In The News

Russian Missile Technology Allows N. Korea to Threaten U.S.

August 4, 2004
A recent article published by Jane’s Defence Weekly claims that North Korea is deploying new land- and sea-based ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking the United States. The technology for both systems reportedly comes from 12 former Soviet submarines that were sold to North Korea in the 1990’s, a claim which Russian defense officials adamantly deny. Regardless of...

Experts Call for Stronger Guidance to Foreign Investment

August 3, 2004
Foreign capital continues to flow into China, but its distribution remains unequal, with the majority of investment going to China’s eastern areas while a mere trickle makes its way to central and western areas. Consequently, the economy of eastern China is characterized by a higher number of foreign-funded enterprises and higher numbers of workers employed by foreign-funded enterprises. The...

NK Defectors in China Remain Concern

Seo Hyun-jin July 30, 2004
Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are seeking asylum in neighboring countries. Those that escape to the South are welcomed by the South Korean government, which has been embracing all escapees. Those that flee to China are not so lucky, however, and human rights activists are pressuring South Korea to step in. Between 50,000 and 300,000 North Koreans seek refuge in China every year, but...

President Praises the EU's Example as Nation's Future

Chang Yun-ping July 29, 2004
While talking with French Parliamentarian Alain Madelin, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian reiterated his belief that the EU could serve as model for relations between Taiwan and China. Chen attributed the appeal of Europe’s integration to its “trade-based interactions” and “principles of voluntary participation, equality and peace.” Madelin, however, pointed out that application of the...

Knock-on Effects will be Global if Iraq Carries on Downhill

Daljit Singh July 28, 2004
According to this op-ed by Daljit Singh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies, defeat, or perception of defeat, of America in Iraq could have destabilizing consequences for not just the Middle East, but all of Asia as well. If the United States, the global hegemon, is unable to restore peace to this one Middle Eastern country, its credibility as a superpower will...

Myanmar: Sanctions Won't Work

Jeffrey Sachs July 27, 2004
Fourteen years ago Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won an election against Myanmar's incumbent military government. After the elections, however, the military annulled the results, leading the US to impose economic sanctions against Myanmar’s government. Economist Jeffrey Sachs, head of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, argues in this op-ed that the USA should not...

Amnesty, National Human Rights Commission to Put Spotlight on Human Rights

Kavi Chongkittavorn July 26, 2004
Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International, berated Thailand last week for its handling of antinarcotics campaigns, suppression of rebels in the south, extrajudicial killings, and failure to protect human rights defenders. On a more optimistic note, however, she expressed hope that Thailand could reemerge as a regional human rights defender, possibly even promoting an “Asean human...