In The News

Name Goods in China but Brand X Elsewhere

David Barboza June 29, 2005
Chinese businesses, with the encouragement of their government, have embarked on a worldwide label buying spree, purchasing internationally well-known brand names. Chinese bids to acquire prominent American companies such as Maytag and Unocal demonstrate that China is eager to make its top companies more competitive by allowing them to access international markets as well as their domestic...

China's Internet: Let a Thousand Filters Bloom

Rebecca MacKinnon June 28, 2005
The internet has played a key role in China's opening up to the world. But, as Rebecca MacKinnon writes, the Chinese government has cracked down on online freedom of expression. Thanks to deals with multinational corporations, US technology has facilitated Beijing's campaign to restrict internet discussions on troublesome issues like democracy, human rights, and Taiwanese independence...

Roll Over, Godzilla: Korea Rules

Norimitsu Onishi June 28, 2005
Celebrities, television shows, movies, music and other cultural products from South Korea are exploding in popularity across East Asia. As a result, the country has witnessed an upsurge in tourism and trade, as well as a cachet of being “cool.” This newfound soft power stems from past South Korean government decisions to nurture and protect its own cultural industries against infiltration from...

A New Asian Invasion

Dan Roberts June 23, 2005
Two high-profile deals have brought Chinese companies into the spotlight: The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) bid on the Unocal oil group, while appliance manufacturer Haier set its sights on Maytag. Several Chinese companies are actively pursuing US industrial assets, stirring debates within Washington regarding trade policy and job displacement. The Unocal bid has also...

Chinese Oil Giant in Takeover Bid for US Corporation

David Barboza June 23, 2005
The first takeover battle by a Chinese company for an American corporation began on Thursday, triggered by a bid that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) entered against Chevron's recent offer to Unocal. Within a growing and modernizing economy, China's largest corporations are striving to emulate their ruthless Wall Street counterparts. The New York Times reports that...

Patent Pitfalls on China’s Road of Clones

Chris Buckley June 21, 2005
As part of a drive to both improve the rule of law and encourage entrepreneurship, China is seeking to improve its patent regulations. For Chinese inventors, patents both in China and abroad mean increased revenue and access to new markets. Unfortunately, despite the many efforts that Chinese innovators are making to protect their creations against intellectual property theft, the terms of...

Chinese Shoe Sales Strain EU Trade Ties

Tobias Buck June 9, 2005
China's shoe exports to Europe have increased nearly seven-fold since the beginning of January, when trade quotas limiting its textile and clothing output were abandoned. Low-priced and abundant, Chinese-manufactured footwear has skyrocketed in market share, panicking European shoemakers who fear that their jobs and sales are threatened. Many are calling on Brussels to adopt anti-dumping...