International Relations Archives

Now that the closing ceremonies have ended and the international attention has gone away, the real Olympic challenge begins. China made enormous progress dealing with its environmental issues during the Olympics. Can China maintain and advance these environmental gains after the Olympics, benefiting people throughout China?
Posted August 28, 2008

China is a country run by engineers, and the tremendous success of the Beijing Games can, from the Chinese perspective at least, be seen as a triumph of engineering. The Chinese central government established a blueprint years ago for how the Games would play out—from how the Olympics venues would be constructed to how many gold medals the country would win—and stuck to their plan with an uncanny tenacity, even in the face of strong criticism, as the Games approached. The rest of the world, with whatever reservations remain, can be nothing less than enormously impressed by how well this plan was realized.
Posted August 26, 2008

For years, whenever faced with a difficult decision, China’s leaders have used a convenient way out: Let’s wait until after the Olympics. At least two Communist Party Congresses, where national strategy is debated and fixed, have danced around the major issues for the past decade. The full legitimization of private property, the redefinition of the role of the Communist Party, the development of a credible system of social protection, and the much-talked-of decentralization have all been touched upon but left for “after the Olympics.” So, what is going to happen when the Games are over and the Olympics excuse is gone?
Posted August 23, 2008

During a recent trip to Asia, President Bush pressed North Korea to dismantle its nuclear armaments, limit its ballistic missile activity and improve its respect for human rights. But as the U.S. government marches toward improved relations with North Korea—including dropping Pyongyang as a sponsor of terrorism as early as this month—the Bush administration ignores one of its most important obligations: requiring North Korea to account for over 8,000 American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Korean War (1950-1953.)
Posted August 14, 2008

The most watched event during the Olympic Games may well be an unscheduled one in which China is the only contender. That competition involves Beijing’s struggle over the penumbra of air pollution from dust, cars and coal-fired industries that so often hangs over the city.
Posted August 12, 2008

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are descending on Beijing for the Olympic Games, which begin Friday. For months, the government has orchestrated an elaborate effort to ready the city: cleaning streets, clearing the skies, even designating “Olympic” emergency and medical services. But according to investigators based in Beijing and Hong Kong, who refuse to speak on the record because they fear government reprisals, visitors might consider steering clear of military-owned hospitals where they could run the risk of being treated with substandard or counterfeit medicines.
Posted August 6, 2008

A cloud of nationalism hung over the latest elections in Cambodia. Phnom Penh and Thailand faced off in an intense border dispute around the Preah Vihear temple and as the two sides transported troops, artillery and tanks to the border, ruling party members were busy galvanizing Cambodian support against perceived Thai aggression.
Posted Aug. 1, 2008

This year’s G8 Summit at Toyako, Japan, was seen by most observers as a disappointment. The agreements that were reached lacked creativity and teeth, whether on climate change, Zimbabwe, development assistance, or the fuel and food crisis, the club seems to have run out of ideas. But amid these setbacks, one de facto great power emerged in a strengthened position -- even though it is not a member of the club.
Posted July 25, 2008

These days, challenges to Pakistan’s sovereignty and security come from friends and foes alike. Even as Pakistan faces escalating militant violence within its borders, U.S. policy makers have threatened “hot pursuit” of militants into the tribal belt. At this critical juncture, the U.S. approach should be to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to combat violent extremism instead of engaging in words and actions that could further destabilize the country and region.
Posted July 24, 2008

Beijing continues to shake off foreign residents like a dog sheds fleas. This stealthy, but effective campaign is hitting students, teachers and entrepreneurs, and those that have invested their futures in China’s are feeling the pinch.
Posted July 21, 2008