Search

This book is a study of comparative social and political theory, examining how Hayek's classical liberalism has been influencing the development of Chinese liberalism since 1949. While both Chinese liberalism and the thought of Hayek can each be studied in its own right, this is the first systematic study on how Hayek's ideas have helped post-war Chinese liberals enrich their social and political theory in the pursuit of freedom and in formulating theoretical responses to the challenges of modernity in China. This book examines and identifies those central theoretical tenets of Hayek that are most inspiring to the post-war Chinese liberals in their efforts in developing a more robust and profound understanding of freedom in the Chinese context. It argues that the new post-war understanding of Chinese liberalism has superseded the social democratic understanding that was widely adopted by pre-war Chinese liberals. These theoretical/Hayekian tenets include: the critique of totalitarianism and scientism, the idea of the free market, the insights inherited from the Scottish Enlightenment to counter the excess of Cartesian Rationalism, the thesis of the concurrent evolution of culture and mind, and the central importance of the rule of law in defending individual freedom. This book aims to help political theorists and historians of comparative political thought both in the East and in the West better understand the intellectual issues involved and explore further research endeavours in the same area.

This book focuses on the current internal and external situation China is facing both from a macro perspective and a theoretical height, and puts forward practical development strategies and diplomatic ideas. It is of great methodological significance. At home, the development thought after the conclusion of the hundred-year change is the guiding thought for China's further development, and abroad, the international communication and the construction of international order highlighted by the hundred-year change also have important reference significance for the world's development.

This book analyzes the dynamic political economy of authoritarian institutions in China and attempts to answer the following questions: What is the significance of China's authoritarian institutions and the changes Xi Jinping has brought to them? Why did the Chinese elites go along with the changes that affected them negatively? Through these questions, the author unravels the mechanics of authoritarian resilience as well as its dynamics. The work reviews both literatures on China studies and comparative authoritarianism to introduce a general framework for analyzing authoritarian institutional change under dictatorships.

This open access book asks why and how some of the developing countries have “emerged” under a set of similar global conditions, what led individual countries to choose the particular paths that led to their “emergence,” and what challenges confront them. If we are to understand the nature of major risks and uncertainties in the world, we must look squarely at the political and economic dynamics of emerging states, such as China, India, Brazil, Russia, and ASEAN countries. Their rapid economic development has changed the distribution of wealth and power in the world. Yet many of them have middle income status. To global governance issues, they tend to adopt approaches that differ from those of advanced industrialized democracies. At home, rapid economic growth and social changes put pressure on their institutions to change. This volume traces the historical trajectories of two major emerging states, China and India, and two city states, Hong Kong and Singapore. It also analyzes cross-country data to find the general patterns of economic development and sociopolitical change in relation to globalization and to the middle income trap.

The book is an account of Taiwan's evolving national consciousness told through the biography of its former President Lee Teng-hui - the central figure in the island's political transformation over the past two decades. In describing the broader historical and social context of the various stages of Lee's life, the book also analyzes Taiwan's own evolution during the past century as a Japanese colony, a Leninist party-state dictatorship, and then an American-inspired fledgling democracy. The book explores such questions as: Is Lee Teng-hui an opportunistic recidivist who is interested only in his own self-preservation, or is he a hero who not only propelled Taiwan into a new era, but also constructed a new national identity for the islanders? Are the multi-ethnic islanders culturally'Chinese'or are they'Taiwanese'? Is Taiwan historically and politically part of'China'or does it have its own history and identity, and deserves international recognition as an independent sovereign country?

This open access book captures and elaborates on the skill of storytelling as one of the distinct leadership features of Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and the President of the People’s Republic of China. It gathers the stories included in Xi’s speeches on various occasions, where they conveyed the essence of China’s history and culture, its reform and development, and the principles of China’s participating in global governance and cooperating with other countries to build a community of common destiny. The respective stories not only convey abstract and profound concepts of governance in comparatively straightforward language, but also create an immediate emotional connection between the narrator and the listener. In addition to the original stories, extensive additional materials are provided to convey the original context in which each was told, including when and to whom Xi told it, helping readers attain a deeper, intuitive understanding of their relevance.

In 1936 a group of Chinese communists were released from jail after a humiliating renunciation of communism. The Chinese Communist Party then secretly employed them to galvanise support in nationalist areas of the country. It later condemned the members of this group as renegades before finally rehabilitating them in 1978. Pamela Lubell uncovers the fascinating history of these communists, known as the Sixty-one, and in doing so produces a revealing account of the tensions within the Chinese Communist Party.

This open access book asks why and how some of the developing countries have “emerged” under a set of similar global conditions, what led individual countries to choose the particular paths that led to their “emergence,” and what challenges confront them. If we are to understand the nature of major risks and uncertainties in the world, we must look squarely at the political and economic dynamics of emerging states, such as China, India, Brazil, Russia, and ASEAN countries. Their rapid economic development has changed the distribution of wealth and power in the world. Yet many of them have middle income status. To global governance issues, they tend to adopt approaches that differ from those of advanced industrialized democracies. At home, rapid economic growth and social changes put pressure on their institutions to change. This volume traces the historical trajectories of two major emerging states, China and India, and two city states, Hong Kong and Singapore. It also analyzes cross-country data to find the general patterns of economic development and sociopolitical change in relation to globalization and to the middle income trap.

The significance of Sun Yat-sen's political thought has rarely been appreciated though he is hailed as the Father of Modern China. This is the first extended treatment of the subject, which will be invaluable to sinologists and historians of political thought. Dr Wells first traces the development of Sun's revolutionary ideas from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. She then considers the impact of Sun's political thought on Chinese revolutionary leaders and on Third World countries, arguing that it has been considerable. This subject has never before been so widely explored.