In The News

Can the Internet Tame Governments? – Part II

Borje Ljunggren February 11, 2011
The internet, so essential for the modern economy, is a bane for autocratic governments thin-skinned about criticism, whose minions strive to eliminate any dissident thoughts or deeds. Internet and cell phones were less widely available in 1989, and global observers can’t help but wonder if such communications might have thwarted China’s violent crackdown on student protests at Tiananmen Square....

IMF Raises Spectre of Civil Wars as Global Inequalities Worsen

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard February 3, 2011
Reports of global economic recovery could be misleading. Indicators showing steady rises – in income, trade, stock markets or employment – focus on averages and mask growing divides between rich and poor both between and inside nations. Recovery built on “unstable foundations” could “sow the seeds of the next crisis,” warns Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary...

China Takes Lead in Race for Clean Nuclear Power

Richard Martin February 2, 2011
In the race to develop new sources of green energy, China pursues research on thorium – more abundant than uranium – for nuclear power. “While nearly all current nuclear reactors run on uranium, the radioactive element thorium is recognized as a safer, cleaner and more abundant alternative fuel,” writes author Richard Martin for Wired.com. “Designing a thorium-based molten-salt reactor could...

Why a Nervous China Aims to Shield Citizens From Egypt News

Peter Ford February 1, 2011
The most powerful nations in the world watch helplessly as protests build in Egypt. Instability could spread throughout the Greater Middle East and deeper into Africa. China has invested heavily in the continent, and so far remains neutral, other than expressing hopes for stability, reports Peter Ford for the Christian Science Monitor. Attempting to maintain stability at home, the Chinese...

US-Chinese Relations Take a New Direction? – Part II

Harsh V. Pant January 26, 2011
Elections and turnover in administrations can abruptly shift US foreign policy, as onlookers throughout the Asia Pacific have observed in recent years. The US-Chinese relationship is of global consequence, and this two-part series analyzes reaction to the two-nation summit for any signs of warmth or strain. Shortly after entering office, President Barack Obama went all out to secure good ties...

US-Chinese Relations Take a New Direction? – Part I

David Shambaugh January 24, 2011
It’s not in the global interest for rivalry between the world’s two largest economies to get out of hand. The US hosted China’s President Hu Jintao for a summit and lavish state visit, and this YaleGlobal series analyzes the potential for stable relations between the two nations and the impact on others. The Obama administration delivered a series of pre-summit statements with candid, tough...

China and the EU: Building a Reciprocal Relationship

Doug Saunders January 21, 2011
A three-nation European tour by the Chinese vice-premier underscores China’s critical role for the continent’s economy. “China, in short, has become Europe's rescuer,” writes Doug Saunders for the Globe and Mail. China easily directs its reserves to buy up bonds from countries in shaky financial condition. In return, China wants the European Union to open its markets to Chinese exports. It...