Economics

The historical production-reproduction divide held that mothers are the chief caregivers of children and men are providers. However, this division has fallen rapidly and rightfully by the wayside in much of the world and in most households. Women now make...

The doomsayers claim that the role of the dollar is being eclipsed by the rise of the Chinese yuan.  Others see the demise of the dollar and some countries, like Iran and Russia, selling oil in other currencies than the...

The concept of ‘protecting nationals abroad’ (haiwai gongmin baohu) became part of the Chinese Communist Party’s priority list at the 18th Party Congress in 2012. But the idea caught the attention of China’s top leadership as early as 2004, with...

Does the geopolitical relationship between China and Russia portend a major shift in global relations? Many observers focus on the similarities in these nations as the basis for expectations of a deepening relationship. But, despite some commonalities, Russia and China...

The US dollar has come back better bid after initially extending yesterday's pullback.  The euro pushed to $1.1330 after having dipped briefly below $1.1200 yesterday.   However, despite what appears to be an approaching brink with Greece, a softer than expected...

Over the last several days, President Barack Obama pulled out all the stops to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) – aka fast track –, which would restrict Congress to an up-or-down vote without amendments on trade deals for the next...

Any attempt to bridge the divide between scholars and policy-makers in international affairs is so welcome that I could not help but applaud this book, “Scholars, Policymakers, and International Affairs: Finding Common Cause”. The sad truth, however, is that after...

The FOMC meeting is the most important economic event next week.  The implications are much broader than the impact on the US dollar, which has surprisingly not reacted to the recent string of strong economic data.  This month's FOMC meeting...

The visit to Beijing by the High Representative of the European Union, Federica Mogherini on 5–6 May 2015 highlighted how the China–EU strategic partnership is moving towards unprecedented levels of political cooperation. In Mogherini’s view, China is now a key...

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recent proposal to expand the current Lifeline program – which provides phone service to low-income households – to include broadband access has drawn both praise and criticism. Since 1985, the program has helped cover the...

The 29 May Bangkok Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean was widely seen as a failure. This is because it did not produce a substantial set of agreed upon actions for coordinated ongoing implementation by attending countries,...

Seventy years ago, the global governance institutions of the United Nations, World Bank, and IMF were created. They have certainly contributed to peace and enabling global economic and financial growth. However, the global environment has undergone an immense evolution since...

A sluggish economic recovery in Europe is adding pressure to talks between Greek and German policymakers, while to the west and east of the continent signs of economic recovery are mounting. A sluggish economic recovery in Europe is adding pressure...

The Asian members of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) have announced their love of freedom and willingness to guarantee freedom online. However, the reality is that there is a disconnect between stated ambitions and commitments, and actual policy. The Asian...

Since March 2015, the US has hardened its attitude toward China’s activities in the South China Sea. Beijing appears genuinely surprised by the shift in tone and behaviour. In the past, the US has taken a more measured approach. So...