In The News

Goh Sui Noi August 30, 2004
The Chinese school system is placing increasing emphasis on learning English, perhaps to the detriment of Chinese language curriculum. English is mandatory in China starting in the third year of primary school, and proficiency is integral for Chinese applying for jobs in foreign companies. However, many criticize the quality of English education and worry that it is detracting from studies in...
Goh Sui Noi August 30, 2004
The Chinese school system is placing increasing emphasis on learning English, perhaps to the detriment of Chinese language curriculum. English is mandatory in China starting in the third year of primary school, and proficiency is integral for Chinese applying for jobs in foreign companies. However, many criticize the quality of English education and worry that it is detracting from studies in...
Arjaree Sriratanaban August 26, 2004
The fourth round of negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and Japan is set for early September. Amidst debate over similar agreements, Arjaree Sriratanaban, of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership (JTEP), highlights the benefits Thailand can expect. Sriratanaban says the agreement should increase business opportunities for Thai companies and provide greater...
Hendropriyono August 26, 2004
In the past, Singapore and Indonesia have not always been the best of neighbors. However, it is time to face the common threat of maritime terrorism, says Indonesian intelligence official Hendropriyono. Despite recent diplomatic blunders and economic friction, the two countries have also enjoyed mutual support and cooperation. Singapore has been the fourth-largest investor in Indonesia for five...
Carsten Germis August 20, 2004
Losing one’s intelligentsia is not just the bane of developing countries. Germany, which boasts the largest economy of Europe, has sent so many of its sons and daughters to America in academic capacities that now Germans make up the third-largest group of foreign academics in the US. In raw numbers, that puts Germany’s US academic expatriate community at 20,000, with three out of four...
Audrey Tan August 18, 2004
In a synergistic effort to spur economic development, Singapore and Vietnam have made progress on a new initiative to encourage foreign investment in their respective economies. Winning joint contracts from Japanese investors, the two countries hope that by cooperating they can take advantage of Vietnam's strength in manufacturing and Singapore's connectivity to the global economy....
Huang Tai-lin August 18, 2004
China and Taiwan are negotiating the opening of cross-strait air routes, but Taiwanese President Chen Shui-Bian has rejected China's assertion that the flights should be categorized as "domestic." This disagreement represents the last stumbling block in establishing what Taiwan refers to as the "three links" of opening trade, postal, and transport relations with the...