There is no bilateral diplomatic relationship more consequential than the one between the US and China, which affects not only the two countries but all of humanity. And now, the future of this relationship hinges on who will lead each country in the years ahead.

Shinzo Abe’s sudden resignation (on health grounds) ends the tenure of Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. The country’s most internationally recognised statesman since 1945, Abe has been, among other things, the world leader most keen on playing golf with United States (US) President Donald Trump. Though he leaves with a still-weak economy, Abe has made Japan stronger and more autonomous in matters of defense and foreign policy.

Earlier this year, Beijing’s ‘mask diplomacy’ gained traction for its suspected geopolitical intentions as the rest of the world was making do with a dwindling supply of face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

COVID-19 and its collateral damage continue to leave a trail of devastation around the world. Millions of businesses have closed, with many having no realistic prospect of reopening. Millions of people have lost their jobs. Millions are without health care. Some families are suffering from food insecurity for the first time.

In his weekly address to the nation on 25 August, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he has no plans in forming a “revolutionary government” or “Rev-Gov”, and is not in whatsoever way connected to the call of one of those groups that support him for a “revolutionary government”, contrary to what his political detractors are claiming.

The European Union’s (EU) representative to ASEAN has recently announced three new development cooperation projects with the 10-nation bloc to support sustainable urbanisation, forest management and government accountability.The projects, which have a combined value of €13 million (US$15.4 million), are part of a wider development program worth €250 million (US$297.6 million) for the 2014-2020 period.

Growing evidence shows that COVID-19 survivors can suffer from long-term health effects, not least heart-related complications. New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that many people who recover from the virus have heart inflammation (myocarditis). Of 100 survivors in the study, 78 had evidence of previous heart inflammation, and 60 showed ongoing inflammation at the time of observation. This medical complication should worry us all.

I belong to a fortunate generation. Born in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1944, toward the end of a world war that killed between 70 million and 85 million people, I have neither been bombed nor had to fight on any battlefields. I grew up in a country and continent that were at peace and thus able to enjoy the economic benefits of unprecedented cross-border cooperation.

Recently an operator of a restaurant in Kedah, a state in northwest Malaysia, who flouted the mandatory home quarantine rule after returning from India tested positive for COVID-19 on 28 July – resulting in the infamous Sivaganga cluster, involving his restaurant employees and patrons.

A few years ago, China’s currency seemed to be rising inexorably to global dominance. The renminbi had become the fifth most important currency for international payments, and in 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) included it in the basket of major currencies that determines the value of Special Drawing Rights (the IMF’s global reserve asset). Since then, however, the renminbi’s progress has stalled.