Bright Prospects for China-South Korea FTA

正DURING President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the ROK in July,China and South Korea pledged to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement(FTA)before the end of this year.Since China and South Korea established diplomatic relations 22years ago,trade between the two countries has grown at an average yearly rate of 23 percent.In 2012,bilateral trade reached a new high of US$256.3 billion.     

BRICS Shine Bright

正First initiated as an investment concept,the BRICS group is now a substantive cooperative mechanism of developing economies with growing global inf luence.July 2014 sees the convening of the Sixth BRICS Summit in Brazil,marking the f irst session of the second cycle of BRICS Summits.World opinions on the group are divided.To those in favor it has the capacity for pragmatic and eff icient cooperation that     

China and Central Asia: Bright Prospects for Economic Cooperation

正IN 138 BC,the royal court of the Western Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian on a mission to the Western Regions,thus assigning the ancient Silk Road for trade and business exchanges between China and Central Asia,West Asia,as well as Europe and Africa.Since that time,this route saw China’s papermaking technology,compass,gunpowder,printing techniques,silk,tea and porcelain spread to the world,while spices and gems came into China.Central Asian countries,which the     

Ethel Bright Ashford: more and less than a role model

ABSTRACT

There is a tendency to position the first women lawyers as role models for today’s young women. This article argues, through an exploration of the life and career of Ethel Bright Ashford, that these women are better recognised as pioneers or foremothers than promoted as role models. Ashford was one of the first women barristers, a long-serving borough councillor, and tireless activist for civic causes. Nonetheless, aspects of her career and politics pose problems for purely celebratory accounts. Yet there is real value in considering her biography: she offers both an alternative definition of a successful professional life and the reassurance that imperfection is not equivalent to failure. Ashford therefore illustrates the vital importance of a more nuanced and historically situated consideration of the first women lawyers.     

Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific in Prospect

正THE 2014 informal meeting of the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation(APEC)is to be themed"Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership."The meeting this year will focus on three topics–advancing regional economic integration,promoting innovative development,economic reform and growth,as well as strengthening interdependence and infrastructure.The summit will also discuss the feasibility of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific(FTAAP)and determine if the Free Trade Area can be started.Bright Future for the FTAAP Founded in 1989,APEC,as an intergovernmental organization operating on the basis of non-binding commitments,open dialogue and equal respect for its 21member economies,is devoted to facilitating economic