In The News

Power Plays in Asia

Jim Hoagland April 22, 2005
Protesters recently filled China's streets, objecting to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council; Japan, the protesters maintain, has yet to atone sufficiently for its crimes during World War II. As this Washington Post article points out, however, "It is a mistake to write off the political turmoil in Asia as a case of resurgent nationalism in a region that...

China Owes Japan for Riots

April 21, 2005
Citing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Japanese officials and experts in international law say that Beijing must apologize to Japan and compensate for property damage incurred in recent anti-Japanese demonstrations. The windows of the Japanese embassy and consulates were shattered and the walls smeared with paint by protestors throughout China. Many Japanese businesses have also...

Rising Dragon and the American Eagle – Part I

David Shambaugh April 20, 2005
Recent developments – including the high-profile visit by China's premier Wen Jiabao to South Asia – showing the rising profile of China have intensified a long-running debate in Washington. How does the growing power and influence of China affect the dominance that the United States has so far enjoyed in Asia? In the first of our two-part series, George Washington University's China...

American Nationals Given Jail Terms for Selling Pirated DVDs

April 20, 2005
China has been under increasing pressure from the United States for its lack of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, as the country has become a global hub for pirated DVDs and CDs. In a recent court ruling in China, two Americans and their two Chinese accomplices were found guilty of selling pirated DVDs to more than 20 countries; the four each incurred prison terms and substantial...

Internet Filtering in China in 2004-2005

April 18, 2005
The OpenNet Initiative, a partnership between three universities, recently tested China's Internet filtering of web content and e-mail. China employs the most technologically sophisticated filtering regime, and unlike other countries, filtering is carried out at various control points and changes over time. The project found widespread efforts to prevent access to a wide range of subjects...

Nike Lists Abuses at Asian Factories

David Teather April 15, 2005
Multinational apparel companies like Nike have long been accused of running their factories abroad as sweatshops, milking the desperation of poor workers in the name of the bottom line. In a report released by the company itself, Nike further substantiates the allegations of abuse. The report details the terrible working conditions in many of Nike's factories across East Asia and other...

China-India Entente Shifts Global Balance

Clyde Prestowitz April 15, 2005
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's recent diplomatic visit to India resulted in a number of potentially historic agreements. Economist Clyde Prestowitz suggests that collaboration between the two Asian nations may reshape globalization in the 21st century. The European age of exploration set into motion a first wave of globalization – setting the stage for centuries of Western economic,...