South Africa’s Inclusion in BRICS: Challenges and Prospects for Development in Africa

Abstract

The forming of alliances on the international scene has reflected a provisional arrangement in the world economy. Amongst such alliances was the formation of BRICS by the five world economies—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa into what is commonly known as BRICS. BRICS is considered a joint initiative, aimed at shifting conventional norms in international economic and political cooperation to create a new trans-continental platform for these actors. Each member country in BRICS has, in one way or another, reflected growth either through its economy foreign policy, and developmental pursuit. However, South Africa is portrayed by some researchers as lagging behind, when compared to the other member countries. Hence, this study sought to analyse the potential mediumand long-term implications of South Africa's inclusion in BRICS. The study also aimed to underscore the benefits and risks associated with South Africa's membership in the alliance in the area of development; specifically poverty reduction, foreign policy, trade, and global partnership. The researchers collected secondary data to analytically critique the inclusion of South Africa in the BRICS alliance, its benefits, and shortcomings for development in South Africa, and in Africa as a whole. We argue that as a global player under BRICS, South Africa has opened a new vista of opportunities, including transnational gateways to Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with the attendant inflow of infrastructural and developmental investments, enriching educational exchanges and technology transfers. The article concludes by stressing the need for South Africa and other African countries to formulate policies that will drive meaningful development in their respective countries. The authors recommend that African leaders should come up with innate policies that are Africa-centred, that would incite development internally.     

中国经济增长的动力机制与发展方式转变

中国改革开放以来的发展经验表明,以工业和服务业为产业主导、以城市化为空间载体、以市场化为体制基础、以国际化为战略支撑的发展模式共同推动了中国经济的持续高速增长.但是,产业结构、资源环境、社会总需求结构、收入分配、人力资本等方面所存在的问题也制约了中国经济的持续增长.突破这些经济发展障碍,需要在产业结构、市场竞争机制和公...     

Growth trajectories in the strength of party identification: The legacy of autocratic regimes

While some scholars interpret the frequently documented association between age and the strength of party identification as evidence of accumulated political learning, others stress the importance of critical life stages. Germany's turbulent last century, with its suspensions of democratic processes, provides the unique opportunity to empirically disentangle both effects and to also study the consequences of early experiences of autocratic regimes on later growth rates in partisan strength. Random growth curve models based on multi-cohort panel data emanating from the German Socio-Economic Panel show that the growth trajectory in the strength of party identification largely depends on the number of electoral experiences. Moreover, the analysis documents few differences in growth rates between individuals socialized in democratic versus autocratic regimes.     

2013~2014 年东盟经济的分析与预测

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Comment on Scott A. Bollens's “In through the back door: Social equity and regional governance”

Abstract

The resurgence in regionalism is not coming about primarily because cities and suburbs see themselves as interdependent competitors in the global economy, as argued in Scott A. Bollens's “In Through the Back Door: Social Equity and Regional Governance.” Instead, enough communities are finding tax equity programs, land use measures, and cooperative governance in their own self‐interest to create gentle progress toward regional equity. However, regionalism lags in ending concentrated poverty and racial segregation because few civil rights organizations are raising these issues as fundamental to a regional agenda. The race issue is not being raised because of lack of understanding and because of competing visions on how to do it.     

甘肃省对外贸易绩效的实证分析

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发展方式转变的理性选择:构建国家产业升级战略

人们熟知的产业政策及其应用发源于战后新兴国家,对其功效虽褒贬不一,但在发展中国家不同程度地实施已成为客观现实.然而,产业政策的真正价值还在于促进产业升级,而产业升级又不仅仅局限于产业政策.与国家创新战略相比,产业升级战略更具有"总揽全局"之效,因为科技创新只是产业升级的基础.尽快形成国家产业升级战略则是促进我国经济"又好又快"发展的当务之急.     

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随着我国经济体制改革的深入和加入WTO日子的日益临近 ,许多经济问题已经成为社会公众的“热点”。全文分别从“经济增长与通货紧缩”、“扩张性的财政政策与财政危机”、“货币政策的取向与传导”、“国有企业的改革与脱困”、“加入WTO的机遇与挑战”五个方面分析探讨了公众关注并存有疑虑的当前经济领域中的热点、难点问题 ,并结合实际提出了相应的对策、建议和措施     

论中日经济关系发展的新阶段

中日双方互为最重要的经贸伙伴,双边经济关系在双方对外经济关系与经济发展中地位举足轻重。通过对中日经济关系的全面考察和深入分析似可初步判定,目前的中日经济关系正在进入一个引人注目的新阶段,这一新阶段的主要标志包括:增长优势对比显现新态势,相互依存关系发生新变化,双边贸易发展形成新趋向,双边资金合作走向新格局。     

论法国对印度支那殖民政策（1887—1940年）

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