Ireland’s reluctant acceptance of a bailout supported by the International Monetary Fund is the latest in a string of developments since 2007 that have thrust the monetary fund into a new position of authority and prominence. The fund, which earlier in the decade seemed dormant and even irrelevant, is back in a big way.
Unveiling hidden China
Author:
Christian Caryl
Napoleon famously described China as a sleeping giant that would shake the world when it finally awoke. Well, now the giant is up and about, and the rest of us can’t help but notice. 2010, indeed, could well end up being remembered as the year when China started throwing its weight around.
A special report on China's place in the world
Their wealth depends on China, their security on America. Which way should Asian countries face?
Stand alone: the case for a new isolationism
Author:
Thanassis Cambanis
There are few ways to get Democrats and Republicans to agree faster than by bringing up national security. Should America invest in a dominant, high-tech military? Should it spend time, treasure, and lives intervening in distant lands and protecting allies? Almost always, the short answer is a resounding yes.
China's dilemma
Author:
George Gilboy and Eric Heginbotham
Social change and political reform.
With its eye on China, Japan builds up military
Author:
Martin Fackler
In December, Tokyo announced plans to strengthen its forces in the southwestern Okinawan islands, including adding a dozen F-15s in Naha. The increase is part of a broader shift in Japanese defensive stance southward, toward China, that some analysts are calling one of Japan’s biggest changes in postwar military strategy.
India and America in the strategic times to come
Author:
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
As the second decade of the 21st Century begins, no great regional power is as sought after as India. Over the past few months, the prime ministers and presidents of China, France, Russia, and the United States have all come here to Delhi to make the case for enhanced relationships with India.
Leaks in all the wrong places
Author:
Christian Caryl
Why the Japanese public has good reason to distrust official information.
Egypt: the path forward
Author:
By M. Shafik Gabr
The legitimate demands of the Egyptian protestors have been heard loud and clear, and an irrevocable process of change is now underway. But we should have no illusions.
Cold water from the Taliban
Author:
Christian Caryl
Outpost's recent piece on the idea of opening a diplomatic office for the Taliban in Turkey has inspired quite a bit of comment. Now we've received some feedback from a source who boasts a long track record of good access to Taliban leaders. One of RFE/RL's reporters just caught up with Rahim Ullah Yousafzai, an executive editor at the Pakistan newspaper "The News International," and asked him about the story.