In The News

Egypt Highlights Race Between Trade and Terror

Humphrey Hawksley August 15, 2013
The Arab Spring protests, with demands for representative government and economic stability, have disintegrated into violent power struggles. After one year, Egypt’s military removed the first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, from power and cracked down on protests by his supporters, leaving more than 500 dead. Violence unfolds in Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Iraq, too. Building...

Slowdown in China Isn’t Bad News

Michael Pettis August 13, 2013
The Chinese economy is inevitably slowing. This doesn’t mean doom for the global economy or even China’s. Much depends on how Chinese leaders rebalance the economy, and signs so far point to a smooth transition, explains Michael Pettis, author, finance professor at the University of Peking and senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Orderly rebalancing entails...

Fears Over NSA Surveillance Revelations Endanger US Cloud Computing Industry

Charles Arthur August 13, 2013
Cloud computing allows users to share tech capabilities, such as storing data or trying software over the internet or individual servers, yet reports about intrusive surveillance programs may scare away customers. News reports allege that US tech companies comply with government requests for customer data with minimal checks and balances. “A survey by the US-based Cloud Security Alliance, quoted...

The Price of “Made in China”

Peter Navarro August 6, 2013
Shoppers often make selections based on price, and in a free market system, governments contracting out work or projects are expected to choose the lowest bidder who can provide the most efficient, highest quality work. Decisions focusing on price alone – which often leads to China garnering so much business – may neglect some hidden costs, argues Peter Navarro, a professor of economics, in an...

Iran’s Mounting Malaise

Jamsheed K. Choksy August 6, 2013
Iranians – frustrated by a flailing economy, compounded by rigid policies of a theocratic government and sanctions from the West that target the country’s nuclear program – expect reforms from President Hassan Rouhani. Iran confronts challenges that, if left unaddressed, will bring severe consequences at home and abroad, warns Jamsheed K. Choksy, professor of Iranian Studies at Indiana University...

German Firms Scramble to Boost Data Protection

August 6, 2013
German companies are reviewing procedures on data and communications, rapidly trying to improve security to prevent industrial espionage. Corporate security is already tight in Germany, reports Spiegel, with policies that include executives using disposable phones during travel, putting phones into tin cans during meetings, regularly sweeping corporate planes and conference rooms for bugs, and...

China and the US Court Africa

Raluca Besliu August 1, 2013
Within two weeks of assuming power, China’s President Xi Jinping, visited Africa. US President Barack Obama’s recent visit, widely seen as an attempt to counter China’s growing influence on the continent. Many speculate on which power will prevail in what could be described as an African version of the Great Game. During his visit, Obama said that US investment would support local economies, not...