By Benjamin A Shobert Outbound investment by Chinese businesses in United States entities last year exceeded for the first time US investments in Chinese companies, according to a recent report from Dealogic, a fact too easily lost amid cries of concern over China’s ownership of US Treasuries, now estimated at around US$789.6 billion. Cumulatively, Chinese outbound merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was at an all-time high in 2009; however, the actual amount invested – $28.6 billion – was still a distant third to the United States’ international M&A activity, estimated at $51.5 billion. Answering the question of what is to … Continue reading China’s US spending passes landmark

By RFE/RL Correspondent Afghan President Hamid Karzai tells RFE/RL that he has long advocated talking to moderate elements within the Taliban but that the international community is only now endorsing and supporting that view. “During my eight years in office and until today, I have constantly spoken in favor of holding talks with the Taliban and conducting peace talks with the Taliban,” Karzai said. “Until last year, we lacked support from the United States, other Western governments, and NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization], and we had differences over this issue,” he added. “Luckily, the Americans did agree and accepted our policy. … Continue reading Talkative Karzai talks on talks but can he be trusted to talk?

By Ali Gharib WASHINGTON – In a surprisingly swift move last Thursday night that could have wide-ranging implications, the United States Senate passed a bill containing broad unilateral sanctions to punish foreign companies that export gasoline to Iran or help expand its domestic refinery capabilities. The voice vote came at the eleventh hour before the chamber recessed so legislators could go home to campaign. The bill cannot come before the president to be signed into law until a conference procedure combines it with a similar house bill, the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, passed in October. The senate move reveals an administration losing … Continue reading Is Obama losing control of Iran policy?

By Kaveh L Afrasiabi Just days after United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the occasion of a speech in Paris to lecture China on its national security interests and warned Beijing of “economic insecurity and diplomatic isolation” if it did not sign onto new sanctions against Iran, China hit back. On Saturday, Beijing escalated its rhetoric against US arms sales to Taiwan, which it views as part of its territory, by suspending all military exchanges with the US, summoning the American ambassador to Beijing and using Clinton’s own language about “long-term implications”. Clinton had warned China it would … Continue reading Iran caught up in China-US bed!

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim heads for trial on Tuesday on a charge of sodomy, placing the country’s courts under scrutiny again after his doubtful conviction for the same offence almost a decade ago. Anwar was tried first on corruption charges and then for sodomy after his sacking as Deputy Prime Minister in 1998 amid a political feud with then premier Mahathir Mohamad. His case drew a chorus of international criticism with then-US Vice President Al Gore saying at the time that the trial “mocked international standards of justice”. Although Malaysia’s top court ultimately overturned the conviction, doubts … Continue reading Will Malaysia’s courts preoccupation with homosexuality, mullahs and power destroy it?

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is reportedly angry with the private organisers of a cricket carnival who have excluded Pakistani players from a lucrative international contest to be hosted in India in March and April. Indian officials have indicated that the government was embarrassed by Lalit Modi, the head of the IPL, a private body that runs the garishly rich cricket event. However, officials have expressed their helplessness in doing anything about it, though pressure is mounting on Modi quietly to undo the decision. Indian officials have explained that the decision not to invite players from Pakistan was a commercial one, … Continue reading Cricket: the new whore of India’s private enterprise

Another week, another round of rumours that Hakeemullah Mehsud, the TTP leader on the run, has been killed by a drone strike. This time the strike in question took place on Jan 17 either in South or North Waziristan. Pakistanis officials are insisting that an injured Hakeemullah was taken for medical treatment elsewhere before eventually succumbing to his injuries. At the time of writing this editorial, there has been no independent verification of Hakeemullah’s death. However, the rumours come at what appears to be a critical time for the TTP. Military operations have resumed in Bajaur Agency, where parts of … Continue reading How many Mullahs killed will make Pakistan safe?