A view from the policy community: a new strategic narrative for Europe?

ABSTRACT

Reflecting on the results presented in articles in this special issue, European leaders should take greater account of external perceptions in crafting the European Union's strategic narrative and guiding its actions. Failure to do so has impaired external policies like the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the European Neighbourhood Policy and Eastern Partnership. Leaders emerging from the Arab uprisings perceived the EU as complicit with their countries’ former anciens régimes and Russian leaders see EU support for democracy and the market economy in former Soviet states as duplicitous and instrusive. Awareness of such perceptions should be filtered into EU decision-making, without validating views that European officials and diplomats consider misleading.     

Socio-economic determinants of the family history of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Pakistan

This article aims to assess the role of important socio-economic factors in the family history of tuberculosis patients in Pakistan. Data were collected from 269 patients, and a logistic regression was used to determine the association between risk factors and the vicious circle of TB. Results of the logistic model show that significant risk factors associated with TB history in patients were education, household size, house structure, rooms in the home, room ventilation, monthly income, income food sufficiency, smoking, diabetes, and heart disease. The current TB control programme needs to formulate strategies to target specific risk factors and poverty reduction simultaneously to break the vicious circle of tuberculosis.     

Does the Feldstein–Horioka puzzle exist among South Asian countries? A regime‐switching approach

A plethora of literature has been undertaken to study the validity of the Feldstein–Horioka (FH) puzzle. However, divergent views continue to persist in the FH puzzle literature. This study explores the empirical validity of the FH puzzle in the case of South Asian countries using annual data from 1960 to 2017. Both panel data approach and Markov‐switching regression approach are used to empirically analyze the FH puzzle. The results of the cointegration test confirm the long‐run relationships between saving and investment in the selected South Asian countries. The results of Markov‐switching regression confirm that the saving‐retention coefficient has shifted from high to low values and also from low to high values. Thus, the FH puzzle exists for a particular time period and mostly depends on the regime shifts in the South Asian countries. The results of panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) methods also confirm that FH puzzle holds for the South Asian countries. Therefore, the study suggests that any saving promotion policies are desirable for enhancing investment among the South Asian regions.     

Reproductive health services: “Business-in-a-Box” as a model social innovation

Access to reproductive health services and products in remote and rural communities is a critical area of concern for developing countries. This article considers a pilot intervention in three districts of Pakistan where “Business-in-a-Box” as a model of place-based social innovation is used to improve the socio-economic conditions of women in remote rural settings through socially responsible micro-franchising. It finds that such programmes help build a sense of community, ownership and grassroots capabilities and skills. The article also discusses the impacts of such actions on the individual and community life, and the need to upscale and sustain these initiatives.     

Socio-political tensions in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) development in low-income Asian cities

International development agencies, with the help of the central government, support building state of art Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in low-income Asian cities. However, BRT investment over indigenous modes of mobility is creating socio-political tensions at the local level. This article uses multi-level governance as a theoretical lens to examine the relationships among actors in BRT investment decisions in Bandung and Surabaya, Indonesia. The research finds that local stakeholders can distort national and supranational policy initiatives totally or in a way that while projects are delivered, they are of limited use to the local communities they intended to help.     

关于社会转型时期集体主义原则的思考

集体主义原则是我党一贯坚持的一项基本原则 ,它在革命和建设时期曾发挥了巨大的积极作用。但在当前社会结构的转型时期 ,它却失去了应有的号召力 ,许多人对理解和践行集体主义原则产生了严重偏差。本文通过分析 ,找出了导致这种偏差的原因及其严重危害 ,并试图重新解释和界定个人、集体、个人利益和集体利益及其相互关系 ,进而从整体上把握集体主义原则的实质内容。本文还结合当前的国情 ,并汲取以往宣传和践行集体主义原则的经验教训 ,提出了今后努力的方向和集体主义原则的发展去向。     

俄罗斯太平洋石油管道与东北亚地缘政治格局

俄罗斯通往亚太地区的第一条石油运输管道已于2006年4月开工修建。太平洋石油管道是俄罗斯落实其东方能源外交战略、实施能源外交多元化战略的重要举措，对东北亚地缘政治格局产生了重要影响。     

试论构建“东亚共同体”的思想文化基础——从历史启迪与未来追求的视角

创建共同合作、协同发展的“东亚共同体”,业已成为不可抗拒的发展趋势。历史事实证明:东亚地区是世界历史上最早“一体化”的区域;它既有成功的、进步的古代“东亚文化圈”,也有反动的、失败的近代“大东亚共荣圈”,还有设想中的“东亚共同体”。然而,现实中的“历史认识问题”,是直接关系到“东亚共同体”能否迅速建立的前提条件。为促进未来“东亚共同体”区域内的沟通和交流,需要在汉字的基础上创建共通文字,这不是复旧,而是与时俱进的创新。当人们思考构建“东亚共同体”时,在普遍关注经济协作的情况下,尤应重视思想文化观念的问题,因为东亚各国间的政治的、经济的、外交的问题,不能光靠政治的、经济的、外交的手段来解决,而确实需要从思想文化观念方面去寻求解决问题的办法。     

东北老工业基地在东北亚经济合作中的区位优势重构

目前,中国东北与东北亚周边国家之间的经济合作还主要以低层次初级产品与劳务输出为主,没有充分发挥出东北所拥有的区位优势和产业优势。东北老工业基地振兴需要加强东北地区与东北亚周边国家的经济合作,这需要重构区位优势,调整东北地区参与东北亚地区国际分工的产业组合。为此,要加快产业转型,打造世界重要的装备制造业基地;重点发展新能源、新材料等新兴替代产业;做强做大农产品加工、生物制药等产业。     

解析卢武铉主义

卢武铉主义是卢武铉就任总统后,对韩国外交安保政策进行的大胆革新,它包括自主国防、自主外交、反对驻韩美军"战略灵活性"调整和"东北亚均衡者论"等政策理念。卢武铉主义是在个人与民族、历史与现实、国内与国际等因素综合作用下产生的,它一出台就引起了国内外的争议。面对质疑和批评,卢武铉不得不对其新外交安保政策做出调整,以致卢武铉主义的原则理念大打折扣,而其后续影响还有待观察。