In The News

Africa After the Music Stops

Susan E. Rice August 2, 2005
From the Live 8 concerts to the lofty agenda of the G-8 summit, the world's wealthiest nations have been charged with the daunting task of combating African poverty. On the surface, writes Brookings scholar Susan E. Rice, the Gleneagles Summit accomplished more than many expected. Member nations pledged to double African aid, provide debt relief for certain countries, and address the...

Chinese Quotas Kill the Pain but Not the Problem

Elliot Schrage July 6, 2005
In response to US and European manufacturers' fears of their low-cost Chinese competitors, the European Commission has pressured China to re-impose quotas on clothing and textiles exports. But these measures, like the currency revaluations favored by the Bush administration, will do little to solve the problem at hand. Instead, commentator Elliot Schrage suggests that a healthy trade...

A Message to the South

Boutros Boutros-Ghali June 30, 2005
Is the UN in crisis? Former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali thinks so. He claims that the liberalized theories of globalization have eroded the importance of the UN’s core powers and responsibilities, and that solutions to the crisis are long-term and intricate. The newest crop of post-Cold War conflicts, increasingly difficult to resolve, leave a larger peacekeeping role for the UN. But...

Name Goods in China but Brand X Elsewhere

David Barboza June 29, 2005
Chinese businesses, with the encouragement of their government, have embarked on a worldwide label buying spree, purchasing internationally well-known brand names. Chinese bids to acquire prominent American companies such as Maytag and Unocal demonstrate that China is eager to make its top companies more competitive by allowing them to access international markets as well as their domestic...

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...

Europe in Disarray – Part I

Jean-Pierre Lehmann June 21, 2005
The French and Dutch rejection of the European Union constitution and last week’s collapse of the EU budget talks have exposed the deep division hidden so long behind rhetoric. Among other things, the European disarray highlights Europe’s problem with economic restructuring that globalization calls for. In a two-part series, YaleGlobal examines the reasons for the EU’s current troubles and its...