In The News

German Firms Applaud Libya Deal

Aaron Kirchfeld August 13, 2004
Though Germany and Libya already enjoyed “consistently good to very good economic relations,” the door to increased bilateral trade opened wider recently when Tripoli agreed to pay $35 million to the non-American victims of a 1985 Berlin discotheque bombing. Germany has responded by guaranteeing credits for German exports to Libya. The prospect of increased trade has piqued the interest of...

Japan Elbows its Way into Far East: Not Only for Energy

August 12, 2004
As a country poor in natural resources, Japan has had to look elsewhere for its energy needs. Although most of Japan's oil imports presently come from the Middle East, instability in the region has prompted Japan to look to relatively oil-rich Russia as an alternative source. Through building good relationships with the local government, investing in the area, and fostering a positive...

Louder than Words

Matthew Tempest August 5, 2004
Mark Curtis, head of the London-based World Development Movement (WDM) objects to Britain’s making economic liberalization a pre-condition to receiving aid monies. He argues that the US, the UK, and even the Asian Tigers achieved economic ascendancy through protection of infant industries, not open markets. To ask developing countries to liberalize their economies or get no aid is unfair....

Experts Call for Stronger Guidance to Foreign Investment

August 3, 2004
Foreign capital continues to flow into China, but its distribution remains unequal, with the majority of investment going to China’s eastern areas while a mere trickle makes its way to central and western areas. Consequently, the economy of eastern China is characterized by a higher number of foreign-funded enterprises and higher numbers of workers employed by foreign-funded enterprises. The...

Real Trade Negotiations Still Lie Ahead

Guy de Jonquières August 1, 2004
The Doha round of trade negotiations started in November 2001 and was scheduled to be wrapping up later this year, but a walkout of representatives from developing nations at the WTO’s Cancun meeting last September delayed the process. Many experts feared that another setback would severely damage prospects of future negotiations, but this weekend a deal was reached that marks the end of talks...

President Praises the EU's Example as Nation's Future

Chang Yun-ping July 29, 2004
While talking with French Parliamentarian Alain Madelin, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian reiterated his belief that the EU could serve as model for relations between Taiwan and China. Chen attributed the appeal of Europe’s integration to its “trade-based interactions” and “principles of voluntary participation, equality and peace.” Madelin, however, pointed out that application of the...

Rwanda Savors the Rewards of Coffee Production

Carter Dougherty July 27, 2004
In the mid-1990’s global coffee production skyrocketed, leading to falling prices and the impoverishment of many of the world’s coffee growers. At the same time, however, specialty coffee began capturing a larger share of the American market and created great wealth for growers in countries like Rwanda, where high altitude and rich soil allow for the growth of quality coffee. Beyond fortuitous...