Governance in Pacific Asia : Political Economy and Development from Japan to Burma

““Authoritative and accessible, this is the definitive introduction to the world's most important region.” -Mark Beeson, Winthrop Professor in Political Science and International Relations, The University of Western Australia.” — ““A lively, wide-ranging and truly informative survey of the political economy of the increasingly important Asian Pacific region. Peter Ferdinand adroitly highlights and reviews in rich detail the key debates surrounding the multiple modernities of this region. Essential reading both for those new to the region and anyone who wants to be reminded of the dynamics of this vital region.” — Brian Bridges, Professor of Political Science, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.” — A very active member of the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem that has done so much to introduce historical criticism into the believer's reading of the Scriptures, Étienne Nodet proposes here a beautiful history book. Certainly, in putting forward to the general public an accessible synthesis of scholarly and dense works carried out successfully in these recent years, he spares the reader the ponderousness of a critical apparatus and consigns to Appendix I the citation of his principal ancient sources. He invites the reader to a fascinating effort of the intelligence and of the heart that constitutes the profession of a historian: documentation, appraisal of documents, examining witnesses, comparisons, inductions and deductions; even textual criticism is sometimes called upon: for example, he is one of those who postulates the existence of a "Western Text" of the New Testament, and draws interesting hypotheses from its comparison with the standard text of the critical editions. In a second appendix, not found in the original French work, he presents a new translation of Josephus' War of the Jews for hints of authentic non-Christian evidence about Jesus and John the Baptist. Beginning with the Gospel accounts of the infancy of Jesus, the author opens up for us the main features of the life of Jesus in a reading that oscillates between the questioning of the historical reference and the penetrating understanding of their verbal expression. Finally, there is the very suggestive sketch of the figure of James, "the brother of the Lord" and the head of the early Jerusalem church. This book examines the political economy of the states of Pacific Asia, stretching from Japan to Burma since the end of WWII. "Governance in Pacific Asia" offers a comprehensive account of the diverse experiences of the states in Pacific Asia. Organized thematically around government and business relations in the main sectors of the economy, chapters cover the historical, social, and cultural contexts for such policies as well as the social and political consequences of rapid economic development. They also discuss the increasing economic integration of the region as well as its impact on global affairs and the reverse effect of globalization upon particular political systems. Each chapter contains case studies and examples from anywhere in the region, with some countries appearing more regularly, such as China, Japan, newly industrialized economies, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. "Governance in Pacific Asia" provides an in-depth comparative survey of a key region in world politics and political economy. An essential text that includes sources from the region in at least three languages (Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian/Malay), it will be of interest to students and faculty in international relations, developmental politics, Asian politics, and political economy. Introduction New states, old nations and nationalism Political culture, social values: affinity and diversity Modernization strategies and multiple modernities Developmental states and beyond Industrial policies Agriculture Financial sector Patterns of business across Pacific Asia Welfare societies Political development and democratization Tribulations of democratic consolidation Regionalism and regionalization in Pacific Asia Conclusion. Governance in Pacific Asia provides an in-depth comparative survey of a key region in world politics and political economy. An essential text that includes sources from the region in at least three languages (Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian/Malay), it will be of interest to students and faculty in international relations, developmental politics, Asian politics, and political economy."--Pub. desc