In The News

China’s Exports of Aluminum, Steel Soar

Richard McGregor August 24, 2007
Controlling a booming economy, pointing it in new directions, is no easy task. Attempts by China's central government to reduce production and exports of aluminum and steel – two energy-intensive industries that also create large amounts of pollution – have not worked. Despite an increase in export taxes, exports of the two products during the first half of 2007 have almost doubled from the...

Mattel Recalls About 9 Million Toys

Nicholas Casey August 15, 2007
Ingesting lead, even small amounts, can cause irreparable brain damage in young children. So the news that major toy company Mattel has embarked on yet another major recall of toys made in China, because some contain lead paint and others contain small magnets, disturbs both consumers in the West and workers in China. Manufacturers based in China, where speech is censored, are unaccustomed to...

One World, One Dream, One Big Human Rights Problem

Daryl Lindsey August 10, 2007
China is intent on using the 2008 Olympics to display Chinese culture along with the achievement of economic growth within a political system of communism. But activists are just as intent on exposing human-rights violations. China’s organizing effort includes not only constructing elaborate structures and planning eye-catching events, but also arresting journalists and cracking down on civil...

US Mortgage Crisis Hits Pacific Rim Markets

Carter Dougherty August 7, 2007
Lured by low adjustable-interest rates, US homeowners bought larger homes than many could afford. Mortgage companies bundled those loans into bond packages, selling them to investors worldwide. But the credit was too easy, and wages are stagnant for many. For homeowners who can’t handle automatic rate increases, loans go into default. Trying to sell homes and escape the trap, homeowners discover...

China's New Appetite for Milk Forces Price Rise in Germany

Kate Connolly August 4, 2007
Dairy milk, with all its calcium and protein, is an excellent source of nutrients for growing children. Comments from Chinese officials, urging Chinese children to drink milk, have helped boost demand. But the nation does not have a history of dairy farming and turns to imports, especially from Europe. One third of all milk produced worldwide now goes to China, reports Kate Connolly for the...

Bomb by Bomb, Japan Sheds Military Restraints

Norimitsu Onishi August 4, 2007
Step by step, Japan is abandoning its constitutional policy of maintaining no offensive military capabilities. From a soaring army budget to buying state-of-the-art equipment, Japan prepares a military build-up for a world anticipating threats from North Korea, China or terrorists. Participation in US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan complements Japanese ambitions for military power. Japan, by...

Education the Best Counter for Radicalism

Muhammad Wildan July 30, 2007
Radical Islam is on the rise in Southeast Asia. Muhammad Wildan, a fellow with the Asian Research Institute, argues that the radicalism is a result of local peculiarities rather than incorrect interpretations of Islam. Because globalization has marginalized religion throughout the world, Islam and other religions have lost social authority. Many Muslims embrace salafism, which prohibits modern...