Ming Wan - Böcker

Since the beginning of China's phenomenal rise in the international system, our knowledge of the country has grown rapidly. But those who have debated the China issue in policy circles mostly focus on the implications of China’s rise, often without a firm understanding of why the country is rising in the first place. Using an analytical framework which links China’s domestic political economy order and the global system, this book helps us to understand China’s rise and the China model more clearly. Indeed, unlike most other works that study the China model as a domestic political economy issue, it adopts an explicit international comparative perspective, comparing the Chinese model to others, such as the Washington Consensus and the Japan model. This comparison allows us to break down different components of the China model, and to show that while the Chinese Communist Party leadership part of the model is unique, other components such as export-led growth strategy or packaged aid programs are not. By focusing on the root cause of China's rise - namely the loop between the evolving China model and an evolving global governance structure – this book reveals the degree of compatibility between the country’s profit-driven domestic political economy system and the post-war global economic order, and in turn how and why China has been able to rise in the global system. The China Model and Global Political Economy makes a key contribution to theories of international relations, state development and modernization, and as such will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese politics, Chinese foreign policy, international political economy, development studies and international relations.

Japan seeks economic competitiveness vis-a-vis the West and economic dominance in Asia, but it mainly competes through cooperative use of economic resources, which facilitates realization of the goals of partner nations. This book studies Japan's balance between the United States and East Asia by focusing on the use of economic power - defense spending, consumption, and investment - to advance Japan's political and strategic as well as economic interests. It also investigates Japan's direct use of economic resources, namely, aid and sanctions, and by extension, discusses Japan's relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.

Japan seeks economic competitiveness vis-a-vis the West and economic dominance in Asia, but it mainly competes through cooperative use of economic resources, which facilitates realization of the goals of partner nations. This book studies Japan's balance between the United States and East Asia by focusing on the use of economic power - defense spending, consumption, and investment - to advance Japan's political and strategic as well as economic interests. It also investigates Japan's direct use of economic resources, namely, aid and sanctions, and by extension, discusses Japan's relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.

Few issues in the relations between China and the West invoke as much passion as human rights. At stake, however, are much more than moral concerns and hurt national feelings. To Washington, the undemocratic nature of the Chinese government makes it ultimately suspect on all issues. To Beijing, the human rights pressure exerted by the West on China seems designed to compromise its legitimacy. As China's economic power grows and its influence on the politics of developing countries continues, an understanding of the place of human rights in China's foreign relations is crucial to the implementation of an effective international human rights agenda.In Human Rights in Chinese Foreign Relations, Ming Wan examines China's relations with the United States, Western Europe, Japan, and the United Nations human rights institutions.Wan shows that, after a decade of persistent external pressure to reform its practices, China still plays human rights diplomacy as traditional power politics and deflects pressure by mobilizing its propaganda machine to neutralize Western criticism, by making compromises that do not threaten core interests, and by offering commercial incentives to important nations to help prevent a unified Western front. Furthermore, at the UN, China has largely succeeded in rallying developing nation members to defeat Western efforts at censure.In turn, it is apparent to Wan that, while the idea of human rights matters in Western policy, it has seldom prevailed over economic considerations or concerns about national security. Western governments have not committed as many policy resources to pressuring Beijing on human rights as to other issues, and the differing degrees of commitment to human rights-related foreign policy explain why Japan, Western Europe, and the United States, in that order, have gradually retreated from confronting China on human rights issues.

Since the beginning of China's phenomenal rise in the international system, our knowledge of the country has grown rapidly. But those who have debated the China issue in policy circles mostly focus on the implications of China’s rise, often without a firm understanding of why the country is rising in the first place. Using an analytical framework which links China’s domestic political economy order and the global system, this book helps us to understand China’s rise and the China model more clearly. Indeed, unlike most other works that study the China model as a domestic political economy issue, it adopts an explicit international comparative perspective, comparing the Chinese model to others, such as the Washington Consensus and the Japan model. This comparison allows us to break down different components of the China model, and to show that while the Chinese Communist Party leadership part of the model is unique, other components such as export-led growth strategy or packaged aid programs are not. By focusing on the root cause of China's rise - namely the loop between the evolving China model and an evolving global governance structure – this book reveals the degree of compatibility between the country’s profit-driven domestic political economy system and the post-war global economic order, and in turn how and why China has been able to rise in the global system. The China Model and Global Political Economy makes a key contribution to theories of international relations, state development and modernization, and as such will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese politics, Chinese foreign policy, international political economy, development studies and international relations.

Through the outline of a coherent theoretical foundation for understanding East Asian international relations, this textbook offers a fresh, analytical approach, including applications of evolutionary theory that differ from and contextualize the prevailing theories currently offered for studies of East Asia. It provides an extensive coverage of ancient world order and European imperialism preceding contemporary themes of security, economic development, money and finance, regionalism, the US-China rivalry, and democracy versus autocracy. Demonstrating systemically how facts and theories are constructed, and how these are bound by evolutionary constraints, students gain a realistic view of knowledge production and the mindset and tools to participate actively in determining which facts and theories are more acceptable than alternatives. Feature boxes, discussion questions, exercises, and recommended readings are incorporated into each chapter to encourage active learning. A vital new resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in political science, international relations, and Asian studies.

Through the outline of a coherent theoretical foundation for understanding East Asian international relations, this textbook offers a fresh, analytical approach, including applications of evolutionary theory that differ from and contextualize the prevailing theories currently offered for studies of East Asia. It provides an extensive coverage of ancient world order and European imperialism preceding contemporary themes of security, economic development, money and finance, regionalism, the US-China rivalry, and democracy versus autocracy. Demonstrating systemically how facts and theories are constructed, and how these are bound by evolutionary constraints, students gain a realistic view of knowledge production and the mindset and tools to participate actively in determining which facts and theories are more acceptable than alternatives. Feature boxes, discussion questions, exercises, and recommended readings are incorporated into each chapter to encourage active learning. A vital new resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in political science, international relations, and Asian studies.

What explains change and continuity in Japan's economic statecraft? This Element examines the interplay between factional dynamics in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan's foreign policy through two cases: Japan's unprecedented decision to impose severe sanctions on Russia following its 2022 Ukraine invasion, and its decades-long ASEAN strategy amid political uncertainty and great power competition. The authors find that factional balance or the outsized influence of a large faction facilitates abrupt political-economic shifts, sustained until a similar dynamic triggers correction. Unlike most systems, Japan's intra-party politics do not lead to full leadership turnover, enabling factions to influence policy while empowering non-leadership members to drive change. This dual role strengthens barriers to change, embedding political inertia. Using factional membership data from 1961 to 2024, they argue that factions are a more systematic unit of analysis than political entrepreneurs in understanding the relationship between Japan's domestic politics and foreign policy decisions.

What explains change and continuity in Japan's economic statecraft? This Element examines the interplay between factional dynamics in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan's foreign policy through two cases: Japan's unprecedented decision to impose severe sanctions on Russia following its 2022 Ukraine invasion, and its decades-long ASEAN strategy amid political uncertainty and great power competition. The authors find that factional balance or the outsized influence of a large faction facilitates abrupt political-economic shifts, sustained until a similar dynamic triggers correction. Unlike most systems, Japan's intra-party politics do not lead to full leadership turnover, enabling factions to influence policy while empowering non-leadership members to drive change. This dual role strengthens barriers to change, embedding political inertia. Using factional membership data from 1961 to 2024, they argue that factions are a more systematic unit of analysis than political entrepreneurs in understanding the relationship between Japan's domestic politics and foreign policy decisions.

This timely book explores the turbulence of East Asian politics on a domestic and international scale. Drawing on insights from experts in the field, it provides an in-depth analysis of topics including economic regionalism, the rise of China as a global superpower and historical influences on modern developments.An interdisciplinary array of academics shed light on the rapidly evolving nature of East Asian politics and its uncertain future, reflecting on the region’s impact on global events. They analyze how existing political divisions can be exacerbated or calmed by various actors, tariffs, military and civil unrest, and the knock-on effects of major international conflicts. Chapters cover the influence of China’s history on contemporary policymaking, the effect of the US–China rivalry on international relations, and the importance of middle-power diplomacy. Contributors assess the changing nature of politics in this critical region and present indications of both emerging economic stresses and growth.East Asian Politics in a Turbulent Era is an essential resource for scholars and students of Asian politics and policy, international relations and international politics, as well as those specializing in development and policy in East Asia and its interaction with worldwide powers.

Offering a coherent overview of the historical and institutional context of enduring patterns in East Asian political economy, this updated and expanded second edition textbook explores the dramatic regional and international transformations that this key region has faced since the 2008 financial crisis.Key features of the second edition include:Utilizing an International Political Economy theoretical framework to offer a truly holistic view of the East Asian political economyVisual aids, including maps and illustrative figures, to demonstrate the economic, demographic and institutional changes in the regionAn empirical approach to political economy, employing cutting-edge research to provide students with a comprehensive guide to the subjectExpanded coverage of national security, focusing on how this has risen on the political agenda in East Asia.Insightful and illuminating, this textbook is ideal reading for both upper level undergraduate and post-graduate courses relating to the politics and political economy of East Asia, as well as for students and researchers of political science investigating recent changes in international relations, global industry and trade and East Asian governance.

Offering a coherent overview of the historical and institutional context of enduring patterns in East Asian political economy, this updated and expanded second edition textbook explores the dramatic regional and international transformations that this key region has faced since the 2008 financial crisis.Key features of the second edition include:Utilizing an International Political Economy theoretical framework to offer a truly holistic view of the East Asian political economyVisual aids, including maps and illustrative figures, to demonstrate the economic, demographic and institutional changes in the regionAn empirical approach to political economy, employing cutting-edge research to provide students with a comprehensive guide to the subjectExpanded coverage of national security, focusing on how this has risen on the political agenda in East Asia.Insightful and illuminating, this textbook is ideal reading for both upper level undergraduate and post-graduate courses relating to the politics and political economy of East Asia, as well as for students and researchers of political science investigating recent changes in international relations, global industry and trade and East Asian governance.

With China's global ascendancy, Chinese foreign policy has become a popular area of study for scholars around the world. Rather than simply contributing to this subject, this book sets out to reflect on the field itself, using as samples some of the author's previous work, both published and unpublished, covering different areas of Chinese foreign policy and adopting different approaches. In doing so, it examines how knowledge about Chinese foreign policy has developed, focusing on areas such as traditions, values, perspectives and regionalism.The field of Chinese foreign policy has evolved along with international relations and foreign policy analysis. Studies on specific topics have generally been of high quality thanks to the competitive and extensive nature of academic research and exchange, despite a perceived failure to predict Beijing's current assertive foreign policy orientation. Looking forward, this book reflects on how certain current tendencies — excessive focus on national security, narrowing of academic exchange and access between China and the West, and a shift to rivalry-driven analysis — threaten to lower the quality of future Chinese foreign policy studies in Western countries.