-Member Social Media Team"
Ayla Albayrak and Joe Parkinson, Wall Street Journal
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party is training young people to volunteer as "social media representatives," using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to echo the party’s platform and monitor online discussion.

"The Wisdom of Crisis Prevention"
Mehmet Simsek, Project Syndicate
This article by Turkey’s finance finance speaks to the urgency of preventing economic crises rather than just reacting to them. Simsek also highlights Turkey’s booming economic success since its own financial crisis in 2001 (though he may have some bias in this department…).

Outer Space Bonus

"The Rise of Chinese Space Junk"
Wilson VornDick, the Diplomat
NASA estimates that more than 500,000 pieces of man-made debris orbit the Earth at speeds over 17,500 miles per hour. China’s recent space ambition leaves it on track to become the leading space polluter. This January, a piece of debris from a 2007 Chinese launch collided with and destroyed a Russian satellite.

This week, it was confirmed that NASA’s Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to pass into interstellar space. Are you curious what it sounds like beyond the solar system?