In The News

Laser Beams Aimed at Aircraft at Atsugi Base

December 7, 2015
Laser pointers, a tool for business, are being used as a weapon. Pilots have filed reports about laser lights targeting their plans while flying over Europe, Japan and the United States. The light can flood cockpits, causing distraction and momentary vision problems. “Laserlike beams, possibly from pointers, have targeted U.S. military and Maritime Self-Defense Force aircraft at least 70 times...

Renminbi Joins the IMF’s Reserve-Currency Basket

December 1, 2015
Only a few goods and services are priced in what are known as Special Drawing Rights, or the mix of currencies used by the International Monetary Fund as a unit. Transit through the Suez Canal are one such service. The Chinese renminbi joins other currencies like the US dollar, the euro and Japanese yen for the IMF basket. Because so few items are priced such way, the Economist points out many...

COP21: China Prepares to Act on Climate Change

Isabel Hilton December 1, 2015
The climate talks in Paris known as COP21 are underway, and world leaders confront overwhelming scientific evidence that catastrophe is inevitable if countries continue to rely on fossil fuels. Global awareness runs high about the increasing economic and security threats of volatile weather patterns, including food and water shortages, infrastructure damage and rising insurance costs, as well as...

How the One-Child Policy Changed China

Aileen Clarke November 30, 2015
Before China imposed its one-child policy, Mao Zedong banned contraception and encouraged reproduction. “China’s food supply was strained and the government reversed the campaign against contraceptives,” writes Aileen Clarke for National Geographic. “From 1959 to 1961, the Great Chinese Famine killed an estimated 15 to 30 million people.” The country backtracked. The one-child policy eventually...

Filipina Entrepreneur Shines at APEC

Doris Dumlao-Abadilla November 23, 2015
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation regional group supports sustainable growth and prosperity among its 21 member states, both developed and emerging economies through trade, investment, sustainability and innovation. One individual may exemplify such goals. “A Filipina who co-founded Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALT), a company that makes innovative lamps powered by saltwater, was thrust...

APEC Leaders Silent on South China Sea

Trefor Moss November 19, 2015
The attacks on civilians in Paris by the Islamic State have rallied world leaders to cooperate on combatting terrorism. Such coordination could ease tensions in other areas or distract attention. At the summit for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, held in Manila, 21 leaders urged cooperation on fighting terrorism and improving economic growth. “On the sensitive matter of the South China Sea, the...

China’s New Economic Plan Tackles the Rebalancing Puzzle

Stephen S. Roach November 10, 2015
Early reports on China’s Five-Year Plan outlining the government’s strategic priorities for 2016 to 2020 indicate preparations for slowed yet more sustainable economic growth. The plan involves ongoing transition toward an economy that promotes service industries, private consumption, innovation and entrepreneurship. The plan endorses a diversified economy, emphasizing quality rather than...