Australia Competition Winner

DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK:  Well, first there is a certain irony in some of the concerns I hear in Thailand, in that Thailand sells a lot more to the United States than we sell to Thailand.  We also have a very, very strong investment relationship, so I think Thais can compete very well with the United States.  But it is natural in any of these negotiations that there are anxieties.  There are anxieties in the United States about some of the competition from Thailand, so that's one reason why the Minister and I talked about the importance of having broader discussions with Parliaments and Congress.  It's one reason why we are very pleased that we are working with Thailand to have a special trade capacity growing effort for small- and medium-sized enterprises. The Prime Minister has made support for small and medium-sized enterprises part of his domestic program.  We need to link that in both countries to the trade system.  On the item that you mention about pharmaceuticals, in ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, Tuesday, April 4, 2000

MR. SIEWERT: That seems even less likely to stimulate a good discussion. I mean, there's a very basic -- there's some laws that are on the books that are designed to encourage competition and innovation. And those are the laws that are being considered now, and the aim of those laws is perfectly clear. ...

The answer to your general question is, we support the enforcement of our antitrust laws, we support actions taken that lead to competition, innovation and consumer choice and low costs for consumers. We support what our Justice Department is doing and the position they've taken, and we're not going to comment further at this time. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: National Economic Council Director Sperling on China PNTR

Third, consider access to capital. Capital not only feeds economic growth, but also makes possible personal independence. As in other areas of economic life, this WTO agreement, by injecting competition into China's capital markets, promises to enhance private initiative in China at the expense of state power. ...

The majority of human rights and democracy activists support this two-pronged approach of engagement and pressure. Says Dai Qing, a prominent Chinese environmentalist and independent political thinker: "How does international pressure work in promoting human rights and environmental protection in China? I would like to argue that such pressure works only when doors are kept open, when pressure presents positive solutions and, above all, when engagement is involved --- All of the fights -- for a better environment, labor rights and human rights --these fights we will fight in China tomorrow. But first we must break the monopoly of the state. To do that, we need a freer market and the competition mandated by the WTO." ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

Background Notes: Australia, October 1998Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsU.S. Department of StateOfficial Name: Commonwealth of AustraliaPROFILEGeographyArea: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 continental United States.Cities: (1998) Capital--Canberra (pop. 310,100). Other cities--Sydney (4.0 million), Melbourne (3.5 million), Brisbane (1.5 million), Perth (1.3 million).Terrain: Varied, but generally low-lying.Climate: Relatively dry, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the north.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Australian(s).Population (1998): 18.7 million.Annual growth rate: 1.3%.Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 7%, Aboriginal 1%.Religions: Anglican 22%, Roman Catholic 27%, other Christian 22%, other non-Christian 3%, No religion 17%.Languages: English.Education: Years compulsory--to age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is 16. Literacy--99%.Health: Infant mortality rat ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of State Background Notes: Australia, November 1997 Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.Official Name: Commonwealth of AustraliaPROFILEGeographyArea: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 continental United States.Cities: Capital--Canberra (pop. 310,100). Other cities--Sydney (3.7 million), Melbourne (3.1 million), Brisbane (1.3 million), Perth (1.2 million).Terrain: Varied, but generally low-lying.Climate: Relatively dry, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the north.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Australian(s).Population (1997): 18.3 million.Annual growth rate: 1.3%.Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 7%, Aboriginal 1%.Religions: Anglican 26%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24%, non-Christian 11%.Languages: English.Education: Years compulsory--to age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is 16. Literacy--99%.Health: Infant mortality rate--6/1,000. Life expect ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific

U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Australia, May 1996Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsPrepared and released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Australia and New Zealand AffairsMay 1996Official Name: Commonwealth of AustraliaPROFILEGeographyArea: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 continental United States.Cities: Capital--Canberra (pop. 310,100). Other cities--Sydney (3.7 million), Melbourne (3.1 million), Brisbane (1.3 million), Perth (1.2 million).Terrain: Varied, but generally low-lying.Climate: Relatively dry, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the north.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Australian(s).Population (1995): 18.2 million.Annual growth rate: 1.1%.Ethnic groups: European 94%, Asian 5%, Aboriginal 1%.Religions: Anglican 24%, Roman Catholic 26%.Languages: English.Education: Years compulsory--to age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is 16. Literacy ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TEXT: BRIBES FOR PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS AT CORE OF CORRUPTION

o Documents that clearly set out the needs, describe the bidding process and contract terms and conditions, and give the criteria for choosing the winner; ...

Quite likely the most extensive and costly corruption occurs after contracts have been awarded. Corruption is not a charitable game; "winners" have every intention of recovering their bribery costs, and they have a variety of ways to do so. The first stage, especially in collusive bidding, is by inflating their bid prices. Further cost recovery can be achieved during contract performance by over-invoicing for quantities of goods delivered or work performed, reducing the quality of materials used for construction or delivering cheaper models of goods, and obtaining contract change orders to increase the amounts of goods sold or works performed at overpriced unit costs. Again, corruption in the post-award stage of a contract may be with the knowledge and consent of at least some parties in the client's organization, or it may be through well-concealed initiatives of the contractor alone. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: Two Teams of Students Win Top Award from U.S. State Dept.

The Department of State is pleased to announce the selection of two winning Web sites for its Doors to Diplomacy Award. The awards recognize the Web sites that best teach about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy. A total of 260 student teams from 52 countries, ranging in age from 11-18, participated in the contest, which was co-sponsored by the Department of State and Global SchoolNet. Because of the quality of so many sites, the Department of State decided to select two winners instead of one winner. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TEXT: GREENSPAN ON MERGERS AND THE U.S. ECONOMY

The notion of what we mean by competition is not altogether without dispute. Most would agree that producers try to emphasize their new products or the comparative advantages of existing products. Where they sense that improved quality will enhance sales more than costs, they will direct resources to quality improvement and try to differentiate their product, often through brand name advertising. All seek, or at least hope, to achieve market dominance. Where they cannot differentiate their product from others because they choose to produce, for example, electrolytic copper or any other so-called commodity, they will endeavor to improve their market share and spread overhead through innovative improvements in service. Other producers may turn to mergers and acquisitions to increase market share. Acquirers may seek to enhance efficiency, but they may also seek to increase their market power, and hence their profits, through practices that are often considered less than sportsmanlik ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: Student Web Site on World Hunger Wins Digital Diplomacy Award

The Department of State is pleased to announce its selection of "An End to World Hunger: Hope for the Future" as the winner of its Digital Diplomacy Award, the first educational award ever created by the State Department for the public. The award recognizes the student-created ThinkQuest Web site that best teaches others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy. (http://library.thinkquest.org/C002291/intro.htm) ...

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has said, "We want to encourage students to take an active interest in the world around them." The Secretary has a keen interest in our young people, and she recognizes the value of the Internet as a means to communicate policies and how foreign affairs is important to daily lives. The U.S. State Department Digital Diplomacy Award, in concert with the ThinkQuest competition, provides an opportunity for students to learn about American diplomacy while developing essential skills for future success such as technology proficiency, collaboration, and project and time management. ... [Read More]