44 Percent of the World Lives in Countries Where Government Restricts or Limits Citizen Internet Access.

Internet freedom across the world has declined for the 12th consecutive year, and more than half the world now lives in countries where the government is imposing material restrictions on citizen access to social media, according to the most recent “Freedom on the Net” report from Freedom House.

Internet access is an essential element of a vibrant, healthy democracy. Voters can’t make informed choices without objective, trustworthy, information on the qualifications of their candidates, what they stand for, and how their campaigns are funded. Journalists can’t perform their traditional watchdog role without access to government meetings and records. Citizens far from the seat of government can’t express their requests or grievances in a timely way without the communication tools the internet offers.

China Is the Top Trading Partner to More Than 120 Countries.

China is the largest trading partner to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Given their proximity, those countries are hardly a surprise.

But it is also the top trader with Russia—and Ukraine. In Africa, China is the top partner for countries like South Africa and Kenya. In South America, for places like Brazil; in the Middle East, places like Saudi Arabia. And China is the largest external trading partner of the European Union.