In The News

Brazil and the US – Not on Same Page

Alistair Burnett April 12, 2013
The US is reported to be planning a state visit for Brazil’s president, the first of a Brazilian leader in two decades. The two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere have much in common, yet are often at odds. The US has the world’s largest military, Brazil’s ranks 10th; the US has the world’s largest economy, Brazil ranks sixth. Some in the US are surprised by the notion that its...

Winning Without a Fight in the South China Sea

Marvin Ott April 10, 2013
China has the largest military in Asia, and expenditures on Chinese navy, coast guard and air force are second only to that of the United States. Still, China is pressing new forces into protecting sweeping claims in the South China Sea – cruise ships and tourists. For decades Chinese maps have shown a U-shaped swathe with dotted lines suggesting maritime claims cutting into 200-mile offshore...

Chinese President Xi Jinping Expresses Concern Over North Korea’s Rhetoric

William Wan April 10, 2013
Global consensus is that China holds the most leverage over the Kim regime. As tensions rise, the international community follows every word from top leaders, especially those in China. While not specifically mentioning North Korea, President Xi Jinping noted, “No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains.” International scrutiny should...

Pressured by China, Apple Apologizes for Warranty Policies

David Barboza, Nick Wingfield April 3, 2013
Consumer and labor advocates in the West often gripe that trade with China is a “race to the bottom” for wages or environmental standards. But China increasingly demonstrates the power of a huge, united market. On International Consumer Day, “China Central Television criticized the American company’s after-sales iPhone customer service in China because it gave only a one-year warranty, while in...

Should South Korea Pursue Nuclear Arms?

Bennett Ramberg March 29, 2013
South Korea and the United States confront a dilemma in responding to erratic threats from impoverished, nuclear-armed North Korea. South Korea ranks among the top 15 largest economies, while the North is dysfunctional. In recent weeks North Korea has test-launched a long-range missile, criticized China’s response to the launch, severed all communications with South Korea, and threatened...

Moscow’s Mysterious Move on Cyprus

Owen Matthews March 28, 2013
Russian deposits may account for about one third of Cypriot bank accounts worth more than €100,000, which could be frozen and taxed by up to 25 percent as part of a EU bailout deal. Russian President Vladmir Putin has denounced such methods for rescuing the Cypriot economy and “many non-Russian commentators agree with Putin that raiding private savings risks undermining confidence in Europe’s...

Saudi Arabia “Threatens Skype Ban”

March 28, 2013
Skype, WhatsApp and Viber offer an array of free messaging and telephone calls. All are cross-platform internet services with widely popular free plans that reach out to numerous nations. Demanding the right to monitor the applications, the government has given the three companies a week to respond. Reports have emerged that the telecommunications regulator may block the services and may have...