Showing papers on "East Asia published in 2013"

The Migration Industry and the Commercialization of International Migration

Abstract: Introduction Ninna Nyberg Sorensen and Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen 1. Conceptualizing the Migration Industry Ruben Hernandez-Leon 2. The Migration Industry in Global Migration Governance Alexander Betts 3. Migration Trajectories and the Migration Industry: Theoretical Reflections and Empirical Examples from Asia Ernst Spaan and Felicitas Hillmann 4. The Migration Industry and Development States in East Asia Kristin Surak 5. The Neoliberalized State and the Growth of the Migration Industry Georg Menz 6. The Rise of the Private Border Guard: Governance and Accountability in the Involvement of Non-State Actors in Migration Management Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen 7. Private Security Companies and the European Borderscapes Martin Lemberg-Pedersen 8. Pusher Stories: Ghanaian Connection men and the Expansion of the EU's Border Regimes into Africa Hans Lucht 9. Document Falsifiers and Travel Agents: Producing the Migrant Subject in Peru Ulla Berg and Carla Tamagno 10. Public Officials and the Migration Industry in Guatemala: Greasing the Wheels of a Corrupt Machine Isabel Rosales Sandoval 11. Migration between Social and Criminal Networks: Jumping the Remains of the Honduran Migration Train Ninna Nyberg Sorensen

Filial piety in contemporary Chinese societies: A comparative study of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China:

Abstract: This study investigates the functions and implications of contemporary filial piety in three Chinese societies, namely, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, using large-scale cross-national datasets from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey. Despite the shared Confucian cultural values among these three societies, they have sharply differed in their paths toward modernization and in the development of their sociopolitical structures over the last century. The authors propose that the implications and influences of filial piety tend to be more similar in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but may be different in China because of profound differences in its sociopolitical system. Using the dual filial piety model as the baseline for comparative analyses, the results show that dual filial piety can be found in all three societies, although there are some componential alterations in China. The study also goes beyond the common practice of treating filial piety within the confines of caring for family elders by considering its funct...

Son Preference and the Persistence of Culture: Evidence from South and East Asian Immigrants to Canada

Abstract: Preference for sons over daughters, evident in China's and South Asia's male sex ratios, is commonly rationalized by poverty and the need for old-age support. In this article we study South and East Asian immigrants to Canada, a group for whom the economic imperative to select sons is largely absent. Analyzing the 2001 and 2006 censuses, 20 percent samples, we find clear evidence of extensive sex selection in favor of boys at higher parities among South and East Asian immigrants unless they are Christian or Muslim. The latter finding accords with the explicit prohibition against (female) infanticide—traditionally the main sex-selection method—in these religions. Our findings point to a strong cultural component to both the preference for sons and the willingness to resort to induced abortion based on sex.

Education Fever and the East Asian Fertility Puzzle: A case study of low fertility in South Korea

Abstract: Fertility throughout East Asia has fallen rapidly over the last five decades and is now below the replacement rate of 2.1 in every country in the region. Using South Korea as a case study, we argue that East Asia's ultra-low fertility rates can be partially explained by the steadfast parental drive to have competitive and successful children. Parents throughout the region invest large amounts of time and money to ensure that their children are able to enter prestigious universities and obtain top jobs. Accordingly, childrearing has become so expensive that the average couple cannot afford to have more than just one or two children. The trend of high parental investment in child education, also known as ‘education fever’, exemplifies the notion of ‘quality over quantity’ and is an important contributing factor to understanding low-fertility in East Asia.

The Struggle for Order: Hegemony, Hierarchy, and Transition in Post-Cold War East Asia

Abstract: 1. Introduction: Order Transition in East Asia 2. Institutional Bargains: Taming and Legitimising Unequal Power 3. Authority and Public Goods Provision: Managing Regional Conflicts 4. Regionalism and Community: Re-negotiating Regional and Global Economic Order 5. Order and Justice: Contesting the Collective Memory Regime 6. Conclusion: The Hierarchical East Asian Order

East Asian monsoon change for the 21st century: Results of CMIP3 and CMIP5 models

Abstract: Forty-two climate models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phases 3 and 5 were first evaluated in terms of their ability to simulate the present climatology of the East Asian winter (December-February) and summer (June-August) monsoons. The East Asian winter and summer monsoon changes over the 21st century were then projected using the results of 31 and 29 reliable climate models under the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) mid-range A1B scenario or the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) mid-low-range RCP4.5 scenario, respectively. Results showed that the East Asian winter monsoon changes little over time as a whole relative to the reference period 1980-1999. Regionally, it weakens (strengthens) north (south) of about 25°N in East Asia, which results from atmospheric circulation changes over the western North Pacific and Northeast Asia owing to the weakening and northward shift of the Aleutian Low, and from decreased northwest-southeast thermal and sea level pressure differences across Northeast Asia. In summer, monsoon strengthens slightly in East China over the 21st century as a consequence of an increased land-sea thermal contrast between the East Asian continent and the adjacent western North Pacific and South China Sea.

Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany

Abstract: Introduction to the Multipurpose Plant Cannabis In the beginning: Circumstances of early human contact with Cannabis A brief summary of the long and diverse history of relationships between Cannabis and humans What shall we call these plants? Should we praise or condemn this multipurpose plant? What we discuss in this book Chapter 1: Natural Origins and Early Evolution of Cannabis Introduction Basic life cycle of Cannabis Ecological requirements of Cannabis: Sunlight, temperature, water and soil Cannabis origin and evolution studies Central Asia: Vavilov and the origins of Cannabis Cannabis and grapes Theories for South Asian origin of domesticated Cannabis Model for the early evolution of Cannabis Summary and conclusions Chapter 2: Ethnobotanical Origins, Early Cultivation and Evolution through Human Selection Introduction First contacts: Origins of Human-Cannabis relationships Transitions to cultivation and civilization Earliest uses of Cannabis: Useful traits for ancient people Evolution of Cannabis through human selection Disruptive selection Origin from weedy populations Natural hybridization: Introgression vs. isolation Artificial hybridization Atavism Isolation of populations Population size and changes in variability Evolutionary effects of dioecy Effects of human selection on sexual expression for different products - Seeds, fibers, marijuana and hashish Sexual dimorphism and selection Phenotypic changes during domestication - Seeds, fibers and inflorescences Directional evolutionary changes Cannabinoid profile Timing of floral maturation Evolution of cannabinoid phenotypes Geographical distribution of cannabinoid phenotypes North America Western Europe Eastern Europe Central America and the Caribbean South America Middle East East Asia Indian Subcontinent Southeast Asia Equatorial Africa South and East Africa Summary and conclusions Chapter 3: Cultural Diffusion of Cannabis Introduction Methodology: The multidisciplinary approach Types of archaeobotanical evidence for Cannabis Seeds, fibers, pollen, fiber and seed impressions, other carbonized remains, chemical analysis and phytoliths Written records of Cannabis presence and use Non-human agencies affecting the geographical range of Cannabis Human impact on the dispersal and expanding geographical range of Cannabis Early relationships among humans and Cannabis in Central Asia Fishing and hemp Hemp, humans and horses in Eurasia Scythians and Cannabis Archaeological and historical evidence for the spread of Cannabis Diffusion throughout East Asia Diffusion from northeastern China into Korea and Japan Diffusion into South Asia Archaeobotanical evidence from South Asia Diffusion into Southwest Asia and Egypt Diffusion into Europe and the Mediterranean Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Baltic region, Finland, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Northern France, Iberian Peninsula, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, British Isles, and the Mediterranean Dispersal phases within and beyond Eurasia Phase One: Primary dispersal across Eurasia -- ca. 10,000 to 2000 BP Phase Two: Spread into Africa and Southeast Asia - ca. 2000 to 500 BP Phase Three: Migration to the New World - 1545 to 1800 Phase Four: Migration to the New World - 1800 to 1945 Phase Five: Migration after the Second World War - 1945 to 1990 Phase Six: Artificial environments and the proliferation of industrial hemp -- 1990 to the present Summary and conclusions: Cannabis' dispersal from an evolutionary point of view Chapter 4: History of Cannabis Use for Fiber Introduction Textile basics Historical and archaeological evidence for Cannabis fiber use in China Hemp in clothing, lacquerware, weapons and ships in ancient China Traditional Korea Contemporary South Korea and North Korea Ancient Japan and hemp Ancient evidence from South Asia, Southwest Asia and Egypt The ancient Mediterranean region Ancient Europe north of the Mediterranean Hemp fiber use spreads to the New World Some aspects of the recent history of hemp Cannabis and paper Advent and early history of papermaking in China Hemp paper in ancient Korea and Japan Dispersal to North Africa and Europe Hemp paper production in North America Summary and conclusions Chapter 5: Food, feed and oil uses of hemp seed Introduction Human food and animal feed uses of hemp seeds Early hemp seed use in China: Neolithic Period through the Han Dynasty Hemp seed oil in ancient China Ancient evidence for traditional production and use beyond China Korea Japan South and Southwest Asia Central and Eastern Europe Mediterranean and Western European Regions Present-day hemp seed production and use Summary and conclusions Chapter 6: Historical Aspects of Psychoactive Cannabis Use for Ritual and Recreation Introduction Discovery of the euphoriant properties of Cannabis in Eurasia. Central Asia China Taoism and tales of Ma Gu India and Nepal Was Soma Cannabis? South Asian psychoactive Cannabis products Hindu acceptance of ritual bhang use Shiva worship and Cannabis Other occasions on which bhang was used Worship of the bhang plant Mongols and Cannabis Southwest Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and Europe The advent of Cannabis smoking: Tobacco meets hashish Summary and conclusions Chapter 7: Ethnobotanical history and contemporary context of medicinal Cannabis Introduction Early East Asian medicinal use South and Southeast Asian medical traditions Egyptian medicinal use Cannabis in early Middle Eastern and later Islamic medicine Medicinal use in Africa and South America European medicinal Cannabis Present-day Western medicinal applications of Cannabis Summary and conclusions Chapter 8: Non-psychoactive Ritual Uses of Cannabis Introduction Hempen rituals of major religions -- Shamanic influences survive repression Archaeological remains from ritual contexts -- Central Asia, China and Europe The Hmong -- Spirit travel in healing, life-cycle and funerary rituals China -- Shamanism, Taoism and Confucianism Korea -- Shamanic funerary rites, Confucian mourning and ancestor worship Japan -- Shamanist, Shinto and Buddhist hemp traditions Europe and the Middle East -- Judaeo-Christian hemp rituals Hangings Summary and conclusions Chapter 9: Recent history of Cannabis Breeding Introduction European hemp breeding North American hemp breeding Introduction of NLD Cannabis to North America Breeding history of NLD varieties Introduction of BLD Cannabis Recent trends in Cannabis breeding Summary and conclusions Chapter 10: Classical and molecular taxonomy of Cannabis Introduction One, two or three species? History of Cannabis taxonomy Recent advances in Cannabis taxonomy Genetic and historical model for the evolution of Cannabis biotypes Recent geographical distributions of Cannabis biotypes Europe and the former Soviet Union China Central Asia, Afghanistan and Turkestan India and Nepal Southeast Asia Africa and the Middle East and the New World Summary and conclusions Chapter 11: Hypotheses Concerning the Early Evolution of Cannabis Introduction Prehistoric climate change and plant distribution: Pleistocene and Holocene ranges Early human migrations Plant speciation and colonization: Pleistocene refugia, post-glacial population expansion, and speciation rate Early evolution of Cannabaceae: The hemp and hop family Breeding systems and reproductive strategies as clues to geographical origin: Angiospermy, annuality, anemophily, dioecy and sex determination Reconstruction of a Cannabaceae ancestor Summary and conclusions Chapter 12: Cannabis and Homo sapiens -- Present position and future directions Introduction The long term relationship Summary of Cannabis' evolution Cannabis' influence on the evolution of human culture A case for social benefits from Cannabis' psychoactivity Human influence on Cannabis' evolution Environmental impact of the Human-Cannabis relationship Coevolution of Cannabis and humans: Fresh concepts Present position of the Human-Cannabis relationship Remaining questions and future directions

How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region

Abstract: Until the catastrophic economic crisis of the late 1990s, East Asia was perceived as a monolithic success story. But heady economic growth rates masked the most divided continent in the world - one half the most extraordinary developmental success story ever seen, the other half a paper tiger. Joe Studwell explores how policies ridiculed by economists created titans in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and are now behind the rise of China, while the best advice the West could offer sold its allies in South-East Asia down the economic river. The first book to offer an Asia-wide deconstruction of success and failure in economic development, Studwell's latest work is provocative and iconoclastic - and sobering reading for most of the world's developing countries. How Asia Works is a must-read book that packs powerful insights about the world's most misunderstood continent.

Achieving Development Success: Strategies and Lessons from the Developing World

Abstract: This paper provides a synthesis of successful strategies and implied lessons for development success, employing at least six themes on in-depth case studies of a large number of developing countries around the world. The coverage includes East Asia and the Pacific (South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam), the Emerging Asian Giants (China and India), Sub-Saharan Africa (Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, and South Africa), Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic), and the Middle East and North Africa (Bahrain, Oman, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates), along with the respective regional syntheses. Although countries´ experiences are not necessarily replicable, the recurrent themes across countries and regions provide the appropriate connectedness for fostering a truly global perspective on development strategies and lessons from the developing world.

Regional nitrogen oxides emission trends in East Asia observed from space

Abstract: . Due to changing economic activity, emissions of air pollutants in East Asia are changing rapidly in space and time. Monthly emission estimates of nitrogen oxides derived from satellite observations provide valuable insight into the evolution of anthropogenic activity on a regional scale. We present the first results of a new emission estimation algorithm, specifically designed to use daily satellite observations of column concentrations for fast updates of emissions of short-lived atmospheric constituents on a mesoscopic scale (~ 0.25° × 0.25°). The algorithm is used to construct a monthly NO x emission time series for the period 2007–2011 from tropospheric NO 2 observations of GOME-2 for East Chinese provinces and surrounding countries. The new emission estimates correspond well with the bottom-up inventory of EDGAR v4.2, but are smaller than the inventories of INTEX-B and MEIC. They reveal a strong positive trend during 2007–2011 for almost all Chinese provinces, related to the country's economic development. We find a 41% increment of NO x emissions in East China during this period, which shows the need to update emission inventories in this region on a regular basis. Negative emission trends are found in Japan and South Korea, which can be attributed to a combined effect of local environmental policy and global economic crises. Analysis of seasonal variation distinguishes between regions with dominant anthropogenic or biogenic emissions. For regions with a mixed anthropogenic and biogenic signature, the opposite seasonality can be used for an estimation of the separate emission contributions. Finally, the non-local concentration/emission relationships calculated by the algorithm are used to quantify the direct effect of regional NO x emissions on tropospheric NO 2 concentrations outside the region. For regions such as North Korea and the Beijing municipality, a substantial part of the tropospheric NO 2 originates from emissions elsewhere.

Mapping the terrain of educational leadership and management in East Asia

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain perspective on the extent to which the vision for knowledge production in East Asia set forth by Bajunid, Cheng, Hallinger, Walker, Dimmock and others almost 20 years ago has been fulfilled. The authors undertook an effort to map the terrain of knowledge production in educational leadership and management in East Asia since the year 2000. Their method of mapping this terrain involves the analysis of trends in publication of articles about and/or from East Asia in eight core educational leadership and management journals.Design/methodology/approach – The authors’ methodology employed a descriptive, quantitative form of literature review. They identified a clearly delimited body of literature, comprised of all articles published about or from East Asia between 2000 and 2011 in eight core educational leadership and management journals. Then they employed a systematic search for information within that literature and analyzed trends across the studies. This allow...

Climate Change Projections over East Asia with BCC_CSM1.1 Climate Model under RCP Scenarios

Abstract: We study climate change projections over East Asia under various representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios using simulations performed with the Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model version 11 (BCC_ CSM11) for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) Under all RCPs (including RCP26, RCP45, RCP60, and RCP85), East Asian climate is found to be warmer and wetter in the 21st century than the present climatology (19862005) For 20802099, East Asian mean surface air temperature (precipitation) is higher than that for the present climatology by 098° C (44%) under RCP26, 189° C (77%) under RCP45, 247° C (71%) under RCP60, and 406° C (91%) under RCP85 Such changes in East Asia are all larger than the corresponding global changes, with greater differences under the higher RCPs In the simulation of RCP45, which is extended to the late 23rd century (22802299), further warming of 034° C relative to 20802099 is found in East Asia; this is lower than the global mean warming (056° C) Under mitigation scenario RCP26, East Asia experiences greater cooling than that experienced globally throughout the 22nd and 23rd centuries In the late 21st century, East Asian summer mean precipitation increases prominently (by 1015%) with respect to the present climatology under all RCPs This increase in precipitation occurs primarily in southern China and northern East Asia and is associated with anomalous southerly flow in the lower troposphere Drought occurs in the Yangtze River valley for the middle and high RCPs; we attribute this to anomalous subsidence around 30° N associated with the northward shift of the East Asian jet stream Under the high scenario (RCP85), the western Pacific subtropical high extends westward and northward to southern China and is partly responsible for the deficient precipitation in regions to the south of the Yangtze River

A Model of the Firm as a Stockholder-Employee Cooperative Game: Theory, Corporations and East Asia. Selected Papers of Masahiko Aoki

Abstract: In the traditional neoclassical approach, firms are nothing more than technological black boxes through which inputs of marketed productive factors are transformed into marketable outputs. In this paper, however, I present and analyze a model of the firm which emphasizes its aspect as a quasipermanent organization of stockholders and employees. The employees are considered to embody skills and knowledge more or less specific to the firm as a result of quasi-permanent association with it.' The employees, in cooperation with physical assets supplied by the stockholders, can produce some economic gains which would not be possible through mere casual combination of marketed factors of production. These economic gains accrue to the firm from the unique and lasting interaction of the organizational resources, both human and physical, and may be termed the organizational rent. Through the acquisition of firm-specific skills and knowledge, the employees may be able to exert implicit or explicit bargaining power over the disposition of the organizational rent. A similar observation was made by Alfred Marshall:

Interdecadal change of summer precipitation over Eastern China around the late-1990s and associated circulation anomalies, internal dynamical causes

Abstract: Observational study indicated that the summer precipitation over Eastern China experienced a notable interdecadal change around the late-1990s. Accompanying this interdecadal change, the dominant mode of anomalous precipitation switched from a meridional triple pattern to a dipole pattern, showing a “south-flood-north-drought” structure (with the exception of the Yangtze River Valley). This interdecadal change of summer precipitation over Eastern China was associated with circulation anomalies in the middle/upper troposphere over East Asia, such as changes in winds and corresponding divergence, vertical motion and moisture transportation (divergence), which all exhibit remarkable meridional dipole structures. Furthermore, on the internal dynamic and thermodynamic aspects, the present study investigated the influence of the midtroposphere zonal and meridional flow changes over East Asia on the interdecadal change around the late-1990s. Results suggested that, during 1999–2010, the East Asia subtropical westerly jet weakened and shifted poleward, forming a meridional dipole feature in anomalous zonal flow. This anomalous zonal flow, on one hand, induced changes in three teleconnection patterns over the Eurasian continent, namely the “Silk Road” pattern along the subtropical upper troposphere westerly jet, the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) pattern along the East Asian coast, and the Eurasia (EU) pattern along the polar jet; on the other hand, it brought about cold advection over Northern China, and warm advection over Southern China in the mid-troposphere. Through these two ways, the changes in the zonal flow induced descent over Northern China and ascent over Southern China, which resulted in the anomalous “south-flood-north-drought” feature of the summer precipitation over Eastern China during 1999–2010.

A comparative analysis of intergenerational relations in East Asia

Abstract: Due to rapid aging of populations in East Asia, intergenerational relations are changing. This study examines these changes in four East Asian societies, chosen for their shared cultural background of patriarchy: China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Data were taken from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey. The authors’ analyses show that in these four East Asian societies, contemporary intergenerational relations reveal both continuity and change. Despite changing family structures, co-residence between generations remains clearly patriarchal, and the main flow of intergenerational support is still from adult children to parents. The dominant patriarchal culture also expresses itself in the continuing influence of filial norms on intergenerational relations, in that sons tend to perform various filial duties much more than daughters. However, the emergence of prolonged co-residence of young, unmarried and less educated adult children with their parents implies that the traditional pattern of intergenerational su...

Toward an Economic Model of the Japanese Firm: Theory, Corporations and East Asia. Selected Papers of Masahiko Aoki

Abstract: I owe a great deal to Professor Moses Abramovitz who suggested that I write this article. I appreciate his constant encouragement and guidance which aided me throughout its preparation. I am also indebted to three anonymous referees of the Journal and to Professors Ryutaro Komiya and Michael Riordan for their critical comments and helpful suggestions. Needless to say, I am solely responsible for the views expressed in this paper.

Factors influencing the higher education of international students from Confucian East Asia

Abstract: Higher education, especially that leading to a degree from a high-prestige university, is strongly related to social status and employment opportunities in East Asian countries. This is a consequence of both traditional Confucian attitudes to education and the social and economic changes accompanying industrialisation. Since the number of places available at high-prestige universities is limited, competition is intense. Successful entry to such a university is not only an important achievement for the future career of the student, but also a victory for the family. In contrast, failure to do so is often seen as shameful for the family, sometimes resulting in psychological problems or suicide. This background affects the international education of East Asian students, who often have a high level of family support, with correspondingly high expectations of their success. Motives for international study vary, from avoidance of the hyper-competitive domestic system, pursuit of an overseas degree as an ‘easy option’ of moderate prestige, to an expectation of more up-to-date teaching and content. Understanding this background can be a first step for Australian or other Western educators to better meet the needs of East Asian international students and to attract students from East Asia in the long term.

Russian Foreign Policy: Interests, Vectors, and Sectors

Abstract: List of Tables, Figures, and Map Principal Vectors in Russian Foreign Policy Preface Acknowledgments About the Editors Introduction The Challenges Facing Russia 1. The Historical Legacy for Contemporary Russian Foreign Policy The Soviet Legacy 2. Vectors and Sectors: The Russian Foreign Policy Mechanism The Constitutional Structure: President and Prime Minister Searching for a Role: The Legislature The Position of the Foreign Ministry: One Actor Among Many The Regional Governments The State Companies and Private Business The Nongovernmental Organizations Russian National Security Decision Making The Principal Vectors 3. The United States: The Main Enemy or Strategic Partner? Legacy of the Cold War Gorbachev: The Search for Condominium The Yeltsin Era and "Tainted Transactions" Putin-Bush and Obama-Medvedev: Soul Connections? Some Enduring Obstacles Institutionalizing the Relationship The Balance Sheet 4. The Bear and the Dragon: China and the East Asia Vector Triangular Relations: Opportunities and Challenges The Dragon Turns to the Bear The Bear Embraces the Dragon The Bear Arms the Dragon An Emerging Strategic Alliance? Mending Fences: Russia-Japan Relations Korea: Unparalleled Relations Vietnam: Moscow's Toehold in Southeast Asia Setting Its Eyes on Asia 5. The Eurasian Space The Disintegration of the Soviet Union The Eurasian Vision Breaking Up Is Hard To Do The Frozen Conflicts The Georgia-Russia War and Its Aftermath The Ties That Bind Securing Eurasia A Eurasian Convergence Zone? The Eurasian Union: USSR Lite? Euraskepticism Putin's Eurasian Dream 6. Eastern Europe: Comrades no More The Second World War and the Creation of the Soviet Bloc 1989-1999: The Attempt to Preserve Eastern Europe The Baltics and Beyond: NATO's Reach East Baltic [In]Security From Tragedy to Reconciliation? Developments in Russia-Poland Relations Russian Impotence in the Balkans Moscow's "Ruble Diplomacy" and Russia's Return to Eastern Europe 7. Europe: Russia's "Traditional Orientation" Russia and the European Union Since the Soviet Collapse The Russo-German Relationship The Russian Relationship with France The Overlooked Partnership: Italy and Russia The Bulldog and the Bear: Russia and Great Britain Other Relationships The Arctic Dimension Concluding Thoughts 8. The Near-Eastern Vector Russia-Turkey: The Unexpected Partnership Israel: "Practically a Russian-Speaking Country"? Russia-Saudi Arabia: The Start of a Rapprochement? Traditional Arab Partners Moscow's Traditional Ally Syria The Transformation of Russian-Iranian Relations Overall Conclusion 9. Call Across the Himalayas: The South Asia Vector The Immediate Post-Soviet Policy The Failed Rapprochement with Pakistan? The Model Partnership: India The Russia-India-China Troika Drivers of the Indo-Russian Entente 10. Africa and Latin America: The Southern Vector The Return to Africa Latin America Beckons Building the BRICS 11. Epilogue Index

Inferring human history in East Asia from Y chromosomes

Abstract: East Asia harbors substantial genetic, physical, cultural and linguistic diversity, but the detailed structures and interrelationships of those aspects remain enigmatic This question has begun to be addressed by a rapid accumulation of molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia, especially by Y chromosome studies The current Y chromosome evidence suggests multiple early migrations of modern humans from Africa via Southeast Asia to East Asia After the initial settlements, the northward migrations during the Paleolithic Age shaped the genetic structure in East Asia Subsequently, recent admixtures between Central Asian immigrants and northern East Asians enlarged the genetic divergence between southern and northern East Asia populations Cultural practices, such as languages, agriculture, military affairs and social prestige, also have impacts on the genetic patterns in East Asia Furthermore, application of Y chromosome analyses in the family genealogy studies offers successful showcases of the utility of genetics in studying the ancient history

Changing macro-structural varieties of East Asian capitalism

Abstract: The dominant institutions of economic governance vary considerably between countries in both Northeast and Southeast Asia, generating four nationally distinct varieties of political?economic organization in terms of varying state direction of the economy and degree of business co-ordination of economic activities: co-governed, state-led, networked and personalized. In the 1980s, Malaysia and Taiwan represented more the state-led variety of capitalist development, while Japan and Thailand shared many characteristics of the networked form. In the 1990s and 2000s, these four political economies began to change, but to different degrees and in different directions. In particular, Taiwan became more similar to the co-governed variety of capitalism, while the degree of business co-ordination declined significantly in Thailand so that its political economy became more personalized. These contrasting kinds of changes in the four economies can best be explained by shifts in the interest and power configurations of dominant coalitions.

Mid-Pliocene East Asian monsoon climate simulated in the PlioMIP

Abstract: . Based on simulations with 15 climate models in the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP), the regional climate of East Asia (focusing on China) during the mid-Pliocene is investigated in this study. Compared to the pre-industrial, the multi-model ensemble mean (MMM) of all models shows the East Asian summer winds (EASWs) largely strengthen in monsoon China, and the East Asian winter winds (EAWWs) strengthen in south monsoon China but slightly weaken in north monsoon China in the mid-Pliocene. The MMM of all models also illustrates a warmer and wetter mid-Pliocene climate in China. The simulated weakened mid-Pliocene EAWWs in north monsoon China and intensified EASWs in monsoon China agree well with geological reconstructions. However, there is a large model–model discrepancy in simulating mid-Pliocene EAWW, which should be further addressed in the future work of PlioMIP.

Ethnic Policy in China: Is Reform Inevitable?

Abstract: (ProQuest: ... denotes non-USASCII text omitted.)List of Acronyms3/14 March 14, 2008, Lhasa riots7/5 July 5, 2009, Uriimqi riotsCASS Chinese Academy of Social SciencesCCTV China Central TelevisionCLSG Central Leading Small GroupCPC Communist Party of ChinaCPPCC Chinese People's Political Consultative ConferenceEAI East Asian Institute [National University of Singapore]GDP Gross Domestic ProductHDI Human Development IndexNDU National Defense UniversityPBSC Politburo Standing CommitteePLA People's Liberation ArmyPRC People's Republic of ChinaSEAC State Ethnic Affairs CommissionTAR Tibetan Autonomous RegionUF WD United Front Work DepartmentXUAR Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionExecutive SummaryBalancing ethnocultural diversity and dignity with national integration and interethnic cohesion has been a constant challenge for Chinese policymakers. With a sizeable ethnic minority population, China has long been engaged in this delicate balancing act. Despite episodic conflict, it could be argued that the Communist Party of China (CPC) has, especially since the 1976 death of Mao Zedong, done a relatively competent job of containing ethnic tensions.There are, however, signs that interethnic conflict may be growing as free-market forces and increased interethnic communication and mobility intensifies ethnic-based competition. For many Chinese the bloody riots in Lhasa (2008), Shaoguan (2009), and Uriimqi (2009) belie the party-state's claims of "harmonious ethnic relations." In fact, interethnic conflict and violence is now seen as a sign of policy failure by a significant segment of the Chinese population.Amid this perception of crisis, Chinese academics, policymakers, and other thought-leaders are engaged in unprecedented debate over the future direction of their country's ethnic policies. New online platforms and the commercialization of old media has engendered an explosion of information and discussion about this once-secretive and still highly sensitive topic.As part of the larger search for indigenous and innovative solutions to contemporary problems, Chinese thinkers are exploring a range of new ideas for managing ethnic relations. Some of these ideas are rooted in Chinese tradition and others are based on what are viewed as global norms. Instead of strengthening minority rights and autonomy, as those in the West have long advocated, most Chinese thinkers condemn the lack of interethnic cohesion and believe urgent action is now required to preserve China's fragile national unity.This study explores the last five years of domestic Chinese opinion on ethnic policies. Past debate is reviewed and implications for the future of ethnic policy under Xi Jinping and China's new fifth-generation of leadership are considered. National opinion is seen to be gradually coalescing on the need to rethink, if not fundamentally alter, existing policies to reinforce interethnic solidarity.China's intellectuals increasingly agree that the current "divide and rule" tactics, inherited from the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), are out of touch with both Chinese tradition and global norms. A "melting pot" model is increasingly being accepted as better for de-emphasizing ethnic consciousness, improving ethnic relations, and solidifying national unity in the long run.For over a decade Professor Ma Rong of Peking University has championed the cause of ethnic-policy reform. His once-marginal views are now part of the mainstream conversation with a wide range of academics, policymakers, and other thinkers (across ethnic and ideological spectrums) sharing his concerns with the current approach. Although prescriptions for reform vary, key liberals including Liu Junning, Li Datong, and Qin Hui agree with left-leaning voices like Wang Hui and Kong Qingdong about the need to chart a new course. …

Progress in Air-Land-Sea Interactions in Asia and Their Role in Global and Asian Climate Change

Abstract: The National Key Research Program on Global Change Study,"Air-Land-Sea(ALS) interactions in Asia and their role in the global climate change" was implemented in 2010.The ALS project team has achieved many of the program's scientific objectives in various fields.In the field of climatic dynamics,we found that the variations of sea surface temperature(SST) over the Indo-western Pacific warm pool are a vital driver for the interdecadal variability of the global tropical climate and an important modulator of global-scale subtropical droughts.We found an air-sea coupled cold-tongue SST mode in the eastern tropical Pacific and demonstrated the important role of this mode in the formation of different types of El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) patterns.Furthermore,we illustrated the mechanisms involved in these patterns and their different influences on the East Asian climate.The characteristics of the thermal forcing anomalies over the Tibetan Plateau and their possible climatic effects are explored.In addition,we proposed a new theory of planetary waves in non-uniform basic flow,and performed preliminarily analysis of its features under different conditions of the East Asian summer monsoon.In the field of climate prediction methods,we developed several physically-based statistical prediction techniques or models,such as the new approach of time-scale decomposition downscaling,an empirical North Atlantic Oscillation-ENSO-based seasonal prediction model of the East Asian summer monsoon,and an empirical Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode-based East Asian climate prediction model.The good performances of these prediction models provide important references for the relevant project operational divisions.From the observational and data assimilation aspect,our achievements include the integrated ocean observation along the 18°N cross-section in the South China Sea,which laid the foundation for the formation of China's first long-term cross-section observation in the South China Sea.As for relevant international cooperation,the ALS project also continues to promote the leadership of the international programs of "Asian Monsoon Years(AMY 2007-2012)" and "East Asian Climate Modeling," which would enhance the international status of China in related fields.

China's Foreign Aid and Government-Sponsored Investment Activities: Scale, Content, Destinations, and Implications

Abstract: : With the world's second largest economy, China has the capacity to engage in substantial programs of development-assistance and government investment in any and all of the emerging market countries. In the first decade of the 21st century, it has expanded and directed this capacity in 93 countries for both the benefit of the recipients and its own interests. Yet, until recently, little was known about the size and direction of such programs. Thomas Lum of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) offered an initial estimate of the scope and purpose of China's aid and government-sponsored investment activities in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In this report, we expand upon those findings, assessing the scale, trends, and composition of China's foreign aid and government-sponsored investment activities (FAGIA) in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia. We find that such programs have burgeoned in recent years, with an emphasis on the development of foreign supplies of energy resources and ferrous and nonferrous minerals. Loans finance many of these programs and feature substantial subsidization, but loans also are accompanied by rigorous debt-servicing conditions that distinguish China's foreign aid from the grant financing that characterizes development aid provided by the United States and other nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

East Asian Development: Foundations and Strategies

Abstract: In the early 1960s, fewer than five percent of Japanese owned automobiles, China's per capita income was among the lowest in Asia, and living standards in South Korea's rural areas were on par with some of the world's poorest countries. Today, these are three of the most powerful economies on earth. Dwight Perkins grapples with both the contemporary and historical causes and consequences of the turnaround, drawing on firsthand experience in the region to explain how Asian countries sustained such rapid economic growth in the second half of the twentieth century."East Asian Development" offers a comprehensive view of the region, from Japan and the "Asian Tigers" (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea) to Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and China--a behemoth larger than all the other economies combined. While the overall picture of Asian growth is positive, no single economic policy has been effective regionwide. Interventionist policies that worked well in some countries failed elsewhere. Perkins analyzes income distribution, to uncover why initially egalitarian societies have ended up in very different places, with Japan, for example, maintaining a modest gap between rich and poor while China has become one of Asia's most unequal economies.Today, the once-dynamic Japanese and Korean economies are sluggish, and even China shows signs of losing steam. Perkins investigates whether this is a regional phenomenon or typical of all economies at this stage of development. His inquiry reminds us that the uncharted waters of China's vast economy make predictions of its future performance speculative at best.

Effects of Ozone on Forest Ecosystems in East and Southeast Asia

Abstract: Air pollution, especially ozone, in East and Southeast Asia is considered to be more serious than in Europe and North America. An increase in ozone concentration may lead to adverse effects on forest trees in East and Southeast Asia where we have high species richness. Although some information on the effects of ozone on plantation tree species in East Asia is available, the situation of most countries in Southeast Asia is not clarified. In Japan, advanced methodologies such as the stomatal flux-based approach, use of a free-air ozone fumigation system and stand level studies have started recently. To maintain ecosystem services of forests such as carbon sink and conservation of biodiversity, there is a need to develop our understanding of the effect of ozone on vegetation in East and Southeast Asia. To this end, international cooperative research is important.

Synthesis of findings from 15 years of educational reform in Thailand: lessons on leading educational change in East Asia

Abstract: The past two decades have been a period of active education reform throughout much of the world, and East Asia is no exception. This paper synthesizes findings from a series of empirical studies of educational reform in Thailand where an ambitious educational reform law was adopted in 1999. The purpose is to identify lessons learned about educational leadership and change that may be applicable both in Thailand and other parts of East Asia. The studies reveal successful reorientation of the nation’s educational system around a new vision and education goals. However, the vision of change has been much slower to penetrate the daily practice of Thailand’s 35,000 principals and 400,000 teachers. The paper identifies factors that are impacting successful reform in Thailand and draws implications for leading educational reform and change in the East Asia region.

Strong, safe, and resilient : s strategic policy guide for disaster risk management in East Asia and the Pacific

Abstract: Experiencing both recurrent small-scale events as well as devastating large-scale catastrophes, no other region in the world is affected by disasters as is East Asia and the Pacific. In the last decade, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and many other cities have been repeatedly hit by floods. In the last five years, Asia has experienced a large share of wide-scale natural catastrophes, including earthquakes in the Tohoku region in 2011, Padang in 2009, and Wenchuan in 2008; typhoons in 2009 in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Philippines, and Vietnam; a cyclone in Myanmar in 2008; and large-scale floods in 2011 in Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The year 2011 was the costliest year on record for natural disasters with cascading effects (Japan) and trans-boundary consequences (Thailand), adding up to US$380 billion in economic losses, almost doubling the 2005 record of US$262 billion. In the first nine months in 2011, East Asia sustained about 80 percent of all disaster losses worldwide. The executive summary provides a brief overview of the key issues, strategic goals, and recommendations for DRM in East Asia and the Pacific. Chapter one gives an overview of the key trends related to disaster impacts in the region. Chapter two focuses on cross-sectoral issues of institutional arrangements for DRM and outreach to communities. Chapter's three to seven follow the core areas of DRM: risk identification, risk reduction, emergency preparedness, financial protection, and sustainable recovery and reconstruction. The appendixes include additional information related to specific sections of the report, a glossary of key terminology, and a summary of the main activities of the World Bank East Asia and the Pacific disaster risk management team.