China

Chinese Largesse

Articles — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:08:00 -0400

The financial crisis is raising serious questions about the future of American power. Can the United States sustain the burdens of global leadership while we dust ourselves off from what looks like a near-knockout blow to our economy?

As Zachary Karabell has argued, we are now seeing a globalization of finance that parallels the globalization of manufacturing that began in earnest in the 1970s. Wall Street is no longer the center of the financial world as wealth flows from our shores to the Gulf and Asia's rising states. The sharp increase in the quantity and quality of consumption, which we owe to a combination of Wal-Mart (i.e.,… more

Why the US, Europe and China Need a 'G-3'

Articles — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:12:00 -0400

These days it is not fashionable to speak of empires, which are considered to be aggressive, mercantilist relics supposedly consigned to the dustbin of history with post-World War II decolonization and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many then predicted that ethnic self-determination would drag the world into a new era of political fragmentation as the number of countries proliferated from fewer than 50 at the end of World War II to, potentially, hundreds in the 21st century, with every minority getting its own state, currency, and seat in the United Nations.

But for thousands of years empires have been the world's most powerful political entities, fulfilling people's… more

It's Official: China Now Has More Broadband Lines than the United States

Articles — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:19:00 -0400

It was just last year that those of us raising alarms about the massive half-decade market failure in the United States to adequately provision broadband services were facing a misinformation campaign that raw numbers mattered more than percentage rankings. According to this argument, the U.S. broadband market was sound because we had more broadband lines than anyone else.

The misinformation brigade got so much attention (mainly due to incumbents funding a propaganda campaign that "everything is fine here, nothing to see"), that public interest groups had to issue reports systematically refuting the PR are marketing hype. In fact, Free Press issued a point-by-point rebuttal, "'Shooting the Messenger' Myth vs. Reality:… more

China's Robber-Baron Ways

Articles — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0400

Only a short time after China's magnificent Olympic coming-out party, the land of Mao's successors found itself making less celebratory news.

"Tainted Milk Formula Sickens Thousands of Chinese Infants" read one of many recent headlines. Twenty-two companies that produce or distribute milk powder had been secretly adding melamine, normally used for making plastics and glue, into milk powder, making thousands of infants sick and causing several deaths.

It is one of the puzzling questions about China: How can a country that organized such a splendid Olympic splash be the same country that produces deadly food scares on a regular basis?

The answer says a lot about today's China. In its March to modernity, Beijing's… more

China and the Long Road Ahead

Articles — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:34:00 -0400

During the Olympics, China showed the world that it can throw a heck of a coming out party. But traveling here afterward, one sees the many complexities and challenges facing this vast and ancient land.

Especially in the rural areas--where most people still live--the impressive economic rise of China has penetrated only superficially. True, the Communist Party, which still runs nearly everything, brought electricity and other development here in the early 1980s. But while some appliances like television and telephones are increasingly common, indoor plumbing, electric ovens and other comforts are still scarce.

The life of farming families is still extremely poor, filled with backbreaking labor and scavenging for… more

CA Event: The Next World - How Should the United States Respond to Rising Powers?

Communications — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
09/05/2008 - 8:00am

The rise of other global powers is a profound new reality of today’s world. As headlines remind us nearly everyday, China, India, Russia, as well as the European Union, Japan, and others are rapidly gaining strength and influence. How should the U.S. navigate this new world landscape? Does the rise of these powers represent an ideological challenge or an economic boom? Will global warming convince us we are all in the same boat? The Next World conference will explore these questions and others, focusing on key foreign policy priorities for the next administration.

Steve Coll, President and CEO of the New America Foundation and John Podesta, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress opened the conference with an intimate conversation, and later joined the discussion with the best and brightest minds of a new generation of foreign policy thinkers who will help shape America’s evolving role in the world.

Three panel discussions explored whether or not the U.S. is in decline, and if it matters, and how the rise of other powers impact American influence, prosperity, and security. They also debated whether there is a global battle over ideology and strategic priorities for the U.S. in this new world.

Over lunch, Terry Tamminen, Cullman Senior Fellow for Climate Change and Director of the Climate Policy Program at the New America Foundation, gave an address on how the United States can develop a coherent climate change strategy, with an emphasis on how meaningful formal and informal agreements to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases can be negotiated with rising powers.

This conference was co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress, the New America Foundation, and The Stanley Foundation.

The Other Olympic Gold

Articles — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:23:00 -0400

"One World, One Dream" -- that's the slogan the Chinese Olympic Committee chose for the 2008 Games in Beijing. But don't let the idealism fool you. This year, beneath the roar of the high-minded sloganeering, you could hear the same twin engines that have powered all modern Olympiads: nationalism and capitalism. While I was in China last week, I noticed that the media were doing the same dance they do in the U.S. They paid lip service to the Olympic ideal -- the Games as a moment when humanity puts politics aside to honor youth, talent and noble competition -- but their hook was national… more

China Fuels Repression in Darfur

Communications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:11:00 -0400

New York, NY-China has been the most egregious violator of the global arms embargo on Darfur, supplying guns and ammunition to the Sudanese government that have been transferred into the region, according to a new issue brief released by the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation. Since 2004, the vast majority of Sudan's small arms and light weapons have come from China, and many of them have found their way into the hands of the notorious Janjaweed militias in Darfur.

The issue brief is online at NewAmerica.net: http://www.newamerica.net/publications/policy/deadly_traffic_chinas_arms_trade_sudan.

"China's domestic policies have come under much-deserved scrutiny in the run-up to… more

William Hartung in AP News | "Study says China top violator of Sudan embargo"

Communications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:47:00 -0400

New America in the News:

(The AP)--China has been the "most egregious violator" of a worldwide arms embargo, providing Sudan with the vast majority of its small arms and weapons used for mass murder in Darfur province. . .

The arms and also political support are being swapped for access to the African country's oil reserves, according to a report issued on the eve of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. . .

Recognizing fast-developing China's need for energy, William Hartung, a veteran foreign policy analyst and author of the report for the New America Foundation, said the United States might consider energy cooperation with Beijing so it does not rely for oil on Sudan and other repressive regimes. . .

Deadly Traffic: China's Arms Trade With The Sudan

adminn — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:40:00 -0400

As a result of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China will be exposed to a greater global audience -- and greater global scrutiny -- than ever before. In order to put its best foot forward, the Chinese government has spent record amounts on everything from increased security to environmental cleanup.

But there are some Chinese policies that are too controversial to be "cleaned up" at the last minute. This is certainly the case with respect to China's role in arming Sudan's government. Chinese weapons transfers to the… more