In The News

China’s Rumble With Globalization – Part I

Xu Sitao July 22, 2008
Conventional wisdom suggests that a booming economy can protect China from all economic woes. But this two-part series argues otherwise. China’s resistance to rising prices – despite the global pressure raising costs for food and fuel – has distorted economic policies and only delays the reckoning, argues economist Xu Sitao in the first article. “For a large developing economy with a unique...

Triumph of the Witless

Joshua Kurlantzick July 16, 2008
The Burmese junta has been in power since 1962, and Cyclone Nargis did little to sweep them out of power. In the cyclone’s aftermath, the generals continue to exploit their strengths and resources, often at the expense of the Burmese citizens. For example, when the junta lost an election in 1990 but refused to relinquish power, they lost international support only temporarily, because Burma has...

Guidelines Call for Chinese Pay to Rise With Inflation

Kang Yi July 11, 2008
Chinese workers could soon receive a pay raise. To combat rising prices for food, energy and other basic goods, the government mulls proposals to address income inequality. Guidelines for salary reform mostly target private companies, report a team of authors for the Economic Observer Online, "as most of the low pay and low growth rate in salaries occurred in the private sector, especially...

Chinese Seek a Day in Court

Geoffrey A. Fowler July 11, 2008
The practice of law in China has been somewhat problematic, especially when legal goals interfered with politics. Until recently, the police listened to conversations between lawyers and clients, and lawyers could be jailed for pursuing cases with political ramifications. But with the help of television, the internet and handbooks, average citizens in China are learning about their potential...

An Uncertain Victory for China’s Workers

Lyle Morris June 24, 2008
China’s expansion, fueled by cheap exports that poorly paid workers produce, may slow with a new labor law in force. The law aims to protect laborers and improve global perceptions of China’s human-rights record. Companies in China, both domestic and foreign, have been notorious about hiring workers with short-term contracts. The law provides higher wages and greater job security, including a...

Networks, Olympics Organizers Clash

Stephen Wade June 16, 2008
Foreign media that paid top dollar to cover the Olympics are descending on Beijing – and bristle about rules and regulations. The journalists protest the limits on live coverage and delays in shipping technical equipment. “Any interference with news coverage will be at odds with promises made seven years ago when Beijing was awarded the games,” writes Stephen Wade for the Associated Press,...

An Anger in Korea Over More Than Beef

Choe Sang-Hun June 13, 2008
Tens of thousands have turned out in South Korea, to protest US beef imports specifically, amid fears of mad-cow disease, and US manipulation of their government in general. “This is a small country in a strategic location with a deep sense of grievance about being manipulated by the great powers around it,” explains Choe Sang-Hun in news analysis for the New York Times. President Lee Myung-bak,...