Breakingviews

 
By John Foley
For China’s top bankers to bail on the Tokyo summit amid a territorial fight suggests public feeling is governing policy. But the IMF is supposed to be just about finance - and Japan has strongly backed a bigger role for Asian countries. Maybe China isn’t ready for a bigger say.

Buyout risks laid bare by old strippers

By Jeffrey Goldfarb
A $166 mln settlement resolves creditor claims that Cerberus and Sun Capital pillaged and bankrupted a retailer bought from Target in 2004. It’s a reminder of private equity’s asset-stripping reputation and shows why investors can’t afford to let their guards down.

Romney’s foreign policy doesn’t seem so austere

By Daniel Indiviglio
The Republican indicates a George W. Bush-like interventionist approach, another step away from the party’s pre-World War Two isolationism. That could lead to more Middle East conflict and defense spending, eating savings from thriftier budgets. It’s also just as risky as Obama’s stance.

IMF’s long-term worry: decades of higher rates

By Christopher Swann
Don’t get too comfortable with low borrowing costs, is the downbeat message from the normally overoptimistic fund. Slightly feebler 3.3 pct growth for 2012 is the short-term concern. But past fiscal excesses and an ageing population could push up interest rates for a generation.

Wal-Mart's banking twist curls through many cracks

By Daniel Indiviglio
The retailer’s new venture with American Express looks a good option for poorer Americans lacking access to financial services. The card also may tempt bank customers with a model that’s neither credit nor typical debit. But with deposits uninsured, regulators must watch closely.

China’s telco suppliers can’t escape spying row

By John Foley
American lawmakers warn that Huawei and ZTE pose a threat to U.S. national security because they are too close to the Chinese state. Such accusations are almost impossible for the targets to contradict. Unless relations improve, the playing field will remain tilted against them.

France's silly stake obsession could kill BAE-EADS

By Pierre Briancon
Germany, France and the UK could agree on the BAE-EADS merger if Paris didn’t insist on keeping a large stake in the joint company, confirming the fears of the deal’s opponents. The French government doesn’t seem to get that there are other ways to remain influential.
Related Articles:
Recent Breakingviews Video
All Columnists