News articles related Int'l Econ & Fin. Crisis class

These articles are recommended by Mr. Sakai Tanaka.
-US competitiveness and
-Liberalization of Renminbi

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US competitiveness are deteriorated
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Associated Press
Ford, GM Bonds Flirt With Junk Status
04.11.2005, 02:43 PM

Ford Motor Co. got another dose of bad news Monday after Fitch Ratings issued a negative outlook on the struggling company's debt, making it the second major credit agency to express concern the automotive maker's corporate bonds might slip into junk status.
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FT.com
US interest rates must rise, and quickly
By Stephen Cecchetti
Published: March 21 2005 21:25 | Last updated: March 21 2005 21:25
What has been true for seven consecutive policy meetings is true now. The Federal Open Market Committee will raise its target interest rate by one-quarter of one percentage point in its Tuesday meeting, bringing the federal funds rate to 2.75 per cent.
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London pre-open: Sharp falls predicted as Dow slides

Mon 18 Apr 2005
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Investors need their tin hats on today after a brutal end to the week in the US.
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Gurdian.co.uk
Oil price surges after 'super spike' warning
Mark Tran
Friday April 1, 2005
The cost of crude oil approached record levels today as markets were unnerved by a Goldman Sachs report predicting a "super spike" in oil prices to $105 (£55.66) a barrel.
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Liberalization of Renminbi; it floats soon?
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Economist.com
China ought to allow more flexibility in its exchange rate, sooner rather than later

Mar 17th 2005
From The Economist print edition

THE Chinese government says that it intends, eventually, to make its exchange rate more flexible and to liberalise capital controls. In the past year or so, it has already eased some controls on capital outflows and officials have said recently that they will open the capital account further this year. On the exchange rate, much less has been done. The yuan has been pegged to the dollar for a decade, and the government is loth to change much until the country's banking system is in healthier shape: this week the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, said that a shift would be risky. But is China putting the cart before the horse? Other countries' experience suggests that it is, and that it is better to loosen the exchange rate before, not after, freeing capital flows.
economist.com
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