In The News

China Wary as US Puts Lid on Textile Imports

Edward Alden November 20, 2003
The US can now import only limited quantities of brassieres, knit fabrics, and cotton dressing gowns from China – much to the relief of the US's domestic textile industry and to the ire of Chinese officials. Washington implemented the quotas in response to growing pressure from the US textile industry, which has lost 316,000 jobs in the past two years. Officials in the industry echo the...

Bilateral Pacts Also Goal for US

Jane Bussey November 19, 2003
Six Latin and South American countries – the Dominican Republic, Panama, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – may enter bi-lateral trade agreements with the United States within the year, US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick announced on Tuesday at the FTAA summit in Miami. This is a shift in strategy away from the original demands that Brazil and other reluctant states all fall in line...

Remarks by the President at Whitehall Palace

George W. Bush November 19, 2003
In London, President Bush spoke to members of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government about the progress of the coalition-led war in Iraq. He called upon the British to remain strong in their resolve, while acknowledging that many of Prime Minister Blair's constituents were against the war. Though the President never mentioned weapons of mass destruction in Iraq – his main selling...

Superpower Dream Behind China's Heavy Industry Push

Guo Shiping November 19, 2003
Beijing's recent decision to invest in the development of heavy industries in northeastern China is not only an economically strategic move, says Chinese economist Guo Shiping. While heavy industry is a necessary backbone to long-term growth, Guo says, the shift away from a single-minded focus on light industry and service sectors will also better prepare China for true superpower status....

Resurgent Taliban Threatens Afghan Stability, US Says

Steven R. Weisman November 19, 2003
The US-led forces that overthrew the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan two years ago still have a lot of work to do to secure the state. Though President Hamid Karzai, a pro-western Pashtun leader, is in office, local ethnic conflicts and power struggles continue to dominate the political arena. Despite devoting more than 16,000 soldiers and peacekeepers to the country, the US and its allies...

‘Let NATO Take Charge of Iraq's Security' - Clinton

Nayan Chanda November 19, 2003
In an exclusive interview with YaleGlobal, former US President Bill Clinton offered his views on a variety of contentious issues, including the Iraq War, the Middle East Roadmap, and the rise of anti-globalization sentiment around the world. With regards to Iraq, Clinton advocated that Bush transfer control to a UN-sanctioned NATO force headed by a US commander. Having NATO lead the efforts, he...

Japan Heads to Iraq, Haunted by Taboo Bred in Another War

Norimitsu Onishi November 19, 2003
For the first time since the Second World War, Japan faces the possibility of entering a conflict where Japanese soldiers may kill or be killed. The nation has come a long way since World War II when kamikaze attacks were considered normal and honorable. As a result of Japan's Article 9 of its Constitution, which prohibits the use of force to solve disputes, the country is thought to abhor...