In The News

MIT Technology Review: Electric-Car Industry

Jordyn Dahl January 29, 2019
China did not need to master traditional auto manufacturing to dominate the electric-vehicle industry. China has lined up policies to ensure its dominance – for example, obtaining licenses is much easier for those with electric vehicles. The Chinese government “made electric vehicles one of the 10 pillars of Made in China 2025 – a state-led plan for the country to become a global leader in high-...

South China Morning Post: Gene-Edited Babies

Phoebe Zhang January 22, 2019
Much of the world expressed concern after reports of the birth of gene-edited infants in November. An investigation in China confirmed that the infants are real and the scientist acted on his own. A preliminary investigation, as reported by Xinhua News Agency, explains that the researcher avoided surveillance, forged ethical papers, and worked with foreign staff and eight couples, reports Phoebe...

Xinhua: China Lands Chang'e-4 on Moon's Far Side

Yu Fei, Quan Xiaoshu and Hu Zhe January 3, 2019
China opened up a new frontier in space by successfully landing its Chang’e-4 lunar probe on the side of the Moon not seen from Earth. Previous missions by the United States and the Soviet Union photographed the far side. Because the Moon offers a shield against multiple radio signals from Earth, Chinese scientists anticipate the quiet place to allow improved monitoring of signals from other...

Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus: China’s BRI Goals

John A. Mathews January 2, 2019
China’s Belt and Road global investment strategy is financing more than $1 trillion in infrastructure development in more than 70 nations. The initiative, global in scope, is a response to the US “pivot to Asia” announced under the Obama administration, “carefully and astutely crafted to take advantage of moves by the US as the current hegemon,” explains John A. Matthews for the Asia-Pacific...

Wall Street Journal: Malaysia Charges Goldman Sachs

Tom Wright December 18, 2018
The Malaysia Development Berhad, known as 1MDB, was set up by Malaysia’s former prime minister in 2009 to improve the country through strategic investing. Reports soon emerged of missing finance payments and funds diverted into personal accounts. “Goldman arranged $6.5 billion in bonds for 1MDB in 2012 and 2013, of which $2.7 billion was allegedly stolen,” reports Tom Wright for the Wall Street...

Asia Sentinel: Curbing Asia’s Corrupt Governments

December 17, 2018
Civil society organizations from nine ASEAN member states are trying to fast-tract the UN Convention Against Corruption: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Corruption wastes funding and weakens governments, and Transparency International reports that corruption is entrenched throughout Asia. Ending a culture of cheating and fraud...

Times of India: Behind the Trade War

Nayan Chanda November 27, 2018
Intellectual property theft is the heart of the trade war between the United States and China. “While ramping up tariffs on products gets headlines, the US has quietly stepped up its counter-intelligence and law-enforcement machinery to foil Beijing’s multi-directional espionage efforts aimed at challenging US hegemony,” explains Nayan Chanda, founding editor of YaleGlobal Online, in his column...