东亚价值与东亚共同体建立的构想

最近几年，在经济全球化背景下就东亚问题进行研究所得到的结论是在东亚地区存在一种共同的价值。东亚是否存在一种价值？“东亚价值”是什么？“东亚价值”对当今世界面临的一系列问题和东亚共同体建设发挥了什么样的作用？这些正是笔者关心和探讨的问题。     

Mortgage origination fraud and the global economic crisis

Research Summary The study outlined in this article analyzed the responses of 23 subjects previously and currently employed in the subprime lending industry to understand the implications and role of white-collar crime in the contemporary subprime mortgage crisis and to document the rationalizations that offenders use to explain their involvement in mortgage-related crimes. The subjects represented five sectors of the primary mortgage market, including brokerage, lender, escrow, title, and appraisal offices. Secondary sources of data for the study included media accounts, government reports, and industry studies. The research findings detail accounts of mortgage frauds in the subprime lending industry that resulted from inadequate regulation, the indiscriminate use of alternative loan products, and the lack of accountability in the industry. Policy Implications The study results suggest that the problem of mortgage origination fraud would be prevented best by major reform of financial policies and lending practices that characterize the subprime mortgage industry. Several broad recommendations are proposed in this article that highlight the need to recognize the potential for insider fraud, to enhance government regulation and oversight, to tighten loan qualification requirements, and to increase standards of underwriting. Observations are offered concerning the need to highlight white-collar crime in understanding the global financial crisis and to preventing future debacles.     

Public affairs in China: exploring the role of brand fairness perceptions in the case of Mercedes‐Benz

Mr Sheng Wang demonstrated his perception of Mercedes‐Benz's unfair treatment and insensitivity to Chinese buyers by having his Mercedes sports coupe towed by a water buffalo through his Chinese hometown, Wuhan. But he did not stop there. Next, he ordered workers, specifically hired for this purpose, to pound the car with sledge hammers and sticks until the exterior was completely disfigured. Journalists love the story's inherent drama, and in subsequent days, media reports showed images of the car being towed and ultimately smashed. The event created strong public awareness about both Mr Wang's dissatisfaction about the treatment he received from Mercedes‐Benz and the subsequent Mercedes‐Benz's management reactions triggered by the event. In our paper, we explore this case in more detail, highlighting the crucial role of brand fairness in managing brands in China. Although brand managers implicitly emphasize the importance of fairness in branding strategies, brand management emphasizing fairness is an underdeveloped research concept. Our paper provides an understanding of theories and concepts of brand (un)fairness and brand fairness management illustrated by what we refer to as the Mercedes‐Benz case. We identify three dimensions of Brand Fairness Management: prevention, procedures, and outcomes. This framework will assist brand managers in China in developing successful brand fairness strategies and management programs. We posit that implementing these branding practices will increase the likelihood that consumers perceive the brand in question as fair, leading to an increase in loyalty and positive word‐of‐mouth. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent Development in the South China Sea and Vietnam＇ s Approaches

This paper examines the new developments in the South China Sea （SCS） disputes between Vietnam and China and their causes. A substantial part investigates the approaches Hanoi has adopted to deal with China＇s potential aggression in the SCS. The first is the ＂multilateral＂ approach, which aims to make full use of Association of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN） and ASEAN-centric multilateral security dialogues as useful leverage for the creation of a regional Code of Conduct （COC）. The second approach involves the strengthening of ＂self-help＂ option by forging new developments in defense capabilities, especially naval power, to deter its northern giant from using force in the SCS. The third approach is the combination of two methods--pursuing engagement alongside a stronger defense and using what might therefore be called ＂defense diplomacy＂. These three approaches are not exclusive, but mutually reinforcing, and any shift in priority in each of the three options depends on China＇s revised policy in the SCS.     

Who Suffers the Penalty?: A Panel Data Analysis of Earnings Gaps in Vietnam

In spite of its predominant economic weight in developing countries, little is known about the informal sector earnings structure compared to that of the formal sector. Taking advantage of the rich VHLSS dataset in Vietnam, in particular its three wave panel data (2002, 2004, 2006), we assess the magnitude of various formal–informal earnings gaps while addressing heterogeneity at three different levels: the worker, the job (wage employment vs. self-employment) and the earnings distribution. We estimate fixed effects and quantile regressions to control for unobserved individual characteristics. Our results suggest that the informal sector earnings gap highly depends on the workers’ job status and on their relative position in the earnings distribution. Penalties may in some cases turn into premiums. By comparing our results with studies in other developing countries, we draw conclusions highlighting Vietnam’s labour market specificity.     

TWGDAM validation of AmpFlSTR PCR amplification kits for forensic DNA casework

Laboratory procedures used in short tandem repeat (STR) analysis were subjected to various scenarios that assessed reliability and identified potential limitations. These validation studies were designed as recommended by the Technical Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (TWGDAM) and the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) (17,18). Various DNA samples were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using AmpFlSTR PCR Amplification Kits (i.e., AmpFlSTR Green I, Profiler, Profiler Plus, and COfiler kits), detected with ABI Prism instrumentation, and analyzed using GeneScan and Genotyper software. Data acquired in these studies reinforced an existing body of knowledge and expertise regarding application and interpretation of STR typing in the forensic science community. Consistent STR genotypes were detected in various body tissues and fluids. Inter-laboratory comparisons produced concordant genotype results. Quantitative interpretational aids for DNA mixtures were characterized. Ability of the typing systems to type potentially compromised samples reliably was evaluated. Nonprobative case evidentiary DNA was successfully amplified, genotyped, and interpreted. Potential limitations or cautionary factors in the interpretation of minimal fluorescence intensity were demonstrated. Differential amplification between loci was observed when PCR was inhibited; preferential amplification typically was not. Single AmpFlSTR locus amplification did not offer consistent benefit over AmpFlSTR multiplexing, even in cases of DNA degradation or PCR inhibition. During rigorous evaluation, AmpFlSTR PCR Amplification Kits reproducibly yielded sensitive and locus-specific results, as required in routine forensic analyses.     

Labour Unrest in Vietnam and China: Insurgency or Contained Contention?

This article reviews three recent books on labour politics in Vietnam and China: Angie Tran’s Ties That Bind: Cultural Identity, Class and Law in Vietnam’s Labor Resistance; Jeffrey Becker’s Social Ties, Resources and Migrant Labor Contention in Contemporary China: From Peasants to Protesters, and Eli Friedman’s Insurgency Trap: Labor Politics in Post-Socialist China. These three books capture the changing patterns of labour unrest and labour institutions in Vietnam and China, which are accounted for by the social foundation of resistance as well as the political economy of capitalist development. Their main contribution to the existing literature is that they draw out the new dynamics and new venues within the state that can both enable and constrain labour resistance and struggle in these countries. However, this article also argues that these works have not adequately theorised the nature of change within the state and the role of the law in labour resistance. It therefore suggests that bringing in the law to socio-political institutions is essential to a research agenda that explores continuity and change in labour politics in Vietnam and China as transitional economies.