东北亚安全合作机制国际研讨会主要观点

“东北亚安全合作机制”国际研讨会于2005年8月3-4日在北京召开。会议由中国现代国际关系研究院与福特基金会共同主办,来自中、美、俄、日、韩、朝六国的20多位专家学者,围绕传统同盟关系、六方会谈、双边关系、非传统安全、经济合作与东北亚安全合作,以及建立东北亚安全合作机制的困难和方案等议题进行了广泛、深入的探讨。现将会议一些主要观点摘要选登如下,以飨读者。     

An epidemiological study on alcohol/drugs related fatal traffic crash cases of deceased drivers in Hong Kong between 1996 and 2000

This study is designed to evaluate the correlation between fatal vehicle crashes (FVC) and consumption of alcohol and/or drugs among drivers. Between 1996 and 2000 in Hong Kong, a total of 197 FVC cases of deceased drivers were investigated. The blood and/or urine samples of the victims were examined for the presence of alcohol and drugs. The 197 cases were then classified into two groups: single-vehicle crashes (SVC) and multiple-vehicle crashes (MVC). Out of the 106 cases for the latter group, alcohol and/or drugs were detected in 22 cases (21%) while the remaining 84 cases (79%) were regarded as no significant finding. As for the 91 cases in SVC group, 51 cases (56%) were positive for alcohol and/or drugs. The findings indicate that a driver consuming alcohol and/or drugs has a higher risk of being involved in a FVC. The most frequently detected drugs for SVC group (11 cases) were: 46% central nervous system (CNS) stimulants (including designer drugs like MDMA); 36% cannabis; 18% benzodiazepines and 9% ketamine. The detected drug for the only case in the MVC group was a CNS stimulant. The number of cases with ketamine, methamphetamine and MDMA detected has increased in recent years as these party drugs have gained popularity in Hong Kong.     

The New ‘Comprador Class’: the re-emergence of bureaucratic capitalists in post-Deng China

The past two decades have witnessed increasing use of the concept of ‘bureaucratic capitalism’ to explain various endemic problems in China, including corruption and social inequalities. Yet, scant attention has been paid to the rise of key bureaucratic capitalists and the state corporations under their control. Neither has there been adequate discussion of the recent form of bureaucratic capitalism in contradistinction to that of the previous forms evolving in the republican and early reform periods. In question therefore is a small circle of bureaucratic bourgeoisie who are children, close relatives or protégés of top political leaders. They have come to control key state-corporation apparatuses, and some of whom possess close ties with the military. In conclusion, the future implications of this emergent form of bureaucratic capitalism on Chinese politics will also be discussed.     

Identification Using Frontal Sinus by Three‐Dimensional Reconstruction from Computed Tomography*

Abstract: Radiographs and computed tomography (CT) images have been increasingly applied and accepted in forensic sciences. Along with radiographs and CT images, the frontal sinus is often used for the individual identification because of its unique and unchangeable characteristics. The purpose of this study is to define the usefulness of three‐dimensional (3‐D) images of the frontal sinus for identification. CT images from 119 Korean cadavers were built up for 3‐D reconstruction and surveyed with 15 measurements. The total volume of the sinus, some nonmetric characteristics, and the bilateral asymmetry index in men differed significantly from those in women (p < 0.05). The digit codes, six sections and 10‐digit number, were almost able to accurately identify individuals (98%). This study showed a statistical difference between the sexes and classified the fused and prominent middle sinuses for the first time. This proposed method for identification is more accurate than those used in other studies.     

Powerlessness,isolation, and future expectations: A gender‐based analysis of Korean inmates

This study explored gender differences in perceptions of powerlessness, isolation, and postprison expectation among inmates in the Republic of Korea. Korean women and girls occupy a social location that is characterized by marginalization from the labor force, emphasis on a restrictive gender ideology through family and school socialization, and dependence on the position of their family of origin or, after marriage, their husband for social standing. Given their social location and the socialization that supports and reproduces the social structure, the researchers hypothesized that compared to men in prison, women inmates would express lower levels of control over their own lives, greater feelings of isolation, and be more cynical about their life chances upon release from prison. Each of these hypotheses were supported at both the aggregate‐ and inmate‐level of analysis. The findings suggest the need for gender specific programming within the prison for women.     

“Neutral reportage” and its second decade: A marketplace perspective

Since its inception in 1977, the neutral reportage libel defense has ridden a rocky road. While initially received optimistically by many as a sign that courts would reinforce the commitment to the wide‐open and robust debate of public issues, many courts—most notably the United States Supreme Court—have yet to adopt the doctrine. To reflect on the two decades since creation of neutral reportage, this article reviews its history—particularly over the past 10 years—and assesses its sporadic adoption from the perspective of the marketplace of ideas. It is posited that courts may be more apt to recognize and adopt the neutral reportage privilege when viewed from the position of its ability both to increase the public's knowledge of important issues and to enhance the debate surrounding those issues.     

Traditional and small‐scale culture goods in international trade and employment

The literature in economics has relegated to an unimportant role the traditional and small‐scale industries in the process of development. Instead, manufacturing development is essentially seen as a transformation process from traditional to modern, from rural to urban and from agrarian to industrial. The main stress in development has been laid on industries with scale economies and positive externalities, and on the inducement of modern, capital‐intensive techniques. Small‐scale production has been taken to mean inefficient and backward; large‐scale production has become synonymous with the efficient and modern. Moreover, the consumer is characterized as preferring standardized products, while traditional goods are believed to be inferior and easily replaced by factory goods.     

Book reviews

Jim Whitman (ed.); The Politics of Emerging Resurgent Infectious Diseases (London: MacMillan Press, 2000).

Francis Loh Kok Wah and Khoo Boo Teik (eds.), Democracy in Malaysia: Discourses and Practices ( Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press, 2002}.

Shu Gwang Zhang, Economic Cold War: America's Embargo against China and the Sino‐Soviet Alliance, 1949–63 (Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2002).

John Funston (ed.], Government and Politics in Southeast Asia (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2001).

John Kane, The Politics of Moral Capital (Cambridge University Press, 2001).

Gurpreet Mahajan, The Multicultural Path: Issues of Diversity and Discrimination in Democracy (New Delhi: Sage, 2002), 239 pages.

S.R. Maheshwari, Administrative Reforms in India (New Delhi: Macmillan India Ltd, 2002).

Frank Cunningham, Theories of Democracy: A Critical Introduction (London and New York: Taylor and Francis ‐ Routledge, 2002).     

RISING WITH THE TIDE WITHOUT FLIPPING THE BOAT — ANALYZING THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF FISCAL CAPACITY BUILDING IN CHINA

While many developing countries experience a short period of economic boom and then spiral quickly into periods of deficit, currency fluctuation, and indebtedness, China has been able to sustain rapid economic growth and maintain solid fiscal capacity for the past 30 years, even during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s and the global recession in the beginning of the 21st century. This article examines three key strategies behind China's fiscal success — its flexibility in adapting tax policies to the changing economic and social conditions, its success in realigning the intergovernmental fiscal relationship in 1994 and forcing subnational governments to become more entrepreneurial in revenue generation, and its pursuit of institutional reforms since the mid‐1990s to improve the government's capacity in budgeting and financial management. The article evaluates the implications of the Chinese experience for other developing countries and discusses the future challenges of fiscal reforms in China. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.