Asia/Pacific

Offense-Defense Theory and the absence of war on the Korean peninsula

Alvyn Ng • Feb 16 2011 • Essays

This essay argues that the absence of a major war between North (DPRK) and South Korea (ROK) does not disprove the offense-defense theory (ODT) because the theory is capable of explaining the prevalence of peace under conditions when the defense has the advantage.

Can China be Defined as an Authoritarian State?

Patrick Ervine • Feb 4 2011 • Essays

The People’s Republic of China was formed in 1949 from a country crippled by poverty, internal and external conflict, and has grown into one of today’s economic superpowers. Modern China can be defined as an authoritarian state. However, socialism with Chinese characteristics is a far better way of describing China’s unique system of government and economy

‘Diaspora’? The Case of the Russians of Central Asia

anon • Feb 2 2011 • Essays

Russians living in Central Asia and Russians returning to the Russian Federation cannot be considered to be diasporas

The Contrasting Sides of the Great Fire Wall

James Rogers • Dec 15 2010 • Essays

It is clear to see that from a historical cultural point of view that the two nations were built on very different ideological manifestations; liberal capitalism for Hong Kong and authoritarian communism for China. From these differing ideologies come different viewpoints and in turn, differing laws, which further lay the foundations for the differences the two states have.

China’s role in the global political economy

Juan Rodriguez • Dec 6 2010 • Essays

Today we know China as the new form of communism which came about after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 and the further solidification of Deng Xiaoping as paramount leader of the Chinese communist party. China has come a long way since 1978, growing at more than 20% a year. However, it is still relatively young power in the international arena, lacking the maturity and reputation of America

Uyghur Nationalism and China

Christopher Attwood • Dec 2 2010 •

How the Uyghur population conceptualises its struggle is vital for the continued existence of the movement. Is the Uyghur movement a drive for human rights? A fight for increased autonomy? Or indeed a full blown separatist insurgency? On the other hand, how the PRC views the ‘Uyghur problem’ will have a direct bearing on the way it handles problems within Xinjiang in the future.

The 1997 Financial Crisis and the East Asia Development Paradigm

Piangtawan Piang Phanprasit • Jul 13 2010 • Essays

The financial collapse of 1997 which led to regional economic meltdown the following year exposed the link between financial sectors and macroeconomic performances of the troubled economies, and hence the revision of development models pursued by those economies. A distinction needs to be drawn between the crisis as the precipitating event or as the source of Asia’s extraordinary vulnerability

The Dalits of India: education and development

Erik Fraser • Jun 23 2010 • Essays

There have been many attempts to help increase the quality of life for the Dalits through development focused on enrolment in primary education. But, can education-based development programs work?

The persistence of military domination in Myanmar

Mark Dearn • May 6 2010 • Essays

Myanmar’s post-colonial era is characterised by the domination of the military as the key actor in the state’s politics over the 62-year period since British rule ended. Democratic elections have only once resulted in the installation of a civilian-led government in Myanmar. Indeed, the country offers a counter-argument to the conventional wisdom among political scientists that ‘military rule is the shortest form of authoritarian regime in the developing world’

How independent can Australia’s foreign policy be?

Antony Lewis • Apr 26 2010 • Essays

The independence of Australian’s foreign policy will never be absolute. It can only become more independent through possibility thinking rather than being “weighed down by myths of past centuries”, including the taking of a more flexible, independent line in its bilateral relationship with the United States.

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