April 2012
20 posts
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Russia-China joint naval drill starts →
Chinese and Russian cooperation is nothing new to the international system. Russia has been selling arms to China for decades. The most recent example of this is the aircraft carrier that now sits in Chinese docks. However, this military cooperation could be viewed differently in light of recent events in the Middle East. With Russia and China’s block several UN resolutions that were aimed...
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China allowed to buy New Zealand farmland →
New Zealand is the only western nation that has a free trade agreement with China and this recent move by Chinese firms is evidence of that agreement. This also speaks to the strength of the Chinese economic arm. The incentive and massive amounts of capital that China can provide to possible trade partners or investment clients is overwhelming and undeniable for other countries. China is...
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India test launches Agni-V long-range missile →
As stated in the article, “the state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) said the test was “a historic moment for India and it shows that India has joined the club of the countries that own ballistic missiles”, Associated Press reported.”While this club that China is referring to may provided increased security and international influence, it also comes with...
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China increases its US debt holding for second... →
The reasons listed for the increase in US debt holdings may be true but the the mention of leverage that China gains by buy these holds is not. Also, the relation that the purchase of these holding has to the recent opening of the US marine base in Darwin was not mentioned. I feel that these are factors that need to be taken into account when talking about China purchasing US debt. With China...
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In China, is censorship the mother of creativity?... →
Very interesting Q&A with Ai WeiWei. Definitely worth while if you are interested about his perspective on art and expression in China.
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Fang Lizhi, China dissident who inspired... →
This is just another reminder that the Tiananmen generation is dying. This means that the reigns of the pro-reform movement needs to be taken up by the next generation and this can be seen slightly in the movements started online. The Tiananmen generation saw their sparks take to the kindle in the universities of China. This new generation is seeing their sparks ignite over the internet and...
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Posturing in the Pacific →
A great discussion about the opening of the U.S. marine base in Darwin and the reasons behind it.
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Chinese insurer stops covering Iranian oil →
Since 80% of Iran’s export commodities is from petroleum they have a very shallow economy. This means that any threat to oil exports could drastically hurt their economy and this is why sanctions against Iran have been aimed at its oil industry. China is the biggest importer of Iranian oil and it was thought that even though these sanction would hurt the Iranian economy China would be able...
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The KaChing! Dynasty →
Every country has a wealthy elite but China is now building a wealthy elite comparable to the U.S. What could this mean for China? Billionaires not only bring in big business but are big spenders as well. For China under a authoritarian system the relationship between the wealthy and politicians has become a close one. With the rise in influence and wealth these individuals acquire the more...
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China surpasses US as world's biggest grocery... →
While it is great that many Chinese will be exposed to new foods through the spreading of super markets, I feel that there is a larger problem that could arise. Like we have seen in the U.S., supermarkets try to provide large amounts of food to people far from the places where they are either grown or slaughtered. This had led to rise in low quality products and questionable practices to increase...
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China eyes freer financial markets to boost yuan... →
Could Premier Wen Jiabao become the trust buster of the East? It seems that will likely become a truth. The main difference is that instead of Roosevelt’s attack on monopolies of private businesses Wen is going after state owned banks. The banking sector has been one of the last remaining hold outs for the state owned enterprises but it seems that their days are numbered. With the chance...
