2022年快結束啦~來回顧今年的大條新聞吧! 1. Superpower politics-The most dangerous place on Earth- America and China must work harder to avoid war over the future of Taiwan The test of a first-rate intelligence, wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. For decades just such an exercise of high-calibre ambiguity has kept the peace between America and China over Taiwan, an island of 24m people, 100 miles (160km) off China’s coast. Leaders in Beijing say there is only one China, which they run, and that Taiwan is a rebellious part of it. America nods to the one China idea, but has spent 70 years ensuring there are two. Today, however, this strategic ambiguity is breaking down. The United States is coming to fear that it may no longer be able to deter China from seizing Taiwan by force. Admiral Phil Davidson, who heads the Indo-Pacific Command, told Congress in March that he worried about China attacking Taiwan as soon as 2027. **2. **The crisis deepened at Evergrande, as the debt-laden Chinese property developer confirmed it had been ordered to demolish 39 buildings on a man-made island that it has compared to the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The local authority in Hainan province said Evergrande had not been given permission to build the properties. Trading in its shares was briefly suspended in Hong Kong ahead of the announcement. **3. **The global job market will take longer to recover from the covid-19 crisis than had been thought, according to the International Labour Organisation. Its latest forecast estimates that there will be 52m fewer jobs in 2022 compared with 2019, and that a full recovery in 2023 “remains elusive”. 4. Russia stepped up what looked like preparations to invade Ukraine. Its troops were deployed to Belarus, from which they could open up a second front and threaten Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. More than 100,000 troops have now massed on Ukraine’s borders. A cyber-attack, allegedly from Russia, closed down Ukrainian government websites. President Joe Biden said Russia was ready to pounce and promised heavy sanctions if it does… **5. **The US feat. Taiwan v. China Marsha Blackburn, an American senator, arrived in Taiwan, marking the third visit by a Washington official this month. Following an earlier visit by Nancy Pelosi, one of America’s most senior legislators, China staged its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan. In response, the Taiwanese government proposed to spend more than $19bn on defence next year, a 15% increase on the current budget. **6. **China has ramped up anti-covid measures in some big cities ahead of the Communist Party’s five-yearly congress, which begins in Beijing on Sunday. To counter an uptick in infections after the National Day holiday Shanghai has locked down some neighbourhoods, closed entertainment venues and tourist attractions and will double the frequency of its mass testing. Other local authorities have closed schools. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

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