In The News

As Polar Ice Turns to Water, Dreams of Treasure Abound

Clifford Krauss October 11, 2005
What will be left when the Arctic's polar ice cap is gone? The answer, in the eyes of the nations who border the Arctic Ocean, is untapped economic opportunity. New oil deposits, new fisheries, and new trade routes – including the fabled Northwest Passage – all promise tantalizing riches to what are now barren, frozen outposts. But who will get to tap those riches? Russia, Canada, Norway...

China's Rise in Southeast Asia: Implications for Japan and the United States

Elizabeth Economy October 10, 2005
As China rises to the position of a major economic power in Asia, it is taking an increasingly active role in international politics. This is particularly apparent in Southeast Asia, where Chinese officials are starting to compete with their Japanese and American counterparts, the traditional regional powers, for dominance. US policy towards Southeast Asia – "a policy of relative neglect...

To Save Global Trade Talks, Act on Agriculture

Kevin Watkins October 7, 2005
The Doha round of trade talks has the potential to significantly reduce global poverty – that is, if the talks are successful. According to the author, the key issue is agriculture. He urges the US and the EU to seriously investigate the propriety of their outsized farming subsidies and high agricultural tariffs, as these policies effectively block farmers in developing companies from enjoying...

Making Education the Focus of Gulf-Europe Ties

Dr. Christian Koch September 28, 2005
The annual ministerial meetings of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council have, in recent years, been mostly oriented towards addressing pressing security and trade concerns. Over recent years, the dialogue between the two regions has mostly dealt with Iran’s nuclear program, human rights issues in the Gulf, the training of Iraqi security officials and expanding economic ties. But, according to...

The Great Thrift Shift

Zanny Minton Beddoes September 26, 2005
If the global economy is growing, why are interest rates so low? If the US deficit has been skyrocketing since 1999, why are Americans still able to borrow money with impunity? The answer to both questions, as put forth by American economist Ben Bernanke, may lie in a "global saving glut." On its face, The Economist acknowledges that the idea of such a glut appears absurd: For one...

"The UK failed the globalization challenge"

Liam Halligan September 12, 2005
Heeding the private sector's enthusiasm for India and China, Western leaders are now recognizing the growing commercial importance of the Asian giants. Yet political interests do not always align conveniently with economic ones. Earlier this year, the EU, under the leadership of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, placed limits on Chinese textile imports, blocking 80 million euros worth of...

Faulty Promises

George Perkovich September 9, 2005
The controversial civil nuclear cooperation deal signed by Indian and US leaders in July has sounded alarms around the world. George Perkovich, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, reviews the fallout of the pact, critically assessing the ramifications of revised Indo-US nuclear relations. In a policy brief, he argues that the strategic premises underlying...