Making Sense of North Korea: Pyongyang and Comparative Communism

Abstract

Highly repressive, heavily militarized, strongly resistant to reform, and ruled by a dynastic dictatorship that adheres to a hybrid ideology, North Korea might be “the strangest political system in existence.” While distinctive, North Korea is an orthodox communist party-state best classified as an eroding totalitarian regime. Although weakening, Pyongyang remains durable and could survive for many more years. Absent “regime change,” North Korea is unlikely to demilitarize—including relinquishing its nuclear program—and will continue to reject thoroughgoing economic reform, cling to ideology for legitimacy, and make every effort to engineer a successful dynastic succession.     

冷和平:解读俄罗斯与西方的关系

冷战虽然结束,但大国竞争(或冲突)的现实却依旧。在1994年12月于布达佩斯举行的欧安组织首脑会议上,鲍里斯·叶利钦总统曾发出警告:如果西方企图通过不断地威胁重新发动冷战的方式来打压俄罗斯,不让其追求自身"正常"的大国利益,那么这将有直接导致"冷和平"出现的危险。他的警告表现出惊人的先见之明。冷战不对称地结束了(可以简单地理解为赢家和输家必然的逻辑,而非共同的努力),但冷战冲突的模式却以新的形式继续着。无论是上世纪90年代叶利钦总统统治时期还是21世纪普京总统治下,均未出现一个稳定、包容的冷战后国际体系。叶利钦和普京都试图将俄罗斯融入国际经济体系以及扩大的安全体系中,但冷战被超越的方式却为未来的冲突种下了祸根。时至今日,这种冲突仍在挑战着奥巴马和梅德韦杰夫的领导。     

Making Sense of the Globalisation Debate when Engaging in Political Economy Analysis

This article assesses various contributions to the globalisation debate. It takes as its basis the split in the political economy literature between three 'waves' of analysis, and provides an overview of each in the first part of the article. A progression towards a more sophisticated understanding of 'globalisation' has taken place with the emergence of each wave, with the third wave representing the most refined account. The second section suggests neo-Gramscian theory can overcome the shortcomings of the otherwise praiseworthy third wave. In particular, the work of Stuart Hall is presented as appropriate for the study of globalisation, and political economy in general. The article concludes by calling for greater cross-pollination of ideas between the various critical theories of political economy.     

Rising giants: Development in China and India

Can economic growth turn overpopulation from a liability to an asset? China and India tantalize investors as the “last frontiers” of emerging consumer markets; together, they hold 37 percent of the world's 5.7 billion people. Despite their many contrasts, China and India face similiar, immense development hurdles. Mired in economic stagnation and poverty, both countries undertook economic reforms that gained momentum in the 1980s. In this comparative study, IIPS Senior Research Fellow Eimon Ueda analyzes their ongoing economic liberalization efforts and prospects. Ueda comes to IIPS from the Ministry of Finance and has served at the Japanese Embassy in India.     

Japan and China: A Fresh Start in a Difficult Era

No relationship is more important to the future of Asia than the one between Japan and China. PM Abe’s visit to Beijing last month put the relationship back on a firmer footing. Yet diplomacy alone will not stabilize Sino-Japanese relations. Popular attitudes in both countries also matter, and will be shaped by the success or failure of leaders to manage the growing complexity of this relationship from food security to fisheries management to national defense and new solutions to China’s growing influence over the daily lives of Japanese. Across Asia too, Japan and China will need to coexist without impeding each other’s influence. Next year’s visit to Japan by President Xi offers ample opportunity for expanding the foundation of this latest round of diplomatic “fresh starts” in the Japan-China relationship. Uncertainty over the US role in Asia, however, has made this a more difficult task.