In The News

A New Rice Revolution on the Way?

John Berthelsen January 19, 2011
New research from Asia has produced strains of rice that can withstand a range of disease, soil and weather conditions. Developed over 12 years, the process “holds out the hope of a scientific method of increasing yields of other crops, making them hardier and more resistant to disease and insects and cutting the use of fertilizers and pesticides without resorting to genetic modification,”...

Pentagon Must “Buy American,” Barring Chinese Solar Panels

Keith Bradsher January 11, 2011
Technological advancements increasingly center on green-energy products, an arena of growing US-China rivalry. In particular, the US military supports development of renewable energy sources because fossil fuels are difficult to transport to war zones like Afghanistan. Nations compete to boost their own manufacturers: The US and Europe generally subsidize the solar-panel customers while China...

Dream Postponed

Nayan Chanda January 3, 2011
In design and manufacture, aircraft are among the most complex of products. Outsourcing of specialized features can provide efficiencies, but Boeing may have gone too far with the Dreamliner. About 70 percent of Boeing’s aircraft relies on outsourced components, reports Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor, in his regular column for Businessworld, and the aircraft is two years behind schedule. One...

China Extends Help to Tackle Euro Crisis

Jamil Anderlini December 31, 2010
The EU is China’s biggest export market: Trade for 2010 is up by more than 30 percent over 2009 levels. China, not wanting its huge customer base to struggle, purchases European bonds and assists in financial stabilization. “China classifies the composition of its foreign exchange reserves as a state secret and European and US officials say it is often very hard to determine the true scale of...

To Conquer Wind Power, China Writes the Rules

Keith Bradsher December 16, 2010
For China, it's not enough that foreign firms set up factories, introducing Chinese workers to new industries. China imposes strict local-content requirements, directing firms to local suppliers. Those Chinese suppliers, aided by free land and low-cost loans, eventually transform into fierce competitors, explains Keith Bradshser, reporting for the New York Times about manufacture of wind...

Train Makers Rail Against China's High-Speed Designs

Norihiko Shirouzu December 2, 2010
China does not let the grass grow under its feet in studying and adapting high-value technology, then mastering and distributing the same. Such is the case with the high-speed rails pioneered by Japanese and European firms, with China now supplying similar technology to Saudi Arabia, the US and Brazil. Foreign makers of any product eye China’s massive market, but can expect competition to emerge...

West’s Billions in Subsidy Shut Out African Cotton Growers

Martin Hickman November 30, 2010
Large subsidies for domestic cotton production in Western countries hurt African farmers trying to sell cotton and escape poverty. The United States and the European Union have given more than $32 billion over the past decade to support their farmers, with the EU subsidies more per pound than the crop’s market price. China, the world’s largest producer, spent $15.4 billion on subsidies since...