In The News

Crouching Tiger, Swimming Dragon

Nayan Chanda April 11, 2005
Nearly six hundred years after Chinese ships visited the Persian Gulf, the ground is being laid again for a permanent Chinese presence in the area through which some 40 percent of the world's oil resources travel. As Nayan Chanda writes, Chinese diplomatic visit to Pakistan last week resulted in an agreement to expand a Chinese-built port there, leaving US, Japanese, and Indian governments...

Asia Battles over War History

David McNeill April 11, 2005
The worsening relations between Japan and its northeast Asian neighbors sank a few notches as demonstrators in China attacked Japanese diplomatic missions and businesses. South Koreans, too, have vented their anger at Japan's attempt to whitewash history. Recently, Japan's Ministry of Education has approved history and civics textbooks for use in schools that are either silent over past...

Russia's Neighbors

Vladimir Radyuhin April 7, 2005
As optimists salute democracy's march in the Middle East, so too do they point towards the former republics of the Soviet Union, where a spate of "democratic" revolutions has toppled three Russian-backed governments. Georgia, Ukraine, and now Kyrgyzstan have all undergone sweeping regime changes. But Russian analysts, like Vladimir Radyuhin, are cautious in their appraisals of such...

Internet Fans Flames of Chinese Nationalism

Paul Mooney April 4, 2005
An online petition protesting Japan's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat has reportedly garnered over 22 million Chinese signatories. And as anti-Japanese discourse grows ever-more incendiary in cyberspace, the Chinese government may wonder how far "power to the people" should go. Journalist Paul Mooney writes that Beijing truly finds itself in a bind: While condoning...

The Limitations of a Dialogue of Civilizations

Sarah Eltantawi April 4, 2005
The phrase "clash of civilizations" may be a popular framework for understanding the conflicts between the United States and the Middle East, but in the end it hinders the progress of peace and democracy, writes Sarah Eltantawi. The idea of a stiff binary – "West" versus "Muslim world" – with opposite and irreconcilable cultural poles, is unnecessarily divisive....

Friendship Across Continents

Ibrahim Nafie April 1, 2005
The term "transatlantic relations" usually refers to Europe and the United States. But if current Latin American initiatives succeed, "transatlantic relations" may soon describe the growing ties between Latin America and the Middle East. Brazil will host the first ever summit of South American and Arab countries this May. Not only will the conference highlight the two regions...

Curry in Hot Garlic Sauce

Simon Long March 31, 2005
China, the world's most populous country, looks set to become one of the 21st century's main movers and shakers. Analysts speak in less glowing terms about China's neighbor and budding rival, India. The subcontinental giant has years of catch-up to play to match China's startlingly rapid rise. Yet Simon Long argues that despite its delayed entrance into the free-market game,...