In The News

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December 13, 2007
After World War II, Korea was divided into two nations, north and south. The Korean War began after forces from the north invaded the south in 1950, after rival factions could not agree on a system of governance. Train service crossing the border ended in 1951 and did not resume after the 1953 ceasefire. Since then, South Korea has flourished, now the 11th largest economy in the world, while...

The “China Honeymoon” Is Over

David Shambaugh December 7, 2007
Foreign investors in any land are put off by any trade and investment practices that discriminate against them. Protectionist practices in China include a lack of respect for intellectual property and market barriers. Changes in political leadership and concern over outsourcing jobs throughout Europe combined with ongoing reports of human-rights violations in the Chinese workplace have strained...

Rockers Tuning in to Chinese Market

Ben Sisario November 29, 2007
China, with 1.3 billion people and rapidly growing wealth, is an irresistible market for many industries, and rock 'n’ roll is no different. The Internet has flooded China with Western tunes, building an appetite for rappers like Talib Kweli and mainstream bands including Linkin Park. While the musicians appreciate the opportunity to play to rapt crowds and experience culture shock, the...

China Stand on Imports Upsets US

Steven R. Weisman November 28, 2007
China announced a policy requiring rigid safety inspections of medical, software and other high-tech devices that enter Chinese ports. The policy, announced in June, will not apply to Chinese manufacturers and follows a pattern of protecting domestic industries, reports Steven R. Weisman for the New York Times. Some analysts suggest the policy could represent retaliation for intense publicity in...

The Battle of Beijing

Moisés Naím November 26, 2007
China is intent on using the 2008 Olympics as a stage to display the strength of its culture, organized political system and rising economic power. Activists on a range of issues, particularly human rights, are equally earnest, planning to use the Olympics as a platform for exposing flaws of China’s one-party authoritarian regime. State-of-the-art technology common among tourists – including cell...

The Limits of a Smaller, Poorer China

Albert Keidel November 26, 2007
“Purchasing power parity” is a complex economic theory that suggests identical goods cost the same in different countries and allows economists to account for the influence of exchange rates and inflation on prices. Relying on that system of measurement, an Asian Development Bank report this summer included Chinese participation in price surveys for the first time. As a result of that...

Taiwan Squeezed as US and China Negotiate

Simon Tisdall November 20, 2007
The issue of Taiwan has been a thorny one since the Kuomintang’s relocation from mainland China in 1949. A sense of irredentism has been present on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, though now it persists predominantly on the mainland. The surge in China-US relations in recent years has complicated the Taiwan question even more. Though Taiwan has depended on deals with the US military in the past...