This is the second in a series of weekend comments on what I have learned in the past 7 days about the global economy and financial markets.  This week, there has been a notable rise in inflation concerns as higher food and energy prices start to impact consumer prices. There have been signs that European governments are discussing a more comprehensive package to address the sovereign debt crisis. And China has continued down the path of gradual monetary tightening. Next week, Mr Hu visits Washington, Ecofin meets to discuss sovereign debt, and China publishes its macro data for December. Read more