The Chinese delegation “rat-f––ed” the negotiations, fumed Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, after yet another day of gridlock. It was a Friday afternoon in December 2009, and the COP-15 climate conference in Copenhagen was going off the rails. U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and dozens of other world leaders had assembled in a last-ditch attempt to salvage a deal. They sat cheek by jowl in uncomfortable straight-backed chairs. The conference table was strewn with empty espresso cups and large leafy plants, piles of dog-eared papers, yellow highlighters, and soggy mozzarella sandwiches. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was absent. In his place, he sent an underling, He Yafei, to sit opposite Obama — but did not authorize him to negotiate. The sleep-deprived world leaders were insulted. Most eventually lost patience and walked out. With this gesture, China was not j…
Scott Gottlieb: How to stop the shift of drug discovery from the U.S. to China
Five years ago, U.S. pharmaceutical companies didn’t license any new drugs from China. By 2024, one-third of their new compounds were coming from Chinese biotechnology firms. Why…
Thought Leader: Scott Gottlieb
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Can You Get Too Many Vaccines?
Proponents of vaccines have contended with waves of skepticism and controversy in recent years, and even if you’re first in line for your booster, the…
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Henry M. Paulson Jr.: China won’t back down. Is an all-out trade war inevitable?
In 2008, the United States was combating a financial crisis stemming from excesses in the financial system, flawed regulation and risk management, and a dangerous…
Thought Leader: Hank Paulson
