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Showing papers in "Journal of Contemporary China in 2003"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the preliminary impact of the Internet on civil society development in China is assessed based on survey data and in-depth case studies, and three areas of impact are identified and analyzed.
Abstract: This article assesses the preliminary impact of the Internet on civil society development in China. Based on survey data and in-depth case studies, three areas of impact are identified and analysed. First, with respect to China's public sphere, the social uses of the Internet have fostered public debate and problem articulation. The Internet has demonstrated the potential to play a supervisory role in Chinese politics. Second, the Internet has shaped social organizations by expanding old principles of association, facilitating the activities of existing organizations and creating a new associational form, the virtual community. Finally, the Internet has introduced new elements into the dynamics of protest. The article concludes after discussing the conditions and obstacles that influence the social uses of the Internet in China, cautioning against an overoptimistic view of the role of the Internet in civil society development while stressing the importance of the Internet as a new social phenomenon in China.

194 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explores the China threat theory through an in-depth analysis of the arguments of 'anti-China hands' as outlined in a variety of right wing publications. But, their analysis is limited to three categories: ideological, economic, and strategic.
Abstract: The People's Republic of China witnessed unprecedented growth at the end of the twentieth century and the manner in which it will choose to use its consequent power in the twenty-first century has become a hotly debated topic in foreign policy circles. Some have chosen to interpret China's emergence as an economic and aspiring military superpower as a threat to the national interests of the United States and Asian-Pacific security. This threat has been categorized as ideological, economic, and strategic. This essay explores the China threat theory through an in-depth analysis of the arguments of 'anti-China hands' as outlined in a variety of right wing publications.

111 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the conceptual and functional differences between democracy and rule of law are discussed, and a theoretical alternative for China's political option, which is legalist instead of democratic, is presented.
Abstract: Why has China not embraced democracy? This essay provides a three-part explanation. (1) By discussing the conceptual and functional differences between democracy and rule of law, it shows a theoretical alternative for China's political option, which is legalist instead of democratic. (2) By reviewing China' particular social setting and the related political culture, it argues that China's tendency towards the assumed alternative is strong, historical, and logical. (3) Inspired by the experiments of Hong Kong and Singaore polities, it specifies six pillars of the assumed political alternative--a'consultative rule of law regime', which is a rule of law regime supplemented by democracy rather than a democracy supplemented by rule of law. This essay ends with a brief discussion of the feasibility of the suggested regime, with regard to the conditions of current Chinese politics. Therefore, this essay is not only an explanation of China's failure to become democratic, but also a normative justification for a ...

90 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper conducted a survey and fieldwork conducted in Urumqi in 2000 and found that there is a low degree of integration between the two ethnic groups; the Uygurs have a very strong ethnic identity; members of both Han and Uygur ethnic groups including local cadres have prejudices against the opposite group; and Uyghur are critical of government policies toward the national minorities including policy toward the National Separatists.
Abstract: A careful and observant traveller to Xinjiang may sense tense ethnic relations in the region. This article is primarily based on a survey and fieldwork conducted in August 2000 in Urumqi. Our findings indicate that (1) there is a low degree of integration between the two ethnic groups; (2) the Uygurs have a very strong ethnic identity; (3) members of both Han and Uygur ethnic groups including local cadres have prejudices against the opposite group; and (4) Uygurs are critical of government policies toward the national minorities including policy toward the national separatists. The Chinese government has adopted a policy of ethnic segregation and used repressive campaigns against the separatists. However, it appears that Beijing does not really have the ethnic conflicts in the region under control. Ethnic unrest in Xinjiang remains a thorn in China's political stability and national security.

79 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper conducted a survey that elicited university student perceptions of China's environment and development issues and found that students in Beijing are not single-minded about the pro-growth beliefs and values that are deeply embedded in society.
Abstract: How people perceive, and behave in response to, environmental problems is important in understanding responses from the individual, group, and societal levels. This paper discusses the findings of a survey that elicited university student perceptions of China's environment and development issues. The findings reveal that university students in Beijing are not single-minded about the pro-growth beliefs and values that are deeply embedded in society. On the whole, students were conscious about the seriousness of environmental problems, both in China and throughout the world. However, they were pessimistic about future environmental conditions. Many students anticipated a decline in environmental quality over the next five years, both in China and the world. The students were also ambivalent about dividing priorities between economic growth and environmental protection. Yet they supported the establishment of more environmental NGOs to exert pressure on the government to protect the environment. Overall, a r...

71 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the Tibet Autonomous region of China, the average Tibetan is better fed and clothed than in the past as mentioned in this paper, but economic rates of return are low and dropping, raising fears that the TAR is becoming more dependent on external aid.
Abstract: After 20 years of central government efforts that include generous state subsidies, the Tibet Autonomous Region remains China's poorest administrative unit. Growth rates over the past decade have exceeded the national average, while the average Tibetan is better fed and clothed than in the past. However, development has been extensive, resulting from higher subsidies, rather than intensive. Economic rates of return are low and dropping, raising fears that the TAR is becoming more dependent on external aid. There are also questions about the distribution of benefits between both Han versus Tibetans and urban versus rural dwellers; the impact of development projects on the environment; and their deleterious effects on traditional Tibetan culture.

49 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For a long time the Chinese courts were beset by the lack of impartiality and autonomy owning to the heavy political influence exerted by the ruling party, the shortage of well trained judicial per...
Abstract: For a long time the Chinese courts were beset by the lack of impartiality and autonomy owning to the heavy political influence exerted by the ruling party, the shortage of well trained judicial per...

45 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined articles about China in four major American daily newspapers, over a three-year period, and a rough sketch emerges of how China is perceived to the 'average' reader of these four publications.
Abstract: American society's images and perceptions of China have had several recurring themes over the years. In the past, some of these have included the perception of China as a potential market for American goods and as a potential supply of converts for American missionaries. These images changed during the years of diplomatic isolation of the Cold War, turning the Chinese into a vast horde of 'reds', a faceless, invincible mass that threatened all of Asia. In the post-Cold War world, Sino-US relations face an uncertain future. The time is not far off when there will again be two superpowers, and there is the potential for conflict between them. In this new era, it is interesting to examine what images of China have emerged in contemporary American society. The goal of this paper is to do just that. By examining articles about China in four major American daily newspapers, over a three-year period, a rough sketch emerges of how China is perceived to the 'average' reader of these four publications. These images...

42 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors suggest that in the long run, democracy will be necessary to solve some of the divisive social issues that have arisen in China as a result of economic reforms and social changes.
Abstract: While agreeing that rule of law without democracy is the most likely path to political reform in the short term, I suggest that in the long run democracy will be necessary to solve some of the divisive social issues that have arisen in China as a result of economic reforms and social changes. I also suggest that Pan's understanding of rule of law is overly simplistic and that his faith in the miraculous power of rule of law to put an end to corruption, resolve pluralistic conflicts and produce a just and harmonious society is wildly exaggerated. Finally, I expand the scope of Pan's proposal to explore various possible administrative law reforms and legal reforms more generally required to realize rule of law in China, while suggesting that ultimately their success turns on issues of power that exceed the limits of the law.

40 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examines and evaluates the nature of institutional change in the ownership structure, particularly collectives, SOEs, and land ownership, which is then followed by a closer look at the post-Mao shareholding reform, its trends and problems from the basic perspective of property rights theory.
Abstract: Post-Mao China has obviously moved away from the centrally planned command economy in the past two decades of reform. However, the key issue is in what direction and how far. To determine what direction China is headed for and how far China has moved in that direction, this article examines and evaluates the nature of institutional change in the ownership structure, particularly collectives, SOEs, and land ownership, which is then followed by a closer look at the post-Mao shareholding reform, its trends and problems from the basic perspective of property rights theory.

40 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The retrocession to Chinese sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997 and Macau in 1999 have been milestones in the PRC's national reunification drive as discussed by the authors, but their homecoming to China was markedly different in several key dimensions.
Abstract: The retrocession to Chinese sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997 and Macau in 1999 have been milestones in the PRC's national reunification drive. While these two South China coast enclaves share many similarities under Western colonial rule, their homecoming to China was markedly different in several key dimensions. HK's contested sovereignty and democratization mired Sino-British cooperation over transition matters, except for the British forces-PLA agreements on military sites and advance teams. The more cordial Sino-Portuguese ties masked unsatisfactory localization efforts in Macau, where Beijing's decision to station PLA troops provoked Lisbon's strong objection. The sharpest contrast was between HK's widespread crisis of confidence and Macau's sense of acceptance and relief at the prospect of autonomy under Chinese Communism.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper conducted field trips and interviews with five large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in one city in Liaoning, China and found that most of the firms have attempted to compete in the market and upgrade technologies.
Abstract: Through field trips and interviews, which took place in June and November 2000, this article discusses recent developments in the economic restructuring of five large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in one city in Liaoning. We found that most of the firms we interviewed have attempted to compete in the market and upgrade technologies. This is most apparent in attempts to separate the production and social welfare functions of the enterprise and related progress in the areas of housing, medical care and pension reform. However, we also found that the SOEs we interviewed are still heavily dependent on preferential government policies. In particular, several of the SOEs interviewed for this article appear to be primarily profitable due to government policy favors (debt-for-equity swaps, outright debt write-offs and subsidized loans).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The work in this article assesses Pan Wei's proposal for a "consultative rule of law system" for China, finding it a potentially important step along the path of political reform.
Abstract: This paper assesses Pan Wei's proposal for a 'consultative rule of law system' for China, finding it a potentially important step along the path of political reform. China urgently needs political reform to deal with the rapidly mounting problems of corruption, abuse of power, financial scandals, rising crime and inequality, and declining legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party. A rule of law, with an independent judiciary and other autonomous institutions of horizontal accountability, is vital if China is to rein in these problems and deliver better, fairer, more transparent and effective governance. However, Pan Wei's proposed system goes only part of the way toward addressing the deficiencies of governance in China, and is therefore best viewed as a transitional framework. To work, horizontal accountability must be supplemented with and reinforced by vertical account ability, through competitive elections, which give local officials an incentive to serve the public good and enable bad officials to be...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper examine Chinese analysts' perceptions of America, particularly their views on US China policy, and explore how that issue has evolved over time, what progress has been made, what factors have shaped it, what principal impediments have existed and what the prospects are for future management.
Abstract: This article seeks to examine Chinese analysts' perceptions of America, particularly their views on US China policy. It intends to explore how that issue has evolved over time, what progress has been made, what factors have shaped it, what principal impediments have existed, and what the prospects are for future management. Focusing on the period from the mid-1990s to the present, the study finds that there remains a perceptual gap in US-China relations today, though Chinese understanding of America continues to improve. Specifically, there seems to be a lessened diversity of opinions and an emerging consensus on the hegemonic nature of US foreign policy, particularly its intention of containing a rising China--though its dual strategy of containment and engagement continues to exist. More importantly, many Chinese analysts remain highly critical and negative. Thus, American external behavior worldwide would always be viewed with a great deal of suspicion.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine Chinese reform experience and the contestations about China's WTO membership and reveal that the selective internalization so far has been dictated by strategic and instrumental considerations.
Abstract: Internationalization is a contested concept. Economic internationalization of China does not only refer to increased cross-border flows of capital, technology and goods and services, as is conventionally argued. From a critical perspective, internalizing principles, rules and norms embedded in the world economy which define ‘correct’ and ‘acceptable’ economic behavior of the state constitute a more dynamic and revolutionary process of China's economic internationalization. An examination of Chinese reform experience and the contestations about China's WTO membership reveals that the selective internalization so far has been dictated by strategic and instrumental considerations. China's ‘deep integration’ into the increasingly globalized economy after its entry into the WTO demands normative changes, not just behavioral ones. This is contingent less on irrevocable wider opening of the Chinese economy than on immutable internalization and cognitive embracing of laws, standards and norms prevailing in the wo...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A policy of strategic ambiguity is the fundamental policy of the US toward cross-Strait relations as mentioned in this paper, and the US takes very ambiguous positions on its commitment to Taiwan's security, arms sales to Taiwan and Taiwan's future status, which are hoped to facilitate peace keeping and stability maintenance in Taiwan Strait.
Abstract: A policy of strategic ambiguity is the fundamental policy of the US toward cross-Strait relations. The US takes very ambiguous positions on its commitment to Taiwan's security, arms sales to Taiwan and Taiwan's future status, which are hoped to facilitate peace keeping and stability maintenance in the Taiwan Strait. However, a policy of strategic ambiguity cannot avoid three main troubles in dealing with the Taiwan issue: the dilemma of deterrence; a cross-Strait arms race; and possible military involvement in potential cross-Strait conflict. The 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait crisis has demonstrated the bankruptcy of this ambiguous strategy. US policy regarding the Taiwan question has been forced to a crossroads. It is high time the US abandoned its strategic ambiguity policy. Clarifying Taiwan policy should be the Bush Administration's top, if not the first, priority. But neither clear commitment to Taiwan's defense, either conditional or unconditional, nor letting Taiwan defend itself are correct directions f...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper argued that the direction of political reform taken and discussed inside China is indeed different from the democratization that has been pushed by outside pro-democracy activists, including Chinese dissidents.
Abstract: This paper is a response to Pan Wei's rule of law regime reform proposal. It agrees with Pan that the direction of political reform taken and discussed inside China is indeed different from the democratization that has been pushed by outside pro-democracy activists, including Chinese dissidents. While some Chinese scholars and think-tank analysts talk about political reform, they are not proposing to democratize the polity but to make the single party rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) more efficient or to provide it with a more solid legal base. They have looked upon political liberalization without democratization as an alternative solution to many of China's problems related to the extant authoritarian system. Pan Wei's proposal for building a rule-of-law regime is a representative work of this group of Chinese intellectuals.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the past several years, Chinese analysts have acknowledged that the United States possesses a vast amount of power and influence, which has allowed it to act in arrogant and often aggressive ways, and has fueled its ambitions of achieving global hegemony as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In the past several years, Chinese analysts have acknowledged that the United States possesses a vast amount of power and influence, which has allowed it to act in arrogant and often aggressive ways, and has fueled its ambitions of achieving global hegemony. While many PRC authors attribute to the US a coherent grand strategy of world domination, others have followed and assessed the debates that pervade US foreign policy-making, analyzed the nature of American hegemony, and critiqued the theoretical discussions on the subject carried out in US political science journals. Chinese analysts see both strengths and weaknesses in American hegemony, for while the country currently has superior comprehensive national power, there are also vulnerabilities in its economic and military strength, as well as in its relations with its allies. The views of Chinese authors are not uniform on the subject of US hegemony, however, for some believe that the US already is a hegemon, while others view America as a superpower ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that under certain conditions, such as activi cation, the land market in Shanghai, as well as other major cities, seems to have begun a rationalization process with less competitive land uses reallocated to the urban periphery, according to land economics principles.
Abstract: The past decade has witnessed a mass change in urban physical structure in major Chinese cities. Such changes could not have been realized without the implementation of economic reform in the urban land system. However, the economic reform measures undertaken in the urban land economy are only partial and gradual. The old socialist allocation system of land for both private and public land users still exists and in some cases such allocation exceeds the market system in terms of land granted. The pricing system of urban land is still not truly competitive as in most cases land users obtain land by means of private treaty grant with the relevant government department. Despite all these weakness in the economic reform measures, the land market in Shanghai, as well as other major cities, seems to have begun a rationalization process with less competitive land uses reallocated to the urban periphery, according to land economics principles. This paper tries to argue that under certain conditions, such as activ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined declassified US national security documents and found that both presidents Kennedy and Johnson actively considered preventive and preemptive war against China because of China's progress in developing nuclear weapons.
Abstract: Examination of newly available declassified US national security documents reveals that both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson actively considered preventive and preemptive war against China because of China's progress in developing nuclear weapons. This study yields significant conclusions for the broader historiography of the period and also for contemporary theoretical and policy debates. From the perspective of history, it is suggested that China's nuclear weapons program may be a neglected factor in explaining the US decision to fight the Vietnam War. Regarding international relations theory, the case suggests that asymmetric nuclear rivalries may be particularly prone to instability. The implications of this hypothesis for the contemporary debate about missile defense and US–China relations are explored.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In 2000, Chen Shui-bian was elected as Taiwan's first democratically elected president and many scholars also saw the event as significant, marking the consolidation of Taiwan's democratization effort as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In March 2000 when Chen Shui-bian was elected president his supporters were elated and optimistic about Taiwan having truly attained democracy. Many scholars also saw the event as significant, marking the consolidation of Taiwan's democratization effort. Soon, however, many became disappointed. Cynicism grew. Opinion polls showed declining support for the President, the legislature, political parties and politics in general. Even democracy was questioned. The causes for this were: (1) Taiwan's mixed political system, which was not ready for the opposition to become the ruling party; (2) Taiwan's style of democracy was copied from America's, in some way wrongly. This made it a system that did not fit an Asian country and allowed for ethnic politics and some other undesirable aspects of democracy to evolve; (3) the Chen Administration ignored the importance of economic development. When the economy deteriorated he sought other ways to remain in power; this further led to a deterioration of politics and hurt...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examines the Chinese approach to territorial sovereignty and border relations during the 1980s and 1990s and argues that the Chinese position during this period was characterized by a set of striking continuities and subtle changes.
Abstract: This article examines the Chinese approach to territorial sovereignty and border relations during the 1980s and 1990s. It argues that the Chinese position during this period was characterized by a set of striking continuities and subtle changes. More specifically, foreign policy elites in Beijing have consistently worked to stabilize China's boundaries, but have also de-emphasized the use of confrontational claims and increasingly used international legal agreements to accomplish this goal. In brief, these diplomatic and representational practices have cemented the status quo along China's territorial boundaries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article argued that the unbridled female sexuality that fuels the sensation of these women writers is driven by the publishing market and cultural production, with the complicity of women authors themselves, and pointed out the ambivalence women writers have toward their own sexuality as well as the authority their writing accords them.
Abstract: This article examines the sensation a young group of woman writers are causing in 1990s China. Variously named the ‘New, New Generation’, or Glam Lit writers, these women have received critical attention from the literary field and the market. While critics debate the seriousness of their literature, publishing houses are producing their literature at a rapid pace. A governmental ban on the works of two authors, Zhou Weihui and Mian Mian, has fueled readership of black market copies and spurred commentary on the Internet. I argue that the unbridled female sexuality that fuels the sensation of these writers is driven by the publishing market and cultural production, with the complicity of women authors themselves. While the article is critical of the media for exploiting female sexuality, it is also critical of the ambivalence these women writers have toward their own sexuality as well as the authority their writing accords them. While their writings bring discussion of female sexuality to a public forum t...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The George W. Bush Administration has carried out arguably the most significant rebalancing of US policy in the US-People's Republic of China (PRC)-Taiwan triangular relationship since the 1970s as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The George W. Bush Administration has carried out arguably the most significant rebalancing of US policy in the US-People's Republic of China (PRC)-Taiwan triangular relationship since the 1970s. Recent US relations with the PRC and Taiwan are within a broad one China framework, but they are unusual; never since the opening of relations with China has the United States so markedly increased its military and other support for Taiwan while seeing an improvement in US relations with Beijing. Credit for improved relations goes partly to the PRC leadership who have adjusted Chinese foreign policy toward US interests, strongly emphasizing the positive while eschewing pressure, confron tation and conflict. The reasons for the Chinese shift vary, but this article emphasizes the importance of an effective Bush Administration policy toward China. The Bush Government has foreclosed previous Chinese leverage over the United States and made clear that resorting to anti-American pressure would hurt China's interests mu...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Chen Shui-bian has been lauded for his moderation in handling cross-Strait relations but reviled for his vacillation on the issue of "one China". He has been running the gamut from "future China" to the latest "accepting one China is equivalent to the end of the ROC" as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Chen Shui-bian has been lauded for his moderation in handling cross-Strait relations but reviled for his vacillation. The most evident case of Chen's unsteadiness is the President's position on the issue of 'one China'. He has been running the gamut from 'future China' to the latest 'accepting one China is equivalent to the end of the ROC'. This lack of consistency can be explained by factional politicking within the DPP. Since the DPP was created in 1986, it has been quite evident that the party has been polarized into two major factions, the Formosa faction and the New Tide faction. The radical wing got the upper-hand as the overseas independence advocates started to flow back at the beginning of the 1990s. A few years later, the party started to change on its stand on Taiwan independence. The humiliating defeat of the DPP candidate Peng Ming-min in the 1996 presidential election prompted further transition. In the meantime, the weakening of the moderate wing in the DPP put Chen in a very difficult posi...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explored how class inequalities and gender hierarchies undercut cosmopolitan choice and cultural empowerment in Weihui's Shanghai Babe (1999) and highlighted the fragility of interpersonal commitments in the face of market capitalism's promotion of both a culture of immediate pleasure and an elite culture based on deferred gratification.
Abstract: In Weihui's banned novel, Shanghai Babe (1999), the social effects of globalization can be seen in changing ethical discourses concerning what it is to be a responsible citizen, friend or lover. Beginning with a discussion of cosmopolitanism and cultural citizenship, this paper explores how class inequalities and gender hierarchies undercut these ideals. For while the novel celebrates cosmopolitan choice and cultural empowerment, its plot also foregrounds the fragility of interpersonal commitments in the face of market capitalism's promotion of both a culture of immediate pleasure and an elite culture based on deferred gratification. Similarly, the novel celebrates sexual freedom, but its graphic accounts of the protagonist's sado-masochistic affair with a married German businessman may leave readers wary of the dangers of transgressing conventional norms.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Asian financial turmoil that hit Hong Kong unexpectedly has produced the worst postwar economic crisis in this bastion of unfettered capitalism as discussed by the authors, which has exacerbated some worrisome trends that have plagued Hong Kong for more than a decade.
Abstract: The Asian financial turmoil that hit Hong Kong unexpectedly has produced the worst postwar economic crisis in this bastion of unfettered capitalism. It has exacerbated some worrisome trends that have plagued Hong Kong for more than a decade: diminishing international competitiveness of the economy; widening income inequality; greater involvement of the government in economic affairs; declining mobility opportunities; and an increasingly anxious middle class. Empirical findings however show that whilst Hongkongers' confidence in Hong Kong's capitalist society has been shaken a little, popular support for it has, on the whole, remained robust. Still, social discontent is on the rise, particularly among the middle-classes. Growing popular demand for governmental intervention and the proclivity of the post-1997 regime to exercise economic activism might, in the long run, threaten the viability of this last example of untrammeled capitalism.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyse trends in election campaigning in Taiwan with particular reference to the landmark 2000 presidential election, when the Kuomintang's 50-year monopoly on power finally ended.
Abstract: This article analyses trends in election campaigning in Taiwan with particular reference to the landmark 2000 presidential election, when the Kuomintang's 50-year monopoly on power finally ended. It examines the growing professionalism in election campaigning that stands alongside, and is shaped by, the systemic and institutional features of Taiwan's electoral landscape, such as the path dependency of the parties and the electoral system used. The article challenges us to reconsider the notion of how identity is shaped and communicated; globalisation has given birth to a spurious catch-all notion of ‘Americani sation’ that is invoked by many modern election observers. It is said to describe a trend towards a global convergence of electoral practices based on the adoption of election campaign techniques developed in the United States. The discourse on Americanisation resonates with the pejorative vocabulary more associated with cultural imperialism, suggesting the displacement of the indigenous by the fore...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the ideological use of history in "International Film Festival Films" from Mainland China in the early 1990s, and observed that films like Chen Kaige's Fare...
Abstract: In this paper the author examines the ideological use of history in ‘International Film Festival Films’ from Mainland China in the early 1990s. The author observes that films like Chen Kaige's Fare...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The need for a more professional, better trained and more motivated civil service is recognized as a fundamental precondition for faster and more equitable development as discussed by the authors, and the discussion of ways to improve the quality of public services and make public agencies more accountable and transparent has become more candid and pragmatic.
Abstract: Over the past decade, improving governance has increasingly become a central concern of public sector reform across the globe. China is no exception. In developing countries aid agencies have come to see governance reform as a prerequisite for the effective implementation of poverty programs. At the same time, considerable conceptual confusion initially obstructed coordinated action among the principal stakeholders. Progressively, research has helped strengthen both the analytical framework and the empirical underpinning for policy design. Over time, too, the discussion of ways to improve the quality of public services and make public agencies more accountable and transparent has become more candid and pragmatic. Reformers have come increasingly to stress the importance of establishing the rule of law and strengthening public financial accountability as fundamental preconditions for faster and more equitable development. The need for a more professional, better-trained and more motivated civil service is ...