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Tag Archives: trade
Reflections on Japan (Video Interview with Sir David Warren)
Recent territorial disputes point to tensions in the relationship between Japan and China. Competition extends beyond issues of history and territorial assertions to competition for resources and influence. Yet it is increasingly recognized that Japan and China are crucial to each other. Continue reading
Posted in Japan
Tagged Ambassador, China, cyber security, economics, security, soft power, trade
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China’s Liberalizing Impact on Global Commodity Markets
Memo #195 – China played a key part in the recent collapse of the iron ore pricing regime. This was an unintended consequence of a mix of bold negotiating tactics and competing domestic interests, which made it difficult to implement a consistent international procurement policy. Chinese actions destabilized global market institutions and paradoxically caused their liberalization. Continue reading
Posted in Canada, China
Tagged commodity markets, natural resources, negotiaton, political science, state investments, trade
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Upcoming Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement – Lessons Learned from Korea
Memo #192 – Canada and Japan are set to begin negotiations to develop an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on November 26th, 2012. Canada hasn’t completed a preferential trade agreement with any of its Asia Pacific partners, and Japan has yet to finalize an EPA with a G8 country. As negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Korea have entered their seventh year and as regional competitors, like Australia, are forging new trade partnerships in Asia, Canada feels pressured to assert itself in the region. If Canada can learn from the stalled Korean negotiations, the Canada-Japan EPA can become the platform to accomplish such a task. Continue reading
Posted in Canada, Japan, South Korea
Tagged Business, Economic Partnership Agreement, Free Trade Agreement, negotiation, trade
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China Crucial to India’s Mobile Revolution
Memo #172 – India entered the elite global club of $1 trillion-plus (USD) economies in the last decade accompanied by explosive growth in domestic mobile phone users. India had the second largest population of mobile phone users as of 2010, an astounding leap from their modest rank of 34th ten years earlier. Continue reading
Posted in China, India
Tagged development, economics, mobile, mobile phone, telecom, trade
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Global Security – the Shifting Axis, Kepler-16b, and Two Suns
Memo #171 – Star Wars fans worldwide remember the iconic scene of Luke Skywalker peering into a sky at dusk with not one but two suns sinking over the horizon of his home planet of Tatooine. Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Australia, China, United States
Tagged military, political science, security, trade
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China – Global Shipping, Coal Usage, High Speed Train Corridors (Video Interview with Dr. Claude Comtois)
Memo #155 – China is a driving force in global shipping, coal usage, and high speed train corridors. Based on a series of lectures at The University of British Columbia in February 2012, Dr. Claude Comtois argues, that in combination these three developments have enormous implications for China and the world.
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Posted in Canada
Tagged coal usage, Geography, global shipping, high speed trains, trade
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Japan’s Culture Industries: Cool or Cruel?
Memo #152 – The world loves sushi, J-pop, and manga. Now the Japanese government is in on the act. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has a Cool Japan / Creative Industries Policy, and in January 2012 launched Cool Japan Daily, a blog introducing Japanese pop culture. Behind all this are ambitious plans to increase Japan’s share of the global market for culture industries. It tends to be uncritically assumed that pop culture will enhance the Japanese national image, too. The current popularity of music groups such as AKB48 outside Japan indicates the potentially lucrative and beneficial aspects of pop culture promotionalism. But evidence from some international media suggests the need for caution. Continue reading
Posted in Japan, United Kingdom
Tagged Asian culture, BBC, communication, media, pop culture, trade
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Exporting “Tough on Crime” Policy to Thailand: Harper’s Recent Visit
Memo #148 – Human smuggling and terrorism – not trade – played centre stage in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to Thailand in March. Although the Thai government was eager to solicit more interest in trade during a visit that marked the 50th anniversary of Canada-Thailand relations, it was left with $7 million (CDN) for an anti-crime program and an “exploratory” talk on free trade. Continue reading
Posted in Canada, Southeast Asia, Thailand
Tagged ASEAN, Business, crime, insecurity, political science, terrorism, trade
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China: Energy, Environment, and Growth – Options for Canada (Video Interview with Dr. Wenran Jiang)
Memo 140 – China’s environmental issues need to be understood in a global rather than a narrowly national context. While China as a nation is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide on a per capita basis Chinese citizens produce far fewer emissions than citizens in advanced industrial economies. Further a large proportion of these emissions result from export industries producing goods for export abroad. Continue reading
Posted in Canada, China
Tagged emission, energy, environment, export, political science, trade
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Will “Nepal Investment Year” Solve its Hydropower Puzzle?
Memo #139 – By some estimates Nepal has the potential to generate 42,000 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectricity per annum. In an effort to attract capital, Nepal’s Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai proclaimed 2012 as “Nepal Investment Year.” The aim is to attract over $6 billion (USD) for key sectors including hydropower. Bhattarai also signed a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) with India. Continue reading
Posted in Nepal
Tagged corruption, hydroelectricity, investment, political science, Three Gorges Dam, trade, water
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