The United States has never formally recognized Taiwan as a sovereign state, yet it has provided the country with security assistance since the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC) government there in 1949. What accounts for this equivocal stance? And how is the US leveraging Taiwan against China? To unpack this complex triangular relationship, Shao-cheng Sun explores the history of US    More >

In September 2013, Xi Jinping announced the launch of a Chinese-led megaproject, the Belt and Road Initiative, that would transform Asia's position within the global economy. Some ten years on, the BRI, while facing significant obstacles, has gone from strength to strength. How has China’s BRI diplomacy affected its image across Asia? What does the BRI mean for Sino-US competition?    More >

What causes widespread abuse of the electoral process? How do political elites choose and weigh the relative costs and benefits of differing kinds of electoral manipulation? How and why have patterns of electoral conduct changed over time? The authors of Electoral Malpractice in Asia answer these questions and more as they systematically compare the quality of elections across eleven    More >

With steely determination, Xi Jinping has forged his way to absolute power at home, consolidated China's role as a global superpower, and promoted instrumental myths about his life. All the while, in many ways he has remained a mystery. Which is a problem, assert Stig Stenslie and Marte Kjær Galtung, because to understand China today, it is essential to understand Xi. Who is he? What    More >

Both the spread of Covid-19 and the intense US-China rivalry have been sources of stress for national economies throughout Asia Pacific. The authors of Asia-Pacific Small States, eschewing the usual focus on the region's powerhouses, turn their attention instead to the coping strategies of the smaller economies. Showing how these smaller states have been navigating the current turbulent times,    More >

The deadly attack on Kabul's airport in August 2021 shocked the world and brought concentrated attention to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK). New questions quickly arose: How did this ISIS affiliate become such a force in Afghanistan and Pakistan? And why is it now a lethal threat to the Taliban? Addressing these questions, Amira Jadoon and Andrew Mines draw on original data and newly    More >

By March 2022, a remarkable 144 countries had signed onto the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—China's massive investment and infrastructure development program—with significant implications for US foreign policy. Edward Ashbee explores how the US has reacted to this global expansion of Chinese power, tracing the arc of policy responses to the BRI from its inception in 2013 through    More >

China's growing presence in the strategically important Nordic-Baltic region has implications not only for the region itself, but also for general transatlantic relations. Within that context, the authors of Between Brussels and Beijing present in-depth country studies that highlight current challenges and point to opportunities for improved regional and transatlantic security.    More >

Driven by foreign investments and exports, the economies of many East Asian countries have seen dramatic growth—but North Korea has lagged behind. Why? What are the country's prospects for development? In what ways do its external relations affect its domestic economy? To answer these questions, the authors of The Political Economy of North Korea delve deeply into the economic    More >

Winner of the Andrew Price-Smith Book Award! Despite a century of advances in modern medicine, as well as the rapid development of Covid vaccines, the global pharmaceutical industry has largely failed to bring to market drugs that actually cure disease. Why? And looking further ... How can government policies stimulate investment in the development of curative drugs? Is there an untapped    More >

Even stronger than its outstanding predecessor, the third edition of Understanding Contemporary India provides context for and evaluates more than a decade of challenges and changes in India. Entirely new chapters on geography, politics, the economy, international relations, religion, and environmental challenges, along with updated material throughout (including the impact of the novel    More >

Though China remains a relatively weak nuclear power, it has in recent years become central to US strategic policymaking. What explains this shift? How is the US-China strategic nuclear relationship evolving? What role do other states play in shaping it?   To address these questions, the authors of US-China Nuclear Relations examine a series of strategic triangles involving China, the US,    More >

Can China's remarkable, rapid emergence as a large economy and technological power be attributed to specific policies, and more generally to a Chinese program of industrial policy? More simply put: What is it that China has done right? This is the fundamental question that Barry Naughton addresses in his extended essay. Disentangling the threads of China's industrial policies since    More >

Shiraishi Takashi reflects on the diplomatic challenges facing the countries of Asia in today's geopolitical order, exploring historical context, long-term trends, and current strategies. The tectonic shifts in the global order are having a particularly dramatic impact in Asia, with its combined economy now larger than that of either North America or Europe. As he explores the nature of    More >

Understanding Contemporary Asia Pacific provides a comprehensive introduction to one of the most complex and rapidly changing regions in the world today. This thoroughly revised new edition reflects more than a decade of major developments in the region (encompassing China, Japan, the Koreas, and all of the ASEAN member states), including the impact of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. With    More >

The years in Japan between June 1924, when a coalition cabinet of three political parties was established, and December 1941, when the country declared war on the United States and Britain, were characterized first by nearly a decade of domestic and international cooperation—and then a period of oppressive militarism. Kitaoka Shinichi captures the essence of these years in Japan's    More >

During the Ma Ying-jeou presidency in Taiwan (2008–2016), confrontations over relations with mainland China stressed the country’s institutions, leading to a political crisis. Nevertheless, its democracy proved to be resilient. The authors of Dynamics of Democracy in Taiwan explore key aspects of the complicated Ma era, including party politics and elections, the sources of Ma's    More >

This acclaimed introduction to China's politics and policies has been extensively revised and thoroughly updated not only to focus on the Xi Jinping era, but also to be even more accessible to students. Elizabeth Larus concisely captures the dynamism of Chinese politics. From local politics to the judicial system, from minority issues to defense policy, from the Belt and Road Initiative to    More >

How are intelligence systems structured in countries across Asia and the Middle East—from Russia to India, from Turkey to China and Japan, from Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia? In what ways did decolonization and the Cold War influence their organization? What is their mission, and to what extent do they come under public scrutiny? The authors of this comprehensive reference delve into these    More >

Memories can be shared—or contested. Japan and Korea, just one case in point, share centuries of intertwined history, the nature of which continues to be disputed, particularly with regard to World War II. The authors of History, Memory, and Politics in Postwar Japan explore Japan's historical narratives, and their impact on both domestic politics and diplomatic relations, as they    More >

Over the first two decades of the twenty-first century, China has become not only the world's largest economy, but also its largest exporter, a major importer, and the second largest source of foreign direct investment outflows. Focusing on FDI, the authors of this book look in depth at China's activities in Latin America and the Caribbean during 2000-2018. They present both    More >

How did Taiwan transform itself from a "least developed country" into an Asian Tiger? How did it become a successful, multiparty democracy after years of authoritarian rule? Why do its relations with China and the US remain critical? The authors address these questions as they assess Taiwan's trajectory since 1949 in the political, economic, and social spheres. They also consider    More >

Indonesia remains a country in transition even now, some two decades after its extraordinary shift from authoritarianism to democracy and from economic crisis to a rapidly growing economy. What explains the trajectory of that shift? What challenges does this island nation of 270 million people—with the world's largest Muslim population—face now, as the quality of democratic life    More >

In recent years, China's explosive outflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) globally can be measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars, with close to 10 billion of that going each year to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The characteristics and significance of that investment in LAC are the focus of this new book. The authors first discuss FDI in the region from the Chinese    More >

After more than a year of negotiations, the differences between NAFTA and the new United States–Mexico–Canada agreement (USMCA) are minor—especially considering the initial stance of the Trump administration in 2017—with one notable exception. The new agreement explicitly prohibits its members from negotiating free-trade agreements with "non-market economies" such    More >

Strategically located at the crossroads of Central Asia, China, and Russia, Mongolia has long attracted the attention of major world powers. How has this traditionally nomadic, but resource rich, country used a "Wolf Strategy" to establish its own place in the modern world? What challenges does it now face? Answering these questions, Alicia Campi provides a multifaceted examination of    More >

The complex security dynamics of the pivotal Asia Pacific region, involving disparate and contentious power blocs, clearly have implications far beyond the region itself. Thomas Wilkins sheds new light on those dynamics, providing a rich framework for better understanding the nature of security alignments in Asia Pacific, as well as a reexamination of the dominant forces at play: the US alliance    More >

Refuting criticisms that call into question the effectiveness, and even the purpose, of ASEAN, Shaun Narine traces the organization's political and economic development and explores its impact within Southeast Asia and beyond. Narine considers ASEAN's role both regionally and with regard to the external powers—China, the United States, Japan, Russia, and increasingly    More >

With the countries of Southeast Asia increasingly challenged by a plethora of nontraditional security issues—climate change, food and water security, infectious diseases, and migration key among them—a number of important questions have emerged: What national and regional efforts are being made to address these issues? Why have some approaches proven more successful than others? How do    More >

Some six centuries ago, the great Chinese explorer and diplomat Zheng He set sail to blaze a trail across the Indian Ocean to the east coast of Africa. In 2002, Li Xinfeng set out to find traces of Zheng's several journeys in Africa. The result is the compelling China in Africa: In Zheng He’s Footsteps. Beginning on Kenya's Pate Island, Li's comprehensive research led him to    More >

China today bears little resemblance to the country introduced in the first edition of Understanding Contemporary China, published nearly two decades ago. Even in just the past five years, dramatic changes have occurred under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. This new edition of the book reflects those changes, exploring the impact of new domestic policies; China's role as a behemoth    More >

Xu Zhiyong Won the 2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award! The story of China's rights movement—a struggle for basic human rights and democracy that, despite harsh repression, has endured for more than a decade—unfolds in Xu Zhiyong's compelling personal memoir. In recognition of his work as an activist, lawyer, and founder of the New Citizen Movement, Dr. Xu was named    More >

Capturing the most recent currents in world affairs—without sacrificing historical context—the second edition of Asia Pacific in World Politics reflects more than a decade of new developments. The focus on the region's major state actors has now been broadened to include an entirely new chapter on India and greatly expanded treatment of both Russia and Australia. The role of    More >

When Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan's first non-Kuomintang president, left office in 2008, his tenure was widely considered a disappointment. More recent events, however, suggest the need for a reassessment of this crucial period in Taiwan's political development. Taiwan's Democracy Challenged provides that assessment, considering key facets of both the progress toward and the obstacles to    More >

Hong Kong and its relationship with China make for a uniquely intriguing study in democratization. What has hindered or caused greater popular sovereignty in Hong Kong? Over what time period and under what conditions could further democratization occur? Addressing these questions through the lens of comparative democratization theories, Lynn White explores Hong Kong’s complicated    More >

The prospects for Thailand's emergence as a democracy seemed strong in the 1990s. Yet, as most recently demonstrated by military coups in 2006 and 2014, that hasn't happened. Why not? Why have factors typically considered advantageous for democratization turned into barriers? Is there a uniquely Thai reason that democratization efforts have failed?            More >

Why have traditional views of national identity in South Korea—views that for years drove a demand for reunification—been challenged so dramatically in recent years? What explains the growing ambivalence and even antagonism of South Korean young people toward unification with North Korea? Emma Campbell addresses these related puzzles, exploring the emergence of a new kind of    More >

The strategically pivotal Russian Far East—a vast expanse stretching from Lake Baikal to the Pacific Ocean—is notable not only for its rich natural resources, but also for the economic challenges, internal dissent, and risks of foreign encroachment that it faces. Rensselaer Lee and Artyom Lukin explore the history, economics, and politics of the RFE in the context of its geopolitical    More >

What issues will Myanmar need to address as it moves beyond the immediate complexities of a transition from an authoritarian state to a more pluralistic polity? How will the new government navigate the challenges—some new, some old—of increasing public participation, persistent coercive forces, economic transformation, ethnic tensions, varying conceptions of the role of law, and more?    More >

This systematic, innovative introduction to the dynamic politics and political economies of China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan teaches students how to think analytically, critically, and independently about the most significant developments in the region. The text offers in-depth coverage of the unique experiences of each country, all within the framework of an explicit    More >

Why is India's rise on the world stage so controversial? How can a state that is losing authority to its regions at the same time grow in international importance? Exploring an apparent paradox, Maya Chadda shows how culture, politics, wealth, and policy have combined to forge a distinctive Indian path to power, both nationally and in the international arena.    More >

Has China's much-discussed "charm offensive" come to an end? Are fears about the country's more assertive foreign policies justified? How will a rising China interact with its regional neighbors? Mark Beeson and Fujian Li address these questions by comprehensively exploring the nature, effectiveness, and implications of China's foreign policy strategy in Asia and Australia.    More >

Although scholars and practitioners have identified explicit structural impediments that constrain countries' efforts to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable social development, there has been limited research conducted to identify the specific barriers to development that prevail in Pakistan today. The authors of Development Challenges Confronting Pakistan go far toward filling this    More >

Mel Gurtov takes issue with the widespread view that China is on the way to rivaling or even displacing the United States as the dominant world power. Gurtov identifies serious constraints that will keep the country's leadership focused for the foreseeable future on challenges at home. Arguing that China's economic rise has exacerbated problems of social inequality, environmental    More >

In recent years, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have been transformed from aid recipients to aid donors, raising a number of questions. What motivated these four countries to embark on aid programs? Do their policies represent new approaches to poverty alleviation? Do they reinforce or disrupt the emerging consensus within the international community on aid policy harmonization and    More >

Focusing on Myanmar, with its perfect storm of extreme poverty, international sanctions, and egregious political repression, Anthony Ware shows how context sensitivity can help development organizations to better meet the needs of their client populations. Ware points out that, while practitioners have questioned universal economic prescriptions for development, they have been less rigorous in    More >

Why did the Truman administration reject a pragmatic approach to the Taiwan Strait conflict—recognizing Beijing and severing ties with Taipei—and instead choose the path of strategic ambiguity? Dean Chen sheds light on current US policy by exploring the thoughts and deliberations of President Truman and his top advisers, among them Dean Acheson, John Foster Dulles, Livingston Merchant,    More >

How can the United States and South Korea best cooperate to address new security challenges? Can the US-ROK alliance serve to advance South Korea's interests and at the same time help the US to more effectively pursue its own global and regional security objectives? In the context of these questions, the authors explore the possibilities for enhanced cooperation in both traditional and    More >

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are widely heralded as an opportunity for the poor to have greater access to information that can help them escape poverty, as well as an important tool for development agencies. But as Tanya Jakimow shows, the consequences of the "information age" often deviate greatly from our image of an interconnected, modern world. Peddlers of    More >

Taiwan's economic and political transformation was once considered a model for developing nations, but in recent decades, the momentum has stalled. Why? Cal Clark and Alexander Tan explain the country's paradoxical political economy, tracing its achievements and exploring its challenges. The authors appraise Taiwan's hard-won accomplishments—a legitimate democracy and a    More >

Malcolm Harper cuts through the cynicism and disillusionment about microfinance with his account of BASIX—one of the largest microfinance firms in India—to show how the organization offers pathways for a revamped MFI of the future, one that responds to poor clients’ diverse needs equitably and effectively.    More >

What inroads is China making in Latin America? In China Engages Latin America, experts from three continents provide local answers to this global question. The authors explore the multiple motivations driving the establishment of new Sino–Latin American linkages, the nature of those linkages, and the reactions that they have generated. They also examine how China–Latin America    More >

Despite burgeoning trade and cultural links, China and India remain fierce competitors in a world of global economic rebalancing, power shifts, resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and other transnational security threats. Mohan Malik explores this increasingly important and complex relationship, grounding his analysis in the history of the two countries. Malik describes a geopolitical    More >

Charles Buxton traces the gradual establishment of the civil society sector in the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, countries that find themselves today negotiating a complicated path between capitalist and socialist systems.    More >

Scott Seward Smith focuses on Afghanistan's 2004 presidential election—the first popular election ever held there—as he explores the painstaking attempt by the United Nations to develop democratic institutions in the country. Smith thoroughly describes the personalities, policies, bureaucracies, and external factors that shaped the faltering transition process from 2001 through    More >

Transformations in both Japan's domestic culture and its foreign relations in the last two decades have led to, among other outcomes, a shift to a more militarized defense policy. Yumiko Mikanagi explores an intriguing aspect of this shift: changes in what is considered masculine in contemporary Japanese society. Tracing the alternations between dominant "warrior" and    More >

What happens when a humanitarian crisis with political roots interacts with a humanitarian crisis induced by environmental disaster? That is the question at the core of Dual Disasters. Focusing on Sri Lanka and Indonesia, countries that were dealing with complex upheavals long before the 2004 tsunami struck, Jennifer Hyndman shows how the storm shifted the goals of international aid, altered    More >

Nandini Deo and Duncan McDuie-Ra explore India's vibrant civil society sector, focusing on the ways that it actually operates "on the ground." Offering an insightful analysis, they identify what influences the relative success or failure of various movements; and the tools that activists use to overcome obstacles; the traps that often derail efforts to frame, politicize, and    More >

After agriculture and tourism, artisan work provides the next most significant source of income in many developing countries. Yet, there is strong disagreement among both politicians and development professionals as to whether the handicraft sector is worthy of investment—and the debate has been hampered by a lack of industry data. Mary Littrell and Marsha Dickson draw on their eight    More >

With China's rise as a major player in international affairs, how have its policies toward developing countries changed? And how do those policies now fit with its overall foreign policy goals? This timely book explores the complexities of China's evolving relationship with the developing world. The authors first examine the political and economic implications of China's efforts to    More >

Two centuries after the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, at least 12.3 million people are subjected to modern forms of forced labor—in rich countries, as well as poor ones. The authors of Forced Labor present state-of-the art research on the manifestations of these slavery-like practices, why they continue to survive, and how they can be eliminated. Their conceptually rich    More >

Did the United Nations successfully help to build a just, peaceful state and society in postconflict East Timor? Has transitional justice satisfied local demands for accountability and/or reconciliation? What lessons can be learned from the UN’s efforts? Drawing on extensive field work, James DeShaw Rae offers a grassroots perspective on the relationship between peacebuilding and    More >

As China strives to achieve nothing less than a "harmonious society"—despite the pronounced and institutionalized class structure that divides rural Chinese from urban, eastern from western, and rich from poor— a key element of that effort is a "new socialist countryside." Minzi Su assesses the prospects for China's rural revitalization programs now in their    More >

Gordon Means traces the evolution of Islamic politics in Southeast Asia, ranging from the early arrival of Islam in the region to the challenges it generates, and faces, today. Means’s analysis encompasses the events and actions shaping Islamic politics, as well as the impact of Islamic politics on government and public policy outcomes. It also offers insightful answers to such questions    More >

Students and practitioners confronting the mass of competing assertions in the development literature—replete with contradictory "truths"—may well become frustrated. Adam Fforde offers guidance for the perplexed through a penetrating critique of that literature, presenting strategies that will help readers to evaluate the contending solutions to problems of development.    More >

Why does China act as it does in its pursuit of energy security? Are “resource wars” inevitable? Going beyond traditional analyses that focus on China as a regional and global threat, Jean Garrison sheds new light on the roots of the country’s energy policy and the constraints that it faces. Garrison eschews the zero-sum approaches that underlie much conceptualization of the    More >

Choice Outstanding Academic Book! With China now South Korea's number one trading partner and destination for foreign investment and tourism, what are the implications for politics and security in East Asia? Scott Snyder explores the transformation of the Sino–South Korean relationship since the early 1990s. Snyder considers the strategic significance of recent developments in    More >

Since the end of Suharto's so-called New Order (1966-1998) in Indonesia and the eruption of vicious group violence, a number of questions have engaged the minds of scholars and other observers. How widespread is the group violence? What forms—ethnic, religious, economic—has it primarily taken? Have the clashes of the post-Suharto years been significantly more widespread, or worse,    More >

Mila works at Heaven, a little bar on "blowjob alley" in Angeles city, the Philippines. Once the site of the United States Clark Air Force Base, the city is now one of the busiest and sleaziest sex tourist destination in Southeast Asia. Mila lives in tremendous hope that someday a customer will rescue her from Heaven and take her to America. In the Philippines, prostitution is not    More >

Living Our Religions sheds important light on the lives of Hindu and Muslim American women of South Asian origin. As the authors reveal their diverse and culturally dynamic religious practices, describe the race, gender, and ethnic boundaries that they encounter, and document how they resist and challenge these boundaries, they cut through the myths and ethnocentrism of popular portrayals to    More >

This book outlines key facets of the authors' five year development project on sex tourism and prostitution in the Philippines, and is a powerful reflection on the raging debates taking place among feminists about the Third World. Ralston and Keeble follow the history of prostitution in former military outpost Angeles City, the women and foreign men who live by the trade and the varied    More >

Ian Taylor explores the nature and implications of China's burgeoning role in Africa, arguing that Beijing is using Africa not only as a source of needed raw materials and potential new markets, but also to bolster its own position on the international stage. After tracing the history of Sino-African relations, Taylor addresses key current issues: What will be the long-term consequences,    More >

How might China become a democracy? And what lessons, if any, might Taiwan's experience of democratization hold for China's future? The authors of this volume consider these questions, both through comparisons of Taiwan's historical experience with the current period of economic and social change in the PRC, and through more focused analysis of China's current, and possible future,    More >

Widespread dissatisfaction in Japan in the 1990s set the stage for numerous political reforms aimed at enhancing representation and accountability. But have these reforms in fact improved the quality of Japanese democracy? Through the lens of this question, the authors explore contemporary Japanese politics at the national, local, and grassroots levels. Their systematic analysis of when and how    More >

Confounding expectations, Taiwan reduced its military spending for many years even as its sole adversary, the People's Republic of China, modernized its military and significantly increased its defense budget. Michael Chase examines the key factors that have shaped Taiwan's security policy over a span of three decades. Chase explores both the role of US security assurances in formulating    More >

Assessing the trajectory of democratization in East Asia, this volume offers a systematic and tightly integrated analysis of party-system development in countries across the region. The authors utilize unprecedented cross-national survey data to examine the institutional structure of party systems, the range of choices these systems represent, and their connection to voting preferences. They also    More >

How NGOs React follows the Soros Foundation's educational reform programs in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia and raises larger questions about the role of NGOs in a centralist government, relationships NGOs have with international donors and development banks, and strategies NGOs use to interpret global reforms locally. The authors, all former or current educational experts of the    More >

As the political drive to establish closer ties among Asian governments continues to gain momentum, there has been much debate about the realities of Asian regionalism. Does the community-building activity in fact signal the birth of "Asia Major"? What are the obstacles to integration? And is integration a positive trend for the region and for external actors? Sifting rhetoric from    More >

How have shifts in both the international environment and domestic politics affected the trajectory of Japanese foreign policy? Does it still make sense to depict Japan as passive and reactive, or have the country's leaders become strategic and proactive? Japan in International Politics presents a nuanced picture of Japanese foreign policy, emphasizing the ways in which slow, adaptive changes,    More >

Globalization and Change in Asia explores three decades of adjustment on the part of governments, civil society, and the private sector to the complex new forces of international competition. Recognizing that the benefits of globalization have not accrued equally to all Asian countries, nor to all stratums of society, the authors seek lessons that can help shape development policy to effect the    More >

Have the far-reaching political reforms enacted in Japan more than a decade ago succeeded in reducing corruption and the high costs of elections? Or have the results been "business as usual"? Matthew Carlson analyzes the ebb and flow of money in Japanese politics, drawing on extensive fieldwork and detailed campaign-finance data to investigate campaign practices, party strategies, and    More >

As China's influence rises and the US attempts to retain its primacy in Northeast Asia, the countries of the region are reconsidering their own security needs—and availing themselves of new opportunities. Power and Security in Northeast Asia explores the complexities of current security strategies in the region, revealing motivations and policies not often considered by traditional    More >

What does democracy look like in Pacific Asia? Can democratic governance in the region survive the challenges of corruption, violence, and soft authoritarianism? What impact are economic pressures likely to have? These are among the broad questions tackled in Pacific Asia in Quest of Democracy, a comparative study of democratic structures and practices in Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea,    More >

Uniquely representing all sides in the conflict over Kashmir, this innovative new book provides a forum for discussion not only of existing proposals for ending the conflict, but also of possible new paths toward settlement.   Contributors from India, Pakistan, and Kashmir explore the national and subnational dimensions of the ongoing hostilities, the role of the international community,    More >

Focusing on the nexus between global, regional, and national dynamics in Southeast Asia, Jörn Dosch explores the profound political changes that have occurred in recent years both within the region and in its international relations. Dosch first examines the realm of foreign policy, with an emphasis on the link between democratization and the conduct of foreign affairs. Subsequent chapters    More >

Introducing students to China's foreign policy, the authors outline the political, security, economic, and social issues the country faces in the emerging 21st century. Each chapter of the book familiarizes the reader with the Chinese framework for analyzing the issues in question. Alternate policy choices are suggested, along with supporting data for each course of action. Discussion and    More >

What explains the twists and turns in US-China relations since Richard Nixon initiated a policy of engagement in the early 1970s? Addressing this question, Jean Garrison examines the politics behind US China policy across six administrations from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush. Garrison finds that a focus on the internal decisionmaking process is key to understanding both continuity and change    More >

In the face of significant changes in the contemporary geopolitical environment, China's longstanding policy of maintaining a minimal nuclear stockpile may also be shifting. China's Nuclear Future provides a comprehensive overview of both the evolution of China's nuclear policy and the strategic implications of current developments.   The authors examine a full range of issues,    More >

Departing from characterizations of Asian governments as benevolent overlords and Asian citizens as politically naive and/or docile, Fiona Yap explores the dynamic interactions between state and citizenry in the arena of economic policies. Yap focuses on the cases of Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan to show that, with the strategic use of activities ranging from labor unrest to    More >

Third in an acclaimed series, Searching for Peace in Asia Pacific offers critical background information, up-to-date surveys of the conflicts in the region and a directory of some 400 relevant organizations working in the field of conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The authors provide detailed, objective descriptions of ongoing activities, as well as assessments of the prospects for conflict    More >

Long constrained as a security actor by constitutional as well as external factors, Japan now increasingly is called to play a greater role in stabilizing both the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international system. Japan's Security Agenda explores the country's diplomatic, political, military, and economic concerns and policies within this new context.   Hughes looks closely    More >

In Buddhism at Work, George Bond explores the vision and evolution of Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana movement—now an international movement and NGO—whose individual and group members promote Gandhian and Buddhist ideals as they seek to bring about political and economic change through grassroots cooperative work.    More >

  Ending a two-decade-long armed insurgency, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord was signed in December 1997 by the government of Bangladesh and the PCJSS, the political representative of the Hill people. However, because of ambiguities within the accord and the failure to implement many of its crucial elements, the situation in the CHT today is far from peaceful. Amena Mohsin    More >

The hardline view of Sino-Indian relations found in the published reports of Indian and Chinese security analysts is often at considerable odds with the more tempered opinions those same analysts express in private interviews and conversations. What is the reality of the increasingly important security relationship between the two countries? The authors of this new study address that question in    More >

From internal oppression in Burma to interstate conflict in the South China Sea, the people of Southeast Asia face a range of threats. This book identifies and explains the security challenges confronting the region. Collins addresses the full spectrum of security issues, discussing the impact of ethnic tensions and competing political ideologies, the evolving role of ASEAN, and Southeast    More >

Choice Outstanding Academic Book! Islamic extremism in Southeast Asia has moved beyond a matter of local concern to one of global significance—as the events of the past decade have so clearly demonstrated. Drawing on intensive on-the-ground investigation and interviews with key militants, Zachary Abuza explains the emergence of radical Islamist groups in the region, examines Al-Qaida's    More >

On publication in France, Jean-Marie Bouissou's depiction of modern Japan was acclaimed as "the best of its kind." This English-language translation has been updated to cover events through 2001 and augmented with an overview of Japan's pre-1945 historical legacy. In the tradition of French scholarship—which rejects a narrowly focused approach—the book encompasses    More >

Despite isolation, an impoverished economy, mass starvation, and the challenge of leadership succession, North Korea's socialist state continues to survive. Han Park explores the reasons for this resilience, concentrating on the implications of mass beliefs and political ideology for the country's political life. Park begins with an examination of Juche, or self-reliance, the ideology    More >

Is ASEAN the foundation of a strong regional community in Southeast Asia? Or is it no more than an instrument used by its members to advance their individual interests? Addressing these questions, Shaun Narine offers a comprehensive political analysis of ASEAN from its creation in 1967 through the events of 2001. Reflecting both the accomplishments and the limitations of the organization,    More >

Considering the future of U.S.-Korea relations, Edward Olsen first provides a rich assessment of the political, economic, and strategic factors that have shaped—and flawed—U.S. policy toward the Korean peninsula since WWII.   Olsen suggests that the prospect of permanent separation has become integral to U.S. policy toward both Korean states. Offering counterintuitive    More >

The UN intervention in East Timor amply illustrates the type of complex operation that the United Nations increasingly is being asked to undertake. Michael Smith analyzes the successes and failures of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which was designed to work in partnership with the East Timorese in guiding the country to independence following the 1999 vote to secede    More >

The Hidden Assembly Line demonstrates how the impact of current global economic trends—changing production patterns, dictated by multinational corporations and IMF-influenced macroeconomic policies—form the economic reality of many women workers in Asia. Presenting case studies from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, the contributors analyze household-level changes in    More >

Moving from the 1950s to the present, Zachary Abuza explores Vietnamese politics and culture through the lens of the internal debates over political reform. Abuza focuses on issues of representation, intellectual freedom, the rise of civil society, and the emergence of a "loyal opposition," assessing the prospects for change. He finds that, while some mildly dissident groups may add    More >

This comprehensive study provides a detailed analysis of the military buildup in the East Asian countries: China, Taiwan, Japan, and North and South Korea. Hickey assesses the capabilities, strategies, intentions, and performance of each government's military in the context of the potential for regional instability and conflict. In his concluding chapter, he also explores U.S. objectives in    More >

What makes a national community out of a state? Addressing this fundamental question, Rajagopalan studies national integration from the perspective of three South Asian communities—Tamilians in India, Sindhis in Pakistan, and Tamils in Sri Lanka—that have a history of secessionism in common, but with vastly different outcomes. Rajagopalan investigates why integration is relatively    More >

On March 18, 2000, Taiwan's voters stunned the world by choosing Chen Shui-bian, the candidate of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), to be their president. A host of new issues quickly became the subject of debate. What is the DPP? Where did it come from and what does it stand for? How will it use its newly won power? Will it risk war with mainland China in pursuit of    More >

Traditional homicide indicators are based on male violence—and do little to predict when, or whom, women will kill. Vickie Jensen shows that gender equality plays an important role in predicting female homicide patterns. Jensen's analysis of the occurrence of women's homicide reveals that lethal violence is most likely when severe gender inequalities exist in the family group. Her    More >

What is the source of the increasing politicization of Japan's budgetary policy? Takaaki Suzuki explores this question, finding the answer in the the interplay of domestic and international politics from the early 1970s through the 1990s. Suzuki points out that, just as modern state leaders must strike a balance between the appropriate roles of the market and the state in determining how    More >

Managing ethnic nationalism within the People's Republic of China has become increasingly challenging. As new reforms widen economic disparities between minorities and the Han majority, even the most assimilated of minorities, the Zhuang, have begun to demand special treatment from the central government. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officially recognized the sixteen million Zhuang as    More >

This original analysis of South Asia's political experience with democracy in the 1990s assumes that, if democratic norms are to be universalized, they must first absorb the interpretations and experiences of the non-Western countries. Chadda contends that any discussion of democratization must be founded on mapping its course amid the constraints of state consolidation, national integration,    More >

The nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests conducted by India and Pakistan in the late 1990s have substantially altered the security environment, both in the region and globally. Examining the complexities, controversies, and dynamics of this new strategic context, India's Nuclear Security explores India's motivations for becoming a nuclear weapons state, its proposed nuclear and    More >

Women around the world are entering commercial agriculture—and often succeeding—despite development policies designed to exclude them. In this comparative volume, case studies reveal that farm women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are rapidly becoming more than “subsistence producers. The authors explore the societal and domestic changes brought about as women move from    More >

China Under Jiang Zemin represents the first major scholarly effort to analyze the evolution of China’s new leadership, taking as its starting point the pivotal Fifteenth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, held in September 1997. Proceeding from a detailed portrait of the political landscape at the opening of the Jiang Zemin era, the authors provide rich detail of the various    More >

Since its inception in 1987, Korean democracy has been an arena of continual drama and baffling contradictions: periodic waves of societal mobilization and disenchantment; initial continuity in political leadership, followed by the successive election to the presidency of two former opposition leaders and the arrest of two former heads of state; a constant stream of party renamings and    More >

Exploring the enduring legacy of untouchability in India, this book challenges the ways in which the Indian experience has been represented in Western scholarship. The authors introduce the long tradition of Dalit emancipatory struggle and present a sustained critique of academic discourse on the dynamics of caste in Indian society. Case studies complement these arguments, underscoring the perils    More >

As China enters a stage of economic reform more challenging and risky than any that has gone before, the pressure for political liberalization grows apace. This volume explores the dilemmas of this new phase of complex change. The authors—most of whom write with the insight that comes from having lived and worked within the Chinese system—analyze how the evolution of China’s    More >

This broad, historically grounded study examines the relationship between democratic governance and economic development in postindependence India (1947-1998). Sharma addresses the fundamental paradox of India’s political economy: why have five decades of democratically guided strategies failed to reconcile economic growth with redistribution or to mitigate the condition of extreme poverty    More >

Gender disparities frequently accompany rapid socioeconomic change, as cultural traditions that protected women—even as they constrained them—collapse in the face of development reforms. This collaborative volume, involving both Asian and U.S. scholars, explores the impact of changes in women’s rights to housing and land in three socialist countries that are moving toward market    More >

These seven stories, dramatic and thought-provoking, provide a compelling picture of Korean life in the 1940s–1990s. Family and community ties, respect for tradition, survival in the face of repeated national disasters and wrenching social upheaval—these are among the themes evoked in the collection. The narratives make palpable the lives and emotions of characters from many differing    More >

Japan’s navy, after that of the United States, is now the most potent in the Pacific Ocean. This book examines the development and potential of the Japanese navy in the context of the U.S.–Japan alliance. Woolley presents Japan’s coming of age as a military—primarily naval—power in a series of case studies on sea-lane defense, minesweeping, and participation in UN    More >

This systematic study of China's structural transformation during the past two decades emphasizes the balance-of-power game so ably played by Deng Xiaoping and others among the post-Mao national leadership. Chen argues that to prevent party cadre opposition to market restructuring—the nemesis of change in other communist states—national leaders manipulated legislative channels and    More >

This major compendium identifies the approximately three hundred key institutional resources on international political and economic affairs available throughout the Pacific Basin—in East and Southeast Asia, Australia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Pacific–oriented countries of South America. Organized by country/region, the Directory highlights each institution's    More >

Study after study of women in the Muslim world has focused primarily on Middle Eastern societies, usually emphasizing the sexual ideology of a reified Islam. This book rounds out that view, exploring the status, roles, and contributions of Muslim women not only in the Middle East, but also in Africa and Asia, including post-Soviet Central Asia. The authors, many of them from the countries they    More >

Once a proud and independent institution, the Singapore press was brought to its knees by threats, arbitrary arrests and detentions, general harassment, and litigation during Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's administration. Singapore's former solicitor general, Francis T. Seow, tells this story, documenting the demise of the Eastern Sun, the Nanyang Siang Pau, and the Singapore Herald (among    More >

This fresh appraisal of China’s military establishment in transition emphasizes the interplay of domestic and external forces. Showing how economic, technological, bureaucratic, and international factors have substantially reshaped Chinese military thinking and behavior, the authors question the popular perception of a “China threat.” Their closely reasoned analysis underscores    More >

This fascinating case study focuses on shamanism and the healing practices of the Taman, a formerly tribal society indigenous to the interior of Borneo. The Taman typically associate illness with an encounter with spirits that both seduce and torment a person in dreams or waking life. Rather than use medicines to counter the effect of these discomforting visitors, the shamans—called    More >

Mixed Motives, Uncertain Outcomes looks critically at China's efforts to adapt its vast military- industrial complex to the service of its socialist market economy. The authors—all of whom have witnessed or participated first-hand in the country's defense conversion—offer political, macroeconomic, business, and military perspectives on this complex issue. The book places the    More >

Hilary Tham's memoirs reveal the many images, cultures, myths, and memories out of which her poetry has emerged. Tham recalls a life of many textures: her Chinese ancestry, her family's life in Malaysia, her early education and conversion to Christianity, her university studies, marriage to a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, and more. Amidst memories of her raffish father and inspired,    More >

One of the most critical tasks facing Taiwan's government in the post-Cold War era is the need to reassess its security environment. In this context, Hickey discusses the island's security concerns, the structure and composition of its armed forces, and its defensive strategy. He also explores the opportunities and challenges for Taipei generated by recent transformations in the    More >

This comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography covers nearly 3,000 English-language books and articles on Muslim women throughout the world. Works are listed alphabetically by author, with an extensive index including both geographical and topical headings. A special feature of the bibliography is its annotated list of the 50 "most highly recommended" books and articles; the result of a    More >

Few people are aware that, throughout the British raj, France managed to retain a foothold in parts of India. French India survived for a full fifteen years after the Union Jack was lowered in Delhi, and as a result of French colonization, there remain today, scattered throughout the Union Territory of Pondicherry, thousands of ethnic Indians who still possess French citizenship. The ensuing    More >

As China's reforms take root, the differences between the traditional value of harmony and the socialist norm of class struggle are becoming increasingly obscured. Chinese citizens are, in fact, theoretically allowed—even encouraged—to be socialist and profit-driven at the same time. Chih-yu Shih looks at this precarious dyad, demonstrating what reform has done to the    More >

A richly detailed chronicle of a cross-cultural odyssey in the Philippines under U.S. colonial rule. The son of a Filipino father and a North American (Brooklyn-born) mother, Norman Reyes describes a childhood that was divided between two worlds—a mestizo life shaped by the violent drama of historical events. His fast-paced book builds in tension as the assumed safety of Philippine society    More >

The multilateral banks are powerful forces in the international community, providing loans of more than $250 billion to developing countries over the last half-century. The best-known of these, the World Bank, has been studied extensively, but the "regional development banks" are little understood, even within their own geographic regions. This book looks specifically at the policies    More >

Professors Qu and Li incorporate the results of historical research, current analysis, and forecasting to discuss the relationship between human population and the environment in China. Proposing ways that the PRC can move from vicious to positive cycles, they offer creative recommendations for overcoming the current crisis and promoting development. A valuable scientific basis for China's policy    More >

Two decades have passed since the introduction of modern rice varieties (MVs) and their accompanying technology in Asia. This volume looks at seven Asian countries—with widely diverse production environments and agrarian and policy structures—to determine to what extent the adoption of MVs only in the irrigated and the favorable rainfed-lowland areas has exacerbated inequalities in the    More >

Looking at China's foreign policy, this book focuses on the Confucian-based need of Chinese leaders to present themselves as the supreme moral rectifiers of the world order. Shih outlines the diplomatic principles cherished by the Chinese—socialism, antihegemonism, peaceful coexistence, statism, and isolationism—and explores how each has been applied in the past forty years. He    More >

China Opens Its Doors explains and documents the complex relationship between the politics and economics of China's recent "Open Policy," covering the period from 1978 up to the Party Congress of November 1992. Though emphasizing the political essence of this policy process, Howell also looks at the sociopolitical changes that it has engendered, including its impact on the state and    More >

At the beginning of the 1980s, Singapore’s public relied largely on a literary diet of traditional British and North American authors. By 1990, however, books by Singaporeans were rapidly replacing imports on the bestseller lists and in the review columns. Singular Stories exemplifies the range of the new Singaporean prose. The pieces in this diverse collection explore the conflict between    More >

As culturally diverse, non-Western communities are drawn into the international division of labor, capitalism takes root in a number of ways. This book describes how capitalism has become a part of the lives of rural Tahitians, starting with the arrival of Westerners to the islands and detailing the nature of the transformation wrought by missionaries, merchants, and French    More >

This political, and darkly romantic novel centers on Mei Puti, a "forty-something" professor of literature, who suffers during the Cultural Revolution because of her heritage as part of the old elite.    More >

This study of thirteen of India's leading industrial families pays particular attention to the key decisions, cultural traditions, and personality issues that have contributed to their success. Based on interviews with scholars, journalists, government officials, and the business leaders themselves, the book covers each family business from its founding through its expansion into a large-scale,    More >