In The News

The World Comes to a Tiny Town: Eastport’s Lesson in Globalization

James Fallows September 12, 2016
Eastport, Maine – an aging town once known for its canned sardines – is a small-scale example of the globalization uniting all corners of the world. Eastport with its deepwater port reshapes its economy to remain relevant, but still confronts challenges that a generation ago may have mattered little to its residents. Three examples highlight Eastport’s global connections: EU regulations on...

Rising Sino-Japanese Competition in Africa

Yun Sun September 8, 2016
Japan is showing increased interest in Africa, most recently with a visit from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his $30 billion pledge. Analysts view such diplomacy as part of long history of rivalry between Japan’s and China – from the legacy of World War II and the subsequent shaping of the United Nations to regional conflicts such as the South China Sea and Taiwan. The rivalry finds new...

G20 Must Address the Anti-Globalization Undercurrent to Stay Relevant

Peter Drysdale September 2, 2016
Immigration, trade and many other aspects of globalization are interwoven into daily routines, taken for granted, and some opponents contend that communities and entire countries can easily sever the connections. G20 leaders, meeting in Hangzhou, China, must address global stagnation and populism that feed resentment and disrupt cooperation, increasing inequality and the power of despots....

Chinese R&D Goes Global

Jacopo Dettoni August 31, 2016
China is transforming from recipient of foreign direct investment to source as its firms set up new research and development operations. Chinese firms have announced nine new overseas research centers during the first half of 2016, reports Financial Times, as compared with the United States, 16 projects; Germany, 10; and Japan, 7. “It comes at a time when Beijing is gradually liberalising its...

We Won't Trigger Article 50 Until After 2017 – and That Means Brexit May Never Happen at All

Denis MacShane August 19, 2016
United Kingdom leaders are in no hurry to trigger action on Article 50 or begin formal negotiations to separate from the European Union. No planning has started. Likewise, other countries will hold back on negotiating new trade deals with the UK until a detailed understanding of separation is reached. “No-one in Europe wants to ‘punish’ Britain but no EU leader dare deny his or her own citizens...

Among Uncertainties After Brexit Vote, Low Growth Is Sure

David Dapice August 18, 2016
British voters elected to leave the European Union, which in turn ushered in new leadership for the United Kingdom. But few are sure of the next step, and British leaders are wise to proceed cautiously before invoking Article 50 of the EU treaty and starting the process of negotiating a separation agreement. If agreement is not reached in two years, membership ends unless both parties approve an...

Abenomics: What Japan’s Economic Experiment Can Teach the Rest of the World

August 16, 2016
Japan’s economy shifted from being the envy of the world in the 1980s to today's case study in stagnation. The country's nominal GDP for 2015 is mostly unchanged from levels in 1995 even as the US nominal GDP grew by more than 130 percent, reports the Economist. “To reflate Japan and reform it, Shinzo Abe, prime minister since December 2012, proposed the three ‘arrows’ of what has...