Russian Energy and the Korean Peninsula

The recent agreements concerning North Korea’s nuclear program raise possibilities for providing North Korea with energy (oil and gas) to compensate for the termination of its nuclear program and of integrating it more broadly into the Northeast Asian economy. Russia has long wanted to play the role of provider of oil and gas to North Korea and these agreements open up new opportunities for it to do so. However, serious obstacles in the nature of North Korea’s precarious economic situation and its consequences, international rivalries in Northeast Asia, and Russia’s own energy policies present serious obstacles to the realization of Russia’s ambitions as regards North Korea and as energy provider to Northeast Asia as a whole.     

ASEAN and evolving power relations in East Asia: strategies and constraints

This article seeks to examine constraints and challenges that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states are confronted with in formulating and implementing their strategies in response to evolving regional environments represented by the rise of China. It argues that China's southern neighbours have adopted purposeful strategies in order to mitigate potentially negative effects from China's growing capabilities in East Asia. These strategies led to the expansion of membership in the East Asia Summit (EAS) and positive involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, encouraging America's substantial commitments to the Asia-Pacific. However, ASEAN has failed to form the unified front on the EAS and TPP because its members have adopted diverse stances on and policies towards the two institutions. Moreover, an identity issue constitutes a crucial impediment to promoting cooperation between ASEAN members and the USA. While Washington has intensified diplomatic linkages with ASEAN, the US identity shown in its adherence to the results-oriented approach still provokes some concerns among the ASEAN members.     

Economic voting in multi-level contexts: Evidence from Kerala and West Bengal in India

What determines electoral support for national incumbent parties and state-level challengers in sub-national pro-poor contexts? Based on survey data from the Indian states of Kerala and West Bengal, collected prior to the 2019 national election, we find that voters were more (less) inclined to vote for the sub-national incumbent relative to the national incumbent if their household economic conditions were perceived to have improved (deteriorated) relative to national economic conditions. Our findings indicate that voters in these settings correctly assume that the sub-national incumbent cannot be held responsible for changes in national economic conditions, but, at the same time, the existence of a strong welfare state at the sub-national level creates expectations that the sub-national government is responsible for personal welfare. Hence, the national election is used to assess the economic performance of both the sub-national and the national incumbent.     

Australian climate policy and the Asia Pacific partnership on clean development and climate (APP). From Howard to Rudd: continuity or change?

This article explains, first, why Australia’s government under John Howard, together with the United States Bush administration initiated the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) and, second, why the succeeding Rudd government continued to support this initiative. Climate policy under the conservative Howard government (1995–2007) in Australia was largely dictated by fossil fuel and mineral sector interests, and reflected a close alliance with the Bush administration. The Howard government shunned the Kyoto Protocol, refused to set national binding greenhouse gas reduction targets and preferred voluntary cooperative measures with industry. The APP was part of the Howard government’s strategy to demonstrate some policy movement on climate change while postponing serious action. Climate change was a key issue in the election of the Rudd Labor government in Australia in December 2007. The Rudd government quickly ratified Kyoto, adopted emission reduction targets, and moved to introduce emissions trading. The Rudd government’s decision to continue involvement with the APP, albeit with diminished funding, was a pragmatic one. The APP was supported by industry and provided bridges to China and India—both key countries in the post-2012 UNFCCC negotiations. Finally, in order to assess the long-term outlook of the APP, the article provides a preliminary assessment as to whether the APP advances technology transfer.

中国中亚安全战略的构建

中亚独特的地理位置及丰富的战略资源和能源。已成为大国地缘政治竞赛战略区。作为中亚地区近邻的中国。应制定明确的中亚战略以维护自身安全。中国在中亚地区的地缘战略选择上。一方面要体现合作求发展、合作求双赢的精神。以“和而不同”的外交理念为指导。倡导新安全观。在中亚努力营造一个有利于保障和平、稳定的地缘政治环境。另一方面结合国家利益的需要。以上海合作组织为战略依托。以能源合作为战略重点。平衡中亚各方势力,保持中亚地缘战略的灵活性。为战略机遇期中国的和平崛起提供良好的外部环境。     

Regional Arrangements as Agents of the UN Security Council: Some African and European Organisations Contrasted

The increased burden placed upon the UN Security Council in the post-Cold War era in respect of its discharge of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security has fuelled calls for the greater use of regional arrangements as agents of the Council, to relieve its burden. However, the various agendas and capabilities of different arrangements make it difficult to adopt a uniform template of the role which regional arrangements can play as conductors of peace support operations authorised by the Security Council. This article attempts to provide a framework against which the potential role of different arrangements as viable agents to which the Security Council can entrust military enforcement operations, before going on to assess how selected African and European organisations fare against this framework. It will be demonstrated that when assessed against this framework, the organisations selected for comparison are remarkably similar.

东亚能源安全困境与出路

能源不仅是一种基本的经济投入,也正在逐渐成为具有权利特征的政治要素。当前东亚能源安全形势日益严峻,能源需求的激增和对中东石油依赖的增强并存,运输线路比较单一,而最严重的问题是缺乏一项共同的能源安全政策。解决当前问题的关键在于区域合作,尽管东亚能源方面的合作已经取得一定进展,不过仍处于初级阶段。东亚国家应以战略性眼光积极促进能源合作,建立某种形式的能源共同体。     

亚太大国“伙伴关系”的互动性和不对称性

冷战后亚太中美俄日四大国为了在未来世界多极格局中取得有利位置,纷纷建立各种形式的伙伴关系,四大国之间伙伴关系的建立、固然有其国家利益基础,但也有大国关系互动的影响。由于各种伙伴关系建立的利益基础和所要实现的战略目标的差异,四大国之间建立的六对伙伴关系是不对称的,这种不对称既体现出目前伙伴关系发展的不成熟,也表明亚太大国之间存在严重分岐与障碍,并有可能影响亚太局势的稳定发展。     

东亚、东南亚土壤污染防治法评析

与中国相邻的东亚、东南亚地区,土壤污染防治立法十分活跃,特别是其中的日本、韩国和中国台湾地区,还制定了专门性的土壤污染防治法及其配套法规。本文从立法背景、立法模式等方面,对这些立法及其施行经验予以评析,并对我国正在进行的土壤污染防治立法提供借鉴。     

国族塑造与族群认同——二战后东南亚民族国家建构中的华族身份认同变化

东南亚华族的身份认同问题是二战后东南亚民族国家建构中的一个焦点问题.在东南亚现代民族国家的民族整合过程中,华族的身份由"华侨"、"海外华人"转变为"华人",这不仅仅是称谓的改变,其中包含了对他们政治身份、文化身份的重新定位.本文描述了华人身份转变过程中所遇到的重重困难,并从民族国家建构的理念来分析其中的原因;结合冷战后中国与东南亚国家关系的变化,探讨全球化进程中东南亚华族身份认同的新变化.