In The News

Europe in Disarray – Part I

Jean-Pierre Lehmann June 21, 2005
The French and Dutch rejection of the European Union constitution and last week’s collapse of the EU budget talks have exposed the deep division hidden so long behind rhetoric. Among other things, the European disarray highlights Europe’s problem with economic restructuring that globalization calls for. In a two-part series, YaleGlobal examines the reasons for the EU’s current troubles and its...

Patent Pitfalls on China’s Road of Clones

Chris Buckley June 21, 2005
As part of a drive to both improve the rule of law and encourage entrepreneurship, China is seeking to improve its patent regulations. For Chinese inventors, patents both in China and abroad mean increased revenue and access to new markets. Unfortunately, despite the many efforts that Chinese innovators are making to protect their creations against intellectual property theft, the terms of...

Arabs in Foreign Lands

Moisés Naím June 20, 2005
"Cultural determinists may want to revise their theories of Arab backwardness," states Foreign Policy Editor-in-Chief Moisés Naím. The average Arab American has a higher income and is more likely to own a home than the average US citizen. The relative success of Arab immigrants in the US raises questions regarding the notion that cultural factors are at the root of the poverty and...

Fallout from the War on Terror – Part II

J Alexander Thier June 16, 2005
The complex effects of the US war on terror extend far beyond security – and the unintended results are not all positive. In this two-part series, YaleGlobal explores how US anti-terrorism policy is changing America's position in the world. In part two, J Alexander Thier , a former legal adviser in Afghanistan, considers the effects of human rights violations on the US standing in the Muslim...

Fallout from the War on Terror – Part I

Mark Sidel June 14, 2005
Four years after the 9/11 attacks, protecting America from an invisible threat continues to shape domestic and foreign policy. The complex effects of the war on terror extend far beyond security – and the unintended results are not all positive. In this two-part series, YaleGlobal explores how US anti-terrorism policy is changing America's position in the world. In part one, Mark Sidel...

Don't Mention Democracy, Microsoft Tells China Web Users

Mure Dickie June 13, 2005
In order to steer clear of political censors, Microsoft has banned the use of certain words, among them "democracy" and "freedom," from its new Chinese internet portal. In accordance with central government regulations, Chinese MSN subscribers are restricted from labeling their web sites with words that might be seen as critical of China's Communist leadership. Working...

New History Text Turns a Page in East Asia Ties

Chua Chin Hon June 10, 2005
A newly published history textbook marks an effort to harmonize relations between Japan, China, and South Korea. Recent months saw diplomatic and political tensions between Japan and its two neighbors after the government published a history textbook which failed to make light of Japanese wartime atrocities against China and South Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi added salt to...