Political Science and International Studies

This book explores how China's political system responds to crisis. A crisis is an episode whose impact cannot be controlled merely by astute on-the-ground incident management, particularly in cases involving widespread doubt about the legitimacy of established policy paradigms or the political order as a whole. Crisis can create “political windows” for advocacy groups challenging established policies in pluralist democracies. The political battle between competing definitions of an uncertain and ambiguous situation among the various actors provides them with crisis-induced opportunity space for dramatic policy change. However, the process of crisis-induced policy change, mainly by crisis framing, in non-west regimes like China has not been adequately addressed. As China's leadership foregrounds legitimacy in “victory” over COVID-19, and a new era of climate change disasters begins, this dynamic model of crisis and recuperation will offer food for thought for scholars of Chinese andglobal politics.

This book introduces six key influential feminist activists from Japan’s contemporary feminist movement and examines Japanese women’s experience of and contribution to the international #MeToo movement. Set against a backdrop of pervasive sexual inequality in Japanese society—on a scale that makes Japan an outlier in Asia as well as the rest of the advanced democratic world—this book offers a snapshot of Japan’s contemporary feminist movement and the issues it faces, including, primarily, sexual violence and harassment of women and girls. The six feminist activists interviewed to create this snapshot all work toward eradicating sexual violence against women and girls—they are: Kitahara Minori (instigator of the Flower Demo and public commentator), Yamamoto Jun (activist for sex crime law amendments), Nitō Yumeno (advocate for sexually exploited girls), Tsunoda Yukiko (feminist lawyer), Mitsui Mariko (former politician and current activist), and Yang-Ching-Ja (comfort women activist).

This book provides new insights into the development of integrated approaches to peace and sustainability in the era of global change. Since the late 1980s, and in order to regulate the increasingly detrimental impacts of humans on the environment, the transition towards sustainability has been high on the agenda of researchers and policymakers alike. Meanwhile, peace considerations have expanded in recent decades to include the varied types and sources of conflict, from inter-state to intra-state conflicts due to various social, political, economic, and environmental factors. Through providing theoretical and empirical insights, this book demonstrates that sustainability and peace as intrinsically interrelated. The book elaborates on the multi-dimensional and constantly evolving concepts of sustainability and peace. In addition, the book contributes to a better understanding of the complex and dynamic interlinkages between peace and sustainability by presenting examples of pathwayswhere sustainability and peace interact considering the different factors and contexts that are constantly shaping and reshaping the conditions for sustainable and peaceful societies.  

This book mainly introduces the concepts and approaches of global governance from the viewpoints of Chinese and Russian scholars and is divided into four parts. The first one deals with the concept of a new type of global governance, namely “Globalization 2.0”. The second one is dedicated to institutions and multilateralism, including the importance and effectiveness of international institutions. The third part focuses on the important countries and regions in the new era, as well as such issues as the current global status quo, processes in Eurasia, the prospects of the U.S. – China – Russia trilateral relationship. The last part analyzes the future development of global governance and possible solutions of how it might be improved. Climate change, digital era, cyber security, financial and economic regimes, COVID-19 are all involved in this part. In short, this book is a profound and cutting-edge research on global governance.

This book reports on the results of a survey of 38 major Chinese cities’ public service performances and provides an overview of the development of basic public services in the larger cities. The quality of urban public services is examined from 9 different perspectives: basic healthcare and public health, housing, public transportation, public security, employment and social security, compulsory education, urban environment, culture and sports, and government services. Moreover, a series of indices are applied to further study the degree of public satisfaction with basic public services in these cities. These indices include the index of GDP leveraging satisfaction with basic public services, the rising index of satisfaction with basic public services in cities, and the development index of satisfaction with the basic public service elements. On the basis of the survey results, this book also identifies the most important social issues among the surveyed public, including food anddrinking water safety, information security, housing prices, pensions, and air and environment quality.

This Open Access book provides a comprehensive analysis of political reforms in Japan since the 1990s, emphasizing the role of ideas in shaping their goals and outcomes.

       For more than fifteen years following the collapse of Japan’s economic bubble, politicians, business people and academics tackled a range of institutional reforms. The sweeping changes they enacted—covering almost all facets of the public sphere, including elections, public administration, courts and the central bank—fundamentally altered Japanese political processes and policies. Taken together, they arguably represent the final touches of Japan’s political modernization, which had been unfolding since the mid-19^th century.

    Throughout the reform process, advocates were inspired by a combination of liberal and modernist ideas. This book examines those guiding concepts and illustrates the often messy process of applying them to real-world institutions. While most reforms began from common goals, they ultimately produced different—and frequently unexpected—institutional outcomes, which continue to shape Japanese politics. By focusing on the relationship between the ideas and processes that shaped Japan’s reforms, this book presents a broad vision of institutional change in comparative politics.

This volume explores the implications of pluralism for international order. Distinguished contributors from around the world offer insights into the character of a pluralistic world order. They focus especially on the manifestations of international pluralism in great power relations, multilateralism, and regionalism. Contributors examine the myriad challenges a pluralistic world order will face in the years ahead, yet they eschew alarmist conclusions. There is still scope for the great powers to better manage their relations, and equally important, much space for multilateralism and regionalism to play their increasingly important roles in stabilizing world order. Distinctive in bringing the themes of pluralism and world order together in both theoretical exposition and policy discussion, this book offers a stimulating reading for scholars and practitioners of world politics.

This book focuses on securitization and authoritarianism in Turkey with research on the country’s Islamist populist ruling party’s (AKP) oppression of different socio-political, ethnic and religious groups. In doing so, it analyzes how the AKP has securitized to oppress different socio-political groups and identities, according to the time and need for the party's political survival. Research in the book sheds light on the use of traumas, conspiracy theories, and fear as tools in the securitization and repression processes.

This book presents South Asian women’s voices which have been marginalised in the theory and practice of international relations in the region. It highlights critical issues of importance for women which are often neglected in traditional International Relations (IR). Embracing  Feminist epistemology, the book re imagines the theory and practice of IR in South Asia, placing women’s experiences and their diverse voices at the centre. Refusing the temptation to typecast women, the book showcases the varied voices of South Asian women in international relations with contributions from an eclectic set of authors from different nationalities. In doing so, the book expands the ontological and epistemological limits of IR by including caste, conflict, protest perspectives. While some of these are uniquely South Asian, like caste, all of them show how the field of IR in general can become enriched by being more inclusive. This book will be of interest to researchers as it provides a fresh conceptual re-conceptualization of the field of IR from gender as well as global south perspective. The book will also help graduate students seeking to understand the intersection of gender and IR.

This book offers comprehensive review and analysis of official corruption in post-Mao China, arguing that this complex political and social malaise is the consequence of a variety of contributing factors, which include political, social, traditional/cultural, or structural, institutional, governance or policy failures. This study distinguishes itself from the methodologies of other studies by classifying corruption into detailed categories and sub-categories, accompanied by abundant cases and examples of the irregularities and offences. Contents are organized into four categories – bureaucratic corruption, regulatory corruption, corruption in judiciary, and corruption characteristic of socialist reform China, and each category is further divided into detailed subcategories to pin down the patterns, actors, loci, as well as inducements of corruption originated from either political institutions, economic structures, or sociocultural norms. Given its comprehensiveness and in-depth ofinformation and analysis, this book is a useful reference for those interested in political and government corruption in post-Mao China.

This book brings together a range of studies that aim at illustrating the ideas, institutions, historical patterns, and contemporary relevance of the social-political system that existed in the main part of East Asia during the premodern era. This is most often known as the Confucian literati-bureaucratic state, the imperial Chinese bureaucratic state, or the Confucian-Legalist state, that was established and endured most notably in China, but also in several East Asian societies such as Korea, Vietnam, Japan. That state and sociopolitical system also greatly shaped state making in several kingdoms in the region – such as Ryukyu and Dali – which were later merged into larger polities. Illuminating the significance of these historical patterns for today, this book will interest political scientists, historians, philosophers, and the general public.

This book focuses on the dialogues to improve the communication among Asian countries, which is contributed by world-wide experts from think-tanks, academia and governments. In this book, it involves the topics of Connotation and Evolution of Asian Civilization, Exchanges and Mutual Learning of Asian Civilization, Asian Civilization and Asian Development, Opportunities and Challenges Faced with Asian Civilization, etc.

This book explores the developmental direction of the modernization of China's basic public services in the context of national governance modernization. Describing the blueprint for the modernization of China's basic public services in 2030, including basic public education, basic medical and health services, basic old-age services, and basic public cultural services, this book reflects Chinese public management scholars' strategies for the modernization of China’s public services in the next 10 years and the path to get there. This book will interest scholars of Chinese governance, as well as readers who want to understand the current status, challenges and development strategies of China's public service and social policy fields.

This book provides an analysis of the latest research findings in the field of world history, and includes terse articulations of modernity vis-à-vis empire. In doing so, the author brings together insights from both the disciplines of history and international relations into world systems, emphasising economic aspects, and offering a road map for the evolution of the field of world history.

The book achieves this by critically analysing the works of Peter Fibiger Bang, Christopher Alan Bayly, Walter Scheidel, Krishnan Kumar, Xin Fan, Christopher A. Ford and Diego Olstein. The author includes discussions such as how the Roman empire impacted all subsequent Western empires, both early and modern, and current debates in world history and politics such as China’s rise.

This volume brings together contributions from the academic community, policymakers, and practitioners to delve into the profound challenges facing the international system in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on the Global South, it offers a comprehensive analysis of the political economy of development in this region, considering the economic, social, and geopolitical factors at play. The book addresses the multifaceted challenges that developing countries encounter in terms of economic growth, poverty reduction, and social development in a post-pandemic world. It examines the impact of the pandemic on these countries and explores innovative strategies for promoting economic recovery and sustainable development.

It is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the political economy of development in the Global South post covid-19 pandemic. It provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing developing countries and offers valuable insights into the potential solutions that can be implemented to foster economic recovery and development. Its interdisciplinary approach and diverse perspectives make it a valuable resource for anyone interested in the dynamics of development in the Global South.

The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is the most influential, organized, social, and political movement in Kuwait. With the succession in Kuwait, the role of the organisation become more interesting for people interested in Kuwait and Gulf domestic politics as well as those interested in the MB and Political Islam. This book traces the emergence and development of MB while considering the political and social development of Kuwait that led to its appeal. It explains the evolution of MB’s organisational structure and how it adapted itself during different periods in Kuwait’s history through the Social Movement Theory. It describes MB policies and strategies during challenging times. It traces the circumstances surrounding the emergence of the MB and focuses on its development and its mobilisation strategy. It is certainly one of the first focused studies on MB from its conception in 1941 up to 1991.

China’s Social Credit System has fundamentally re-shaped global notions of surveillance, making it into European Union legislation and hundreds of media headlines. Drawing on a rich body of empirical evidence, this book offers one of the first comprehensive assessments of this infamous system, from its fragmented implementation to its implications for both human rights and the market order. Surprisingly, it illustrates even China's government is confused about this messy initiative. Separating fact from fiction, Social Credit is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in technology, governance, and surveillance in China and beyond.  

The book is presented in an accessible Q&A format and draws on interviews, articles, and reports, as well as dialogues between Professor Allisonand Dr. Huiyao Wang from the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a non-governmental think tank based in Beijing. The book also includes an introduction and afterword by Dr. Huiyao Wang, CCG president and editor of this volume.

This book is the first to analyse the practice of governance to resolve conflict in the case of Aceh in Indonesia. Combining theoretical discourse on conflict, democracy, and governance, it draws from original field research on the separatist conflict, utilizing a social constructivist approach in collating observations and interviews with political elites from both the Government of Indonesia and the Aceh Independent Movement (GAM). The conflict was an intractable one in which thousand civilians were killed between 1976 and 2006. The author zooms into the 2003 and 2007 period, against the broader context of the political landscape of Indonesia under the Suharto regime. In doing so, the book tackles the challenges presented by intrastate conflicts relating to ethno-religiosity, land use, and separatism. It unpacks the Indonesian political system’s shift from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one, and demarcates the prevalence of state violence in managing conflicts, as exemplified in the Aceh separatism conflict. Relevent to political scientists and scholars in peace, conflict and development studies, this co-published book presents novel sociological insights into Indonesia’s historical, and contemporary, political landscape.

This book brings together scholars based in, or had previously been based in a range of East and Southeast Asian countries, building on their respective primary empirical data and first-hand experience as academics and think tank researchers, in order to pluralise the current debates about governance in transitional societies. In an era of global democratic backsliding, this edited volume offers less-explored local perspectives, to balance the Western-centrism observed in area studies and the focus on former Soviet countries in transit. What is the future of governance in Asia? This book, by attempting to supply a diversity of answers, will interest political scientists, economists, and journalists.

The emergence of China as a great power is perhaps the most consequential development for the world in the 21st century. Yet, what the Western world sees in this development is largely through the prism of misinterpreted ideological dichotomy and misguided geopolitical rivalry. This book offers a deep look at the Chinese Communist Party and the nation it leads at conceptual, historic, and operational levels. If Thomas Kuhn’s concept of paradigm shift can be used in the social sciences, then China would represent the most significant anomaly to the dominant liberal exemplar. For students of China and of politics in general, and for the Western political and commercial elites, if they were to read one book about China to grasp the nature and weight of the Chinese phenomenon, Party Life would be it.

This book provides a comprehensive study of Indonesia's contemporary foreign policy engagement with Africa, highlighting the archipelago’s recent reawakening to the continent. It explores thoughts on Afro-Asian relations in general and their future in the changing geopolitical context. It provides a vision of Indonesia’s foreign policy and political situation at the highest level of leadership. It places Indonesia in a multi-comparison context, which helps us reconsider Indonesia today and widens our views on Indonesia’s needs to be better known through new perspectives and voices able to better convey the realities of its polity, aspirations, and complexities. It proposes, through the study of Indonesia’s African endeavour, to better grasp the contemporary Indonesian Zeitgeist and Weltanschauung. It also analyses the political power alliance formed by President Jokowi and former General Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, leading a state-led developmentthrough state capitalism, mobilising State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The Bandung Conference host aspires to project its domestic development achievements towards Africa, focusing on Africa for Africa and not merely as part of a sometimes-abstract Afro-Asian discourse. Nonetheless, Afro-Asianism continues to be mobilised to facilitate market penetration and serve domestic interests.

The book shows how Indonesia’s foreign policy toward Africa relates to domestic political contestation and consolidation, political legacy and commodity-based industrial policy, and Chinese and “China in Africa” networks and ideational influence, foremost among other networks of influence in the Jokowi era. The book also underlines how Indonesia’s knowledge production and academic deficiencies negatively impact its foreign policy capabilities, notably as a potential robust alternative partner for Africa. It will be beneficial for students, academicians, researchers, and diplomats. 

This book explores the use of Confucianism by the Chinese Communist Party in its assertion of political legitimacy.  Confucian thought offers an enduring framework for political legitimacy in East Asian societies, including China. All states strive to acquire legitimacy, and despite once denouncing Confucianism as the remnants of feudal poison, the Party is turning towards Confucianism as part of its legitimation efforts.  This suggests that the Party is suffering from an ideological void in terms of legitimacy and legitimation due to the diminishing relevance of Marxism in Chinese societal practices.  

This book offers a novel and comprehensive reappraisal of current relations between Italy and Australia. For the first time, it expands the scope of analysis by encompassing and critically reviewing research avenues that have been understudied so far. In order to pursue this objective, it provides innovative analyses on bilateral history, reciprocal migration, socio-cultural ties, international relations and trade, comparative politics, and scientific cooperation.

This edited book aims to analyze the domestic politics and foreign relations of the country after the Taliban regained power in August 2021. It touched upon the key issues affecting the Taliban regime, such as peace talks, terrorism threats, BRI cooperation, and the policies of the great powers and neighboring countries toward the new regime in Afghanistan. It makes a significant contribution by incorporating various viewpoints from government officials, university scholars, and think tank experts from China, Japan, and South Asian states. The broad approach and extensive coverage of all relevant countries make this book a valuable resource for more than just a specific academic community. It appeals to a diverse readership, including academics, policymakers, journalists, and general readers.

The main content of the book is divided into ten chapters, in which the first chapter briefly introduces the aims and scope of this book. The following 3 chapters look into the domestic politics in Afghanistan. These mainly include the Afghan peace negotiations, the challenge of the Taliban regime, and the security threats and regional response under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The next 6 chapters examine US's Afghan policy, China-Afghanistan relations, and Russia, India, Pakistan, Japan’s engagement with Afghanistan.

This book describes the battle between major Middle Eastern and Asian Muslim-majority states to control the definition of Islam in the 21st century. Focusing on United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, the book explores how the outcome of this battle will significantly empower the winner, or winners, to wield religious soft power, secure leadership of the Islamic world, and project strategic influence worldwide.

The result of the rivalry will determine which notions of a ‘moderate Islam’ will prevail including the degree to which these notions embrace religious and political pluralism, tolerance, gender equality, secularism, and human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or remain vague, as in current Saudi and Emirate usage of the term moderation, which is designed to mask these states’ failure to systematically integrate these values into their domestic and foreign policy agendas.

Ultimately, the battle for the soul of Islam will significantly impact how Muslims worldwide understand and practice their faith. Waged in diverse arenas across the globe, this complex religious and geopolitical struggle will play a significant role in determining the prospects for peace and security not only in the vast region extending from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Philippines but also in the United States and Europe.

China abruptly became the second largest economy and, at the same time, the second largest R&D spender in the world, aiming openly to become an innovation powerhouse that holds the edge in critical technologies. The significant consequences on global trade flows, international security, governance and economy are increasingly drawing the attention of policymakers, academics, and industry leaders worldwide. The study highlights the main characteristics and trends of the national innovation system in China, as well as its strengths, challenges, and prospects. It examines in detail public policies, funding mechanisms for innovation, inbound and outbound FDI, IPR mechanisms, public perception towards technology, priority industries, and other factors. It thus identifies the main innovative actors of the system, including government, industry and research institutions, highlighting the patterns of interaction among them. The findings are showcased in a focused case study on the AI industry and further serve to advance policy recommendations for the EU. 

Traditionally, China has made more effort and has achieved better results in understanding and learning from ‘the West’. It is now vital for other countries to better understand China.

In China, heritage projects are sprouting across the countryside carrying the promise of Xi Jinping’s “Chinese dream” as a call for the great revival and rejuvenation of the nation. This book unravels the workings behind these promises through the story of remaking Meili, a Dong ethnic minority village nestled along the margins of China, into a “Traditional Village” heritage site. In a past riven by deep political and societal disruptions, Meili becomes a medium for contesting, mediating and continuously inventing representations of tradition that aligns with the Chinese Communist Party’s mission towards continuity and stability. The outcome is an original depiction of the compromises that shape heritage-making in a rural ethnic corner of China. Filled with rich, fine-grained narrative and analysis, Suvi Rautio offers a unique lens to the politics of inventing tradition and its far-reaching consequences in steering China's national identity under Xi Jinping rule.

Hong Kong Identity: A Scholarly Record is an empirical analysis of the city’s territorial identity politics. Placing the discussion firmly within comparative politics literature, this book endeavours to present the case study of Hong Kong’s territorial identity politics to both the local and international community.

The book empirically traces the historical-political development of the “Hongkongers” identity from 1841 to 2020, with a focus on its evolution into a “collective action frame” since the mid-2010s. Through a number of original data collection—telephone surveys, extended interviews, macro-organisational analysis, organisational surveys, and protest event analysis—this book empirically addresses the research questions of who, why, and how people protested. It guides readers to understand and interpret Hong Kong’s territorial identity politics in a comparative and theoretical way.

This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of comparative politics. Experienced political researchers in Hong Kong will find this book illuminating; while comparative political scholars worldwide would also find it a handy introductory text to the critical case of Hong Kong. This book is also an excellent resource for instructors and students of Asian Studies, China Studies, and Hong Kong Studies.

The book contains policy-related publications based on research conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies. These publications address and support sustainable development goals, such as energy and the environment, education, inequality, human development, and peace research, among others. This volume fosters comprehensive research focused on these global targets and endeavors to address some of society's greatest grand challenges. The book will be extremely beneficial for researchers, academicians, practitioners, and policymakers working in the areas of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This book attempts to highlight the vital role water has played in creating, consolidating, protecting, and preserving ancient and medieval global civilizations. It explains how the modern world has been addressing the issue of water insecurity and learning lessons from its acts of commission and omission. Water is a resource that nations have fought over, both domestically and internationally. The book lists selected water conflicts that have become severe and further exacerbated with populations growing rapidly and water demand rising exponentially while human beings continue to remain oblivious to the inevitable impending dangers of water insecurity.

It critically examines the disputes and conflicts over water resources in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia along with domestic disputes that have occurred in India. It also examines the methods our forefathers used to meet their water requirements. Ancient water harvesting methods and structures are explored, and their efficacy is evaluated.

This book serves as a reminder of the irrefutable fact that water is the world's most important resource and lists useful tips for investors and policymakers on water preservation. It can also serve as a guide to anyone interested in this subject and hoping to learn more about the past, present, and future scenarios of the world’s most important resource.

The volume delves into the provocative terrain of escape as a mode of resistance. Through a diverse array of studies encompassing political theology and artificial intelligence, the author navigates the philosophical landscape of exiting established forms of knowledge and practices.

Drawing from a rich tapestry of Western thought—from Carl Schmitt and St. Augustine to Bernard Stiegler and Antonio Negri—the volume engages deeply with the notion of forging new pathways beyond existing political paradigms. The chapters present a fresh perspective on the dynamics of political transformation, urging readers to reconsider conventional boundaries and embrace innovative approaches to social change. By examining the intersections of philosophy, politics, and technology, it invites readers to contemplate profound questions about liberation, creativity, and the potential for radical societal renewal.

It is an essential reading for scholars, activists, and anyone intrigued by the philosophical underpinnings of resistance and the quest for new horizons in political theory and practice.