The IMF's mission visited Ukraine April 8-17 and was satisfied with the results of its talks with the government. It will recommend that the IMF board resumes financial assistance to Ukraine in May. This means that Ukraine must avoid a critical depletion of its foreign... MORE

On Tuesday April 14, traffic on the Garden Ring Road in downtown Moscow was seriously hampered, as President Dmitry Medvedev made a high profile visit to the Institute of Contemporary Development (INSOR) -his pocket think tank, staffed with many known liberal academics. Medvedev's formal position... MORE

On April 15 President Dmitri Medvedev created a sensation by granting an exclusive interview to Novaya Gazeta, known, in his own words, for "not licking up" to anybody, and then held meetings with the Council for Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights and the Association... MORE

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) says it places high priority on making Mexico an important link in its widely publicized “win-win” expansion into Latin America. This was evident during Vice President Xi Jinping’s February stop-over in Mexico City. In reality, however, after 37 years... MORE

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev on his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) praised China's involvement in an important joint $7.5 billion transnational road construction project as an example of their partnership. He said Kazakhstan started the construction of its section of the 3,000... MORE

China is very dependent on international shipping for its economic development. Any changes to world shipping routes will have a direct impact on China’s economy and potential trade with respect to both imports and exports. The Arctic Ocean is in a state of rapid flux... MORE

China was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste—more commonly referred to as East Timor—when it gained formal independence on May 20, 2002 (China Brief, July 5, 2006). Since that time China has expanded its economic interests in East... MORE

The five-nation visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Latin America in conjunction with the November 2004 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) summit in Santiago, Chile, marked the beginning of a fundamental transformation in China’s relationship with Latin America. Prior to that trip, the People’s... MORE

A string of recent pronouncements from Beijing leaders capped off with a strong statement by Premier Wen Jiabao over his concerns for the value of China's $681.9 billion investment in U.S. Treasury bonds has highlighted a troubled Chinese leadership's outlook for 2009. Premier Wen's statement... MORE

The global economic crisis is taking an increasingly heavy toll on Armenia, forcing its government to devalue the national currency, cut budgetary spending, and seek hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance. With no end to the worldwide downturn in sight, the Armenian economy... MORE