In The News

Sri Lanka Tells China It Will Rethink Ties and a Major Port Project

Chen Qin and Huang Shan March 12, 2015
Foreign relations can shift with a new national government, and a key link in China’s plan for a maritime Silk Road winding through the Pacific and Indian oceans has been put on hold in Sri Lanka. The new government under President Maithripala Sirisena announced an environmental review for a proposed port and retail project in Sri Lanka. The deal included more than 1 million square meters of land...

What Is the Future of Chinese Trade?

Long Guoqiang March 2, 2015
China, as the world’s most populous nation and largest exporter, wields great influence over the global economy. The nation confronts a period of “convergence of economic deceleration, restructuring and the digestion of its previous stimulus package,” noted Long Guoqiang, senior research fellow and director-general at the General Office of the Development Research Center of the State Council of...

Obama Administration to Allow Sales of Armed Drones to Allies

Missy Ryan February 26, 2015
The Obama administration will permit US export of armed drones to allies including Turkey and Persian Gulf nations The US already exports drones for gathering intelligence to some allies. Drone strikes have become a central tool in combatting terrorists and militants in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, reports Missy Ryan for the Washington Post. Requests will be reviewed on a case-...

Stream of Foreign Wealth Flows to Elite New York Real Estate

Louise Story and Stephanie Saul February 16, 2015
Purchase of high-cost US real estate has become less transparent even as the nation tries to battle tax evasion with overseas accounts. Louise Story and Stephanie Saul investigate purchases of elite condos by foreign billionaires in the heart of Manhattan for the New York Times. The source of money for such sales is difficult to identify with US laws permitting movement of funds through shell...

Economic Interests Attract China to Russia

Wang Yiwei February 3, 2015
With its invasion of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine, Russia invited condemnation and sanctions from the West and had little choice but to tighten ties with China. Stronger Sino-Russian relations prompt some analysts to compare China and Russia. “China should take such questions and comparisons seriously – making it clear through public diplomacy that the country is not like Russia,”...

A Not-To-Be-Missed Opportunity

Nayan Chanda January 30, 2015
The abrupt fall in oil prices, due to new technologies and a battle over market share between Saudi Arabia and the United States, creates clear winners and losers. Exporting countries that predicated budgets on oil priced near $100 per barrel struggle to adjust even as prices near $50 per barrel offer a brief respite for nations that depend on oil imports. “Amid signs that the price may fall...

Tiger and Wild Cat Trade From Myanmar to China Growing

Navin Singh Khadka January 28, 2015
Trade in rare-cat parts, including tigers, from Burma into China is growing. At the center of the surge is Mong La, a town bordering China, where 21 shops, triple the number from 2006, sell wildlife products, some from as far away as Africa, reports Navin Singh Khadka for BBC News. This trend raises concern among environmentalists – already the tiger population is down to 5 percent of what it was...