In The News

China: Hard Power at Home, Soft Power Abroad

Frank Ching February 8, 2012
China’s hard-edged regime, struggling to wield soft power, is concerned by the dominating influence of Western media and culture. China’s government is taking steps to remedy the problem, explains journalist Frank Ching. One success story is the establishment of more than 300 Confucius Institutes, many linked with universities, teaching Chinese language and culture in nearly 100 countries....

Where Will the Muslim Brotherhood Take Egypt’s Economy?

Mohamed El Dahshan February 6, 2012
The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt’s largest opposition group, so it’s no surprise that its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, secured nearly half the votes in parliamentary elections. Campaign rhetoric proposed alcohol restrictions, gender-segregated beaches, and revision of Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. Ready to step into power, Islamists already have more pressing matters: an...

Hunger Pains Test North Korea’s Dynastic Succession

Shim Jae Hoon February 1, 2012
Isolated North Korea has carried out early stages of transfer of power from Kim Jong Il to his third son, Kim Jong Un, with elaborate titles and displays of respect. But the government faces grave challenges stemming from decades of prioritizing military spending capped by a nuclear-weapons program, acrimonious relations with South Korea since the 1950-1953 war, and steadfast refusal to engage...

Burma Ready to Play Ball With US

Bertil Lintner January 20, 2012
In 1989, after the Burmese military’s brutal suppression of protests for democracy, the US ambassador dismissed the country as having “very little strategic interest.” For the next two decades, the US unleashed fierce criticism on Burma’s leaders, imposing sanctions. An unintended consequence was to drive the regime closer to China and North Korea. The ties brought construction of Chinese oil...

Global Implications of China’s Challenges – Part II

Borje Ljunggren January 18, 2012
Speculative bubbles and problematic governance in large economies can quickly spill over to disrupt other economies. This two-part YaleGlobal series analyzes global and local challenges facing China and their impact. In the second and final article, Borje Ljunggren, former Swedish ambassador to China, writes that a protest over corruption in the village of Wukan, Guangdong, shows in a microcosm...

Global Implications of China’s Challenges – Part I

Thomas Fingar January 16, 2012
Challenges facing the most populous nation with its fast-growing economy could quickly become global problems. This two-part YaleGlobal series analyzes trends and challenges for China as well as the potential for cooperation. Integration with the global economy, an accomplishment for China since 1978, has the potential for triggering domestic disruptions, and “China may be uniquely vulnerable to...

End of an Affair? City of London and EU in Bitter Acrimony

Philip Whyte January 12, 2012
One’s history is long and the other’s is short, but the City of London and the European Union have each in their own way been drivers of financial globalization and economic wealth. But the hard-hitting credit crisis, a series of bailouts and global recession have tarnished reputations of governments and financial industries alike, endangering mutual admiration and cooperation: The EU resents...