In The News

Japan Eyes Commercial Prize as Abe Leads Visit to Africa

Javier Blas January 21, 2014
The world’s third largest economy is stepping up its foreign-policy game, with interest in Africa as a continent for commodities, markets and investments. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is leading a delegation to sub-Saharan Africa, and Japan joins India, Brazil and especially China in courting the continent’s leaders. “The top Japanese trading houses, or sogo shosha, have already started to pour...

Fears for Bangladeshi Democracy Rumble Across Region

Victor Mallet January 16, 2014
Some Asian democracies are not handling polarization well and fail to contain extreme responses by political parties after election or policy defeats. In Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Thailand, “parliamentary democracies have fallen prey to the diseases of authoritarianism, violence and strident populism,” reports Victor Mallet for the Financial Times. Amid the political problems for the...

Why Chinese-Japanese Economic Relations Are Improving

Richard Katz January 9, 2014
Despite heated political and online rhetoric, trade between China and Japan continues to grow. “In short, China has started to delink economics from politics,” no longer encouraging boycotts or protests in a quest for territorial concessions, explains Richard Katz for Foreign Affairs. “Chinese-Japanese economic relations (but not political ties) are set to get better, not worse.” The Chinese...

Will TTIP Harm the Global Trading System?

Katinka Barysch and Michael Heise January 9, 2014
The European Union’s member states form the world’s largest economy followed by the United States. So, the rest of the world is wary about ongoing negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP. Other trading partners of the US and the EU may have to meet new regulations without having a voice in their making. Or in other areas, the partners may have to deal with two...

Costly Reprieve

Nayan Chanda January 8, 2014
To secure an agreement at the Bali ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization, developing nations gave in to India and other developing nations and will allow ongoing food subsidies for the time being. The WTO hopes to reach a permanent solution by 2017. Subsidies distort markets and cripple competition; they aid political leaders for only a short while and are difficult to end. The WTO...

“Chance of a Century”: International Investors Flock to Tehran

Susanne Koelbl January 6, 2014
Investors and businesses, particularly major oil and gas companies, are descending on Iran, hoping to profit from 80 million people, many of whom are eager to engage in international commerce. Iran has the world’s fourth largest oil reserves and the second largest gas reserves, and the nation’s equipment requires updating and renovations. Western sanctions, imposed on Iran’s nuclear program,...

Putin’s Gas-Fueled Bailout of Ukraine

David R. Cameron January 2, 2014
Ukraine’s government has decided to link its fortunes to Russia, accepting a bailout worth billions after the European Union and the International Monetary Fund offered mere millions combined with tough conditions. Russia will settle a disputed gas bill, reduce the price of future gas deliveries, end some customs controls and import quotas recently imposed and provide financial assistance in...