Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- MArch 31, 2018

Philipp Bilsky, DW: China's Xi Jinping — the man who decides the fate of billions

China made a series of historic decisions at its 13th National People's Congress in Beijing. Not only will President Xi Jinping be able to rule indefinitely, he is more powerful than ever, says DW's Philipp Bilsky.

It was one of the longest National People's Congresses in years. Representatives from around the country met in Beijing for more than two weeks, and they had a lengthy agenda. Among other things, members of China's pretend-parliament rubber-stamped the most comprehensive restructuring of the country's state apparatus in decades. A major element thereof was a substantial reduction in the number of government agencies and ministries in an attempt to make the bureaucracy leaner and more efficient. China's government, with its millions of administrators, is not only one of the world's largest, it is also one of the most unwieldy.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 31, 2018

Xi’s power boost raises new risks for Silicon Valley -- Kent Harrington, Reuters

New Legislation May Push China and Taiwan Toward War -- J. Michael Cole, National Interest

No Longer a Secret: How Israel Destroyed Syria's Nuclear Reactor -- Amos Harel and Aluf Benn, Haaretz

Israel Finally Tells All About Its Top-Secret Strike on Syrian Nuclear Reactor -- Adam Rawnsley, Daily Beast

Could Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions shake up the Middle East? -- Wesley Dockery, DW

The Saudi Crown Prince’s American Charm Offensive -- Kimberly Dozier, The Cipher Brief

Erdogan is triumphant, maybe too triumphant, but it's unclear where he goes from here -- Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

Might Kim Actually Want to Cut a Deal? -- Ron Huisken, The Strategist

The Strange Tale of Trump's Phone Call to Putin -- David Graham, The Atlantic

How can NATO regain its military might without raising tensions with Russia? -- Antony Funnell, ABC News Online

Liberal World Order, R.I.P. -- Richard N. Haass, Project Syndicate

The End of the Petrodollar? -- James Grant, National Interest

It’s Time to Regulate the Internet -- Franklin Foer, The Atlantic

Zuckerberg Offers the Bare Minimum on the Cambridge Analytica Mess -- Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic

Breaking up with Facebook? It’s harder than it looks -- Barbara Ortutay, AP