[COMMENTARY] Why Economists Are Jumping on the Jim Kim-Bashing Bandwagon

By Gregg Gonsalves

Lant Pritchett–a Professor of the Practice of International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School–has been leading a campaign against the election of Jim Kim to the World Bank presidency.   While he isn’t the only critic of Dr. Kim’s nomination, he is among the most vocal and well-known.   Though his views are his own, they have been amplified by other leading development economists, such as William Easterly at New York University and people associated with the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC.

Over the past few weeks, Pritchett has publicly questioned Kim’s qualifications, saying a lack of training in economics and experience in world finance should disqualify him from the post. He has further suggested that Kim’s nomination shows  the arrogance and hegemony of American power over the institution.  He has called for Kim to step aside for a merit-based election, in which the Nigerian candidate for the post, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (a World Bank, Harvard and MIT alum, also finance minister of Nigeria) would presumably sweep to victory.

A few days ago, Pritchett wrote an article in the New Republic (TNR) which comes clean about the real reasons for the escalating, grasping campaign of opposition to Jim Kim. The piece is called “Why Obama’s World Bank Pick Is Proving So Controversial.”   The title is an overreach:  It should really read “Why Obama’s World Bank Pick Is Proving So Controversial to Me and My Friends.”

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[NEWS] Fighting Air Pollution with Transparency in China

By Mike Frick

 

One of the first thing many visitors to Beijing notice is the smog, which on bad days can obscure buildings, force people to stay indoors or even ground planes at Beijing’s Capital Airport. In a new piece in The Guardian, Zhong Nanshan, President of the China Medical Association, said that air pollution will soon become the biggest health threat in China.

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[NEWS] South China Morning Post on Asia Catalyst/Korekata Report

By Paul Mooney

An international NGO has issued a report urging Beijing to provide
compensation to tens of thousands of victims of the 1990s HIV-tainted
blood disaster, and arguing a fund is urgently needed as victims have
been unable to get fair compensation on their own.

“China has a historic opportunity to make things right for the victims
of the world’s largest HIV/Aids disaster,” said Sara Davis, executive
director of Asia Catalyst and a co-author of the report.

Read the full article here.

Download the Asia Catalyst/Korekata report.


[NEWS] CAP+关于停止艾滋病检测实名制立法活动的呼吁

China Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CAP+) Statement on
Real-Name Testing Policy for HIV/AIDS

 

For those following the uproar about proposed policies in Guangxi, endorsed the Ministry of Health, that would institute real-name HIV testing and compulsory partner notification (summary on our blog, here); below is a strong statement with reference to Chinese laws by China’s national association of people living with HIV/AIDS. A short summary in English follows.

 

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[NEWS] China: Reject “Real-Name” HIV Testing to Fight AIDS | 中国:抗击艾滋病 拒绝HIV检测”实名制”

By Asia Catalyst

On February 8, China’s Ministry of Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) both expressed support for new proposed regulations in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that would implement real-name testing for HIV, suggesting these could become national policy. Wang Yu, Director of the Chinese CDC, said that real-name HIV testing would allow health workers to follow-up with people who test positive, helping them to access treatment and prevent transmitting HIV to sexual partners.

We are concerned that without stronger confidentiality protections and stronger laws on discrimination, a move to real-name HIV testing will drive more people underground and away from government testing and treatment programs. Please sign this petition to the Ministry of Health.

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