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geopolitics

Delhi divided over Chinese ’threat’
8-Nov-2006 Asia Times
Ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to New Delhi this month, security concerns about firms from his country investing in India is turning into a touchy issue.
The importance of free trade agreements
3-Nov-2006 Al-Hayat
The European relations with the Arab World can be regarded as a model that the US should follow. The evidence lies in the welcome of free trade agreements between the EU and Arab countries, and in the doubts about free trade agreements with the US.
Europe should study Syria incentives - lawmakers
28-Oct-2006 Reuters
The European Parliament has reaffirmed that Syria must respect democratic values and human rights before the Council of 25 EU member states could approve the EU-Syria Association Agreement that has been on ice for two years.
Global capital: Scrambling to save trade perks
23-Oct-2006 LA Times
The Bush administration has a prescription for fighting coca growing, sidelining Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and saving thousands of jobs in Latin America: extending free trade for Andean nations.
Does investment always foster development? The effects of BITs on developing countries
22-Sep-2006 Ohmynews
BITs are generally crafted as political documents and quite often contain no mention of development. Western countries prefer to prioritize investment. If a development objective is involved, it is often generalized to the exclusion of any role for government.
Chen lauds ties with Central American allies
16-Sep-2006
Taiwan will continue to enhance economic ties with its Central American allies through either bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or the "Jung Pang Project," President Chen Shui-bian said yesterday.
Uruguay at center of lively US-Venezuela chess game
13-Sep-2006 New York Times
Long taken for granted by its much larger neighbors, Uruguay suddenly finds itself one of the main fronts in the struggle between the United States and Venezuela for dominance in South America. Washington is offering a free-trade agreement that would pull Uruguay into the United States’ orbit and weaken Mercosur, the regional trade group to which Uruguay and Venezuela belong. Mr. Chávez has countered with attention-getting investments, subsidized oil, acts of charity and a growing alliance with left-wing factions of the ruling Broad Front.
Political issues weigh on trade talks
9-Sep-2006
At issue are commodities as varied as rice, apparel and automobiles, as well as lucrative new markets in banking and other financial services, with potentially billions of dollars in commerce at stake. But for several countries negotiating trade pacts with the US, the outcome may have less to do with economics than with American election-year politics.
’Vision group’ says Asean and EU regions would benefit from pact
6-Sep-2006 Bangkok Post
Burma and the US elections are singled out as sticking points.
Salem outlines measures to protect workers’ rights in QIZs - Jordan
14-Aug-2006 MENAFN
Jordan’s Minister of Labour Bassem Salem on Sunday met with US Ambassador David Hale and delegates of the Office of the US Trade Representative to outline efforts to safeguard workers’ rights in the country’s Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ).
Malaysian youth movement calls for suspension of Malaysia-US FTA negotiations in support Lebanon
12-Aug-2006
The Youth Movement at Malaysia’s ruling National Party have called for suspension of Malaysia US free trade negotiations for the White House’s objection to ceasefire calls in Lebanon and urged immediate trial of Israel before the ICJ for its brutal aggressions against the Lebanese and Palestinians.
South Africa: Opportunities abound as world woos Africa
10-Aug-2006
Washington recently played host to the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) forum, an annual event mandated by the Agoa legislation which brings together stakeholders from Africa and the US.
U.S. blocked S.K.-China trade deal: politician
10-Aug-2006
According to recently-released data from a conference held last year, when China showed its intention to seek a free trade agreement with Korea, the U.S. gave a strong warning and the Korean government backed away from the deal, going with the U.S. instead.
S Korea denies report of rejecting China’s FTA offer on US worries
10-Aug-2006
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong on Thursday denied a report that the Seoul government rejected China’s proposal to sign a free trade agreement last year after the United States expressed concerns over Beijing’s huge presence in Northeast Asia.
Managing Globalization: A new trade bandwagon - Are rich-poor pacts fair?
9-Aug-2006
You might as well call it Newton’s Third Law of Trade Negotiations.
No san-tong, no U.S. FTA
2-Aug-2006
The U.S. has bluntly warned the pro-independence government of President Chen Shui-bian that it will not negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Taiwan unless the island opens san-tong (three direct transport links) with the mainland, the island’s biggest export market.
Australia, Japan hope to start FTA talks
2-Aug-2006
Visiting Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed hope that Canberra could enter into official negotiations on a free trade agreement with Japan next year by concluding the ongoing feasibility study at an early date, Japanese officials said.
Taiwan presses for US trade pact
26-Jul-2006 AFP
Taiwan urged the United States to move quickly to forge a free-trade agreement (FTA) with America’s eighth biggest trading partner, despite bitter objections from China.
P5+1 nuclear package of incentives offered to Iran (2006)
19-Jul-2006 Iran Focus
The elements of a proposal to Iran as approved on 1 June 2006 at the meeting in Vienna of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United States and the European Union, including the commitment to achieve an EU-Iran Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement on trade and investment.
Venezuela’s Chavez looms large over US vote on Peru trade pact
15-Jul-2006 Mercury News
Free-trade agreements generally set tariffs on beef and commodities and deal with government procurement contracts and labor provisions. But as US Congress prepares to vote on a contentious free-trade accord with Peru, the figure of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is looming large.