Media-driven memory politics outpaces classroom teaching in East Asia Cross-border, source-based history lessons can counter quick nationalist swings Schools must prime students before flashpoints to cool future conflicts

Communism did not reduce inequality more than other regimes and lowered overall welfare Europe’s welfare capitalism cuts disposable-income gaps through taxes, transfers, and strong delivery systems Tie school funding, time, and data to disadvantage to shrink learning gaps fast

China’s scale and prices now drive Asia’s green transition without Western support Japan and Korea provide the standards, finance, and delivery that make projects bankable ASEAN education should pivot to East Asian hardware, codes, and procurement skills

Trusted news wins when fakes surge Make “proof” visible—provenance, corrections, and methods—not just better detectors Adopt open standards and clear labels so platforms, schools, and publishers turn credibility into a product feature

China is moving from messaging abroad to pulling audiences in Visa easing, platform virality, and museum upgrades turn curiosity into visits and study Schools should swap institutes for short, place-based exchanges with clear safeguards

China shifts to cooperative leverage with zero tariffs and swap lines It builds influence as U.S.

Households’ inflation beliefs move more with media framing than ECB verbosity Extra, unscheduled talk can backfire; clarity, timing, and audiovisual formats anchor expectations Make communication a measurable policy tool with simple targets and state-contingent triggers

AI prices reflect scarce compute and network effects, not just hype Educators must teach market dynamics and govern AI use Turn volatility into lasting learning gains In a time historically dominate

Reshoring works only when automation slashes unit labor costs Raise robot density and software-driven productivity, not tariffs Tie incentives to verified plant gains and workforce upskilling One key point that should ch

Judge AI use by proportion, not yes/no Require disclosure and provenance to prove human lead Apply thresholds (≤20%, 20–50%, >50%) to grade and govern Sixty-two percent of people say they would like their favorite artw

AI lowers entry barriers, raises mastery standards Novices gain most; experts move to oversight and design Education must deliver operator training and governance mastery A quiet result from a very loud technology

AI use is ubiquitous; current assessments reward fluency over thinking Grade process, add brief vivas, and require transparent AI-use disclosure Train teachers, ensure equity, and track outcomes to make AI a partner Eig

AI accelerates information cascades, turning rumors into rapid bank runs Stability now hinges on dampening synchronized behavior, not just capital buffers Build rumor-aware stress tests, fast disclosures, and drill-based curricula

U.S.

AI and robotics remain narrow tools, excelling only in tightly defined tasks Human versatility—handling exceptions, combining roles, and adapting to context—remains the decisive advantage Education policy must prioritize training for this versatility, turning automation into complement rather than substitute

East Asia’s rise is method, not miracle: education plus efficiency China’s electronics exports soared from $5B to ~$1T via process mastery Policy focus: applied numeracy, diffusion finance, infrastructure, measurable yield gains

Incentives, not ideology, will decide the dollar–RMB digital race Regulated dollar stablecoins scale; e-CNY stays domestic as China tests HK yuan stablecoins Regulate tightly and pilot cross-border payments in education and trade—measure, don’t mandate

Tariffs nudge prices up but can shrink Treasury coupon supply Channel tariff revenue to bills to compress term premia and enable Fed cuts Extending tax cuts swells deficits, hardens long yields, and squeezes education budgets

China is softening its BRI approach in Central Asia with grants and joint ventures The key challenge is making infrastructure projects financially self-sustaining Only profitable corridors can secure lasting partnerships and stability

This article is based on ideas originally published by VoxEU – Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and has been independently rewritten and extended by The Economy editorial team. While inspired by the original analysis, the content presented here reflects a broader interpretation and additional commentary. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of VoxEU or CEPR.