金融危机致世界局势发生变化

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I am Dan Rivers in Bangkok where traders have been watching the red arrows with horror and there have been a lot this year. The market is down some 20% in part because of the political crisis going on here but mostly because of the global credit crunch. People are worried because Thailand is a net-exporting economy and could be hit badly if there is a global slowdown. But one analyst I spoke to is optimistic, he said, “Thailand got its fingers burnt in the financial crisis more than 10 years ago. This time round they are better prepared.

I am Eunice Yoon at a port in Hong Kong. This port is one of the busiest in the world. You can tell by all these trucks that are circulating around me. These trucks are mainly carrying goods that are made in China. And those goods are then shipped all over the world to countries like United States. Now the US economy is slowing down and that's contributing to the closure of thousands of factories right across the border because exports are falling. The concern now is that if the US were to continue to slow down, possibly falling into a recession, then China’s economy could also falter.

I am Kyung Lah,(in) the heart of Beijing's financial district where they are feasting on a spoonful of I told you so. Here at the People's Bank of China where they set monetary policy, they’ve resisted calls for deregulation and for mirroring the US financial system. Because of that, a direct hit to China's market is unlikely. Er... It doesn't mean that there is no impact. The stock markets have fallen somewhat, investors are worried. But the government has stepped in with more measures trying to bring those investors back in.

I am David Mckenzie outside the Nairobi Stock Exchange here in Kenya. Kenyans are very jittery about the financial crisis in the US. This Exchange has lost over a quarter of its value this year because of political instability here in Kenya and that financial crisis in America. Kenyans are hoping for politicians on the Capitol to sort out some kind of bailout for the financial system because the economy here is very much tied to the economy in the US.

I am Sasha Herriman on the Oxford Street in central London, one of the busiest shopping streets in the country. And here the sales signs are up already. Retailers are facing higher costs of food and utility bills and of course the weakening pound. Now the suggestion is many retailers are trying to pass off higher volumes of goods at bargaining prices, all in an attempt to keep the tills ringing.

I am Al Goodman outside Madrid City Hall, here the latest sign: the US economic worries are also griping Spain. The city has just frozen plans to build sports facilities and daycare centers for children to save three hundred million dollars. Spanish newspapers are leading with the broad financial rescue plan in Washington. Some are blaming Republicans. Spain makes 3 million cars a year mainly for export, but many car factories here are cutting their work shifts because demand is down by a third.

I am Allesio Vinci outside the Alitalia offices in downtown Rome. The US financial crisis could make matters worse for the Italian national airline here. It is bankrupt, but it keeps flying because it's been rescued by a group of Italian investors that include some banks, some banks that have business ties, financial ties to US financial institutions. And the worse things go in the US, the harder it is for these banks and these institutions to come up with enough cash and enough money to keep the airline flying.

I am Brian Byrnes in the Nunez neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's lined with a lot of fashionable cafes and bars. Argentines are used to economic instability. In fact in 2001, they had the largest debt default in modern history--100 billion dollars. So you can bet that the people here are paying close attention to what's happening in US during its financial crisis. Inflation is the main problem here right now. In restaurants like this, the price of food fluctuates all the time. Argentines remain afraid that the crisis in the US is not resolved, the fallout here could be much worse than their financial crisis seven years ago.