In The News

Northeast India: Boiling Pot of International Rivalry – Part II

Bertil Lintner February 19, 2010
In Northeastern India, an icy and barren Tawang valley serves as the epicenter of a half a century old rivalry between India and China, writes journalist Bertil Lintner. The valley lies within the Indian state Arunachal Pradesh, or “Land of the Dawn”, which is claimed by China as part of Southern Tibet. Both India and China dispute the territorial boundaries in this area and fought a war in the...

The Global Debt Bomb

Daniel Fisher January 25, 2010
Countries around the world took on massive amounts of debt in in the last two years to help fend off economic disaster by bailing out banks and fostering growth. But in many cases, this has worsened a pre-existing debt problem and raised debt-to-GDP ratios to astronomical levels. How all this debt will be paid off remains uncertain: an economy needs to grow fast enough to allow the government to...

China, India Stoke 21st-Century Rivalry

Peter Wonacott October 23, 2009
As each day passes, India and China seem closer to butting heads openly over a number of issues including contested territory, strategic relations, and trade. China claims Indian province Arunachal Pradesh is part of Tibet while India accuses China of occupying Indian territory in eastern Ladakh. Increased militarization and tightened controls at the border help to keep tensions simmering. China...

Challenges for China at Sixty – Part II

Frank Ching September 28, 2009
China, a significant beneficiary of globalization, is happy to go out into the world, but seems less willing to let the world come in, according to writer Frank Ching. In fact, China, which asserts that it does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries, appears to do the exact opposite, especially with regard to issues surrounding alleged separatism in China. Notably vocal...

Will Japan Finally Get a Cabinet That Makes Policy?

Karel van Wolferen September 10, 2009
For all of Japan’s economic prowess and impact on the rest of the world, in one area the country has remained relatively diffident: foreign policy. While reasons for such a stance lie in Japanese public opinion, an important factor is Japan’s status as a virtual protectorate of the US. In the past, Japan rarely rocked the boat when it came to US geopolitical and strategic goals, creating a...

The New Colonialism: Foreign Investors Snap Up African Farmland

Horand Knaup, Juliane von Mittelstaedt August 4, 2009
Expected population growth coupled with stable to dwindling agricultural land supply has led many an analyst to forecast an optimistic picture for agricultural investment for many years to come. The world needs more food. Throw in the high grain and food prices in 2008 with the resulting occasional food riot and both governments and investment funds catch a glimpse of what the future could look...

Obama’s Middle East Challenge – Part I

Fawaz A. Gerges June 16, 2009
With President Obama’s ground-breaking speech in Cairo and the turbulent Iranian election, the Middle East is witnessing a quickening tempo of history. In the first of this two-part series on Obama’s Middle East challenge, Middle Eastern Studies professor Fawaz A. Gerges analyzes Obama’s speech, which he thinks could prove to be a pivotal moment in Middle East politics. At the least, it shows a...