BEIJING | April 17, 2015 | By Huang Yiping via Caixin | The recent establishment of private Internet banks has ushered the banking industry into an era where banks need no brick-and-mortar offices. Technologies like big data make this possible, yet there is disagreement over how much potential Internet finance has.
The Corner | April 16, 2015 | For the first time since the beginning of the financial crisis, Japan overtook China as first holder of U.S. treasuries. Low rates and other monetary policy instruments carried out by Japan have prompted local investors to move their money to the US.
PARIS | April 15, 2015 | By Francesco Saraceno | I am ready to bet that the latest IMF World Economic Outlook, that was presented [on Tuesday] in Washington, will make a certain buzz for a box. It is box 3.5, at page 36 of chapter 3, which has been available on the website for a few days now. In that box, the IMF staff presents evidence on the relationship between structural reforms and total factor productivity, the proxy for long term growth and competitiveness. (Interestingly enough people at the IMF tend to put their most controversial findings in boxes, as if they wanted to bind them).
SAO PAULO | April 15, 2015 | By Marcus Nunes | After a four-part series on low interest rates (GSG & SS), a detour on monetary policy and financial stability, Bernanke has two-part series series on Germany’s trade surplus and wages.
By Ray Kwong | Hong Kong may be ideal for ISIS recruitment and expansion, according to a Chinese counterterrorism expert.
BEIJING | March 28, 2015 | By Zhang Yuzhe via Caixin | Alibaba is betting on biometrics as the next step for secure online financial transactions and bank account business.
The US-based Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life predicts that over the next two decades, Muslims will make up 26.4% of the world’s population of 8.3 billion people. This means that the worldwide Muslim population will have grown by 25% at the end of 2030. However, while the population of Muslims in the West is growing, a fear of Islam as an ideology is increasing. This has sometimes resulted in aggressive and discriminatory measures against Muslims, which compels some scholars and thinkers to warn against the rise of “Islamophobia.”
BEIJING| March 19, 2015 | By Joseph S. Nye Jr. via Caixin | The country offers a large and attractive market, but reforms are needed to better develop trade and financial markets and spur innovation.
BEIJING | March 13, 2015 | By Fan Bi via Caixin | The country has the second-most think tanks in the world, but their weak research reports are not much use to policymakers.
The Corner | March 11, 2015 | The market still points to emerging markets as one of the most vulnerable areas in the global economy. The absence of a rebound in the price of commodities (despite oil’s recent revaluation) is hampering these countries’ economic recovery.