Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Emerging countries looking for equal say at G20 summit
AFP - Thursday, November 13
SAO PAULO (AFP) - - The big emerging countries that are now the main pillars of world economic growth are looking to push their way into seats next to the rich nations' club at the G20 summit in Washington on Saturday.
Brazil, Russia, India and China -- the so-called BRIC countries -- are determined to have their new heavyweight status recognized by the Group of Seven advanced countries, and win a say in directing the planet's economic affairs.
Their newfound influence, particularly that of China, was felt last weekend when Beijing sent stockmarkets spinning upwards after announcing a 586-billion-dollar stimulus package.
Brazil and India, which have become the public lobbyists on behalf of the emerging markets, want a new financial architecture to emerge from the crisis, calling the current constitution of the G7, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank outdated.
Brazil has been especially vociferous in noting that, this time, the emerging countries were not to blame for generating the global crisis, which rippled out from the United States and quickly contaminated Europe.
The poorer countries, though, face big risks as the crisis grows and mutates, notably in terms of commodity export prices, lack of liquidity and foreign exchange volatility.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said reform of the financial system is needed, and countries should acknowledge the "economically damaging role of excessive speculative activity."
"When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done," he said.
The demand by the BRICs was partially conceded by the main industrialized countries at a preparatory G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Sao Paulo at the weekend.
The group agreed that the IMF and other institutions formed from the 1944 Bretton Woods accord "must be comprehensively reformed so that they can more adequately reflect changing economic weights in the world economy."
The US representative at that meeting, David McCormick, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, said Washington has long backed giving emerging countries more say in the IMF and the World Bank.
The summit, he said, "will be an opportunity for a very focused discussion among the world leaders on the global financial market crisis, and it will lay the groundwork toward making important regulatory changes."
But so far no concrete moves for change have been made.
Singh is expected to push for greater IMF and World Bank assistance to vulnerable countries.
He and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are especially keen to see solutions that spare their nations from the fallout of troubles emanating in rich countries.
To that end, they are looking for a better regulation of the rich economies -- especially by imposing greater oversight over the transactions of multinationals -- and for extra finance from both the IMF and World Bank.
Argentine President Cristina Kirchner is also expected to ask the IMF to compensate for the drying up of liquidity worldwide by giving credits to emerging nations without preconditions, an official said.
For Brazilian Economy Minister Guido Mantega, the task was a tricky one given that the crisis was still pummeling markets.
"We have to change the tires while the car is still rolling," he said.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: China's Economy
China's industrial output slows sharply in October: govtAFP - 57 minutes ago
S.Korea won down 2.3 pct to post 2-wk closing lowReuters - 1 hour 39 minutes ago
Carlyle's Rubenstein says firms should buy own debtReuters - 1 hour 41 minutes ago
Asian markets tumble on grim US corporate newsAP - 2 hours 24 minutes ago
Related Articles: Business
Shareholders approve Australian bank acquisitionAP - 1 hour 4 minutes ago
Malaysia c.bank delays govt bond sale resultsReuters - 1 hour 13 minutes ago
European indexes seen sinking as worries mountReuters - 1 hour 14 minutes ago
Dubai property giant Emaar says reviewing jobsReuters - 1 hour 20 minutes ago
TOPWRAP 2-Japan to offer funding for IMF as gloom deepensReuters - 1 hour 23 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
Emerging countries looking for equal say at G20 summit
Related Photos
Slideshow Full Photo Coverage: Business & Economy
Related Full Coverage
China Economy
china economy
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Business
Viewed
Ancient 4,300-year-old pyramid discovered in Egypt
Your favorite music = happy heart: study
Britney Spears's son hospitalized: statement
Economic gloom mounts ahead of finance crisis summit
Oil price dives under 55 dollars per barrel in London
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular