Thailand’s National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC) announced on June 18, 2013 that it would cut the price at which it purchases rice from farmers by 20 percent, from $439 per ton to $351 per ton. Farmers took to the streets…
Who is he? Sidarto Danusubroto is a senior member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The 77-year-old veteran legislator was a former West Java police chief and an aide to Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno. Sidarto was a member…
By Chris Johnson & Matt Goodman The fifth meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED) will be held in Washington on July 10–11. This annual gathering of senior officials from across the U.S. and Chinese governments is the…
Who is he? Daim Zainuddin is a Malaysian economist, politician, and successful businessman who served as Malaysia’s finance minister from 1984 to 1991. He is currently treasurer of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the dominant political party in Malaysia’s…
By Manohar Thyagaraj In the iconic sitcom ‘Seinfeld’, one episode has the characters using the phrase ‘Yada, Yada’ to gloss over the details of any story. “Are you close with your parents?” asks a girlfriend of George Costanza, to which…
Who is he? Cho Tae-yong is the new Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, having been appointed on May 27, 2013 to replace Lim Sung-nam, who have held the post since 2011. He is a career diplomat…
By Howard S. Schiffman The crisis in global and regional fisheries, and the overall stress on the oceans, needs to be viewed in the realm of security. Resource driven competition has put a new spotlight on the oceans as a…
Who are they? Charles Bolden was appointed Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2009. He spent 14 years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office as a part of his 34-year career with the Marine Corps.…
Who is she? A senior trade official with extensive negotiating experience, Wendy Cutler became assistant U.S. trade representative (USTR) for Japan, Korea, and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation affairs in 2004. Over the course of her 25 years at USTR, Cutler…
By Andy Lim South Korean president Park Geun-hye’s widely anticipated meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping on Thursday, June 27 in Beijing — trumpeted as a “journey of hearts and trust” — promises to shed light on the directions the…
Who are they? Dr. Ernest Moniz is currently serving as secretary of the U.S.Department of Energy (DOE). He served as under secretary of energy from 1997 until 2001. Previously, he was a professor of physics and engineering systems as well…
By Rui Deng In April 2013 China’s newly appointed ambassador to Myanmar Yang Houlan officially encouraged increased corporate investment from Chinese corporations into Myanmar, which he feels will yield mutual benefit. However, the reality is that China has cut its…
