In this engaging discussion, David Rennie, Beijing bureau chief for The Economist, shares sharp insights on the escalating protests in Hong Kong and the struggle for universal suffrage amid tightening governmental control. He explores the strategic responses from Beijing and the sentiments among local residents torn between political expression and economic stability. Meanwhile, Greg Karlstrom, Middle East correspondent, delves into the dynamic and often opaque nature of Gulf sovereign wealth funds, highlighting their bold investments and contrasting them with ethical guidelines in Norway.
Protesters are in a defiant mood—a hard core of them has smashed up Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. But demonstrations aren’t going to make the territory any more free. The state-owned investment vehicles known as sovereign-wealth funds are usually cautious; those of the Gulf region are proving much more adventurous and less transparent. And, a look at the future of New York’s island of the dead