WORLD ROUNDUPHow Chinese Espionage Conquered Western Capitalism | Mass Graves Shed a Light on Assad’s “Killing Machine” | Trump Will Confront a More Vulnerable but Determined Iran, and more

Trump’s Wish to Control Greenland and Panama Canal: Not a Joke This Time  (David E. Sanger and Lisa Friedman, New York Times)
In recent days the president-elect has called for asserting U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, showing that his “America First”philosophy has an expansionist dimension.

How Chinese Espionage Conquered Western Capitalism  (Ben Wright and Rosa Silverman, The Telegraph)
Spy networks controlled by Beijing pose a growing threat around the world –as Yang Tengbo’s links to Prince Andrew have shown.

Everyone Wants to Meet Syria’s New Rulers  (Economist)
But a flurry of diplomatic meetings in Damascus points to the obstacles ahead.

Prince Andrew and the British Establishment’s “Target-Rich Environment” for Spies (Philip Murphy, The Conversation)
Prince Andrew’s behavior is part of a wider picture and speaks to the general need for higher standards in British public life. Stricter rules on political donations to prevent foreign interference in British politics are long overdue. And people of political influence, including members of both houses of parliament, should be far more closely scrutinized over their relationships with foreign officials and business people. National security, as the term implies, very much begins at home.

The Elitist Truth About Far-Right Populism  (Caroline de Gruyter, Foreign Policy)
A small Swiss canton offers hard truths about the far right.

Mass Graves Shed a Light on Assad’s “Killing Machine”  (Loveday Morris and Suzan Haidamous, Washington Post)
The International Commission on Missing Persons estimates there could be as many as 66 mass grave sites across Syria.

Israel Is Demolishing Northern Gaza and Fortifying Military Positions, Imagery Shows  (Miriam Berger, Imogen Piper, Hazem Balousha and Evan Hill, Washington Post)
Visual analysis and interviews show how Palestinians have been forced from their homes in the north as the Israeli military cuts a new corridor through Gaza.

Trump Will Confront a More Vulnerable but Determined Iran  (David E. Sanger, New York Times)
“Coercive diplomacy” could leave Tehran to choose either a negotiated disassembly of its nuclear capability, or a forced one.