Joseph Yu-shek Cheng - Böcker

This volume analyzes the political development in Hong Kong in chronological order from the Sino-British negotiations till today. It focuses on the rule of the British administration before 1997; the Chinese leadership's policy towards Hong Kong; the changing attitudes and values of the Hong Kong people; the evolution of the pro-democracy movement in the territory; and the international environment affecting the Hong Kong situation.The author engages in detailed studies of the important events such as the Sino-British negotiations (1982-84), the impact of the Tiananmen Incident (1989), the protests against the Article 23 legislation (2003), and the Occupation Campaign (2014). At the same time, the author examines in depth the emergence and development of political parties in the territory; the strategies and tactics of the pro-Beijing united front; the results of important elections; the trends of public opinion as reflected by polls; and the development of civil society and its relationship with the political parties.As a key activist in the peaceful pro-democracy movement throughout the decades, the author has a deep insider's understanding of Hong Kong's political development which is presented and analyzed in the framework of academic analysis. Care has been taken to provide detailed sources which include many interviews of important parties.Related Link(s)

Since the mid-1990s, the Chinese authorities have gradually come to embrace multilateralism to realize their basic foreign policy objectives in maintaining a peaceful international environment and enhancing China's international status and influence. This embrace is largely based on pragmatic considerations. There is no denial, however, that elements of liberalism and constructivism gradually enter into the considerations of Chinese leaders. They accept, for example, that non-traditional security issues can only be tackled through genuine multilateralism. This volume carefully examines China's increased participation in multilateral organizations and mechanisms and its efforts to initiate and develop its own discourses on global affairs straddling Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Latin American continents. China's presence in international multilateral organizations has been providing developing countries a better chance to maintain a balance of power. Since China has no ambitious plan to transform the existing international order, its increasing enthusiastic engagement of multilateralism is likely to be accepted by the international community.

This volume examines the development of Guangdong, especially the Pearl River Delta, throughout the era of China's economic reforms and opening to the external world (from 1978 till now). It analyzes the evolution from a labour-intensive, export-oriented manufacturing base to a heavy-industry based economy, then to a high-tech manufacturing center cum regional business services center. This book focusses on the planning and development strategies of the Guangdong leadership and its local counterparts, their interactions with the central leadership, the learning and adaptation processes involved by stages, and the problems and challenges ahead. The author adopts a chronological approach, thus enabling the readers to study the development processes in detail, taking into consideration the benefits offered by as well as the crises in the domestic and international environment.

China and Japan are the two most important countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Their economic ties are significant not only because they are the second and third largest economies in today's world, but also because their economic relationship has an important impact on regional economic co-operation and international production chains.China's Japan Policy: Adjusting to New Challenges analyzes the significance of Japan in China's foreign policy framework within the broader context of China's world view, its national objectives, and the Chinese leadership's policy adjustments in response to the changing international and domestic circumstances. It looks at China's Japan policy in recent decades since their normalization of relations in 1972. The book also examines the unique characteristics of the China-Japan bilateral relationship, especially the historical legacy, territorial disputes, and the special cultural affinities between the two nations. Readers interested in China and Japan will find this an invaluable reference with detailed insights on international relations and economic developments in the Asia-Pacific region.

After two decades since the disintegration of Soviet Union in 1991, the largest and the most populist socialist state — the People's Republic of China — does not only manage to stay intact, but has also emerged as the second largest economy in the world. Moreover, its political, diplomatic, military and cultural reaches have been extended to various parts of the world. There have been many factual and fictional discussions and debates in the public domains, on China's apparent rise either as a threat or an opportunity. This book will take on these discussions and debates to provide theory-informed empirical studies regarding a few research questions: We consider that the idea and concept of “Global China” is perhaps the most viable analytical instrument to capture such increasingly complex phenomena in association with the rise of China.