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502. Understanding Differences in Growth Performance in Latin America and Developing Countries between the Asian and Global Financial Crises
- Author:
- Roberto Alvarez and José De Gregorio
- Publication Date:
- 11-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- Latin American performance during the global financial crisis was unprecedented. Many developing and emerging countries successfully weathered the worst crisis since the Great Depression. Was it good luck? Was it good policies? In this paper we compare growth during the Asian and global financial crises and find that a looser monetary policy played an important role in mitigating crisis. We also find that higher private credit, more financial openness, less trade openness, and greater exchange rate intervention worsened economic performance. Our analysis of Latin American countries confirms that effective macroeconomic management was key to good economic performance. Finally, we present evidence from a sample of 31 emerging markets that high terms of trade had a positive impact on resilience.
- Topic:
- Emerging Markets, International Trade and Finance, Monetary Policy, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Latin America
503. Why China Needs New Institutions to Cope with Looming Water Scarcity
- Author:
- Scott Moore
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- Few places in the world are facing such acute scarcity of water as is northern China, the region surrounding the nation's capital in Beijing. Over the past three decades, rapid economic development and population growth have caused a dramatic water shortage in the region. Groundwater tables have dropped so precipitously that in some places wells cannot be dug deep enough to reach water. Climate change is making rainfall more unpredictable, further darkening the picture for a region that is vital to both the Chinese and world economies. This brief looks at the so-far inadequate responses of the Chinese government and makes the case that new institutions are needed to allow China to meet this growing challenge.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy, Science and Technology, and Water
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
504. Why Brazil has not criticised Russia over Crimea
- Author:
- Oliver Stuenkel
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- Emerging powers frequently stress the importance of sovereignty and the inviolability of international law. As a consequence, many Western observers expected that emerging powers such as Brazil would be quick to condemn Russia's annexation of Crimea. Yet Brazil remained neutral and abstained from the UN General Assembly resolution that criticised Russia. Together with the other BRICS countries, it opposed suggestions to exclude Russia from the G-20, thus markedly reducing the effectiveness of Western attempts to isolate President Putin. Brazil's unwillingness to criticise Russia may have less to do with its opinion on Russia's annexation of Crimea per se and more to do with Brasília's scepticism of Western attempts to turn Russia into an international pariah. From Brasilia's perspective, pushing countries against the wall is rarely the most constructive approach. In addition, many in Brazil are wary of a global order that privileges the U.S. and allows it to flout many norms that apply to everyone else, arguing that these double standards are far more damaging to international order than any Russian policy. Finally, Russia annexed Crimea at a time when anti-Americanism around the world still runs high as a consequence of the NSA spying scandals, making alignment with U.S. positions politically costly at home.
- Topic:
- Emerging Markets, Politics, and Sovereignty
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Asia, Brazil, and South America
505. "Don't poke the Russian bear": Turkish policy in the Ukrainian crisis
- Author:
- Balkan Devlen
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- From the start of the Ukrainian crisis Turkey kept a low profile and adopted a strategy best described as "don't poke the Russian bear". Russia is a major Turkish trading partner and Turkey relies heavily on Russian natural gas for its energy needs, while Turkish prime minister Erdogan has also been dealing with serious domestic challenges in the last year. Therefore, due to both external and internal factors, Turkey will avoid confronting Russia directly and will pass the buck to the U.S. and EU. In the short to medium term there are three plausible scenarios under which Turkey will change its current policy. They include the oppression of Crimean Tatars by the Russian authorities; military confrontation in the Black Sea between Russia and NATO; or a more unified, tougher stance against Russia by the West. In the long term Turkey most likely will revert to its traditional role of balancing Russia by strengthening its ties with the West, while reducing its energy dependence on Russia.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Economics, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, Turkey, Ukraine, and Asia
506. Indian perspectives on the Ukrainian crisis and Russia's annexation of Crimea
- Author:
- Varun Sahni
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- The statement by India's national security adviser on March 6th 2014 referring to "legitimate" Russian interest in Ukraine was unsurprisingly criticised in the West, but appreciated in Russia. Most observers missed other important elements in the statement: reference to Ukraine's internal issues; recognition that both Russian and other interests were involved; and emphasis on a peaceful settlement, reconciliation and negotiation. Debate on the Ukrainian crisis has been largely absent in India due to preoccupation with national elections, widespread consensus that Russia is a dependable "friend of India", and sneaking admiration of President Putin for his "decisiveness" in promoting Russia's interests and open defiance of the West. While China and Pakistan have deployed historical/ethno-cultural arguments to dispute Indian sovereignty over territories that India considers its own, India has consistently rejected claims to alter the territorial status quo on grounds of kinship across sovereign borders.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Sovereignty, and Territorial Disputes
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Ukraine, India, and Asia
507. Going Beyond Economic Engagement: Why South Korea Should Press the North on Labor Standards and Practices
- Author:
- Marcus Noland
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- In recent years, despite a history of enmity and armed conflict that never really ended after the Korean War more than 60 years ago, South Korea has been a major investor in North Korea, and South Korean firms have employed more than 50,000 North Korean workers. South Korea's stated goal has been to encourage sufficient economic progress by North Korea, emboldening it toward establishing a meaningful basis for reconciliation and, ultimately, national unification. The expectation, or at least the hope, has been to use economic engagement to lessen the North's direct state control over the economy and to encourage the development of a middle class that might demand greater internal opening. The goal, as enunciated by former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, has also been to foster a rise of interest groups with an enhanced stake in peaceable external relations.
- Topic:
- Economics, Human Rights, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Asia, South Korea, and North Korea
508. Alternatives to Currency Manipulation: What Switzerland, Singapore, and Hong Kong Can Do
- Author:
- Joseph E. Gagnon
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- For the major advanced economies and the world as a whole, insufficient aggregate demand—that is, too little spending—impeded recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-09. By manipulating their currencies to boost their net exports, many countries made a bad situation worse for their trading partners, which saw demand shifted away. The world needs policies that increase total demand rather than policies that fight over the allocation of the existing amount of demand.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, and International Monetary Fund
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Asia, Switzerland, and Singapore
509. Managing Myanmar's Resource Boom to Lock in Reforms
- Author:
- Marcus Noland and Cullen S. Hendrix
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- Myanmar is in the midst of a long and difficult multifaceted transition, involving political liberalization, economic reform, and the resolution of multiple long-standing civil conflicts. The country has a history of ethno-religious conflict and separatism. Civil-military relations are muddy, and business-military-state relations are similarly opaque. An ongoing natural resource boom, and the blessings and curses that come with it, further complicates these developments. Given the country's evident institutional weaknesses, external policy anchors could play a critical role in this transition. Hendrix and Noland address the possible role for such international precommitment mechanisms—in particular, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)—in Myanmar's growing extractive sector.
- Topic:
- Economics, Ethnic Conflict, Governance, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Myanmar
510. Assessing the responses of the Chinese media and research community to the Ukrainian crisis
- Author:
- Chris Alden
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- Assessments of the official Chinese reaction to the crisis in Ukraine have focused primarily on China's abstention in the vote on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russian actions and, to a lesser degree, on the three-pronged Chinese proposal for addressing the crisis. However, by examining an array of Chinese sources, including media reports, editorials, and research think-tank publications, a number of viewpoints are presented that provide a better sense of the scope of Chinese thinking on the subject. These concentrate on the notion of Chinese neutrality, Western interference, the domestic sources of the Ukrainian crisis, and possible policy options available to Chinese decision-makers. Understanding these provides a more nuanced understanding of Chinese reactions to the Ukrainian crisis and its possible significance for China.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and Mass Media
- Political Geography:
- Russia, China, Ukraine, and Asia
511. Keeping the Peace in the Pacific: The Next Steps in American Policy
- Author:
- John Lee and Charles Horner
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Hudson Institute
- Abstract:
- U.S. administrations and officials are consistently caught flat-footed by the increasing assertiveness of the People's Republic of China (PRC) over disputed territories in the East China and South China Seas. This assertiveness is strident, yet controlled. Beijing's objectives in the region, with respect to maritime issues in particular, have been apparent for several decades. While the United States is well aware of the PRC's "talk and take" approach—speaking the language of negotiation while extending de facto control over disputed areas—U.S. policy has been tactical and responsive rather than strategic and preemptive, thus allowing China to control the pace and nature of escalation in executing talk and take.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Diplomacy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, and Asia
512. Rethinking TNI AU's Arms Procurement: A Long-run Projection
- Publication Date:
- 07-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- Although the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) has committed itself to several noteworthy procurements, its overall operational-readiness remains questionable. The Indonesian government still has to play catch-up when it comes to improving its Air Force's capability. Given TNI AU's intention of raising the effectiveness of its arms acquisitions, this report argues that the Indonesian government must eschew short-term goals and pursue a procurement plan with a long-term view in place. The report recommends that the Indonesian government include a viable strategy for maintenance and upgrades within its procurement plan in tandem with the requisite support of the national defence industry. The paper concludes with five policy recommendations. First, it is paramount for the Indonesian government to provide a proper assessment of its strategic environment to guide its procurement policy. This will require careful scrutiny of the strategic defence plan highlighted in the Defence White Paper including addressing shortcomings with regard to the tailored needs of the Air Force. Second, domestic defence industries should possess in-house capabilities when it comes to producing the necessary aircraft spares for TNI AU's specific use. Third, the Indonesian government can consider fostering some form of international collaboration to facilitate joint production. Fourth, to maximise the outcomes derived from the international collaboration, Indonesia needs to create and execute a reward and punishment system for its offset policy. Fifth, the TNI AU should look into the imperatives of spares compatibility and availability when drafting procurement policies.
- Topic:
- Science and Technology, Governance, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Asia
513. The Indonesian Presidential Election: How will the Balance Tip?
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- With the Indonesian presidential election coming to an end, the race between Jokowi- Kalla and Prabowo-Hatta have intensified considerably with both teams battling neck-to-neck with only a miniscule margin that separates the two. According to latest poll results, about 10 per cent of the electorate still remains undecided. This report intends to provide an analysis on the developments within the electoral competition that may tip the balance to either side. It highlights three crucial aspects that may inevitably determine the winner of the election: (i) Image Cultivation; (ii) Islamic Credentials; and (iii) Party Machinery. The report will conclude with a scenario-analysis of either a possible post-election Prabowo government or a Jokowi one with the intention of extrapolating how each hypothetical administration will play out and the immediate implications of either presidential aspirants coming to power.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Islam, and Regime Change
- Political Geography:
- Asia
514. Ten Ideas for Smarter NATO Missile Defense
- Author:
- Patrick O'Reilly
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- NATO leaders have cited missile defense as an example of applying the principles of the Smart Defense initiative endorsed at the 2012 NATO Summit to enhance collective defense at minimum cost. As ballistic missiles continue to proliferate and become more accessible to both state and nonstate actors, it is important to foster global partnerships to pursue NATO's missile defense mission and protect North American and European interests. NATO should consider opportunities to further apply the principles of Smart Defense now to reduce future costs of deterring and countering missile proliferation.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, NATO, and Arms Control and Proliferation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Middle East, Asia, and North America
515. Turkish-Iranian Rapprochement and the Future of European and Asian Energy
- Author:
- Pinar Dost-Niyego and Orhan Taner
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The recent events in Ukraine have revived the question of European dependence on Russian natural gas. The security of Europe's natural gas supply has been a consistently important issue in Russian-European Union (EU) relations. Russia provided 34 percent of EU gas in 2012, and Russian policies can have a direct impact on EU supplies. After the West-Russian confrontation over Ukraine, a lot has been said about the 'US shale gas revolution' and the possibilities of the United States becoming an energy exporter for future European energy needs. Although US energy independence seems to promise new perspectives for future European energy security, as well as for the balance of power in the Middle East, this is not for this decade. We cannot expect that the European Union would be able to cut off all of its energy relations with Russia, but we can foresee–or at least agree–that the European Union should diversify its natural gas supplies.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Economics, and Energy Policy
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, Ukraine, Middle East, and Asia
516. The BRICS Development Bank: Why the world's newest global bank must adopt a pro-poor agenda
- Author:
- Lysa John
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- In July 2014, a new multilateral and Southern-led development bank is expected to be launched by the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – better known as the BRICS. The BRICS Development Bank will provide a fresh source of finance for developing and emerging economies to meet their development needs. Little has been made public regarding the proposed Bank's core mandate or activities but while governments negotiate the technicalities of the Bank, it is critical that they also provide a solid vision of the principles, priorities and objectives on which the Bank's activities and operations will be premised. This policy brief recommends that these include commitments to: ending extreme poverty and inequality, with a special focus on gender equity and women's rights; aligning with environmental and social safeguards and establishing mechanisms for information sharing, accountability and redress; leadership on the sustainable development agenda; the creation of mechanisms for public consultation and debate; and the adoption a truly democratic governance structure.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Gender Issues, International Cooperation, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Russia, China, Europe, India, Asia, South Africa, Brazil, and South America
517. Power Shift and Renminbi Internationalization: Recommendations for the G20
- Author:
- Raluca Diana Ardelean and Mengun Zhang
- Publication Date:
- 07-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for International Governance Innovation
- Abstract:
- China has gained substantial economic power in recent years, becoming the second-largest trading nation after the United States and the largest goods-trading nation since 2012 (Eichengreen 2014). It is also currently the largest source of savings and the largest potential source of capital for international investment (ibid.). Measured by GDP, China is now the second-largest economy in the world (see Figure 1), and the World Bank surmises it is likely to surpass the United States in 2014 (World Bank 2014). Because of China's growing economic importance, a shift in power is reasonably assumed. As its economic power grows, internationalization of the RMB has become a key policy goal for China, especially after the 2008 financial crisis (Zhang 2009; Park 2010; China Securities Regulatory Commission [CSRC] 2014). This goal demonstrates China's desire for better integration and representation in the international economic community and signals its willingness to perform internal financial reforms and take more responsibility in global economic affairs.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Monetary Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, and Asia
518. The impact of the withdrawal from Afghanistan on Russia's security
- Author:
- Patrick Nopens
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- ISAF's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 will directly impact the wider region. Not only is there a risk of instability spilling over to Central Asia, but the drawdown will also accelerate the ongoing shift in the balance of power in Central Asia towards China. Should a spillover occur, the burden will mainly fall on Russia and China. Russia will, however, only continue playing the dominant role in the security of the former Soviet Central Asia (FSCA) until China takes on responsibility for the security of its direct sphere of influence or "dingwei". Russia's Near Abroad, however, overlaps both with the EU's Eastern Neighbourhood in Europe and China's dingwei in Central Asia and the Far East. It is, therefore, necessary to approach Russian reactions to these encroachments on its historical spheres of influence in a single context, taking into account the interrelationship between these three.
- Topic:
- Security, Politics, and Hegemony
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, China, Europe, Central Asia, and Asia
519. Debt Sanctions Can Help Ukraine and Fill a Gap in the International Financial System
- Author:
- Anna Gelpern
- Publication Date:
- 08-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- The escalating crisis in Ukraine has prompted the United States and Europe to impose the toughest economic sanctions against Russia since the end of the Cold War. Continued instability and military conflict in eastern Ukraine are straining Ukrainian finances. Despite a generous international support package, the government faces shrinking revenues, rising costs, and a spike in foreign debt payments over the next two years.
- Topic:
- Cold War, Debt, and Economics
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Ukraine, and Asia
520. Education and Human Capital Development to Strengthen R & D Capacity in ASEAN
- Author:
- Tereso S. Tullao Jr. and Christopher James Cabuay
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- This Policy Brief raises some policy issues regarding the capacity of the ASEAN region's education system in producing knowledge capital as it looks into the opportunities and challenges faced by the sector. This is critical for ASEAN to enable it to attain its quest to be a base for innovation. Among the issues that ASEAN has to confront in achieving this goal relate to the development of financing schemes for various types of education, improvement in the level of investments in research and development, and revisit of the way teaching is conducted in the 21st century, especially in certain disciplines crucial to engendering innovation for growth and development.
- Topic:
- Development, Education, Research, Economic Growth, Human Capital, and Innovation
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
521. Towards Freer Movement of Skilled Labour in AEC 2015 and Beyond
- Author:
- Christopher Findlay
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- Movements of skilled labour in ASEAN have been largely from the lower income labour surplus economies to the higher income labour deficit economies in response to employment and remuneration differentials. The AEC Blueprint includes the objective of free flow of skilled labour to facilitate flows in services and investment. However, free flow is obstructed by differences in qualifications, standards and language proficiency as well as by national legal provisions and policies despite MRAs on professional services and the Agreement on Movement of Natural Persons. To facilitate free flows, their net benefits have to be emphasised; MRAs and labour market access be implemented effectively; and regional differences among tertiary institutions in standards, capabilities and English language proficiency be narrowed through academic cooperation and exchanges, and joint establishment of regional centres of excellence.
- Topic:
- Labor Issues, Services, Industry, Labor Rights, and Skilled Labor
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
522. ASEAN Food Security: Towards a More Comprehensive Framework
- Author:
- Barry Desker, Mely Caballero-Anthony, and Paul Teng
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- This Policy Brief is based on the Issues Paper on ASEAN Food Security: Towards a More Comprehensive Framework. The key message is that food security is a priority agenda for the AEC, and the issues to be addressed are: (1) current impediments to agricultural trade and food production; (2) standardisation mechanisms and regulatory frameworks; (3) disjunctions between regional arrangements and domestic policies; (4) public-private partnerships; and (5) crucial indicators for food security robustness.
- Topic:
- Security, Agriculture, Regional Cooperation, Food, Food Security, and Farming
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
523. The ASEAN Single Aviation Market: Liberalizing the Airline Industry
- Author:
- Alan Knee-Jin Tan
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- This Policy Brief presents an overview of the barriers facing air transport liberalization in ASEAN. It lays out the policies that governments should undertake to overcome these barriers, particularly in light of rapid changes in the aviation industry. It also assesses the incomplete or unfinished nature of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market (ASAM) that necessitates further liberalizing steps beyond 2015. In particular, more meaningful market access and ownership/control relaxations must be pursued to deal with the increasing competition from airlines outside the region. A united external policy is also required to enhance ASEAN's negotiating position vis-�-vis other countries and blocs.
- Topic:
- Business, Industry, Labor Market, and Air Travel
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
524. ASEAN Beyond 2015: The Imperatives for Further Institutional Changes
- Author:
- Rizal Sukma
- Publication Date:
- 08-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- As the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are now committed to a deeper integration process towards an ASEAN Commnity beyond 2015, the need for greater and deeper institutionalisation has become more urgent. While ASEAN recognises the need to strengthen its institutions, as reflected in its commitment to undertake greater institutionalisation efforts mandated by the ASEAN Charter, the willingness of member states to rely on regional instituions is still circumscribed by strong attachment to the principle of sovereignty and preference for maintaining unity amid regional insititutions without necessarily transforming itself into a supra-national organisation.
- Topic:
- Regional Cooperation, Regional Integration, Institutions, and Regionalism
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
525. Delivering Results in Standards and Conformance in ASEAN: the Critical Roles of Institutional Strenghthening and the Private Sector
- Author:
- Simon Pettman
- Publication Date:
- 08-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- Addressing technical barriers to trade is a key priority of ASEAN as part of trade facilitation in achieving an integrated economy under the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and in building an effective and competitive Economic Community beyond 2015. Standards and Conformance assessment measures, while seeking to ensure quality and safety of products for consumers, should not become barriers to trade across the region as ASEAN liberalises its trading regime. A delicate balance needs to be achieved between the two to build a thriving economic region. ASEAN has been working towards achieving standards harmonisation in its priority sectors of integration and bringing about regulatory convergence, taking into account the diversities in its ten member states. More, however, needs to be done and as this Policy Brief shows, the roles of institutional strengthening and the private sector are critical in this task.
- Topic:
- Development, Privatization, Regional Integration, Institutions, and Private Sector
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
526. Stimulating Innovation in ASEAN Institutional Support, R&D Activity and Intellectual Property Rights
- Author:
- Rajah Tasiah
- Publication Date:
- 08-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- The Policy Brief suggests initiatives that poorer ASEAN member governments should take to stimulate technological upgrading of firms at the bottom with a focus on innovation, and discusses the governance framework of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in ASEAN. With an emphasis on technology as the driver of economic growth, typologies of taxonomies and trajectories are used to evolve a policy framework to coordinate the relationship between macro-institutions, meso-organizations and micro-agents (firms) for ASEAN members to transform from developing nations to join Singapore as developed nations. Recognizing the varying capacities of ASEAN members, the paper recommends that a common platform of IPRs be developed with the more developed members assisting the least developed ASEAN members to quicken the development of a technologically more egalitarian region.
- Topic:
- Development, Science and Technology, Intellectual Property/Copyright, Research, and Innovation
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
527. Balancing Without Containment: An American Strategy for Managing China
- Author:
- Ashley J. Tellis
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- China is poised to become a major strategic rival to the United States. Whether or not Beijing intends to challenge Washington's primacy, its economic boom and growing national ambitions make competition inevitable. And as China rises, American power will diminish in relative terms, threatening the foundations of the U.S.-backed global order that has engendered unprecedented prosperity worldwide. To avoid this costly outcome, Washington needs a novel strategy to balance China without containing it.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Development, and Emerging Markets
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, America, Washington, Beijing, and Asia
528. Japan's New Security Policy: Breaking Away from the Post–War Regime?
- Author:
- Bart Gaens
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- China is challenging the regional balance of power in East Asia through a military buildup and an increasingly assertive foreign policy. The US is forced to find the right balance between cooperating with China while benefiting from its economic rise, and countering China's regional reach by carrying out its self-declared "pivot" to Asia in spite of domestic and budgetary constraints. With just over one year in office, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has received wide domestic support for his ambitious plans to revive Japan's economy through his threefold policy of Abenomics. At the same time, however, he has implemented a number of significant policies in the defence and security sphere. In response to China's military rise, the Abe administration increased and recalibrated the defence budget. Furthermore, in order to reinforce the alliance with the US, the government approved the creation of a US-style National Security Council, passed a Secrecy Bill, and aims to reverse Japan's self-imposed ban on exercising the right to collective self-defence. Under the banner of "proactive pacifism", the Abe cabinet is seizing the momentum caused by the changing regional power dynamics in order to edge closer towards "breaking away from the postwar regime". A proposed revision of Japan's constitution, unchanged since 1947, symbolizes the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) objective to bring about a more autonomous role for Japan both in the security alliance with the US and as an international actor.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Economics, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Japan, China, and Asia
529. Sochi: games with frontiers
- Author:
- Gerald Stang
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- Russia is often seen as a land of extremes – and the narratives for this month's Winter Olympics in Sochi reflect that view. From the record-length 65,000 km Olympic torch run (which included trips to outer space, the north pole and the bottom of the world's deepest lake) to the incredible $51 billion price tag and the Ian Flemingesque threat of attacks from black widow terrorists, the Sochi games have a distinctly Russian flavour. The Kremlin appears to have envisioned the games as a national triumph, not unlike the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with organisational, architectural and sporting successes that could unite the country. However, with global headlines dominated by stories of corruption, human rights abuses, anti-gay laws and the very real threat of terrorist attacks, one might be forgiven for wondering whether the Russian government regrets its decision to bid for the games.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Security, Political Violence, Islam, and Insurgency
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
530. EU-Russia: overcoming stagnation
- Author:
- Nicu Popescu
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- For the best part of the last two decades, EU-Russia summits have alternated between being upbeat events where new grand integration initiatives were launched – the creation of four common spaces in 2005, the partnership for modernisation in 2010 – and rather unfriendly encounters where success was seemingly measured on how impolite the partners could be to one another.
- Topic:
- Economics, Energy Policy, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
531. Compounding Uncertainty in Afghanistan: Economic Consequences of Delay in Signing the Bilateral Security Agreement
- Author:
- Casey Garret Johnson, William A. Byrd, and Sanaullah Tasal
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- The still unsigned Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Afghanistan and the United States provides the legal basis for continuing U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. In addition to its substantive importance, the BSA is also a confidence-building mechanism. The delay in putting it in place is compounding uncertainty and further diminishing economic confidence during Afghanistan's already challenging and uncertain transition. Afghans' responses include, among others, hedging behavior (legal and illegal), personal decisions on whether to come back to or stay in Afghanistan, delays in investments, incipient job losses, declining demand for goods and services and real estate prices, and farmers planting more opium poppy.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Democratization, Development, Treaties and Agreements, Insurgency, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, and Asia
532. The Taliban's View of the 2014 Elections
- Author:
- Michael Semple
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- The Afghan Taliban Movement has publicly rejected the legitimacy of the April 2014 elections. The Taliban's military leadership has issued instructions to officials and commanders to disrupt the elections but has left field commanders with wide discretion on how to go about doing so. Many in the Taliban follow the electoral contest closely and comment on developments in terms very similar to how they are described by the political and educated class in Kabul. However, the anti-election sentiment in the Taliban leaves no scope for any faction to cooperate with the process. The Taliban will likely be able to intensify violence approaching the election, but not sufficiently to derail the overall process.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Democratization, Development, Islam, Armed Struggle, Counterinsurgency, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and Asia
533. ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN-US Economic Relationship
- Author:
- Peter A. Petri and Michael G. Plummer
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- ASEAN has become a focal point of the rapidly changing economic architecture of the Asia-Pacific region. ASEAN members are increasingly stable and politically confident, and constitute an emerging economic powerhouse. The region is dynamic, with 600 million citizens and a gross domestic product (GDP) that exceeds $2 trillion and is expected to grow 6 percent annually for the next two decades. (The Appendix at the end of this paper reports detailed output and trade projections to 2025.) Through deeper internal integration via the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and external initiatives such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN is becoming a driving force in regional cooperation and a much-courted economic partner. The AEC and the RCEP projects are globally significant: the AEC could generate powerful demonstration effects for other developing regions, and the RCEP could become an important building bloc of the multilateral trading system.
- Topic:
- Security, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- United States, East Asia, Asia, and Asia-Pacific
534. Building Inclusive Coconut-Based Livelihoods in Post-Haiyan Reconstruction in the Philippines
- Author:
- Joel Rodriguez
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- The most powerful storm ever to hit the Philippines, Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Typhoon Yolanda) has affected about 16 million people. Four million people have been displaced; the majority of them are fisherfolk, and small-scale farmers and farm workers.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Humanitarian Aid, and Natural Disasters
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Philippines
535. Flexible Implementation: A Key to Asia's Transformation
- Author:
- Luke Simon Jordan and Katerina Koinis
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Despite the region's economic growth over the last few decades, countries across Asia still face the complex challenge of structural transformation. Low-income economies must build formal industrial and service sectors from agricultural and informal bases; middle-income economies must move up the value chain; and high-income economies must continually generate new capabilities at the frontier of innovation.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Industrial Policy, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Asia
536. Myanmar's Military: Back to the Barracks?
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, has been the dominant institution in the country for most of its post-independence history. After decades of military rule, it began the shift to a semi-civilian government. A new generation of leaders in the military and in government pushed the transition far further and much faster than anyone could have imagined. Major questions remain, however, about the Tatmadaw's intentions, its ongoing involvement in politics and the economy, and whether and within what timeframe it will accept to be brought under civilian control. Transforming from an all-powerful military to one that accepts democratic constraints on its power will be an enormous challenge.
- Topic:
- Governance and Reform
- Political Geography:
- East Asia, Asia, and Myanmar
537. Chinese Dream, Others' Nightmare? Despite superficial similarities, China is not destined to follow Russia's path to rogue-dom
- Author:
- Jyrki Kallio
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Although China's statements about the Ukrainian crisis have been weighed very carefully, there are concerns that China is drawing lessons such as 'might is right' and 'geopolitics is all that matters' from the crisis. The hawks in China have adopted a similar tone to that of the Kremlin, with both wishing to see a relatively diminished Western influence in the international arena. The Chinese Dream is all about national rejuvenation, which entails redressing past grievances. Nevertheless, the Dream need not turn into a nightmare for other powers. The increase in China's military budget does not indicate growing ambitions of a global power projection. China's primary concern remains stability both within and without its borders.
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Security
- Political Geography:
- Russia, China, Ukraine, and Asia
538. China's Long March Toward Economic Rebalancing
- Author:
- Hongying Wang
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for International Governance Innovation
- Abstract:
- China's role in the global imbalance is closely linked to its domestic imbalance. Chinese policy makers have long been aware of the dual imbalance and the imperative to shift to economic growth driven by domestic consumption. They have taken limited steps in changing the development model, but political obstacles have slowed the pace of reform. The new leadership seems serious about deepening economic reform despite political resistance, but without political reform, the prospect of success remains dim.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, Monetary Policy, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
539. The Eurasian Customs Union: the economics and the politics
- Author:
- Nicu Popescu and Iana Dreyer
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- Long ignored by the West, the Eurasian Customs Union (consisting of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) has recently been brought into the international limelight. The project – an attempt by the Kremlin to create a rival to the European Union and its Eastern Partnership project – attracted attention when Moscow, with its characteristic bluntness, began to pressure Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to join the grouping and drop their plans to sign Association Agreements with the EU. Although Russia has not succeeded in convincing all these states to join, it managed to do so with Armenia in September 2013, and the political tussle over the issue with Ukraine played a central role in triggering the country's current crisis.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, and Power Politics
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eurasia, and Asia
540. China's energy demands: are they reshaping the world?
- Author:
- Gerald Stang
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Abstract:
- In 2012, China was the world's seventh biggest producer of natural gas, the fourth largest oil producer, and the biggest producer of hydroelectricity. It also produced almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined. Still, this is not enough. China's domestic energy bounty has long allowed the country to keep its overall import dependency relatively low but, as the country's economy continues to boom, its import dependency is growing quickly, particularly with regard to oil.
- Topic:
- Economics, Energy Policy, International Cooperation, International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Natural Resources
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
541. Anti-Muslim Violence in Burma/Myanmar and the Responsibility to Protect
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
- Abstract:
- After more than fifty years of military rule, in 2011 Burma/Myanmar embarked upon a historic transition with the new civilian government, led by President Thein Sein, undertaking a series of political and economic reforms. Burma/Myanmar has been congratulated by the international community for its attempt to end gross human rights abuses and establish a more tolerant and peaceful society.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, International Cooperation, Islam, Regional Cooperation, Governance, Minorities, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Burma, and Myanmar
542. Wildlife Poaching: Africa's Surging Trafficking Threat
- Author:
- Bradley Anderson and Johan Jooste
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies
- Abstract:
- Spikes in the prices of ivory and rhino horn have propelled an escalation in killings of African elephants and rhinoceroses. Without urgent corrective measures, extinction of these populations is likely. This is not just a wildlife poaching problem but part of a global illicit trafficking network that is empowering violent groups and co-opting some elements of Africa's security sector. An immediate bolstering of Africa's wildlife ranger network is needed to slow the pace of elephant and rhino killings and buy time. Addressing this threat over the longer term will require dramatically reducing the demand for these animal parts, especially within Asian markets.
- Topic:
- Security, International Trade and Finance, Regional Cooperation, and Law Enforcement
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Asia
543. See No Evil: South Korean Labor Practices in North Korea
- Author:
- Marcus Noland
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Economic engagement between South and North Korea is often justified as a means of encouraging economic and social evolution in North Korea, with the ultimate goal of national unification. The South has invested heavily in the North, and firms have employed more than 50,000 workers. Yet expectations of a transformational impact rest on unexamined assumptions. The North recognizes the Trojan horse nature of the engagement policy: results of an original survey of South Korean employers show that the North Korean government has largely circumscribed the exposure of its citizens to both South Koreans and market-oriented economic practices, in the process violating labor rights defined by covenants to which both countries belong. The problem seems intractable, given that South Korea's diplomatic commitment to engagement with North Korea trumps labor rights concerns and South Korean firms perceive that the North Korean status quo confers benefits. As the experience of labor rights movements elsewhere shows, conditions will likely improve only if an aroused citizenry—here, the South Koreans—demands change.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Economics, Human Rights, Bilateral Relations, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Asia, South Korea, and North Korea
544. Rubber Plantations Expand in Mountainous Southeast Asia: What Are the Consequences for the Environment?
- Author:
- Jefferson M. Fox, Jean-Christophe Castella, Alan D. Ziegler, and Sidney b. Westley.
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- For centuries, farmers in the mountainous region of mainland Southeast Asia have practiced shifting cultivation, with plots of land cultivated temporarily and then allowed to revert to secondary forest for a fallow period. Today, more than one million hectares have been converted to rubber plantation. By 2050, the area under rubber trees in the montane regions of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and China's Yunnan Province is predicted to increase fourfold. Preliminary research suggests this massive land-use change could lead to drier conditions at the local level plus surface erosion, loss of soil quality, sedimentation and disruption of streams, and risk of landslides. And it appears that when primary or secondary forests are converted to rubber, carbon emissions are likely to increase. Despite environmental concerns, both local farmers and outside entrepreneurs are likely to continue expanding rubber plantations because of high economic returns. Production systems that provide the best balance between economic return and environmental sustainability are needed to improve the long-term outlook for the region.
- Topic:
- Agriculture and Environment
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
545. China needs to complement its "going-out" policy with a "going-in" strategy
- Author:
- Karl P. Sauvant and Victor Z. Chen
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
- Abstract:
- China's rising outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) faces rising skepticism abroad. This is partly the result of the leading role of state-owned enterprises in her OFDI (and the fear that it serves non-commercial purposes), the speed with which this investment has grown, the negative image of the home country in some quarters, and the challenges it poses to established competitors. Moreover, Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) may not always keep in mind that host countries see FDI as a tool to advance their own development and hence seek maximum benefits from it.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Foreign Direct Investment
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
546. “Destined to Cooperate”: Japan-ROK Naval Cooperation and its Implications for U.S. Strategic Interests in Northeast Asia
- Author:
- Samuel J. Mun
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces (JMSDF) are “destined to cooperate” in an increasingly competitive security environment in Northeast Asia. Both parties share bilateral security treaties with the United States, prioritize protection of shared sea lines of communication (SLOCs), and face the challenge of addressing the threat of North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation, Military Strategy, Armed Forces, Navy, and Strategic Interests
- Political Geography:
- Japan, Asia, South Korea, and United States of America
547. America’s Allies and Nuclear Arms: Assessing the Geopolitics of Nonproliferation in Asia
- Author:
- Robert Zarate
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- While U.S. policymakers and lawmakers sometimes deeply disagree on precisely how to stop hostile states from getting nuclear weapons, they generally agree on the overall goal of nuclear nonproliferation with regard to adversaries. But what about the goal of nonproliferation with regard to treaty allies? If Japan, South Korea, or other U.S. treaty allies in Asia who are threatened by China’s and North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, were someday to insist on getting independent nuclear arsenals, should Washington welcome or oppose them?
- Topic:
- Nuclear Weapons, Geopolitics, Nonproliferation, and Alliance
- Political Geography:
- China, Asia, North Korea, and United States of America
548. China’s Air Defense Identification System: The Role of PLA Air Surveillance
- Author:
- Mark Stokes
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- In the wake of the 18th Central Committee’s Third Plenum in November 2013, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced the establishment of its first air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Assessments of the ADIZ to date have focused in large part on implications for territorial and maritime disputes in region. However, other potential drivers may offer additional context for the decision. Among these include coercion of Taiwan, unprecedented changes in China’s national airspace management system, and technical advances that have enhanced interoperability between the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and Navy (PLAN).
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Territorial Disputes, Surveillance, and Air Force
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
549. Reforming National Oil Companies: Nine Recommendations
- Author:
- Patrick Heller, Paasha Mahdavi, and Johannes Schreuder
- Publication Date:
- 07-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Natural Resource Governance Institute
- Abstract:
- Some national oil companies (NOCs) have contributed heavily to successful efforts to harness benefits from the oil sector and drive broader national development. In other cases, however, NOCs have become inefficient managers of national resources, obstacles to private investment, drains on public coffers, or sources of patronage and corruption. As such, NOC reform—incremental in some cases, fundamental in others—lies at or near the top of the policy agendas of many oil-rich countries. Building on existing literature, we surveyed 12 NOCs from diverse geographical and operational contexts to distill practical steps that policy-makers can take to make their countries' NOCs more effective and more accountable—to governments and to citizens. Our recommendations can be seen in both the executive summary and the full report.
- Topic:
- Oil, Transparency, Data, and State-Owned Enterprises
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Malaysia, Middle East, Kazakhstan, Norway, Asia, Kuwait, Brazil, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Latin America, Mexico, Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Cameroon, and Sub-Saharan Africa
550. Extremism as Mainstream: Implications for Women, Development & Security in the MENA/Asia Region
- Author:
- International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
- Abstract:
- In 2013, ICAN, in partnership with the MIT Center for International Studies and the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), hosted a two-day roundtable to better understand rising religious extremism from a gendered and grounds-up perspective, highlighting the essential yet often overlooked implications for women and the efforts of civil society on the ground. The meeting included civil society practitioners, scholars and journalists with expertise from Canada, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, the United States, and Iran. The roundtable addressed a range of questions. The statements and perspectives included here reflect views shared during the roundtable, and related research and analysis by ICAN. While this brief cannot do justice to the depth and complexity of the discussions, it is intended as a catalyst to widen the space for discussion, research, policy and practice among international and national level scholars and practitioners.
- Topic:
- Security, Development, Violent Extremism, and Women
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Asia, and North Africa
551. Impact of China‐Africa Investment Relations: The Case of Ethiopia
- Author:
- Alemayehu Geda and Atenafu G. Meskel
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
- Abstract:
- This study investigated the growing relation between Ethiopia and China in the last decade. It is possible for Chinese-Africa relations to be either complementary or competitive (or indeed both) and it has multifaceted features. Notwithstanding this multifaceted linkage, the study focused on one of the channels – the investment (FDI) channel. Other channels are explored depending on the degree at which they shed light on understanding the Chinese-Ethiopian investment relations, which is the subject of this study.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Foreign Direct Investment, and Macroeconomics
- Political Geography:
- Africa, China, Asia, and Ethiopia
552. The Impact of China‐Africa Investment Relations: The Case of Madagascar
- Author:
- Jean Razafindravonona, Eric Rakotomanana, and Jimmy Rajaobelina
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
- Abstract:
- The rapid and spectacular expansion of the Chinese economy in the recent past is, for African countries, an opportunity to take advantage of not only in terms of strengthening the South-South cooperation, but also of developing African economies. It is thus important to define the channels through which African countries would do so. It is with this goal in mind that the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) initiated the research project on the impact of the economic relation between China and sub-Saharan African countries.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Foreign Direct Investment, Global Political Economy, and Macroeconomics
- Political Geography:
- Africa, China, Asia, and Madagascar
553. The Impact of China‐Africa Trade Relations: The Case of the Republic of Congo
- Author:
- Jean‐Christophe Boungou Bazika
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
- Abstract:
- The relations between China and Congo are already old since they began in 1963. However since the beginning of the 2000s, the economic relations between the two countries are characterized by an unprecedented dynamism. Congo’s exports and imports with China recorded a leap of 179.38% and 309.21% respectively for the period 2001-2005. Such a trend pushed analysts to predict that the relations between Africa and China should have a significant impact and lead to upheavals in the structure of African economies. Two tendencies emerged in the literature: the first predicts that these relations would have a negative impact, in the sense that they would provoke a competition that African producers would not be able to bear. The second predicts that these relations would enable African countries to consolidate their growth, thanks to the diversification of trade and the installation of infrastructures which were lacking - such as roads, bridges, hydro-electric dams, drinking water purification plants, etc.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Foreign Direct Investment, Global Political Economy, and Macroeconomics
- Political Geography:
- Africa, China, Asia, and Republic of Congo
554. Russia assumes and exploits the chairmanship of the G20
- Author:
- Pavel K. Baev
- Publication Date:
- 02-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- Russia's plans for chairing the G20 in 2013 go further than staging a pompous summit in St Petersburg similar to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vladivostok in September 2012. Russian leadership feels an acute need to re-establish a solid international profile eroded by the evolving domestic crisis, which undermines the credibility of Putin's regime.
- Topic:
- Corruption, Democratization, Emerging Markets, and International Organization
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Norway, Asia, Moscow, and Syria
555. Making the Case: North Korea's Nuclear and Missile Efforts
- Author:
- Mieke Eoyang and Aki Peritz
- Publication Date:
- 03-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Third Way
- Abstract:
- The U.S. is currently leading the effort to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons program and protect our allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Here is how to discuss this important issue: North Korea's missile and nuclear programs threaten our interests and our allies. We will defend our friends—and ourselves—starting with our planned deployment of more missile interceptors in Alaska. The U.S. has been making progress toward convincing the international community to crack down on Pyongyang even further. Given the threat, we must maintain a robust military presence in Asia to maintain the peace in the Asia-Pacific region. We must work with China—North Korea's only ally—to achieve a lasting end to Pyongyang's continuing nuclear intransigence.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Nuclear Weapons
- Political Geography:
- China, Asia, and North Korea
556. Does Beijing Have a Strategy? China's Alternative Futures
- Author:
- Banning Garrett and Robert A. Manning
- Publication Date:
- 03-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- As China's National Party Congress gathered in early March to anoint Xi Jinping and the next generation of Chinese leaders, Beijing's behavior at home and abroad strongly suggested that, while they have strategic goals, they have no strategy for how to achieve them. Beijing seems unable to change course from following a development model it has outgrown and pursuing assertive, zero-sum foreign policies that are counter to its long-term interests.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Corruption, Governance, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
557. How to Stop Doing Business with Russia's Arm Exporter
- Publication Date:
- 06-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Human Rights First
- Abstract:
- As part of the United States plan to begin military withdrawals from Afghanistan in 2014, the Department of Defense (DOD) contracted with the Russian state owned arms dealer, Rosoboronexport, to provide helicopters to the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF). DOD has continued and expanded its purchases from Rosoboronexport even while acknowledging that the Russian arms dealer has enabled mass atrocities by supplying Syria's Bashar al-Assad with weapons that have been used to murder Syrian civilians.
- Topic:
- Arms Control and Proliferation, Economics, Human Rights, and Armed Struggle
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Middle East, and Asia
558. Dawei Revisited: Reaffirmation of the importance of the project in the era of reforms in Myanmar
- Author:
- Ikumo Isono and Satoru Kumagai
- Publication Date:
- 05-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- Myanmar has entered a new era of all-round reforms. Donors and foreign investors are mainly interested in Yangon, while there has been a delay in the Dawei deep sea project, the Dawei Special Economic Zone project and the road connection to Thailand. The change in circumstances poses a question about whether the Dawei project is still needed in the era of a reforming Myanmar. Our geographical simulation analysis clearly shows that the Dawei project has significant additional benefit for the whole Mekong region and points out the importance of international cooperation.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, International Cooperation, Reform, and Investment
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Burma, and Myanmar
559. Effective Bureaucracy can Facilitate Economic Reforms in Myanmar
- Author:
- Anita Prakash
- Publication Date:
- 06-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- Myanmar has opened up to democratic and economic reforms. Bureaucracy is one of the chosen agents of reforms, both political and economic. Bureaucracy faces the difficult task to reform itself for optimum delivery of reforms. Structural changes are required in transforming the bureaucracy into a development agent. Capacity building of the bureaucracy, without compromising its independence, is required for the effective implementation of reforms. A restructured and informed bureaucracy should be Myanmar's preferred agent of change.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Reform, Economic Development, Bureaucracy, and Independence
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Burma, and Myanmar
560. The Economic Transition in Myanmar: Towards Inclusive, People Centered and Sustainable Economic Growth
- Author:
- Anita Prakash
- Publication Date:
- 08-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- Myanmar has embarked on an ambitious program of sweeping reforms to end its isolation and integrate its economy with the global system. In this reform period, Myanmar faces the challenge to remain on the course ofreforms and openness while pursuing its economic growth. The Challenges of this transition can be met with a development model which is inclusive, people centered and sustainable.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Development, Economics, Reform, Economic Growth, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Burma, and Myanmar
561. Impact of climate change on ASEAN food security: Downscaling analysis and response
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- This NTS Issues Brief is based on the proceedings of the Expert Group Meeting on the Impact of Climate Change on ASEAN Food Security held in June 2013. The Meeting called for higher priority to be given to research on climate shifts at national and local scales, as well as greater focus on agricultural R It also highlighted the need for resource and knowledge inputs from actors throughout food value chains in the region.
- Topic:
- Security, Agriculture, Climate Change, Economics, and Food
- Political Geography:
- Asia and ASEAN
562. Ukraine's Choice: European Association Agreement or Eurasian Union?
- Author:
- Anders Åslund
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- Since gaining independence in December 1991, Ukraine has vacillated between the European Union and Russia for economic and political cooperation. Until recently neither had offered Ukraine much, but in the last few months, things have heated up. Ukraine's intention to sign an Association Agreement for political association and economic integration with the European Union has raised a furor in the Kremlin, which is now trying to block Ukraine from aligning itself with the European Union. Moscow has imposed trade sanctions in clear violation of its obligations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is pursuing an intense confrontation.
- Topic:
- Economics, Treaties and Agreements, World Trade Organization, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Asia, and Moscow
563. The Role of Europe in Enhancing Cooperative Security in Asia and the Pacific: A View from Japan
- Author:
- Takako Ueta
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- Asia is a prominent export market for Europe while in the East and South China Seas, tensions continue. Europe has searched for its political role in Asia. This policy brief presents an analysis and argues the role of Europe in enhancing cooperative security in Asia and the Pacific, which would promote stability and peace there.
- Topic:
- Security, Emerging Markets, International Cooperation, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Japan, Europe, Israel, and Asia
564. Recalibrating CSDP - NATO Relations: The Real Pivot
- Author:
- Jo Coelmont and Maurice de Langlois
- Publication Date:
- 06-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- Are long-standing allies drifting apart? In the US, struggling with budget deficits, questions such as “Is current US security strategy not stimulating free-riding by allies and friends?”, or “NATO: what is in it for us? “, and even “Should the US not withdraw from NATO's military command structure?”1, are more than ever coming to the fore. In Europe on the other hand, even if some worry about the effects of the “the US pivot to Asia”, many are still looking to the US to take ultimate responsibility for crisis management operations. The effect of the post-Iraq/post-Afghanistan context in the US and the real meaning of “leadership from behind” are not that well understood in Europe. The message that at times it will be up to Europeans to take responsibility has not come across. Consequently, so far Europeans have not achieved more coherence in defence capabilities, let alone more integration – barely some limited cooperation and minimal savings. Persistent shortfalls in military capabilities are not being met, quite the contrary.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, NATO, Globalization, International Cooperation, International Security, and Power Politics
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, Iraq, Europe, and Asia
565. New Nuclear Suppliers Encouraging Responsible Nuclear Supply by China, Republic of Korea, and India
- Author:
- Sharon Squassoni
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Abstract:
- Nuclear energy seemed set for revitalization until the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011. The accident that melted the cores of three light water reactors raised questions about the costs and risks of nuclear energy in many countries. Some countries have cancelled procurement, others have shut down reactors, and still others have declared a shift away from a nuclear future.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy, Environment, Natural Disasters, and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- China, South Asia, India, Asia, and Korea
566. Belarus in the CES: Advantages and Disadvantages of Economic Integration
- Author:
- Anna Maria Dyner and Natalia Ryabova
- Publication Date:
- 08-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Belarusian accession to the Common Economic Space (CES) was forced by two factors-the 2011 crisis and the necessity to gain cheap energy resources. Although Russia fulfilled its promises, decreasing gas and oil prices, Belarus is now feeling the negative results of the integration. According to CES rules, Belarusian authorities will have to tighten monetary policy, and reduce social spending and public financing of state-owned enterprises. The situation may be improved by foreign investments, but among the three CES countries, Belarus is the least attractive, especially since Russia joined the WTO and the because of the possible accession of Kazakhstan in the near future. Because of the need to carry out the major reforms in Belarus, the European Union has a greater chance to influence the situation in that country, for example by supporting modernisation projects.
- Topic:
- Development, Oil, Natural Resources, and Monetary Policy
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Asia
567. The Senkaku Islands and the U.S.-Japan Alliance: Future Implications for the Asia-Pacific
- Author:
- Tetsuo Kotani
- Publication Date:
- 03-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- By challenging Japan’s control of the Senkaku Islands, China is testing the resolve of Tokyo and the strategic position of Washington. In other words, China is testing the credibility of the U.S.-Japan alliance. Casual observers tend to overlook or underestimate the confront-ation that ensued between Tokyo and Beijing after the Japanese government formally purchased three Senkaku islets in September 2012.
- Topic:
- Bilateral Relations, Territorial Disputes, and Alliance
- Political Geography:
- Japan, China, Asia, and United States of America
568. Clarifying U.S. – Japan Mine Warfare Roles, Missions, and Capabilities in the Persian Gulf: An Examination of International Legal Issues
- Author:
- Sean Henseler
- Publication Date:
- 03-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- The “Armitage/Nye Report” suggests that one area for potential increased alliance defense cooperation is minesweeping in the Persian Gulf. There is no question that Japan has the capability to deploy minesweepers to the Gulf and that doing so might have a deterrent effect were Iran to announce once again that it was planning to close the SOH. The real question for policymakers revolves around Japanese willingness to do so.
- Topic:
- International Law, War, Bilateral Relations, Weapons, and Deterrence
- Political Geography:
- Japan, Asia, North America, Persian Gulf, and United States of America
569. A ‘New Era’ for Japan’s Global Engagement and the U.S.-Japan Alliance
- Author:
- Yukio Tada
- Publication Date:
- 05-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- There have been already “many ‘firsts’” in the Abe 2.0 administration. With continued political leadership and bold economic initiatives on both sides, there is now a historic opportunity to help get the U.S.-Japan alliance back on the right track.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Bilateral Relations, Leadership, Economy, and Alliance
- Political Geography:
- Japan, Asia, and United States of America
570. Upgrading the Japan-U.S. Defense Guidelines: Toward a New Phase of Operational Coordination
- Author:
- Sugio Takahashi
- Publication Date:
- 06-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- The Japan-U.S. alliance has unique organizational characteristics compared to other major U.S. military alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance. While these two alliances have a single integrated command and control (C2) structure for wartime coalition operation, the Japan-U.S. alliance lacks a permanent institution for combined operation. In the event of a military contingency, Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) and U.S. military forces must operate separately. In the absence of a C2 structure, the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation (hereafter “Defense Guidelines”) in effect embody procedures for operational coordination for the Japan-U.S. alliance.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, NATO, International Cooperation, Bilateral Relations, and Alliance
- Political Geography:
- Japan, Asia, South Korea, North America, and United States of America
571. Coastal Defense in Japan’s Southwestern Islands: Force Posture Options for Securing Japan’s Southern Flank
- Author:
- Eric Sayers
- Publication Date:
- 01-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Project 2049 Institute
- Abstract:
- How Japan chooses to adapt its forces in the Ryukyus and East China Sea to the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) actions in these waters is a central question for defense planners in Tokyo in the decade ahead. While the defense investments called for in the Mid-Term Defense Program (2011-2015) budget have initiated this process, the specific defense posture Japan will choose to adopt for this task remains unresolved.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Armed Forces, and Military Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Japan and Asia
572. Beyond Relief: Addressing the Rights and Needs of Nepal’s Wives of the Disappeared
- Author:
- The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
- Publication Date:
- 08-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
- Abstract:
- Based on the findings of over 450 interviews, this briefing paper looks at the socioeconomic impact of enforced disappearances on the wives of the disappeared in Nepal. More than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for after Nepal’s 10-year conflict ended in 2006. The majority were young men with wives and children. The paper highlights the precarious economic situation that results from the loss of a husband who is usually the family’s sole breadwinner. It also examines Nepali laws that compound financial hardships and the social stigmatization that leaves many women vulnerable to additional abuses. The paper recommends reforms to establish the legal status of victims of enforced disappearance and prioritizing land title for the wives of the disappeared to alleviate some of the ongoing consequences of these crimes.
- Topic:
- Accountability, Justice, Disappearance, and Gender
- Political Geography:
- South Asia, Asia, and Nepal
573. North Korea, Ballistic Missile Defence and Canada-US Defence Cooperation
- Author:
- Frank Harvey
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
- Abstract:
- In December 2012, North Korea launched the Unha-3 rocket – a three-stage, intercontinental ballistic missile with an estimated range of 10,000 kilometres. When combined with North Korea’s latest underground nuclear test in January, these moves represent a concerted effort by the regime to develop and deploy an offensive nuclear capability. When acquired, a nuclear tipped intercontinental ballistic missile will provide Pyongyang with a credible deterrent that will seriously diminish our coercive leverage in subsequent military security crises involving North and South Korea. The imperative on the part of the international community to move forward with research, development and deployment of ballistic missile defences (BMD) is becoming more pressing each year. In November 2010, 28 NATO members signed NATO’s new Strategic Concept. The most relevant part of the alliance’s new strategy is the commitment by all NATO members to: “Develop the capability to defend our populations and territories against ballistic missile attack as a core element of our collective defence.” As a NATO member, Canada now officially endorses the logic, strategic utility and security benefits of ballistic missile defence, but, apparently, only in terms of protecting European and American territory and populations. The most perplexing aspect of Canada’s policy is the ongoing refusal to engage in bilateral discussions with our most important NATO ally to negotiate BMD architecture to protect Canadian territory and populations. Canadian officials have the luxury to sit back and let allies protect our territory, but this is a foreign policy strategy that has reached the point of taking free-riding to a new and somewhat disturbing level.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, International Cooperation, Missile Defense, and Ballistic Missile
- Political Geography:
- China, Canada, Asia, North Korea, and United States of America
574. Reshaping the Security Order in Asia-Pacific
- Author:
- Alain Guidetti
- Publication Date:
- 11-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
- Abstract:
- The international strategic landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The widespread assumption is that the global balance of power is shifting from the West to the East (and the South), as a consequence of the convergence of two variables: the sustained economic growth of China and Asia over recent decades, and the Western economic downturn since the 2008 global financial crisis. Though interpretations differ on the meaning and magnitude of this power shift, the prevailing assumption is that it reflects the weakness, and for some the relative decline, of the US and the West against Asia's and primarily China's strong rise. The implications of these developments across the Asia-Pacific are deep and have already led to growing strategic competition between Beijing and Washington for preeminence over the Asia-Pacific and new uncertainties over global and regional governance.
- Topic:
- Economics, Human Rights, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, Washington, Beijing, Asia, Australia, and Asia-Pacific
575. Advancing Myanmar's Transition: A Way Forward for U.S. Policy
- Author:
- Priscilla Clapp and Suzanne DiMaggio
- Publication Date:
- 02-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Asia Society
- Abstract:
- In January 2012, an Asia Society delegation visited Burma/Myanmar to engage in a Track II dialogue with the Myanmar Development Resources Institute (MDRI), a newly created, independent think tank based in Yangon. The MDRI participants in the dialogue include advisors with a mandate to provide policy advice in the areas of political, economic, and legal affairs to President Thein Sein and his government. The goal of this informal dialogue is to establish an ongoing channel of communication between experts from both countries and to explore opportunities to advance U.S.–Myanmar relations during a particularly fluid and fragile period of transition in Myanmar.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Democratization, Development, and Diplomacy
- Political Geography:
- United States, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Myanmar
576. A Double-Edged Sword: Information Technology in North Korea
- Author:
- Scott Thomas Bruce
- Publication Date:
- 10-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- With North Korea's tightly controlled and isolated population, the rise of information technology—specifically cell phones and an intranet—is an unprecedented development. In the last decade, a domestic intranet was launched and a cell phone network was created. Both of these form a closed, domestic system, which the regime hopes will allow for productivity gains from increased coordination and the sharing of state-approved information, while keeping out foreign influences. North Korea is now confronted with the challenge of how to reap the economic benefits of an IT system, while avoiding the social instability that may accompany it. The country has made a fundamental shift from a state that limits access to information technology to ensure the security of the regime, to one that is willing to use it as a tool, at least among a certain privileged class, to support the development of the nation. Although North Korea is stable for now, over the next decade, information technology has the potential to transform the state and it also creates a strong incentive to integrate North Korea into the dynamic economies of Northeast Asia.
- Topic:
- Security, Human Rights, Communications, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Israel, Asia, and North Korea
577. A New Paradigm? Prospects and Challenges for U.S. Global Leadership
- Author:
- Tural Ahmadov
- Publication Date:
- 12-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
- Abstract:
- Throughout the years the overwhelming preponderance of US global leadership is debated by scholars and politicians. In light of the 'rise of the rest', this preponderance is either diminishing or still standing. As of now, yet again, the US is a dominant player both economically and militarily. However, economic recession is likely to make the United States put more emphasis on domestic problems and less emphasis on foreign challenges. Since political and economic landscape is swiftly changing overseas, the United States should act accordingly and cooperate with regional powers on issues of mutual interest. Similarly, as current development is under way in the Middle East, the United States should staunchly back Turkey as the regional hub in dealing with Syrian crisis and foiling Iranian menace.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Economics, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- United States, Middle East, and Asia
578. The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Asia-Pacific Integration: Policy Implications
- Author:
- Peter A. Petri
- Publication Date:
- 06-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), currently at an advanced stage of negotiation, began as a small agreement but now has big implications. The TPP would strengthen ties between Asia and the Americas, create a new template for the conduct of international trade and investment, and potentially lead to a comprehensive free trade area (FTA) in the Asia-Pacific. It could generate large benefits—greater than those expected from the World Trade Organization's (WTO) global Doha Development Agenda. This Policy Brief reports on our ongoing quantitative assessment (with FanZhai) of the TPP and other Asia-Pacific integration efforts.
- Topic:
- Economics, Emerging Markets, International Trade and Finance, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- America, Europe, Israel, Asia, and Australia/Pacific
579. Inward foreign direct investment: Does it enable or constrain domestic technology entrepreneurship?
- Author:
- Saurav Pathak, André Laplume, and Emanuel Xavier-Oliveira
- Publication Date:
- 12-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
- Abstract:
- Whether or not foreign direct investment (FDI) is essential for domestic technological and economic development remains a contentious question. The controversy is illustrated by comparing the Celtic and Asian Tigers experiences from 1995 to 2000. Based on IMF and World Bank data in constant prices, Ireland and China averaged an annual growth rate of 8% in GDP per capita. However, FDI per capita grew at an average pace of 98% per year in Ireland, while in China it decreased by 1% -- absolute values averaged US$ 3,397 versus US$ 144, respectively. This suggests that, rather than a one-policy-fits-all approach, customized policies are more appropriate; and, if any generalization can be made, it should be based on a country's stage of economic development.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Emerging Markets, International Trade and Finance, and Foreign Direct Investment
- Political Geography:
- Israel and Asia
580. A New Framework for US-China Economic Relations
- Author:
- Henry M. Paulson
- Publication Date:
- 07-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- For nearly four decades, there has been a broad consensus among US policy and opinion leaders that China's success will, ultimately, be good for the United States. But this long-standing consensus is now fraying. We need a new consensus, based on an updated framework that reflects the reality that China is no longer a "developing" economy but an increasingly established one.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Asia and North America
581. Conventional Arms Control in Europe and Related Regional Security Concerns
- Author:
- Isabelle Francois
- Publication Date:
- 12-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Conventional arms control in Europe remains relevant more than two decades after the singing of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE). Today, it could serve as a useful vehicle for collaboration with Russia on a broad range of security issues, and productive movement forward would also do much to reassure and secure smaller NATO allies and regional partners. Ultimately, what is needed is a paradigm shift away from "mutual assured destruction" and towards a concept of "mutual assured stability."
- Topic:
- NATO, Arms Control and Proliferation, Diplomacy, Regional Cooperation, and International Security
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
582. Pacific Island Nations: How Viable Are Their Economies?
- Author:
- Francis X. Hezel
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- The Pacific is receiving a fair share of attention today from many quarters. Even as the parade of economic consultants continues, others are coming to explore concerns that have more recently claimed the attention of western nations. These concerns cover a broad range, including food security, global warming, elimination of illegal drug traffic in the region, prevention of AIDS or even drug-resistant tuberculosis, protection from spouse abuse, and public-school improvement. These are legitimate interests, but none of them addresses the central concern that vexes each of the island nations of Micronesia, and perhaps the islands elsewhere in the Pacific: How will the country grow its economy to ensure its survival in the future?
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Poverty, and Foreign Aid
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Australia, and Island
583. Sector-specific Activities as the Driving Force towards a Low-Carbon Economy: From the Asia-Pacific Partnership to a Global Partnership
- Author:
- Noriko Fujiwara
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
- Abstract:
- From 2006 to 2011, the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) provided a non-legally binding framework based on a public–private partnership to support projects towards clean development and climate objectives in seven countries in the region. Three of the eight sectoral APP task forces (on power generation and transmission, cement and steel) are to continue their activities under the Global Superior Energy Performance partnership (GSEP), with a stronger focus on energy efficiency and environmental performance, and participation expanded to the global scale. This decision was based on the official view that the APP activities were successful and could lead to other successes in similar initiatives with similar working formats.
- Topic:
- Climate Change and Environment
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Asia, Australia, and Asia-Pacific
584. How Verbal Threats to Close Oil Transit Chokepoints Lead to Military Conflict
- Author:
- John Bowlus
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
- Abstract:
- On December 26, 2011, in response to US, European, and potential Asian sanctions on Iranian oil exports, the government in Tehran issued a threat to “cut off the Strait of Hormuz.” The US Defense Department responded that any blockade of the strait would be met with force. On first read, it is easy to dismiss such saber rattling as another chapter in the new Cold War in the Middle East between Iran and its allies – including Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah – and the US, Israel, and the Sunni Gulf States, mostly notably Saudi Arabia. Iran has since backed away from its threat, but the event still carries importance because it is unclear how both the US and Iran will continue to respond, particularly as the diplomatic and economic pressures grow more acute while Iran's controversial nuclear program advances. Could such a verbal threat by Iran to cut off the Strait of Hormuzignite a military conflagration in the region? The relationship between military conflict and oil supply disruptions is well established; however, policymakers and analysts tend to focus on the incidents in which military conflict causes disruptions in oil supplies and sharp increases in prices. The first and most obvious example of this dynamic was the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. The subsequent oil embargo by the Arab members of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) against the United States and the Netherlands for their support of Israel caused prices to soar as oil-consuming nations endured supply shortages. The Iranian Revolution from 1978 to 1979 was another event that curtailed Western nations' access to oil and caused prices to spike. When thinking about the relationship between military conflict and oil supply disruptions, however, policymakers and analysts should also recognize that the competition over oil – and even verbal threats to disrupt oil supplies by closing oil transit chokepoints – have either led directly to military conflict or have provided a useful cover under which countries have initiated military conflict. By examining past episodes when countries issued threats to close oil transit chokepoints, this Policy Brief helps illuminate the dangers associated with the current crisis over the Strait of Hormuz.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, and Sanctions
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Arabia
585. To Stay Ahead of China, Stay Engaged in Asia
- Author:
- Michael Beckley
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- Despite the hype about the rise of China, current power trends favor continued U.S. dominance. National power has three main material components: wealth, innovation, and military power. Over the last twenty years, China has fallen further behind the United States in all of these areas.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, and Asia
586. The 2012 national elections in Papua New Guinea: averting violence
- Author:
- Scott Flower and Jim Leahy
- Publication Date:
- 03-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- This paper draws on fieldwork undertaken by the authors between January 2011 and January 2012 among local communities in Port Moresby and three of the more unstable highlands provinces of PNG (Southern Highlands, Western Highlands and Enga).
- Topic:
- Political Violence, Democratization, Government, Politics, and Fragile/Failed State
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Australia/Pacific, and Guinea
587. Inflection point: the Australian Defence Force after Afghanistan
- Author:
- Alan Dupont
- Publication Date:
- 03-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- In every era there are inflection points which require long - established institutions to re - evaluate their goals, strategy, structure and resource allocations to ensure their future health and relevance. As a major organ of state, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is no exception.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Security, and Defense Policy
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, Asia, Australia, and Australia/Pacific
588. Burma/Myanmar's By-Elections: Will Personalities Trump Institutions?
- Author:
- Tin Maung Maung Than
- Publication Date:
- 04-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- By-elections in electoral democracies usually elicit very little excitement beyond the affected constituencies. However, Burma/Myanmar's recent by-elections held most of Asia and the West in rapt attention, with droves of international observers, media representatives, and curious foreigners flocking to Myanmar on an unprecedented scale. As anticipated, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won 43 of the 44 seats that it contested, subsequently hailed as the “victory of the people.” The lead-up, campaigning, and the actual voting, along with the post-election euphoria, resembled a regime-changing national election rather than a series of by-elections that secured the NLD a very minor 6.4 percent of the overall seats in the parliamentary Union Assembly's Lower and Upper Houses. The current government of President U Thein Sein most likely regarded these by-elections as a means of legitimizing its mandate to govern and enhance its own reform credentials.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Democratization, Human Rights, Politics, Regime Change, and Political Activism
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Myanmar
589. No Hedging in Canberra: The Australia-US Alliance in the "Asian Century"
- Author:
- Nick Bisley
- Publication Date:
- 04-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has just completed a lightning visit to Australia for formal discussions with newly installed Foreign Minister Bob Carr. In spite of the political turmoil that brought Carr to office, the Australia-US alliance is in the best shape of its 60-year history. Having begun as a Cold War convenience, about which the United States was not enthusiastic, it has become a key part of Washington's regional role and a cornerstone not only of Australia's defense and security policy, but of its broader engagement with the world. The arrival in early April of the US Marine Corps to begin six-month training rotations in Darwin is emblematic of the alliance's standing and its evolution.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Cold War, Diplomacy, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Washington, Asia, and Australia/Pacific
590. "Linsanity," Social Media and US-Asia Relations
- Author:
- Elina Noor
- Publication Date:
- 03-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks' former benchwarmer and now worldwide basketball sensation, is the new Cinderella Man or “Linderella” of basketball, and maybe even more. As the National Basketball Association's (NBA) first American-born player of Chinese-Taiwanese descent, Lin has notched impressive game statistics, sparked new “Lin-go” around his name, and enraptured fans from Queens to the Bay Area, Zhejiang to Taipei, and Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur.
- Topic:
- Mass Media and Youth Culture
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, New York, East Asia, Asia, Australia/Pacific, and Kuala Lumpur
591. Russia in the Asia-Pacific: Between Integration and Geopolitics
- Author:
- Paul Richardson
- Publication Date:
- 02-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- For the first time in its history, Russia this year assumed the leadership of a major Asia- Pacific forum—APEC. In September the organization's annual summit will be held in Vladivostok and through this congress Russia hopes to demonstrate to the world, and its own citizens, that the country is once again a power in both Europe and Asia. It is a bold vision, which is bound to Russia's national development strategy and Great Power aspirations. As one Russian diplomat told this author, if Russia really becomes involved in Asia it could change the country and also the world.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Development, International Affairs, and Power Politics
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Asia, and Australia/Pacific
592. U.S.-China Competition in Asia: Legacies Help America
- Author:
- Robert Sutter
- Publication Date:
- 02-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- As Sino-American competition for influence enters a new stage with the Obama administration's re-engagement with Asia, each power's legacies in the region add to economic, military and diplomatic factors determining which power will be more successful in the competition. How the United States and China deal with their respective histories in regional affairs and the role of their non-government relations with the Asia- Pacific represent important legacies that on balance favor the United States.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Diplomacy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, America, and Asia
593. All Roads Lead to the Indian Ocean
- Author:
- Sumathy Permal
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Maritime Institute of Malaysia
- Abstract:
- The Indian Ocean (IO) is the world’s third largest ocean with an area of 73.5 million sq. km or 28.5 million sq. miles. It is strategically located adjacent to Asia in the North, Australia to the East, Antarctica to the South, and Africa to the West. IO forms two large indentations in South Asia, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The ocean can be accessed through several chokepoints i.e., from the West via Cape of Good Hope and the Straits of Madagascar, from the North via the Bab el-Mandeb at the end of the Red Sea; the Sunda and Lombok-Straits and the Ombai-Wetar-Straits and the Straits of Hormuz at the exit of the Persian Gulf, from the East via the Straits of Malacca and, by way of geographical extension, to the South China Sea.
- Topic:
- Security, International Law, International Trade and Finance, and Maritime Commerce
- Political Geography:
- Africa, China, Malaysia, Asia, Arabia, and Kobani
594. Russia on the Move
- Author:
- Dmitri V. Trenin, Maria Lipman, Alexey Malashenko, and Nikolay Petrov
- Publication Date:
- 06-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- To the casual observer, Russia is stuck where it was a decade ago. Vladimir Putin has once again assumed the presidency and any semblance of organized political opposition largely faded away after the March elections. But popular protests persist, and the existing politico-economic system can no longer adequately address the shifting social realities inside the country or the challenges of the global environment. The system must change if Russia is to develop further, and Moscow's policies of economic modernization alone are neither sufficient nor possible without political reform.
- Topic:
- Corruption, Democratization, Political Economy, Fragile/Failed State, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
595. Mutual Accountability: Lessons and Prospects for Afghanistan Post-Tokyo
- Author:
- William Byrd
- Publication Date:
- 08-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- At the Tokyo conference on July 8, donors committed to provide massive civilian aid to Afghanistan and improve aid effectiveness, while the Afghan government committed to a number of governance and political benchmarks. The outcome at Tokyo exceeded expectations, but a review of Afghan and international experience suggests that implementing the Tokyo mutual accountability framework will be a major challenge. The multiplicity of donors could weaken coherence around targets and enforcing benchmarks, and undermine the accountability of the international community for overall funding levels. Uncertain political and security prospects raise doubts about the government's ability to meet its commitments, and political will for needed reforms understandably may decline as security transition proceeds and the next election cycle approaches. It is doubtful whether major political issues can be handled through an articulated mutual accountability framework with benchmarks and associated financial incentives. The civilian aid figure agreed upon at Tokyo ($16 billion over four years) is ambitious and exceeded expectations; if the international community falls short, this could be used to justify the Afghan government failing to achieve its benchmarks. Finally, given past experience there are doubts about how well the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) process (mandated to oversee implementation), and the series of further high-level meetings agreed at Tokyo, will work.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, Development, Economics, Governance, and Law Enforcement
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and Asia
596. Australia - China ties: in search of political trust
- Author:
- Linda Jakobson
- Publication Date:
- 06-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- How Canberra should manage its relations with Beijing, given the importance of China economically, politically and militarily, is a question which divides Australians. There is general agreement that the rise of China will have a profound effect on the well - being and security of Australia. The consensus ends there.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- China, Asia, and Australia
597. A Regional Approach to WMD Nonproliferation in the Asia-Pacific
- Author:
- Togzhan Kassenova
- Publication Date:
- 08-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- The Asia-Pacific region epitomizes the type of proliferation challenges the international community faces. Globalization turned the region into one of the most important international trade hubs, the home to leading dual-use companies, and the anticipated site of the world's most significant growth in nuclear energy. While those trends are beneficial, they also create new sources of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation.
- Topic:
- Arms Control and Proliferation, Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Australia
598. ASEAN in the Global Economy- An Enhanced Economic and Political Role
- Author:
- Anita Prakash and Ikumo Isono
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- Established in 1967, ASEAN has travelled a long way from a group of five nations to a thriving and leading group of ten countries. Based on the progress in the implementation of the blueprints for building the ASEAN community by 2015, there is an enhanced role for the ASEAN in dealing with regional and global challenges. It is emerging as a services hub in the region and is the chosen destination for investments. At the end of Indonesia's chairmanship of ASEAN, which had set the theme 'ASEAN in a global community of nations', it is imperative to take a stock of the readiness of the region if it is well on its way to step into a truly global role in the near future, especially by its goal of becoming one community by 2015. With its strategic location, abundant natural resources, quality human resources and growing economies, ASEAN has engaged economically, by way of trade and investments, with all the large economies of the world. It has also gained strategic weight and drawn the attention of global players, both economically and politically. Its global engagement is best exemplified by the fact that 55 countries across the globe have appointed their envoys to the regional grouping and this number is growing. Sitting in the midst of giant economies like Japan, China and India, and with active economic relations with USA and the EU, ASEAN is now seeking its due share in the global economy and politics. This Policy Brief looks into the current global profile of ASEAN and brings out policy recommendations that would help ASEAN in finding its appropriate role in the global politics and economy.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, International Cooperation, International Trade and Finance, Hegemony, and Economy
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
599. Liberalization of Trade in Services: Toward a Harmonized ASEAN++ FTA
- Author:
- Hikari Ishido and Yoshifumi Fukunaga
- Publication Date:
- 03-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- The East Asian countries are seriously discussing the consolidation of ASEAN+1 FTAs to develop so-called ASEAN++ FTA or RCEP. The detailed analysis of services chapters in the existing ASEAN+1 FTAs gives insights to services trade liberalization in this new trade agreement. In order for ASEAN and its FTA partners to gain substantial new commitments that are genuinely "plus" to the existing trade pacts, both WTO GATS and ASEAN+1 FTAs, ASEAN++ countries should aim at an ambitious level of liberalization much higher than the AFAS package 5. Also, the detailed analysis suggests a policy option of narrowing the types of services trade limitations, i.e., focusing on three types of limitations and hence improving transparency. Furthermore, we advocate for the needs of prioritizing production-related services sectors in the negotiation. Beyond ASEAN++ FTA, we briefly explain the critical roles of domestic regulatory reform.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Reform, Regulation, Services, and Private Sector
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
600. Toward a Consolidated Preferential Tariff Structure in East Asia: Going beyond ASEAN+1 FTAs
- Author:
- Sio Yue Chia
- Publication Date:
- 05-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
- Abstract:
- ASEAN countries are discussing a possible template for trade in goods chapter of so-called ASEAN++ FTA (also known as RCEP). Analyses of tariff structures under the current ASEAN+1 FTAs give insights on possible approaches as well as challenges in this discussion. To meet 90% or 95% tariff elimination thresholds, both ASEAN countries and their FTA partners should make further efforts. When a "common concession" approach, which we advocate in this paper, is applied, the challenge becomes even larger as member countries should focus their policy discretion on a more limited number of sensitive products. These challenges, on the other hand, mean room for additional gains for potential users of the new agreement despite the existence of ASEAN+1 FTAs.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, International Cooperation, International Trade and Finance, and Tariffs
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia