In The News

China Tightens Grip on Rare Minerals

Keith Bradsher September 2, 2009
While one might not have heard of dysprosium and terbium – these elements are rare – they are critical ingredients in green technology and military hardware, and China, the country with some of the largest deposits, wants to limit their export. Though not as precious as gold or platinum, rare earth elements can fetch hefty prices. Some of their primary uses include components for the electric...

Numerous Foreign Trainees Forced to Work under Harsh Conditions in Japan

September 1, 2009
Far away from home and eager to work, migrant workers can be easy targets for exploitation. In Japan, the story is no different. Foreign vocational trainees in Japan, especially from China, have been forced to work overtime at little or no pay and are often paid illegally low wages. Even worse, foreign employment agencies charged exorbitant fees to send trainees to Japan, leaving many indebted...

The Political Costs of Caning Kartika

Farish A. Noor September 1, 2009
When the decision was made to cane Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno – a Malay-Muslim woman – for drinking beer in public, Malaysia’s religious authorities did not foresee the ramifications globally or domestically. The former model’s punishment for an act considered common in many parts of the world could tarnish Malaysia’s image as a moderate Muslim state. On the other hand, the government does not...

A New Path for Japan

Yukio Hatoyama August 27, 2009
Yukio Hatoyama, the leader of Japan’s Democratic Party and potential prime minister if his party wins the election, holds a skeptical view of the benefits of globalization. Human and environmental costs are discounted in favor of economic value. “People are simply personnel expenses,” with the global economy destroying “traditional economic activities” – e.g., agriculture – and communities. Such...

What Gorgon Means for Australia

Robert Gottliebsen August 27, 2009
China’s near insatiable hunger for natural resources appears to be dwarfing political concerns for the moment. Witness the final stages of approving the “Gorgon” project – the deal in which Australia will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China valued at $50 billion – amid the downgrading of a diplomatic visit because Australia granted a visa to Uighur leader Rebiya Qadeer. Perhaps more...

Japan’s Coming Election Could Mean Its Withdrawal from the World

Ko Mishima August 25, 2009
The result of Japan’s upcoming election could be more than a test of confidence for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). It might determine the nature of the country’s engagement with the world. According to Professor Ko Mishima, the Japanese doubt the LDP has a handle on the nation’s economy, and thus a win by the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) looks close to certain. Though...

China Racing Ahead of U.S. in the Drive to Go Solar

Keith Bradsher August 25, 2009
China is striving to become the world’s leader in production of solar panels not unlike Japan’s drive for dominance in automobiles in the last century. And just like Japan, China plans to build factories in the US in the hopes of circumventing protectionist legislation. Beijing can afford to foster such an industry not only because it is a quasi-command economy, but also because of the size of...