Tobita Chow
@tobitac.bsky.social
US-China, climate, politics, imperialism and world economy Chicagoland | immigrant | he/him
Very excited to be delivering the 2026 Antipode RGS-IBG Lecture next week, “Imperial State Capitalism and the Long Arc of History”!
Antipode@antipodeonline.bsky.social · last wk.Join us at #RGSIBG26 for the the 2026 Antipode RGS-IBG Lecture, “Imperial State Capitalism and the Long Arc of History”, presented by @iliasalami.bsky.social on Wednesday 2nd September at 4:35pm BST antipodeonline.org/2026/08/26/t... @rgs-ibghe.bsky.social
on the surface military tensions are lower than a long time, no US carriers in the pacific, THAAD out of SK + pullback on joint exercises, RFA defunded, Taiwan arms sale frozen--beneath the surface, however...
It wouldn't take a full blown war for things to start getting very ugly, and under the surface of Trump's bromance with Xi the conditions for volatile reescalation in US-China conflict are festering asamnews.com/2026/08/26/r...
I’m delighted to have contributed a chapter with Sandy Shan in this landmark book on the future of progressive foreign policy. In our chapter, Sandy and I lay out our vision for how the US–China relationship could be reshaped, making great power peace an engine for progressive global reform.
Matt Duss@mattduss.bsky.social · 3w agoExcited to announce this new project, a collaboration by over 30 progressive thinkers laying out a new vision for US foreign policy. Coming in November from @orbooks.bsky.social Available for pre-order now! orbooks.com/catalog/a-wo...
Maybe forcing other countries into an economic bloc against China is a bad and unworkable idea
Albert Pinto@70sbachchan.bsky.social · 2w agoCarney: "The U.S. introduced in the last hours, efforts to restrict our ability to have other trade deals. We're the partner of choice in many respects for countries around the world, and the Americans wanted to restrict that. Unacceptable." Was this about China?? @katemac.bsky.social
Reported ICE sightings also in Rogers Park, Humboldt Park, Stone Park and Logan Square.
unraveled@unraveledpress.com · 2mo agoIt's just before 9am in Chicago. Kidnappings by masked federal police continue (and continue, and continue). So far this morning, agents have been spotted in Back of the Yards and West Ridge.
Thanks @corrientecalida.com for picking up one of my articles and translating it into Spanish
Corriente Cálida@corrientecalida.com · 3mo ago💥𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗𝗔𝗗💥 Ya en nuestra web y pronto en librerías nuestro octavo monográfico, «Enemigos en todas partes». En este número exploramos el lugar qué ocupa la política climática en el caos y difícil reordenamiento de la política internacional contemporánea. ➡️ corrientecalida.com/producto/ene...
Don't get too excited--I won't name names but some of the left congressional candidates this year reject the labor theory of value
On @ezraklein.bsky.social, @mattduss.bsky.social plants the flag: • Progressive FP’s precondition is to break with Biden personnel and their aim of reviving US hegemony • Its substance is solidarity: reform so different nationalities are not pitted against each other, so all workers enjoy security
Matt Duss@mattduss.bsky.social · 3mo agoWe need a new US foreign policy that promotes peace and solidarity Mu conversation with @ezraklein.bsky.social @nytopinion.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/o...
"The US now appears to control all the major power blocs in Venezuela.... Venezuela’s new acting President has become the local enforcer of the US National Security Strategy and the Trump Corollary." phenomenalworld.org/analysis/bol...
Bolivarian Twilight | Luis Bonilla-Molina
The recolonization of Venezuela
phenomenalworld.org
I'm thrilled to be writing GREEN GIANT for PublicAffairs.
"Peru’s June presidential runoff is drawing attention in China, where analysts are watching whether the next government will reshape ties with Beijing and place new pressure on Chancay, a Chinese-operated megaport" chinaglobalsouth.com/2026/05/29/p...
China Watches Peru Election for Impact on Chancay Port
Peru’s June presidential runoff is drawing attention in China, where analysts are watching whether the next government will reshape ties with Beijing and place new pressure on Chancay, a Chinese-opera...
chinaglobalsouth.com
Some nasty capital flight from the economy of the world's 4th most populous country Prabowo: “The markets are not understanding me” 😬
Bloomberg News@bloomberg.com · 3mo agoGlobal investors are rapidly losing confidence in Indonesia as the nation’s stocks tumble at the fastest pace worldwide and its currency sinks to all-time lows
“Realizing a progressive hukou abolition would require immense political force to overcome resistance from privileged urbanites and capitalists addicted to super-exploited labor. That force cannot come from society, as social movements, and labor movements in particular, are anathema to the Party.”
Eli Friedman@elifriedman.bsky.social · 3mo agoThe demise of hukou has been repeatedly predicted since the 1990s. Is this time different?
earnest answer: a full 15 years of treating the use of DJI/consumer drones as an intelligence threat while trying to spin up $$$$ secure supply chain alternatives for cheap quadcopters meant the US fully missed how low low cost and mass production allows for innovation and iteration at scale
I'm no military expert but it seems that both the US and Israel have recently been caught by surprise by drone warfare and how is that possible
I agree: "In this, a paradox is hard to miss: for all its autocratic and repressive tendencies at home, China has been a team player abroad, championing what many would consider progressive changes in key areas of global governance." @phenomenalworld.bsky.social phenomenalworld.org/analysis/glo...
Between Development and Dependence | Ching Kwan Lee
Global China and the prospects for South–South cooperation
phenomenalworld.org
Haven't read yet and I can't speak to the other topics but Ching Kwan Lee and Zhang Yueran are GOAT scholars in their respective fields
Phenomenal World@phenomenalworld.bsky.social · 3mo agoPhenomenal World Issue 1 is here: AMERICAN POWER With writing on ‘declinism,’ the dollar, the Donroe Doctrine, Iran, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, China, the Gulf, and more. Now all online— phenomenalworld.org/issue/issue-...
It can be easy to forget how significant Jubilee 2000-inspired debt relief was. Bono, Muhammad Ali, and Pope John Paul teaming up! Over $100 billion in debt forgiven for 39 countries to enable anti-poverty spending! My new blog is on HIPC/MDRI and what we can learn from them
Tim Hirschel-Burns@timhirschelburns.bsky.social · 9mo agoWe need much more finance flowing to developing countries—according to leading estimates, 1-2% of developed countries' GDP and 3-5% of developing countries' GDP. The good news: large-scale finance to developing countries has happened before and worked
This place is a small echo chamber but it did contain some well informed hot takes about the new hukou guidelines
There aren't many details - it's a sort of broad aspirational policy document, although there are a few concrete positives like abolishing hukou restrictions on participation in social insurance where you work, and delinking hukou and medical benefits www.mee.gov.cn/zcwj/gwywj/2...
mee.gov.cn
We're looking out for Chinese commentary. It sounds positive, but still very early days, and hard to tell how far it'll end up going. Doesn't sound like there's new central funding to actually pay for it—local governments, many already struggling, are supposed to figure it out for themselves.
samuelwa.de@samuelwa.de · 3mo agoYou can see in section III that the bone hasn't suddenly softened: lots of acting in light of local realities, within local capacities, case-by-case, gradually, when conditions ripen …
Been burned too many times, but I will feel encouraged when I see Beijinger parents protesting against migrant kids taking local gaokao, that's when you'll know it's real
I joined @tobitac.bsky.social talking to @redandinexpert.bsky.social on where US–China relations stand in the glorious new era of constructive strategic stability.
Politics Theory Other@poltheoryother.bsky.social · 4mo ago🇨🇳🇺🇸 NEW EPISODE 🇨🇳🇺🇸 - @tobitac.bsky.social and @jwdwerner.bsky.social on where US-China relations stand after the Beijing summit. We talked tariffs, Taiwan, and potential future crises that might worsen relations between the two most powerful states in the global system: