In The News

The fall of the US dollar has begun to have a real and tangible effect upon southern African economies. In countries like Lesotho, where the struggling economy is dependent upon the garment industry, closing factories have cost thousands of jobs in the past months. Competition from the giant Chinese apparel industry contributes to the sudden squeeze, but the key factor, writes the New York Times...

As China's industry continues to grow apace, so does its energy needs. In the next quarter-century, China is expected to account for more than one-fifth of growth in world energy demand. As Ziad Haider writes, Beijing's pursuit of fuel resources and safe supply routes may have implications for regional and global geopolitics. Considering competing Western energy demand – and, crucially...

The recent end of the textile quota regime introduced freer trade to the global market. Predictably, nations who stood to lose market share - mostly to China - have cried out in anguish. According to Linda Lim, restricting Chinese exports is a short-sighted and ineffective strategy: "One would do better to learn from Chinese example of smart investment and management to thrive in a...