In The News

Thailand's Risk Level for Expatriates Raised

Marisa Chimprabha November 13, 2003
Due to political and security concerns, Thailand has joined Burma, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia as a "medium risk" destination for Israeli and Western tourists. In recent years, the country has attracted more tourists and business people from the West and Israel than any other country in the region. Unfortunately, these tourists may become easy targets for terror groups like the...

The New Leviathans

Nayan Chanda November 12, 2003
One of the major agents of globalization - the multinational corporation - has been alternately portrayed as global villain and global economic booster. In "Global Inc.", a new "atlas of the multinational corporation" by Medard Gabel and Henry Bruner, companies with an extensive global reach are subjected to a more objective critical eye. In this review article, Nayan Chanda...

Healthy Dose of Capitalism?

Fatemah Farag November 7, 2003
Occupational hazards are a global problem. The International Labor Organization estimates that two million women and men die as a result of occupational accidents and work-related diseases each year, eliminating four percent of the world's GDP. This weekend, a UN-led conference in Germany brought together non-governmental organizations, international businesses, and labor leaders to discuss...

China's Factories Aim to Fill the World's Garages

Keith Bradsher November 2, 2003
As China’s economy grows, its domestic automobile industry has come to exceed that of more developed neighbors, like South Korea. Increased car travel has caused auto fatalities and air pollution to skyrocket, but may also be eroding the Communist Party’s political and social controls, says this New York Times article. And as multinational auto manufacturers increase investment in China, the...

The Fine Art of China-Bashing

Neil King Jr. October 31, 2003
As the Bush administration pushes even harder on China to revalue the yuan, the real motivations behind the "China-bashing" by US officials remain shady. Is the administration's rhetoric really meant to "help U.S. manufacturers compete against Chinese companies", ask the authors, "or just help U.S. politicians score points with anxious voters"? When the US...

Europe, Asia Stimulate Hyundai Expansion

Kim Mi-hui October 30, 2003
Hyundai, the leading car manufacturing in Korea, is looking to expand its sales in the European and Asian markets. Hyundai's power in the American market ought to be supplemented by a strong presence in the growing European and Asian markets, company officials say. With this in mind, Hyundai is building a plant in Eastern Europe, with four more possible plants in the Czech Republic,...

Multinational Corporations: Pro or Con?

Gauri Bhatia October 29, 2003
India's love-hate relationship with multi-national corporations (MNCs) is more complicated than simple fear of big, faceless companies. MNCs bring jobs (but also "hire-and-fire" policies), consumer choice (that push traditional foods out of the market), and brand-name products (which is feared to lead to 'US-worship'). The recent environmental and health debacles in...