Newsletter #4 – CediChronicles
Welcome back to the newsletter — three readings to help you cut through the noise and make sense of world politics today. From great-power tensions between China and the United States, to South Africa’s diplomatic balancing act at the G20, and the politics behind another disappointing UN climate conference, these pieces offer accessible insights into how global politics.
1️⃣ The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War? — The Atlantic
Read here (if you have limited to The Atlantic, you can click here)
A classic and highly readable explanation of what happens when a rising power threatens an established one. This piece breaks down the logic of the “Thucydides Trap” and why analysts keep asking whether the U.S. and China are drifting toward conflict.
It’s a great primer on why strategic rivalry — even without open war — is shaping everything from trade to tech to diplomacy.
2️⃣ South Africa’s G20 Juggling Act — International Crisis Group
This article explores how South Africa used the U.S. boycott of the G20 Summit to showcase its own ambitions for continental leadership. It’s a fascinating look at how middle powers navigate global governance forums — and how Africa’s diplomatic landscape is shifting.
If you’re following debates about multipolarity, it’s an interesting article.
3️⃣ COP30: Five Reasons the ‘People’s Summit’ Failed to Deliver — The Conversation
Another climate summit, another round of disappointment. This piece breaks down five concrete reasons COP30 failed to live up to expectations, from political obstruction to weak commitments.
It’s short, accessible, and gives you a clear sense of why global climate diplomacy remains so frustratingly slow.
💭 My takeaway:
This set of readings is more thematic than it might seem: it’s about power struggles. If you only have time for one, I’d pick the Thucydides Trap one. Ancient philosophy applied to current events tends to be quite interesting.