In The News

A New Asian Invasion

Dan Roberts June 23, 2005
Two high-profile deals have brought Chinese companies into the spotlight: The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) bid on the Unocal oil group, while appliance manufacturer Haier set its sights on Maytag. Several Chinese companies are actively pursuing US industrial assets, stirring debates within Washington regarding trade policy and job displacement. The Unocal bid has also...

Brazil's Trade Perspectives: Avoiding the "Flight of the Chicken"

Marcos Jank June 22, 2005
The ascending economic star of South America, Brazil has enjoyed a substantial trade surplus in recent years, profiting from macroeconomic factors such as the devaluation of the Brazilian currency and productivity gains in export-oriented sectors of the economy. To sustain these favorable trade conditions, recommends InfoBrazil contributor Marcos Jank, Brazil should implement a series of short...

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...

Mixing Oil, Gas, and Politics

June 21, 2005
The Russian government has become a majority shareholder in Gazprom, one of the country's largest oil producers. The buyout is aimed at opening the company up to foreign investment and bolstering the Russian stock market. The move was also likely designed to put the government in a more favorable position to purchase large blocks of other oil companies, with the goal of creating an enormous...

Free to Take Exceptions to "Free Trade"

Gregory Clark June 17, 2005
A top economic advisor to the Japanese government, Gregory Clark, argues that globalization and free trade do not always add up to global prosperity. Infant industries have historically benefited more from national trade protection than they have under free trade. The idea that protectionist measures only reward inefficient sectors and do not improve them in the long term is a crucial tenet of...

Japan's Beneficent Potential

Makoto Taniguchi June 14, 2005
Regional cooperation is essential to the development of the Asian economy, but discord among the region's top three actors – Japan, China, and South Korea – is hindering the process of integration. The lack of a common historical perspective has led to a political impasse between Japan and both China and South Korea, making it difficult to foster mutual understanding. Former ambassador...

Lifting Africa's Debt Sentence

Doug Saunders June 13, 2005
A summit of financial ministers from the G-8 announced on Saturday that 18 of the world's poorest nations, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, will be relieved of their debt burdens. The beneficiaries – deemed to have satisfactory governments and economic structures – were selected via an intensive vetting system. The agreement has sparked opposition on both sides of the African aid...