In The News

Africa Held Back From Manufacturing Success

Larry Elliott June 5, 2006
While some African nations can count themselves as rich in natural resources, a great proportion of raw materials produced in these mainly poor countries are exported to other continents for manufacture into finished goods. While Africa has potential for industrial development, the obstacles to growth are daunting. To begin with, the lack of infrastructure and training are widespread problems...

Korean Hospitals Eager to Tap Overseas Patients

Jin Hyun-joo June 2, 2006
With high-quality workers and advanced technology, South Korea has the potential to become a leading medical hub, according to the Korea International Trade Association. The government has initiated measures to promote medical tourism, such as easing the visa process for foreign patients. The Korean government and hospitals also partner in marketing to encourage patients, especially those from...

Hollywood Caters to a Ravenous Global Appetite

William Booth June 2, 2006
Hollywood is big business, but the largest portion of its revenues no longer comes from the US. Instead, Hollywood reaps more international than domestic profits, and as a result, the global marketplace influences everything from what films get made to how they are made. In fact, big Hollywood productions no longer make US audiences their primary target and aim to entertain thousands of...

India’s Secret Weapon

Richard Wilder May 25, 2006
Individuals have more reason to innovate when their governments carefully guard intellectual property rights. Authors Richard Wilder and Pravid Anand argue that India is more innovative than China, largely because of moves to protect intellectual property. The software industry is growing rapidly, not so much because of low costs and outsourcing, but because of innovations that are protected by...

Chinese Influence in Brazil Worries US

Humphrey Hawksley May 24, 2006
The US has claimed the right to influence Latin America since the 1823 Monroe doctrine. Yet China diligently presents itself to the developing world, including Latin America, as a formidable model for ending poverty. Nations in South America like Brazil have taken notice, and the US can only fret about protecting the Americas as its turf. China continues to invest billions for infrastructure,...

Outsourcing Your Heart

Unmesh Kher May 23, 2006
People forced to pay their own health-care costs tend to hunt for bargains. As a result, medical tourism is booming, with patients in the US, Canada and UK scheduling flights to obtain surgery in India, Thailand, and other countries with trained physicians and procedures that cost 25 percent or less than those based in the US. Uninsured or underinsured patients in particular arrange for plastic...

Next Wave of Camera-Wielding Tourists Is From China

Howard W. French May 19, 2006
When millions of Japanese began to travel abroad during their country’s economic boom in the 1980s, hotels around the world introduced Japanese-style slippers to their rooms while restaurants created menus adapted to Japanese tastes. More than 20 years later, the international tourism industry faces a similar challenge – this time catering to the rising number of Chinese visiting foreign...