Book Reviews: South East Asia

The best Lapis lazuli in the world comes from Afghanistan, from Badakhshan, where it has been mined for over 6,000 years.

Merchants carried lapis to cities all over Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, where distinctive ornaments have subsequently been excavated. More recently emerged a quite different use of lapis-the grinding of the stone to produce pigment for painting (ultramarine) This technique travelled as much as the stone itself from caves in Asia through wall paintings of the early Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance and, finally to Titian     

Statement on political prisoners in South East Asia

This article reports a part of the field research carried out in Shanghai in 1991, dealing with worker's culture. Specifically, it examines the factory's role in shaping the worker's sense of future and meaningful life. In this particular aspect, factory identity among workers appears to be very weak, while those whose factory identity is strongest tend to be cadres and party members. This article argues that such lack of factory identity partially explains why lifetime employment yields such dramatically divergent results in China and Japan. Finally, this article looks into the notion of activism vs passivism and confirms, with qualification, previous studies on authority in the Chinese work place.     

South Korea and China's Security Objectives in East Asia

This article explores how South Korea relates to China's national security objectives in East Asia. Specifically, it argues that for China, the strategic value of South Korea lies in coping with the strong position of the US in East Asia. Moreover, South Korea's stance on the North Korean nuclear issue is closer to China's, compared with that of the US.     

Young people and AIDS in Thailand and South East Asia

In 1999, 1.5 million Asians were infected with HIV (compared to 5.6 million people worldwide).² The epidemic, spurred by the sex industry and intravenous drug use in south east Asia, is tragically concentrated among the young: 50% of the 6.5 million living with the infection worldwide are under 25.³ There is great cause for concern, but also vast potential for change and, until there is a vaccine, prevention is the key. Thailand's example offers proof that prevention efforts in many Asian countries can meet with success if they are well conceived and applied. As in Thailand, youth is a key factor in combating the epidemic for the rest of south east Asia.     

关于东亚现代化历史进程的几个问题

此文为国家社科基金研究课题<东亚跨世纪的巨变与重新崛起--东亚现代化历史进程>的前言,对东亚变革与现代化的发展进程、东亚发展的理论问题、发展的模式与基本经验教训等提出了几点认识.     

Chinese National Identity and Its Implications for International Relations in East Asia

This article traces the evolution of heightened Chinese expectations and the resultant spike in national identity in 2010, using a six-dimensional framework: 1) ideological, 2) temporal, 3) sectoral, 4) vertical, 5) horizontal, and 6) intensity. A hybrid ideology rose to the forefront. Forceful historical arguments covered three distinct periods. The triad of economic, cultural, and political identity raised sectoral identity to an unprecedented level. The leadership kept pressing the case for vertical identity in contrast to the West. Above all, it put the spotlight on horizontal identity to draw a sharper contrast with the United States and neighboring states as well. If at the time of the Hu-Obama summit the tone softened somewhat, China continued its risky wager on widening the identity gap. Regardless of whether China's foreign policy is currently assertive, its national identity narrative remains a driving force for divisiveness in the regional and international order.     

东亚国际分工体系的演变与中国的政策选择

本文对近年来东亚国际分工体系的演变进行了实证分析,发现东亚的区域内贸易比率上升,贸易互补性已超过欧共体和北美自由贸易区建立时的水平,形成了以机电产业为主体的垂直型产业内分工体系.该体系主要表现为零部件制造与加工组装之间的分工,并出现了企业价值链功能分工的趋势.本文还讨论了中国在东亚国际分工体系中的地位与政策选择.     

民族主义视角中的南亚国际关系

本文从国内层面和国家层面的民族主义来分析冷战后南亚地区国家之间及其与区外大国的关系.南亚民族问题大致表现为宗教冲突、分裂叛乱、地方与中央的分庭抗礼、国家意识的刻意强调,其主要根源在于经济落后、社会不公和国家关系的不平等.民族问题往往成为南亚国家关系对立的导火索,而对立引发的地区紧张又进一步导致经济环境的恶化和社会绝望.     

论东亚新地区主义

新地区主义随着 2 0世纪 80年代末两极格局的瓦解而诞生。经济全球化背景下的新地区主义表现出全新的特点 ,并孕育着打破旧的国际政治经济格局的趋向和契机。本文阐述了东亚新地区主义产生的背景、特点和实质     

东亚双边自由贸易区的国际政治经济学分析

本文引入排序概念,从国际政治经济学视角分析东亚双边自由贸易区(FTA)进程发现,这一进程的福利效应有限、合作程度浅显、低关税国家通过建立双边FTA关系加强政治关系的意图明显.同时,本文认为美国将会加大利用双边FTA对东亚国家进行强制性政治干预的力度、不可轻视日韩FTA进程及其可能触发的多米诺骨牌效应.