In The News

Lawsuit Called Opening Salvo in Chinese Media War

Howard French January 3, 2007
A major Chinese newspaper is seeking damages from Tom.com, which republishes articles and photographs without authorization – and that could open a new frontier for intellectual-property rights protection in a country that has long been known for its free-for-all ways. Industry leaders in film, music and design have long complained about Chinese copycat firms that immediately steal and duplicate...

US and China Differ on Aim of Economic Talks

Steven R. Weisman December 18, 2006
After proposing dialogue on trade with China, the US treasury secretary did not expect Beijing to be so quick with its own sage advice for Washington. While the US expects China to adjust its currency, allowing it to float in relation to the dollar, China wants the US to stop borrowing so much money. Adjusting the Chinese currency would perhaps slow the Chinese export market, allowing China to...

Taming the Dragon

Gordon G. Chang December 15, 2006
Americans misunderstand their relationship with the Chinese, and that’s why little progress is made during any negotiations between the two nations, argues author Gordon Chang. The US repeatedly and mistakenly assumes that China can’t be pressured and that China has the upper hand because it holds so much US debt. Even if China were to pursue euros and yen instead of dollars, Chang argues that...

China Eases Limits on Foreign Media for 2008 Olympics

Mei Fong December 11, 2006
China will temporarily lift restrictions on foreign journalists, allowing them to scrutinize the Olympic Games as well as the Chinese economy, politics and society – but only through October 2008. Foreign journalists will no longer have to request or wait for formal invitations from Chinese groups before conducting interviews or writing articles. However, domestic journalists will still confront...

Secrets, Lies and Sweatshops

November 27, 2006
US multinational companies that rely on factories overseas often tout how their strict labor rules protect human rights. For example, Wal-Mart stops doing business with factories in China after four warnings on wage or scheduling violations. But factories under contract with multinationals have learned how to circumvent the regulations by hiring coaching firms that fake employee payroll records...

Is India Emerging as France of Asia?

Alyssa Ayres November 21, 2006
The current India visit by China’s President Hu Jintao to celebrate 50 years of relationship between the two countries will be watched closely by India’s newest friend, the United States. The two Asian giants have shaken off their frosty relations since their 1962 border war, and during the past five years their economic ties have blossomed. But the relationship between the US and India, shorn of...

The New Domino Theory

Robert B. Reich November 20, 2006
The recent visit to Vietnam by President Bush and the way American political parties are dealing with America’s old enemy are rich in irony. Four decades ago the US sent hundreds of thousands of troops and spent billions of dollars in Vietnam with the goal of preventing the country from falling like a domino in the Moscow-led Communist camp. But Soviet Communism collapsed and Vietnam adopted a...