China is willing to help, but everyone has limits. Premier Wen Jiabao told visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a state visit in Beijing on Thursday that Beijing plans to continue buying European sovereign debt, the strongest sign of support for its biggest trading partner in months, although it urged further measures to be taken. [...]
All posts by Ana Fuentes
Catalonia’s SOS raises pressure on Spain
As Spain struggles to keep its ability to meet its budgetary commitment and prevent its banking industry from falling apart, northeastern region of Catalonia said Tuesday it will seek 5.02 billion euro in rescue aid from a central government fund. It is the third region to ask for financial help (after Valencia and Murcia) and [...]
Reading the tea leaves of Apple-Samsung’s battle
Apple-Samsung war is far from over. Steve Job’s company got what it wanted from the jury -more than $1 billion- but it’s still fighting to get a ban on eight models of the South Korean company’s smartphones, including its Galaxy S devices. This is how the two giants, which once played as friendly competitors, have [...]
“Europeans are not productive enough to defend their living standards”
Famous for his provocative views on international economics and China’s rise, Andy Xie is an independent economist who predicted the Asian bubble in 1997. Based in Shanghai, he is a former Morgan Stanley star chief Asia-Pacific analyst. We interviewed him for our summer interviews on China’s challenges, the eurodrama and his forecast for the future. [...]
Twitter’s underground economy: are you being followed?
Students and politicians know it: a remarkable number of followers make a Twitter profile shine, look cooler or more credible. And not all of them need to be real. They can be purchased with a simple click: on average, 1,000 followers cost a mere $18. At some webs like BuyTwitterFollowers it costs $77 to buy [...]
“Financial development can become a drag on growth”
NOTE: The following article is based on a paper by Economic Adviser at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Stephen G. Cecchetti and his colleague Enisse Kharroubi. The full publication is available at BIS website. You can also download it here. One of the principal conclusions of modern economics is that finance is good for [...]
In Tough Economic Times, Is Higher Education Still Worth The Price?
Remember when a higher education used to be a guarantee of success in the market? With the crisis, the picture has turned 180 degrees: too many graduates in Europe and the U.S are waiting tables, going back to their parents and coping with frustration. New grads are also facing competition from older, laid-off job seekers. [...]
Show me the money: it’s voting time!
Mark Twain said once that The White House was the “best Congress money can buy.” In this battered economy, while millions of Americans are tightnening their belts, this presidential election is expected to be the priciest in U.S. history. Make a guess: how much do you think it will cost? The predictions by the Center [...]
“Contraction and austerity combined are an extremely dangerous mix for Spain”
Morning! Today we bring you the last part of our summer series interview with Professor of Economics at Columbia University Martin Uribe. He believes that the Eurozone needs structural changes to tackle the crisis, especially in fiscal matters. The lesson we should learn from this crisis is to avoid high capital inflows into a country [...]
“Without a fiscal authority, Europe will always be a poorly designed system”
Professor of Economics at Columbia University Martin Uribe strongly believes that the Eurozone needs structural changes to tackle the crisis, especially in fiscal matters. For this expert in macroeconomic analysis, who has worked for many universities and institutions including the European Central Bank, the lack of tax policy at a European level is condemning the least [...]
