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Upcoming Events

东亚研究所华语讲座

(EAI Seminar in Mandarin)

讲题:  中国西部经济发展的过去、现在

       未来

主讲者:夏合群教授

       中国北方民族大学商学院

日期:  20091120(星期五),

       下午3点半 More

EAI Seminars

Asia's Aviation Industry: The Case of China

by Professor Ron Matthews

Friday, 4 December 2009, 3:30pm More

China's Voting Behaviors in UN Security Council

by Dr. Hsiu Chih-ji

Friday, 18 December 2009, 3:30pm More

NUS Joint Seminar

Drought, Energy, Climate Change, and the Politics of Himalayan Mega-Projects

by Professor Kenneth Pomeranz

Friday, 11 December 2009, 3:30pm

Organised by Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Office of the Deputy President (Research and Technology), East Asian Institute and Department of Chinese Studies

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Latest Publications

NEW RELEASE!

East Asian Policy

(Volume 1, No 3, Jul/Sep 2009)

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China: An International Journal
(Volume 7, Number 2, September 2009)

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新加坡社会发展

经验

黄朝翰、赵力涛

新加坡:八方文化创作

室(世界科技出版公司)

200910月第一版
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China and the New International Order

Edited by WANG Gungwu and ZHENG Yongnian

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China's Information and Communications Technology Revolution: Social Changes and State Responses

Edited by ZHANG Xiaoling and ZHENG Yongnian

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Japan's Peace-building Diplomacy in Asia: Seeking a more active political role

By LAM Peng Er

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Regional Economic Development in China
Edited by SAW Swee-Hock & John WONG
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China's New Social Policy: Initiatives for a Harmonious Society

Edited by ZHAO Litao & LIM Tin Seng

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EAI Weekly Talking Point

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Bo Xilai's anti-mob campaign and Chinese elite politics

Bo Xilai's political career has taken a dramatic turn since he embarked on a high-profile crackdown on organized crime in Chongqing.  Since June 2009, some 1,600 people have been detained in a major campaign targeted at gangsters in the city.  A noteworthy difference in Bo's efforts - as compared to similar campaigns elsewhere in China - is that government officials who provided support to the Chongqing mob were also detained.  Some of them were officials in Bo's administration, while others were from the Chongqing's police force.  Due to the success of the campaign, Bo's popularity has risen drastically, as evinced by the amount of praise he has gathered from state media as well as netizens.  However, it was pointed out that while the general public is more than happy with Bo's campaign, reactions from senior officials and the party elite have been less than clear.  Bo had made use of the campaign to boost his public image, and made comments to the news media that allegedly raised eyebrows among fellow senior officials.  Also, the concern that such problems of corruption are localized and effectively contained has not been addressed.  As with all other institutions and organizations in China, the Chinese mafia is not entirely autonomous.  Connections to major law enforcement and political figures are typical, and the line between mob-related and legal activity is not always clearly drawn.

in focus

Regional Inequality in Guangdong Province: Trends, Lessons, and Causes

By Dr Yu Hong

Friday, 13 November 2009   Dr Yu Hong's presentation focused on the current phenomenon of regional inequality in the province of Guangdong, China, during the post-1978 period. Specifically, the notion of equality as discussed by Dr Yu includes ensuring the development of human well-being as well as national welfare. Pointing to Brazil as an example, Dr Yu highlighted the fact that economic growth and development can result in unwanted effects such as social unrest and poverty if the problem of regional inequality is not sufficiently ameliorated. This in turn threatens political instability and may even lead to the rise of widespread health problems such as HIV (as in the case of the economically successful Botswana).

Guangdong is one of China's key industrial centres and economic powerhouses. However, its remarkable growth is also accompanied by an upward trend in its Gini coefficient, which underlines a growing gap between the Pearl River Delta region and the peripheral region. This regional economic inequality in Guangdong has intensified over the last decade. Dr Yu identified the main causes of the inequality as geographical location and economies of agglomeration. The coastal location of the Pearl River Delta region and its proximity to resources needed for production (thereby reducing transport costs) has led to the region becoming richer than the peripheral regions which are comparatively much poorer and backward. In addition, economic agglomeration has led to similar firms and related industries clustering in the Pearl River Delta region.

Dr Yu concluded by examining the plans for the future development of Guangdong as outlined by Party Secretary Wang Yang. While it is encouraging that Wang has addressed the issue of Guangdong's regional disparity by indicating plans to move labour-intensive and value-added industries to the periphery, the regional imbalance could potentially be worsened if this is not achieved.

LATEST China AnalysEs

Chinese State Media Going Global

ZHANG Xiaoling, 5 November 2009

The Chinese government has boosted its investment in the media sector to convert it into one of China's key public diplomacy outlets, break the Anglo-American monopoly, enhance China's international influence and showcase its rise as a great power. There are, however, many challenges ahead such as having to compete with both the well-established transnational companies such as BBC and CNN and the newly emerging ones such as Al-Jazeera and France 24 in a crowded global media sphere to have its voice heard in the global flow of information.  The Chinese media also suffer from inherent limitations such as low credibility and constraints on timeliness on breaking events. A more independent media is thus needed to reinforce messages generated by the government.

Read More

Hatoyama's East Asian Community and Sino-Japanese Relation

YANG Lijun & LIM Chee Kia, 28 October 2009

The Chinese media tend to read too much into Hatoyama's East Asian Community (EAC) and speculated primarily on the EAC membership and the country to dominate the region. Hatoyama has formulated an elaborate balance of power plan that seeks to counter both China and US in the interest of Japan. This will include countering the rise of the Chinese military with a military alliance with the US and countering the US-led laissez faire economy with the economic integration of East Asia. While Japan bandwagons on China's economic growth to jumpstart its own economy, it will also enlist the help of ASEAN to regulate China's economic activities.

Read More

 

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Last Modified on 18 November 2009