In The News

Challenges for a Squabbling Europe – Part II

François Godement September 24, 2010
European Union ideals, along with the euro as common currency, could be a formidable force in the world. But in recent years, members have failed to unite to tackle challenges that have emerged. This YaleGlobal series examines how the lack of direction inhibits their influence. A rising Asia could spur Europe to action, and in the second of two articles, François Godement, senior fellow with the...

Challenges for a Squabbling Europe – Part I

Katinka Barysch September 22, 2010
Even after the devastation of the Second World War, bitterly fought by Europeans, the continent united in rebuilding its economy. Led by Germany and France, Europe steadily embarked on a series of agreements that gradually pooled energy and economic resources, embraced trade, reduced border controls and developed a common currency. Now, as internal challenges combine with external competition,...

Inside the Knockoff-Tennis-Shoe Factory

Nicholas Schmidle September 22, 2010
Putian, China, with its sneaker manufactures, is a global counterfeiting center, sometimes beating the real sneakers to market and shipping everywhere from Italy to New York. Major footwear companies loathe discussing the problem for fear of upsetting Chinese authorities or losing consumer trust over product authenticity. Even authorities have a tough time distinguishing the best fakes from brand...

Australia Gets Money, China Gets Australia

Malcolm Knox September 20, 2010
Chinese investment and trade in Australia have grown rapidly. Australian metals and fuels flow to China to help power industrial growth. The scale involved – the costs, the tons moved each day – buoys the Australian economy during a time of global recession. Yet while most Australians deem China’s role as positive, a majority also worries about an over-reliance on such investment. While Australia...

Steps Out of the Global Development Crisis

Jens Martens September 20, 2010
As world leaders gather in New York to review the progress of the Millennium Development Goals set a decade ago, the enormity of the task ahead is clear. As the economic crisis spread across the globe, the government quickly adopted stimulus packages to stave off collapse. The fixes were temporary, though, failing to address immense structural challenges of trade imbalances, wage inequality and...

Another New World Order

Kevin Lynch September 17, 2010
This century’s diverse series of threats – from the Y2K computer glitch to terrorist attacks, war, financial meltdowns and environmental degradation – have both raised expectations and eroded faith in government leadership, observes Kevin Lynch for the Globe & Mail. He lists four structural trends driving a new world order: globalization, demographics, the information revolution and climate...

IMF Chief: Crisis Not Over Until Jobs Come Back

Bjoern H. Amland September 16, 2010
Global unemployment rates continue to climb – and the danger of global economic crisis is not past until jobs return, warns Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Only through cooperation can the IMF and the International Labor Oganization “steer globalization in the right direction,” maintains Juan Somavia, director-general for the ILO. Unsustainable...