In The News

China-IBM Computer Deal Marks a New Era

Jean-Pierre Lehmann April 1, 2005
The recent Chinese acquisition of the IBM PC division does not illustrate China's rise at the expense of the US. Rather, it signals a deeper shift in the information technology (IT) business, which has been changing the global economic landscape. Jean-Pierre Lehmann contends that the shift arises from the emergent IT stars – China, India, and the United States – adapting to the realities of...

US Yet to Accommodate China's Rise

Philip Stephens April 1, 2005
Compared to the war in Iraq, the hunt for bin-Laden, and the rift in the transatlantic alliance, writes columnist Philip Stephens, "the implications of China's rapid emergence as a global power have been neglected." Only recently have the full geopolitical implications of China's burgeoning economic power come to the forefront of US policy. And according to Stephens, the...

India's Knowledge Economy

Guy de Jonquières March 29, 2005
A visit to the gleaming corporate campuses of Bangalore shatters most myths about India's outsourcing industry. Some people still believe that Indian outsourcing companies pay a bunch of PhDs pitifully low wages to do menial drudgework while working in sweatshops. "If these are sweatshops, the Ritz hotel is a doss-house," writes FT columnist Guy de Jonquières. And the research and...

Fraying of a Latin Textile Industry

Ginger Thompson March 28, 2005
The garment and textile industry has, for decades, been a source of employment and economic vitality for many South and Latin American nations. In El Salvador, the industry has been crucial to improving the standard of living for its people. But across the region, garment workers are being blindsided by changes in global trade. January 2005 saw an end to textile quotas worldwide, and companies...

Europe's Second Thoughts on China Embargo

François Godement March 25, 2005
In a bold statement of its foreign policy independence, the European Union recently announced plans to lift the arms embargo on China. Now, leaks from Britain suggest the EU is having second thoughts. Although the European backtracking is seen as the result of US pressure, writes policy analyst François Godement, Europeans have their own reasons to reassess their decision. Any EU decision must...

Is the Turmoil Good or Bad for Israel?

March 23, 2005
Israel's relations with its Middle-Eastern neighbors are constantly shifting and heavily determined by the Palestinian situation. The recent ceasefire and planned Israeli withdrawal from Gaza have led to a similar thaw with other countries in the region. Egypt has seized the chance to assist Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and intends to strengthen economic ties with Israel. And while...

The Global Footprint of an Indian Outsourcing Giant

Joe Bolger March 21, 2005
Bombay businessman Subramaniam Ramadorai and his company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), are looking for farther shores and a broader base to operate their ever-growing partnerships with western businesses. TCS, a multibillion dollar group based in India, has been among the strongest actors in the movement to outsource work from the West. The firm has many prominent big-business clients in...