Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific
Author: Peter Drysdale, Editor, East Asia Forum
The dramatic increase in recent years of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) in sub-Saharan Africa by firms from Asia — notably China and India — has become an emotionally charged and controversial issue.
For China, as Luke Hurst has written, Africa would seem an excellent complement to its resource- and market-seeking global agenda. Read more…
Author: Fitrian Ardiansyah, ANU
Agreements achieved in the early morning of 11 December in Durban, South Africa appeared to salvage the UN climate talks — but have also raised questions about the commitment and capability of countries around the world to urgently tackling climate change.
After two weeks of difficult negotiations, governments involved in the 17th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-17) agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol and negotiate a binding agreement for all countries to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Read more…
Author: Stephen Howes, ANU
The founding institution within the World Bank Group is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
The only part of the institution that was established by the 1944 Bretton Woods conference, the IBRD is the World Bank’s bank. Read more…
Author: Stephen Howes, ANU
The Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum convened today in Canberra after a break of over two years.
And today the prime ministers of the two countries will also meet for the first time (outside of sideline meetings) following this significant interlude. Read more…
Author: Frank Jotzo, ANU
Indonesia is among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, and it has committed to cut its carbon footprint.
Can Indonesia achieve its goals, what is its role in the region, and how could developed countries assist? Read more…
Author: Amy King, Oxford University
On 21–22 May, Japan hosted the Fourth China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Summit.
As the first such meeting since the triple (earthquake-tsunami-nuclear) disaster in Japan, it was largely focused on disaster recovery efforts. Read more…
Author: Alicia Mollaun, ANU
The United States’ relationship with Pakistan is characterised by deep mistrust. Mistrust in US policy and mistrust of US intentions in Pakistan.
The death of Bin Laden and the circumstances under which he was killed is unlikely to change this. Mistrust is likely to rankle both sides as the details of the US mission come to light. Read more…
Author: Jenny Corbett, ANU
French President Sarkozy is the first foreign leader to visit Japan since the disasters of early March. His visit has been welcomed in Japan and has partly restored the unfortunate impression that the French jumped ship early by evacuating all their nationals. Well-timed, symbolic gestures of support can have great impact. Would this be a good moment for a high-level gesture of goodwill, respect and support from Australia? Absolutely. But a mere repetition of the mantra that Japan is our most strategically important ally in the region would be a wasted opportunity. These circumstances provide an important moment to take the bilateral relationship one big step towards new levels on many fronts.
On the humanitarian front Australia can offer assistance beyond aid and rescue teams. Read more…
Author: Risti Permani, University of Adelaide
Few might think that the Australian state of Queensland’s recent natural disasters could have any link with the future of underprivileged students in Indonesian Islamic schools (madrasah).
But the Australian opposition Liberal Party’s proposal to cut aid for madrasah to avoid the Australian PM’s flood levy to pay for flood damage has raised concerns over the effect of diverting support for those schools on Australia’s counter-terrorism agenda. Read more…
Author: Jonas Parello-Plesner, European Council on Foreign Relations
The saying ‘forget about Europe’ has become common in Asia in 2010. It has been reinforced by the euro crisis provoked by massive Greek debt. After the euro crisis the Chinese financial press largely wrote Europe off or compared it to Latin America after the 1980s debt crisis. The economic basis for the EU’s power is decreasing. The eternal process that characterised the Lisbon treaty, which is now finally in place, has been perceived as endless procedure for Asian outsiders with little impact while the global order moves on.
Yet the EU still has something to offer in Asia. It is moving ahead on one important area where it has overtaken the US: trade. It is often said that the business of Asia is business. Read more…
Authors: Mohsin Khan, PIIE and Shuja Nawaz, Atlantic Council, Washington
The floods in Pakistan have affected one-fifth of the country (an area roughly the size of England) and engulfed large parts of all four provinces—Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North West Frontier Province). The vast scope of the damage makes this a truly national disaster with long-term economic and political consequences. With waters still rising, it is far too early to assess the economic costs; a proper assessment will be made in time by the Government of Pakistan, assisted by the UN and the World Bank. But on the basis of early indicators, a preliminary and admittedly impressionistic view of the damage can be formed.
The immediate impact on the population is truly staggering—20 million people affected with 8 million in need of water, food and shelter; 1500-2000 killed; 4 million left homeless; and 15 million displaced. Read more…
Author: Luke Hurst, ANU
There has been a change in ideological sentiment on China’s involvement in Africa. The paradigm shift has been led by Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo’s bestseller, Dead Aid, which gave voice to the possibility of a development model defined by diligent business practices as opposed to the traditional Western model which is driven by foreign aid. If managed prudently the Sino- African relationship could prove to be an empowering change for several African governments and provide the foundation for the continent to take its place as a partner in the global economy.
For China, Africa is an excellent complement to its resource and market-seeking global agenda. Since 2000 China-Africa trade has grown at an average annual rate of 33.5 per cent. Read more…
Author: Stuart Harris, ANU
The still highly complex relationship between China and Taiwan can be seen in the reactions of both countries following the Haiti earthquake. One Taiwanese and eight Chinese lives were claimed by the disaster, and both countries have given substantial aid (initially $4.2 million and $5 million respectively) as well as sent teams to assist with relief efforts. But so far there have been few, if any, signs of Chinese pressure to change Haiti’s diplomatic links with Taiwan.
This may be an attempt by China to live up to its role as a global power – after all, four of the Chinese casualties were members of the UN peacekeeping force. Read more…
Author: Fergus Hanson
Watching China’s reaction to the failed Rio-Chinalco deal and the decision to let Rebiya Kadeer into the country has been interesting. To an outside observer, the rhetoric and response from Beijing sometimes seem surprisingly immature.
But China doesn’t reserve its overzealous responses for the big picture multi-billion deals and alleged terrorists. In 2008, I released a policy brief on China’s aid program in the Pacific. The Chinese Foreign Ministry opted to counter with an official rebuke at a news conference, calling it ‘totally pointless and unacceptable’. When this year’s version of the report, which tracks China’s aid giving in the region, came out, it was the Communist Party mouthpiece, the Global Times that laid in.
Author: Graeme Dobell
The problem for Australia’s aid bureaucrats is that spending nearly $4 billion doesn’t necessarily buy much respect in Canberra. Or bureaucratic power.
Being an efficient spender of cash is not to be scoffed at. AusAID has developed important skills: running tenders, operating contracts and transferring money. But the institutional effect is that AusAID doesn’t always get invited to the policy table. When invited, it speaks last.
The process of selecting a new Director-General of AusAID will force the Rudd Government and Foreign Affairs to confront what it wants to do with aid. As noted in my previous column, Bruce Davis headed AusAID for a decade. That is an unusual tenure for almost any era. At the end, the Government announced that Davis was going and then had him gone in only three days.