John Wong - Böcker

This book examines important social movements in Hong Kong from the perspectives of historical and cultural studies. Conventionally regarded as one of the most politically stable cities in Asia, Hong Kong has yet witnessed many demonstrations and struggles against the colonial and post-colonial governments during the past one hundred years. Many of these movements were brought about in the name of justice and unfolded against the context of global unrest. Focusing on the local developments yet mindful of the international backdrop, this volume explores the imaginaries of law and order that these movements engendered, revealing a complex interplay among evolving notions of justice, governance, law and order and cultural creations throughout the under-explored history of instability in Hong Kong. Underscoring the apparently contrasting discourses on the relationship among the rule of law, law and order and social movements in Hong Kong, the contributors emphasise the need to re-examine the conventional juxtaposition of the law and civil unrest. Readers who have an interest in Asian studies, socio-political studies, legal studies, cultural studies and history would welcome this volume of unique interdisciplinarity.

This book examines important social movements in Hong Kong from the perspectives of historical and cultural studies. Conventionally regarded as one of the most politically stable cities in Asia, Hong Kong has yet witnessed many demonstrations and struggles against the colonial and post-colonial governments during the past one hundred years. Many of these movements were brought about in the name of justice and unfolded against the context of global unrest. Focusing on the local developments yet mindful of the international backdrop, this volume explores the imaginaries of law and order that these movements engendered, revealing a complex interplay among evolving notions of justice, governance, law and order and cultural creations throughout the under-explored history of instability in Hong Kong. Underscoring the apparently contrasting discourses on the relationship among the rule of law, law and order and social movements in Hong Kong, the contributors emphasise the need to re-examine the conventional juxtaposition of the law and civil unrest. Readers who have an interest in Asian studies, socio-political studies, legal studies, cultural studies and history would welcome this volume of unique interdisciplinarity.

Following Deng Xiaoping's economic reform and opening (Gaige Kaifang) policy, China experienced unprecedented high growth for over three decades. Crucial in the process was the role of Zhu Rongji, who was hand-picked by Deng initially as Executive Vice-Premier and later full Premier to carry through the needed reform and manage the critical marketization process through the turbulent 1990s when China's economy suffered many ups and downs. Dubbed as China's "Economic Czar", Zhu tackled many thorny problems associated with the country's then half-reformed economy ably and effectively, thereby laying the ground for subsequent periods of greater dynamic growth. Zhu was instrumental in preparing China's economy for its final take-off.The chapters in this volume were originally written as "policy briefings" for the Singapore government from 1997 to 2003 when Zhu was Premier. They cover a wide variety of topics including how he had applied his own way of "macroeconomic control" (Hongguan Tiaokong), how he went about reforming taxation, foreign exchange and state-owned enterprises, and finally his embrace of capitalism. Each chapter is preceded by a detailed introduction highlighting the main issues and interpreting them from today's perspective based on updated information and additional new research.

Amply supported by line drawings and photographs, algorithms and anatomical depictions, this book provides a comprehensive resource that readily depicts the rationale for the basic operative principles mandated by state-of-the-art surgical therapy.

Surgery of the Pancreas and Spleen provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy in pancreatic and splenic disorders.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with various pancreatic and splenic disorders, spanning benign and malignant problems and minimally invasive procedures. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Surgery of the Small Bowel provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy for small bowel disorders.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with various small bowel disorders, spanning benign and malignant problems, gastrointestinal bleeding and minimally invasive procedures. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout with line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Trauma Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy in the trauma patient.The chapters provide pertinent, and concise, summaries of how to deal with the trauma patient, from initial evaluation to a closer look at the various organ systems that may need oeprated on. Thermal injury is also addressed. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in a straigtforward manner, and complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Critical Care Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy in the critically ill patient.The chapters provide pertinent and concise, summaries of how to deal with various types of critical illness, including acute renal failure, coma and altered mental status, multiple organ dysfunction and hepatic failure. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in a straightforward manner, and complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

General Principles of Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict these surgical principles.

Liver and Biliary Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to liver and biliary surgical therapy.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with various liver and biliary disorders, spanning benign and malignant problems and minimally invasive procedures. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Surgery in Breast Cancer and Melanoma provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to oncological surgical therapy. The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with benign and malignant problems in the breast and skin soft tissues. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles. A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Surgery of the Esophagus and Stomach provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy of the esophagus and stomach.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with various esophagus and stomach disorders, spanning benign and malignant problems and minimally invasive procedures. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Colorectal Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to colorectal surgical therapy.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with various colorectal disorders, spanning benign and malignant problems and minimally invasive procedures. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.

Endocrine Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy of endocrine organs. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.

This monograph chronicles the life of an eminent pioneer of surgery, K.H. Digby, the important milestones in his professional life and the hardship he faced to fulfill his dreams.

1997 was truly an eventful year for China, with many momentous happenings. In February of that year Deng Xiaoping passed away, thus marking the end of an era. Shortly after, the post-Deng Chinese leadership under Jiang Zemin had to mobilise great efforts to ensure the smooth resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong on June 30. This was then followed by intensive preparation for the holding of the 15th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in September, which set national priorities for China's medium- and long-term development as well as decided on the core team of younger leaders responsible for leading China into the 21st century.China is in the midst of great political, economic and social changes, which will intensify each other on account of their speed and scale. History has never before witnessed such a huge country as China industrialising and transforming itself so rapidly and so extensively.Accordingly, China's success or failure in its domestic development carries serious regional and international implications. There is still a great deal of uncertainty as to how soon in the next century China will become the world's most powerful economy. But what is happening in China today has already impinged on many aspects of life for people in the Asia-Pacific region, either in terms of growing trade and investment opportunities from China or in terms of regional security.This volume is largely based on public lectures and seminar papers by academic visitors and scholars at the East Asian Institute. Each has been written as a self-contained piece by a China expert, but presented primarily with non-specialist readers in mind.

China's Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), convened in March 1998, established a new NPC and a new cabinet. Is NPC still much like a “rubber stamp” as before? Will the new chairman, Li Peng, follow his predecessor, Qiao Shi, use it as a base to expand his power in competition with Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji? More importantly, Zhu Rongji is now the new premier. What are his development strategies for China's economy? He has set out to shake up China's unwieldy bureaucracy and to reform its loss-making state-owned enterprises. Can he still accomplish his ambitions in the face of rising unemployment (xiagang)? How will Jiang Zemin manage his relations with both Li Peng and Zhu Rongji?Based on an in-depth analysis of the latest developments in China, this Occasional Paper contains three separate articles, addressing the above issues in order to provide a new perspective on China's fast-changing political economy in the post-Deng era.

A surge in demand for oil due to rapid economic growth and stagnation in domestic oil output has turned China into a net oil importer since 1993. Faced with increasing reliance on imports to meet its domestic needs, China now places a high priority on securing long-term stability of its oil supply in the next century. Hence a new oil development strategy focuses on boosting the domestic oil industry and exploiting overseas resources.In this regard, China has pursued an active “oil diplomacy” by signing international oil deals with a diverse range of nations from Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, in particular a series of deals worth US$6 billion with Kazakhstan, Iraq and Venezuela in June 1997. While the overseas ventures will no doubt facilitate China's integration with the world economy, such internationalisation of China's oil industry will also carry significant geoeconomic and geopolitical implications for oil-consuming countries.

China's power sector has performed impressively during the past twenty years in support of economic growth. Faced with the need to expand its power capacity, China is investing heavily in the construction of new power plants and self-financing capability. While the country still depends mainly on domestic capital funds to develop its power industry, foreign capital is increasingly sought to import power equipment and advanced technology.To bring in more capital, China has made efforts to attract foreign financial involvement, mainly in the form of multilateral and bilateral loans. Equally significant in the development of China's power sector are the establishment of regional power grids and the implementation of electricity tariff reform to tackle the problems of inefficient power distribution and usage.

As the financial crisis swept the Asia-Pacific, China seemed to be the one economy in the region which had been left “largely unaffected” for various reasons, including its strong economic and financial fundamentals as well as its strong political will to defend the Renminbi, which had so far firmly stood the ground. However, China's economy ended 1998 with only 7.8% growth, slightly falling short of its officially pledged target of 8%. Though China in 1998 was still rated as the best-performing economy in the region, its economic growth momentum had visibly slowed down. The Asian contagion had finally caught up with China.It is not certain if the Chinese economy is entering a slower growth era though, in the short run, China can boost economic growth by expanding domestic demand. Slower economic growth for the country will have significant negative effects on its economic reform programmes and social stability.

The Party and state leadership in Beijing was rudely awakened to the fact that the state bureaucracies in charge of public security had no idea of Falun Gong's leadership and its functions on April 25, 1999, when reportedly ten thousand followers in front of Zhongnanhai staged a peaceful and quiet sit-in. Since then the world media has reported events and probable causes for the government to outlaw what was determined to be a religious cult that could disturb peace and stability in China.In this paper, analyses are made of the background and political implications of the sect that had one time dominated the front page of all major newspapers in the world. The authors address themselves to questions such as: What is the nature of Falun Gong? Is it a religious sect, a cult, or a quasi-religious social movement with a hidden political agenda? Is it traditional qigong of a sort that packages well-established belief systems of Buddhism and Taoism? Is it a money-making scheme that satisfies the yearning for spiritual fulfillment for the elderly, the unemployed and the retired? Or is it all of those? Will the Falun Gong phenomenon repeat itself in the future? Was the government crackdown an over-reaction or was it expected? These issues are discussed by the authors in separate sections of this paper.

The Sino-US trade accord signed in November 1999 in Beijing set a milestone for China's protracted journey towards becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). China hailed it as a win-win deal. The trade accord showed the commitment of the Chinese government to further transform China into a market economy. The liberalisation measures set forth in the accord may bring about the rise of the private enterprises and further expansion of the services markets, from banking to professional services. However, the implementation of the reform represents a challenge to the Chinese government in managing the potential surge in urban and rural unemployment and the stability of the banking sector. This paper analyses the details of the Sino-US trade accord and its implications for the Chinese economy.

What the Jiang Zemin leadership faced in 1999 can be characterized by a century-old Chinese saying, neiyou waihuan (literally, “internal disturbance and external threat”). What with the worst growth record in a decade, the Falun Gong sect's siege of Zhongnanhai, Nato's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, and Lee Teng-hui's new “two-state” theory, the Chinese leadership was under tremendous pressure throughout the year. Many have wondered if that leadership could still hold its own at the turn of the century.This volume provides the reader with an in-depth analysis of how the Chinese leadership coped with the crises during the year. Though there was fair success in managing those crises, serious crises lie ahead which could significantly impact the leadership. China's economic slowdown may be bottoming out, but increasing Party decay, a growing spiritual vacuum, and volatile cross-strait relations are likely to pose serious threats to the leadership.

With mounting discontent due to widespread unemployment, corruption and misgovernment, the Ninth National People's Congress in March 2000 was a letdown. Significant though was Premier Zhu Rongji's announcement at the Congress of the leadership's decision to go west. While Zhu explained the policy shift as the government's attempt to develop the country's inland regions, many are skeptical, dismissing it as a camouflage for the premier's failure in the reform programmes introduced when he came to power. On the international front, with the US ambivalence in regard to China's WTO accession and China's apparent loss of grip on cross-straits relations, the future of the Jiang leadership appears to be in the balance.Against this background of neiyou waihuan (internal disturbance and external threats), will the Jiang-Zhu coalition be able to rise to the occasion and push through its many reform programmes, let alone retain its hold on power? China After the 2000 National People's Congress, (I) and (II) address this and related questions, giving an in-depth analysis of recent developments and changes in the power relations among China's top leaders, especially the Jiang-Zhu coalition.

The New Economy has hit China, driven by the Internet and e-commerce. China has made a good start in both areas. Since its debut, subscribers to the Internet grew exponentially from a mere 1,600 in 1994 to 16.9 million in mid-2000. E-commerce transactions registered a total revenue of 200 million yuan in 1999, or twice as much as in 1998. B2C e-commerce is expected to grow by 300% in 2000. However, the rapid growth of the sectors is constrained by factors such as a small base of registered users, high costs of using the Internet, government control of information access, and lack of an effective distribution network and financial linkage. Internet businesses are also losing money due to exorbitant charges for telephone lines, an uncertain regulatory environment, and direct competition from the telecommunications operators dominating the market. Nonetheless, the high growth potential of the two sectors is still well recognized by foreign multinationals. Despite China's manifest prohibition of foreign involvement, foreign companies have managed to enter the Chinese market by forming strategic alliances with domestic concerns. It appears that China prefers a smooth and orderly process of market opening based on a more effective regulatory regime such as licensing arrangements.This book is intended for readers interested in China's Internet and e-commerce sectors. Businessmen, corporate planners, business associates, researchers, engineers, technologists, academics and students interested in these industries will find the book useful. Focusing on China's nascent Internet and e-commerce industries, this book presents the historical development, current market status and future growth, as well as discusses the problems and issues facing the two sectors.

At the beginning of the new century, China's leadership is preparing the ground for a smooth transfer of power from the third generation to the fourth generation leaders. Politicking among different factions has intensified as top leaders who are slated to step down after the 16th National Party Congress in 2002 jockey to put their imprint on the new power configuration.How have President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji dealt with the leadership succession while at the same time keeping an eye on the economy? What kind of power-sharing will be brokered among the different factions? Are the fourth generation leaders ready to take over the reins of power? And will China be able to maintain high growth even as it goes through this period of power transition? The articles in this publication address those issues.

In the last two decades of the 20th century, China stood out as the world's star performer in economic growth, thanks to the market-oriented reform that started in 1978. At the turn of the century, the Chinese economy faces a series of challenges to sustain its growth and stability. The two-decade-long rapid growth has effectively strengthened China's economic power and raised its people's standard of living. It has also transformed China from a centrally planned command economy into a “socialist market economy”, which operates increasingly in line with capitalist norms. Major structural problems, however, remain and are growing acute. Weakness in the fiscal system breeds rent seeking at the local level and causes tension in the state budget. The flawed financial institutions and the biased ownership structure continue to distort resource allocation and cause huge efficiency losses. Inter-provincial and inter-regional disparity is reaching a level that threatens national unity and social stability. As China joins the World Trade Organization and becomes more integrated into the world economy, it urgently needs to improve the domestic business environment and to beef up indigenous industries for foreign competition.This volume is a collection of papers written by scholars at the East Asian Institute to address those problems during the period 1999-2001. The authors, with their knowledge and experience in China studies, provide in-depth observations and professional analyses of some of the most important issues for the Chinese economy at the turn of the century. Some of the observations and analyses lead to enlightening policy recommendations. The solid scholarship combined with the policy orientation of these papers will appeal greatly to researchers in academia, governments and other institutions. The policy-oriented and fact-based analyses will also be of interest to practitioners in business, including business consultants.

This book studies the Suzhou Industrial Park, a flagship project between the governments of Singapore and China, in a holistic manner, by highlighting not only its economic progress but also the developments on the social front such as its neighbourhood centres, schools, housing and talent attraction. The success of the Park should be assessed keeping in view not only its economic achievements alone, but also its ability to attract residents to live and play in it. Making the Suzhou Industrial Park economically and socially attractive is thus a perennial challenge and remains key to the continued success of the industrial park.This book details Suzhou Industrial Park's latest effort in industrial upgrading and transformation in terms of new growth areas as well as the challenges faced. It examines the social achievements of the Park, which are critical in enhancing the overall attractiveness of the Park and distinguishes it from other industrial parks in China and elsewhere. It also highlights how the experiences of the Suzhou Industrial Park is being replicated not only in the Jiangsu province, but also in other provinces and autonomous regions in China.

This book, a project of the ASEAN-China Study Programme of ISEAS, is designed to promote a better understanding between the people of the two regions as China continues to exert a dominant political and economic presence in Southeast Asia. Needless to say, scholars and academics from both sides have a significant role to play in terms of creating greater awareness of each other through research, workshops, and conferences. Whilst many universities and research institutes in the ASEAN region are conduction studies on various aspects of China, it is equally important for the Chinese counterparts to be fully engaged in Southeast Asian Studies in order to deepen their knowledge of the region for mutual benefit. The book traces the development of Southeast Asian Studies in China, discusses the current status of these studies, examines the problems encountered in the pursuit of these studies, and attempts to evaluate their prospects in the years ahead.