Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000272
Agnieszka NITZA-MAKOWSKA, K. D. Bhutia, Urmas Hõbepappel, Lelde Luik, Anastasia Sinitsyna, Elo Süld
This article examines China’s soft power in Estonia since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. Findings have suggested that while Beijing’s domestic political values do not inform its projection of soft power, the Estonian government and general public perceive China mainly through the prism of its state-centric governance model and consequently view most of China’s deployment of supposedly “soft” power as sharp.
{"title":"Mapping the Scope of China’s Soft Power in Estonia","authors":"Agnieszka NITZA-MAKOWSKA, K. D. Bhutia, Urmas Hõbepappel, Lelde Luik, Anastasia Sinitsyna, Elo Süld","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000272","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines China’s soft power in Estonia since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. Findings have suggested that while Beijing’s domestic political values do not inform its projection of soft power, the Estonian government and general public perceive China mainly through the prism of its state-centric governance model and consequently view most of China’s deployment of supposedly “soft” power as sharp.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139192371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000260
Paul Haenle, Nathaniel Sher
Since 2022, Chinese officials have embarked on an international mobilisation campaign to promote China’s new Global Security Initiative (GSI), Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI). The three new initiatives espouse China’s principles of global governance, security and development in order to reinforce the domestic legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party, reform the global governance system, expand China’s international influence, especially in the developing world, and compete with the United States’ conception of the liberal rules-based international order.
{"title":"Initiative Diplomacy: China’s New Rules for Global Governance, Security and Development","authors":"Paul Haenle, Nathaniel Sher","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000260","url":null,"abstract":"Since 2022, Chinese officials have embarked on an international mobilisation campaign to promote China’s new Global Security Initiative (GSI), Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI). The three new initiatives espouse China’s principles of global governance, security and development in order to reinforce the domestic legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party, reform the global governance system, expand China’s international influence, especially in the developing world, and compete with the United States’ conception of the liberal rules-based international order.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139189335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000338
Adrian Chi-yeung Chiu, Kam-yee Law
After Hong Kong’s handover in 1997, the development of its relations with Taiwan has been full of twists and turns. Formal and bureaucratic interactions have stifled the strategic ambiguity needed to utilise Hong Kong as a buffer for cross-strait tensions. The subtle interaction between Hong Kong and Taiwan, being leveraged to reduce tension and facilitate communication in the cross-strait conflict, has been weakened since the mid-2010s even though institutionalisation was enhanced. Thus, the future development of Hong Kong–Taiwan relations may seem even more pessimistic than cross-strait relations.
{"title":"Hong Kong–Taiwan Relations from the Handover to the Anti-extradition Law Movement—How Sub-state Diplomacy Has Failed","authors":"Adrian Chi-yeung Chiu, Kam-yee Law","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000338","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000338","url":null,"abstract":"After Hong Kong’s handover in 1997, the development of its relations with Taiwan has been full of twists and turns. Formal and bureaucratic interactions have stifled the strategic ambiguity needed to utilise Hong Kong as a buffer for cross-strait tensions. The subtle interaction between Hong Kong and Taiwan, being leveraged to reduce tension and facilitate communication in the cross-strait conflict, has been weakened since the mid-2010s even though institutionalisation was enhanced. Thus, the future development of Hong Kong–Taiwan relations may seem even more pessimistic than cross-strait relations.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139192669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000302
Miyoko Taniguchi
This article addresses the complex landscape of Japan’s diplomatic engagement in Southeast Asia, spanning from the late 1990s to the present day, and explores the transformative role that Japan has played in post-conflict peacebuilding and regional security. Japan has reinforced diplomatic relations with conflict-affected Southeast Asian countries in the post-Cold War era, contributing to security cooperation in the region under the recent Japan’s diplomatic direction of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision.
{"title":"Japanese Peacebuilding Diplomacy in Southeast Asia and Beyond in the New World Order","authors":"Miyoko Taniguchi","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000302","url":null,"abstract":"This article addresses the complex landscape of Japan’s diplomatic engagement in Southeast Asia, spanning from the late 1990s to the present day, and explores the transformative role that Japan has played in post-conflict peacebuilding and regional security. Japan has reinforced diplomatic relations with conflict-affected Southeast Asian countries in the post-Cold War era, contributing to security cooperation in the region under the recent Japan’s diplomatic direction of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139190087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000296
Hongyi Lai
In 2022, highly restrictive measures were imposed in China to contain the less deadly Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus or the COVID-19 virus. This study argues that these measures stemmed from a move away from pragmatic authoritarianism and towards totalitarianism since 2013 and that the lockdown of scores of cities such as Shanghai in 2022 carried quintessential features of totalitarianism. Revived totalitarianism in China has helped explain the longest and likely the most comprehensive strict epidemic control among all nations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The politics and the end of zero-COVID policy in China in 2022 are analysed.
{"title":"Zero-COVID Policy in China: Epidemic Control and the Mode of Politics","authors":"Hongyi Lai","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000296","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000296","url":null,"abstract":"In 2022, highly restrictive measures were imposed in China to contain the less deadly Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus or the COVID-19 virus. This study argues that these measures stemmed from a move away from pragmatic authoritarianism and towards totalitarianism since 2013 and that the lockdown of scores of cities such as Shanghai in 2022 carried quintessential features of totalitarianism. Revived totalitarianism in China has helped explain the longest and likely the most comprehensive strict epidemic control among all nations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The politics and the end of zero-COVID policy in China in 2022 are analysed.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139194584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000326
Brendan M Howe
Middle powers have been defined in hierarchical and behavioural terms. They have significantly impacted on the global governance agenda, especially through their leadership within international commissions and through multilateral forums. Recent challenges to multilateralism have created an impression that the middle power moment is over, especially in East Asia. Yet, this article sees a way forward for the stronger, more regionally focused middle powers to continue to influence international governance.
{"title":"The Rise, Fall and (Potential) Rise Again of East Asian Middle Powers","authors":"Brendan M Howe","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000326","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000326","url":null,"abstract":"Middle powers have been defined in hierarchical and behavioural terms. They have significantly impacted on the global governance agenda, especially through their leadership within international commissions and through multilateral forums. Recent challenges to multilateralism have created an impression that the middle power moment is over, especially in East Asia. Yet, this article sees a way forward for the stronger, more regionally focused middle powers to continue to influence international governance.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139191074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000314
R. D. de Castro
This article examines the Marcos administration’s efforts to seek the elusive balance in managing its relations with the United States, China and Japan. At the beginning of his term, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr planned a balanced foreign policy marked by China providing the investments and market for the Philippines while the United States extended its security guarantee. In conclusion, the article argues that Marcos Jr’s foreign policy reflects the Philippines’ acumen in practising ASEAN’s age-old and proven statecraft in dealing with the significant powers that require the smaller Southeast Asian countries to accept the presence of big powers in Southeast Asia as a fact of international relations.
{"title":"The Marcos Administration’s Foreign Policy towards the Great Powers: Seeking the Elusive Balance in Dealing a Changing Indo-Pacific Region","authors":"R. D. de Castro","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000314","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000314","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the Marcos administration’s efforts to seek the elusive balance in managing its relations with the United States, China and Japan. At the beginning of his term, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr planned a balanced foreign policy marked by China providing the investments and market for the Philippines while the United States extended its security guarantee. In conclusion, the article argues that Marcos Jr’s foreign policy reflects the Philippines’ acumen in practising ASEAN’s age-old and proven statecraft in dealing with the significant powers that require the smaller Southeast Asian countries to accept the presence of big powers in Southeast Asia as a fact of international relations.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139188730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000284
Richard Yarrow, Gang Chen
China and the United States have seen expeditious investment growth in renewable energy and climate-related industries. Due to differences in political environments and governance structures, monetary settings, and prevailing market technologies and geographic conditions, the two countries demonstrate varied strengths and weaknesses in promoting climate investment. Both countries can learn from each other’s distinctive strengths and weaknesses to identify potential opportunities both for domestic climate programmes and energy cooperation to jointly pursue pathways to achieve net zero carbon footprints.
{"title":"Climate Investment in China and the United States: Political, Monetary and Technological Drivers","authors":"Richard Yarrow, Gang Chen","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000284","url":null,"abstract":"China and the United States have seen expeditious investment growth in renewable energy and climate-related industries. Due to differences in political environments and governance structures, monetary settings, and prevailing market technologies and geographic conditions, the two countries demonstrate varied strengths and weaknesses in promoting climate investment. Both countries can learn from each other’s distinctive strengths and weaknesses to identify potential opportunities both for domestic climate programmes and energy cooperation to jointly pursue pathways to achieve net zero carbon footprints.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139193436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-23DOI: 10.1142/s1793930523000223
Denghua Zhang
This research analyses China-Pacific islands economic relations in merchandise trade, investment and project contracting between 2006 and 2021. Nuances are revealed. The overall finding is that the Pacific is an insignificant partner of China in its global economic outreach, even under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This research also discusses the Chinese government’s perceptions of the Pacific markets and its advice to Chinese companies on thorny issues affecting the BRI.
{"title":"China-Pacific Islands Economic Relations under the Belt and Road","authors":"Denghua Zhang","doi":"10.1142/s1793930523000223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s1793930523000223","url":null,"abstract":"This research analyses China-Pacific islands economic relations in merchandise trade, investment and project contracting between 2006 and 2021. Nuances are revealed. The overall finding is that the Pacific is an insignificant partner of China in its global economic outreach, even under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This research also discusses the Chinese government’s perceptions of the Pacific markets and its advice to Chinese companies on thorny issues affecting the BRI.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48976878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-23DOI: 10.1142/s179393052300020x
Sivarin Lertpusit, Pittaya Suvakanta
The Thai-China High-Speed Railway (HSR) project that connects Thailand, Laos and China is part of the Thai domestic strategy and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Thailand aims to become a regional logistic hub, while China plans to expand her connectivity with Southeast Asia. Approved in 2010, the project started construction in December 2017. Aside from the domestic political conflict, the HSR project was delayed by Thailand’s attempt to negotiate with China.
{"title":"Challenges to Thailand’s Negotiating Strategy in the Thai–China High-Speed Railway Project","authors":"Sivarin Lertpusit, Pittaya Suvakanta","doi":"10.1142/s179393052300020x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1142/s179393052300020x","url":null,"abstract":"The Thai-China High-Speed Railway (HSR) project that connects Thailand, Laos and China is part of the Thai domestic strategy and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Thailand aims to become a regional logistic hub, while China plans to expand her connectivity with Southeast Asia. Approved in 2010, the project started construction in December 2017. Aside from the domestic political conflict, the HSR project was delayed by Thailand’s attempt to negotiate with China.","PeriodicalId":41995,"journal":{"name":"East Asian Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44143404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}