In The News

China Soups Up Internet Censoring Filters

Anick Jesdanun April 14, 2005
According to a recent US study, China is the most successful country in the world – that is, in terms of Internet censorship. The Chinese government uses a multilayered approach, employing thousands of public and private censors to remove online content deemed too sensitive. The system is so advanced that while references to Tibetan independence are entirely removed, for instance, general...

China's Strategy Gives it the Edge in the Battle of Two Sock Capitals

Don Lee April 12, 2005
At first glance, the Robin-Lynn Mills sock factory in Fort Payne, Alabama, seems impressive – with some the world's most advanced knitting machines, costing over US$25,000 each, a single sock is spun in 75 seconds. The Three Star factory in the Chinese city of Datang, on the other hand, stands in stark contrast: Its machines only cost US$1000 and take much longer to complete a sock....

Asia Battles over War History

David McNeill April 11, 2005
The worsening relations between Japan and its northeast Asian neighbors sank a few notches as demonstrators in China attacked Japanese diplomatic missions and businesses. South Koreans, too, have vented their anger at Japan's attempt to whitewash history. Recently, Japan's Ministry of Education has approved history and civics textbooks for use in schools that are either silent over past...

Shipments of Children

Carlos H. Conde April 8, 2005
According to recent UNICEF estimates, human trafficking worldwide is now a US$10 billion industry. Most trafficked persons tend to be children. Filipino officials and NGO-workers are witnessing a disturbing rise in child trafficking within and through the Philippines. Smugglers lure young girls from the impoverished provinces to Manila by promising lucrative jobs in the capital. Once brought to...

China Can Gain from Unshackling its Currency

Rob Trudel April 8, 2005
A significant lobby in Washington is pressuring Beijing to revalue its currency relative to the US dollar, claiming that the artificially low renminbi gives China an unfair competitive advantage. To be sure, Chinese resent the pressure and worry that an appreciation of the renminbi relative to the dollar would raise the price of Chinese goods and curb its dominance of the export market. But in...

International Bodies, Government Seek Ways to Deter Corruption in Aid

Tony Hotland April 7, 2005
Newspapers are reporting that the Indonesian government may have used tsunami relief money to purchase an eight million dollar villa for their ambassador to Switzerland. The report has prompted an uproar from Indonesians and international donors, who fear further misuse of relief money. Given the scope of reconstruction projects, say donors, well-connected officials in any affected country could...

Internet Fans Flames of Chinese Nationalism

Paul Mooney April 4, 2005
An online petition protesting Japan's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat has reportedly garnered over 22 million Chinese signatories. And as anti-Japanese discourse grows ever-more incendiary in cyberspace, the Chinese government may wonder how far "power to the people" should go. Journalist Paul Mooney writes that Beijing truly finds itself in a bind: While condoning...