[Tomoko Nishimoto] Modern slavery and child labor: Asia’s unacceptable record

Sixty-two percent of the victims of modern slavery and 40 percent of the child laborers around the world are in Asia and the Pacific. Unacceptable forms of work call for unprecedented measures to combat them, says Tomoko Nishimoto, ILO assistant director-general, as governments, employers’ and workers’ representatives from 193 countries discuss ways to accelerate the eradication of child labor worldwide at the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labor.Out of the 40 million

Nov. 16, 2017

[Leonid Bershidsky] Russia’s economy is growing with borrowed money

Without any new ideas from a technocratic government constrained by President Vladimir Putin’s apparent indifference, the Russian economy is once again relying on consumers, who are borrowing more to buy real estate and imported products. The growth is real, but it’s also meager. And it will be hard to sustain without bigger changes. On Monday, Rosstat, Russia’s official statistics agency, announced that the country’s gross domestic product increased 1.8 percent year-over-year in the quarter tha

Nov. 16, 2017

[Shashi Tharoor] The siege of the Taj Mahal

In a country where politics has turned toxic, leading virtually everything -- from festival firecrackers to animal husbandry -- to take on a “communal” religious coloring, perhaps it should not be surprising that even one of the world’s the most famous monuments has become a target. But that doesn’t make it any less tragic -- or destructive.The Taj Mahal is India’s most magnificent architectural wonder. Built nearly four centuries ago by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his belov

Nov. 16, 2017

[Los Angeles Times] Muddled message in Asia

As he nears the end of a grueling tour of Asia, President Donald Trump is receiving praise for avoiding the sort of insulting and confrontational language that so often has exasperated his foreign policy advisers and alarmed US allies. That is admittedly setting a low bar for diplomatic success, but it’s something.In a speech to the South Korean parliament, Trump warned North Korea not to test the United States, but there was no repetition of his threat of “fire and fury.” In a meeting with Chin

Nov. 15, 2017

[Dahleen Glanton] China skillfully manipulated Trump

Have you ever been around bullies?They like to talk big around their friends, boasting about how they are going to crush their victim once they are face to face. But when they get the opportunity, they cower in fear and run away.That’s because bullies are nothing more than egomaniacs who love to mouth off. Deep inside, they are scared, insecure little rabbits that like to pick on others because it makes them feel better about themselves.But most of all, they just want to be admired.Last week, du

Nov. 15, 2017

[Eli Lake] As Iran holds hostage, Britain forgets who it’s dealing with

A good rule of thumb for dealing with Iran is to always remember that the Islamic Republic is not a normal nation, guided by the rule of law. When it detains foreign nationals, they are not prisoners awaiting due process. They are hostages to be traded for concessions -- by a regime founded by hostage takers.　This really should go without saying. But evidently Britain needs a reminder. Take the latest “scandal” involving a minister in the government of Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnso

Nov. 15, 2017

[David Ignatius] Is Lebanon’s leader a pawn in Saudi Arabia’s proxy war?

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is being held by Saudi authorities under what Lebanese sources say amounts to house arrest in Riyadh, apparently as part of the Saudi campaign to squeeze Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah.　A startling account of Hariri’s forced detention was provided Friday by knowledgeable sources in Beirut. It offers important new evidence of the tactics used by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to bolster his rule by mobilizing anti-Iran sentiment at home an

Nov. 14, 2017

[Mac Margolis] Outsiders can’t clean up Latin America’s corruption

Just a couple of years ago, Latin America’s fight against political corruption began to break new ground. And perhaps nowhere has the renovation been more dramatic -- and successful -- than in Guatemala, where popular outrage, fearless auditors and most notably a team of crack foreign anti-graft investigators with a sweeping brief have pursued criminals in the highest offices. And yet as Guatemalans have learned, in a region where governing institutions have been clay in the hands of powerful el

Nov. 14, 2017

[Markos Koulanakis] 2018 could lock in Trump privilege, power in foreign policy

The last line of defense in checking President Donald Trump’s foreign policy power is the old guard of the Republican Party, and those watchmen are about to go quietly into the night.A 2018 Republican sweep would cripple two key Senate committees. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee are supposed to oversee the foreign policy and the national security apparatus. Trump has brought them to heel.He has belittled the outspoken Foreign Relations Committee Cha

Nov. 14, 2017

[Christopher Balding] China banks need more than ‘for sale’ signs

In a surprise announcement, the Chinese Ministry of Finance declared on Friday that it will henceforth allow foreigners to own Chinese banks outright and gain majority stakes in insurance and securities firms. While dramatic, this isn’t China’s first effort to open up its economy to outside expertise and competition. If they want this one to succeed, officials will need to do more than hang out a “for sale” sign.　Ever since joining the World Trade Organization in 2000, China has continued to pro

Nov. 13, 2017

[Adam B. Schiff] Silicon Valley has a duty to help with the Russia investigation. Here’s how

As a Californian, I’m proud that our state boasts so many leading technology companies. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee leading an investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, I need the assistance of those same companies in our investigation so that together we can protect future elections from foreign influence.In January, the Intelligence Community assessed that the Russians’ sophisticated campaign was designed to help Donald Trump, damage Hillary Clinton and

Nov. 13, 2017

[Steven Camarota] Let’s end the diversity visa lottery

News reports indicate that Sayfullo Saipov, who allegedly killed eight and wounded 11 in the recent truck attack in New York, entered the country from Uzbekistan through the diversity visa lottery. He is not the first presumed terrorist to enter using the program. Lottery terrorists include Hesham Mohamed Ali Hedayet, who shot up an El-Al ticket counter in 2002, killing two, and Imran Mandhai, who planned to bomb power stations in Florida the same year.The diversity visa lottery seems ideally su

Nov. 13, 2017

[Ben Carlson] Why South Korea’s stock market is doing just fine

President Donald Trump’s visit last week was a reminder of the risk faced by South Korea from its northern neighbor. You would think the mounting tensions would send South Korean stocks crashing. That hasn’t been the case.　In fact, South Korea is one of the strongest-performing world stock markets this year, with the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, known as EWY, up almost 43 percent. And that’s after losses in three out of the previous six years.　Markets have a history of ignoring or brushing off

Nov. 12, 2017