Asymmetrical rivalry between China and Japan in Africa: to what extent has Sino-Japan rivalry become a global phenomenon?

Abstract

To what extent is China–Japan rivalry a global phenomenon, and what is the nature of the rivalry they engage in outside their own region? Literature on Sino-Japanese rivalry abounds, but it pays scant attention to the relevance of the rivalry outside East Asia. This article argues that Sino-Japanese rivalry has indeed become a global phenomenon, that various forms of the rivalry are evident in Africa, and that they are mostly of an asymmetrical nature. Quantitatively, China’s contribution to Africa is far greater than that of Japan, with the exception of foreign direct investment (FDI). Qualitatively, though, Japan has a stronger sense of the rivalry than China has, revealing a psychological aspect to the asymmetry as well. Contextually, the types of activity that Chinese and Japanese actors carry out in Africa are not necessarily the same, which makes the rivalry all the more asymmetrical. The rivalry has become more apparent recently, not only because of the rise of China but also because of a change in the meaning of ‘Africa’ – from a region of ‘poverty’ and ‘hunger’ to a region of ‘economic opportunities’. That said, Africa – to a greater or lesser degree in each of its countries – still suffers from conflict and instability. As a result, the ability of Japan and China to exert power and influence throughout Africa is somewhat restricted.     

Plus ça change, … : The Allocation of French ODA to Africa During and After the Cold War

France is frequently identified as the country whose official development assistance (ODA) aid program is most oriented toward the promotion of its foreign policy goals. We examine whether France reoriented the allocation of its aid in Africa to reflect changing priorities in the 1990s. Using panel data, we compare the patterns in French aid allocation to African recipients during the period 1980–1989 with that during the period 1990–2000. We find that nearly all the same political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural variables that explain French ODA allocation during the Cold War apply in the second period as well, though to a slightly lesser degree. The predictive strength of the prior years’ ODA commitments did increase in magnitude, suggesting that bureaucratic inertia increasingly exerts a formidable force in such decisions.     

浅析我国民事诉讼费用制度及其完善

诉讼费用制度是现代各国民事诉讼法中一项不可或缺的制度。我国当前的民事诉讼费用负担和管理体制存在一定的弊端,阻碍了部分公民诉权的行使。因此,应建立诉讼费用负担体系,进一步完善法律援助制度,推进诉讼费用管理制度改革,实行法院经费综合预算,以实现对公民诉权的保障。     

浅析我国图书馆的发展趋势

随着知识爆炸时代的到来,人们对于知识的要求越来越高,且越来越广了。图书馆数字化的迅速发展,不仅极大地丰富了图书馆赖以提供服务的资源基础,而且使传统图书馆的资源结构发生了翻天覆地的变化。     

The discourse on Japanese commitment to Africa: The planning process of the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV)

TICAD was held for the fourth time in 2008, raising unprecedented public interest about Africa in Japan attracting attention not only from aid, diplomatic, trade and research communities but also among the general public. Due to geographic distance and limited historical connection, it has always been a matter of debate as to why Japan should increase its commitment to Africa. The different interest groups that have participated throughout the TICAD process have always had varying answers to this question. Through analysis of newspapers, journal articles and various documents this article seeks to untangle the process of TICAD's policy making and its outcomes.     

农村法律援助现状及对策研究——以湖南省龙山县为例

法律援助是保护弱势群体合法权益、保障人权和维护社会公平正义的重要手段,是社会救助制度在司法领域的体现。农村法律援助是法律援助的关键组成部分,关系到广大农民的切身利益、农村社会的稳定和我国法治建设目标的实现。应逐步降低法律援助申请条件,维护好广大农民的合法权益,真正实现＂法律面前,人人平等＂。多渠道增强资源配备,为农村法律援助工作的顺利开展提供有力保障。加快建立法律援助联动机制,尝试将非诉调解纳入农村法律援助形式,不断创新法律援助服务方式;建立质量监督管理体系;提高农民法律意识,扩大法律援助的知晓率和影响力。     

Foundations for a ‘secret history’ of judicial review: a study of exclusion as bureaucratic routine

This article considers the effective exclusion of judicial review created by the treatment of urgent applications for funding by the Legal Aid Agency. Drawing upon new empirical evidence, I show that the recent approach of the Agency to urgent applications for judicial review funding was presenting lawyers with a dilemma of having to choose between three unhelpful options: risk doing work that was unpaid; refuse a case and put a client at risk; or wait for a decision before doing work and put a client at risk due to delay. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to extract – or even construct through imagination – a satisfactory justification for why the administration of a policy preference for a more restrictive legal aid system ought to incorporate a device of this kind. Though this analysis focuses on one small aspect of judicial review in practice, this article demonstrates the need for further and wider work on exclusions from judicial review. It also offers an example of the complex nature of exclusions in judicial review. Finally, it provides some instructive lessons on the challenges that further inquiry into exclusions of judicial review may encounter.     

A forensic visual aid: Traces versus knowledge

In this paper, I introduce the Forensic Field Map (FFM) that provides a two-dimensional view on the forensic field. This field is by definition very broad, encompassing a wide range of scientific areas and activities. The forensic work that supports solving criminal cases ranges from recognizing and preserving traces at crime scenes to explaining forensic results as expert witness in court. This goes hand in hand with the development of scientifically based methods and tooling as well as legal, forensic and laboratory procedures. Although the FFM came into being while developing a (visual) framework for digital forensic investigations, the framework turned out to be generically applicable to other forensic disciplines.     

Justice on the line? A comparison of telephone and face-to-face advice in social welfare legal aid

This paper investigates the impact on legal advice of the major shift to telephone-only services in social welfare legal aid, which took place in April 2013. An empirical study comparing telephone and face-to-face advice reveals that face-to-face contact has considerable advantages in the advice interview. Based on interviews and observations with housing law clients, their lawyers and advisers, the findings of this qualitative study demonstrate that clients and lawyers often find it easier to express themselves and understand each other face-to-face. The face-to-face interview benefits from features including the stronger emotional connection between lawyer and client, non-verbal communication, more expansive conversation and the greater ability to consult and confer over documents. Telephone-only advice may be suitable for some more capable clients and uncomplicated matters, but this qualitative research shows that vulnerable clients are more likely to be adversely affected by the potential disadvantages of telephone-only contact. Clients with more complex social needs or with more serious or urgent cases are better served by face-to-face advice. The findings of this research should inform the LASPO review and future priorities for legal aid funding.