Monitor The Strategic Trends
Introduction:
The original birth of civilization began in the Middle East and migrated westward - to Greece, to Rome, and then to the nations of northern Europe. As Henry Luce so aptly quipped in 1941, ''The twentieth century was the American Century.'' And indeed it was. But the centroid of power continues to migrate westward: it is widely anticipated that the 21st century will be the ''Asian Century.''
With recent shifts in the economic centers of the world, most notably the decline of the U.S., the Far East is quickly rising to fill the void.
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NEW!
Is Fresh Leadership Ahead In North Korea? August 31, 2010
Still Tortured In North Korea June 15, 2010
China: The Dragon Keeps Growing January 19, 2010
Rockets, Russia, and the Korean Peninsula August 25, 2009
China and US Tensions Tighten Over Tibet, Ships March 10, 2009
Strategic Update: 2010 and Beyond - China by Mary Miller, Director of Research
China Update, Part 3: Communism in China by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute
China Update, Part 2: Economics in China by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute
China Update, Part 1: Religion in China by Chuck Missler
Kings of the East, Part 2 The Rise of India by Chuck Missler
**ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS AND LINKS**
Note: These links are provided for your further research and education. Koinonia House does not necessarily agree with the information on these sites or support the specific organizations.
Documents
U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China - The Cox Report
Related Sites
China-U.S. Relations - Yahoo! Full Coverage
Statement on the President's Request for Most Favored Nation (MFN) Trade Status for China - Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Kyodo News - News from Japan
News Sources
China Trade Surplus Hits 18-Month High - China's monthly trade surplus widened to more than $28 billion in July, its highest level in nearly 18 months, the Chinese government said Tuesday. The jump was the third-consecutive monthly increase after a period of shrinking surpluses earlier this year and is likely to intensify pressure for China to allow faster appreciation of the yuan. Many economists and U.S. manufacturers say that an undervalued currency gives Chinese products an unfair edge in world markets.
S. Korea and US Exercise Meant To Discourage Pyongyang - The four-day exercise, in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), will involve 20 ships, 200 planes and 8,000 personnel.
The announcement came as defence chief Robert Gates visited South Korea in a show of support for the US ally.
On Wednesday he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit the demilitarised zone dividing the Koreas.
Ties between the two Koreas have deteriorated significantly following the 26 March sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, with the loss of 46 sailors.
Bush Criticizes North Korea's Kim - Former US President George W Bush on Tuesday accused North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il of wasting his country's precious resources on personal luxuries and nuclear weapons programs.
North Koreans have been suffering since the Korean War ended, Bush told a prayer meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of the war's outbreak.
"While South Korea prospers, the people of North Korea have suffered profoundly," he said, adding communism had resulted in "dire poverty, mass starvation and brutal suppression".
China Expects Trade Deficit - The prospect that China may report its first monthly trade deficit in six years could offer an unexpected boost to the nation's position in the increasingly heated international debate over its currency policy. Top Chinese officials have in recent days said trade numbers for March could show China imported more than it exported this month — its first monthly deficit since April 2004.
China Outruns Germany as Top Exporter - China overtook Germany in 2009 to become the world's top exporting nation, another milestone in China's rapid rise and growing economic influence. But in a year of global economic turmoil and weakness, China achieved the top ranking because its exports fell only 16 percent, while Germany's exports fell more steeply.
**ADDITIONAL RELATED RESOURCES**
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