Ian Lahiffe

Ian Lahiffe has been running a business for in China during the Covid-19 lockdown for the past five weeks. Here, he outlines the practical implications of remotely operating a business and offers tips to navigate the crisis.

As the government falls in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s corruption scandals, its dealings with Goldman Sachs and the growing influence of China remind Ian Lahiffe of recent Greek history.

Now confined to his apartment complex in Beijing, Ian Lahiffe observes the lasting impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on China's social, political and economic structures – and the ramifications for trade and investment in Ireland and elsewhere.

As the global geopolitical climate heats up, China will not have the luxury of being able to solely focus on long-term domestic policies and will need to make some challenging decisions to protect its core interests.

Stuck between Trump’s lack of interest and China’s rising power, the relationship between Tokyo and Seoul is a fragile alliance in need of a steady hand.

From bus fulls of Russian tourists to fast-track medical development and displays of military might, the tropical island hosting Avolon’s parent company has become a microcosm of China’s rise to international power.

The ongoing price crisis in the beef sector has highlighted the need for alternative export markets. Beijing-based Ian Lahiffe warns against the expectation that growing Chinese imports alone will save the day.

Irish food exporters have entered China as commodity suppliers. They could achieve a lot more by engaging with the growing cohort of sophisticated Chinese consumers, writes Beijing-based Ian Lahiffe.

In his first report from China, ag-tech executive Ian Lahiffe writes that many find a comfort to the sacrifices being made in civil liberties for the ‘greater good’ and the era of surveillance had only made that proposition stronger.