In The News

Jobs Here and in China a White House Topic

Jim Yardley December 9, 2003
As President Bush met with the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao this week, he pressed the issue of American jobs lost to China. But in spite of a recent economic boom, China has its own job-related woes. The country's economic restructuring has caused massive layoffs at older state-owned factories. And the Chinese countryside has too many farmers to fit on a diminishing amount of usable land....

Japan's Mating Culture Extends Baby Drought

David Turner December 9, 2003
The world population will rise to slightly over 9 billion people within the next century. Yet Japan and many European countries face possibly catastrophic population declines. Strikingly low birthrates don’t only threaten economic growth and domestic familial dynamics, but could provoke "shifts in the political weights of countries in the international arena." Concern is so great...

Lesson in Protectionism

December 9, 2003
US President Bush recently ended import tariffs on foreign steel in order to avoid retaliatory sanctions by the European Union. But during the period of tariff protection, the US steel industry restructured itself. Many firms closed down or were taken over, says this editorial in India's Business Standard, which increased productivity and resulted in the first large public offering by any US...

The WSIS: whose freedom, whose information?

Solana Larsen December 9, 2003
In Geneva, more than 130 of the world's governments are meeting in the first phase of the UN World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS), to discuss how to bridge the "digital divide" and bring more telephone and computer technology to poor countries. But the summit has already hit a roadblock, as civil society groups formed an alternate body and wrote an opposing declaration...

Asean: Japan Refreshes Ties

December 8, 2003
Japan still plays a very important role in Southeast Asia, despite China's recent overtures to the region, says this editorial in Singapore's Straits Times. As the region's largest foreign aid donor, biggest investor, and largest trading partner, Japan's influence cannot be underestimated. Yet the upcoming ASEAN-Japan summit is important for Japan to ensure its continued...

Terror Takes Toll on Kenya's Tourism Industry

William Wallis December 8, 2003
Kenya's tourist industry used to be able to count on the Christmas season as a peak time of year. Now, after two terrorist attacks in recent years, UK and US officials are telling their citizens not to go, and people are heeding the warning. Hotels are seeing occupancy of 10-25% only, and the whole economy is being dragged down as a result. Kenyans feel unfairly singled out, for, as they...

Harvesting Poverty

December 7, 2003
America’s cotton, among other crops, is exported internationally in large amounts each year, despite the fact that it often sells for less than it costs to grow. This is because of the US government’s high agricultural subsidies. Countries such as the US, argues this editorial, unfairly render the crops of poorer countries like Brazil uncompetitive in the global market. Furthermore, wealthy...