Table of Contents

Please note that while this document lists every article published by the Harvard Asia Quarterly since 1999, only those articles that are hyperlinked are available through this Web site, as not every article in the print edition was published online.

Summer 1999
Volume III, No. 3.

HAQ Special Feature: A Century of Chinese Anniversaries
This issue of Harvard Asia Quarterly explores and pays homage to the many anniversaries that China will or already has observed this year. What is the role of these anniversaries in shaping the collective psyche of the Chinese people? What is the relationship between these anniversaries and Chinese nationalism? How does China's century of anniversaries fit into the broader movements which have swept the globe in the twentieth century? We are honored to present the opinions of a group of reknowned scholars and activists who have given these questions a great deal of thought.

A Calendar of Anniversaries, But a Dearth of Memories
Lucian W. Pye
The Chinese people suffer from a lack of collective memory about symbolic events in their past. Rather, China today is, "...a blocked society suspended between a world which is dead and a world which is powerless to be born," precluding the formation of a genuine sense of national identity.

Chinese Anniversaries in International Perspective
Elizabeth J. Perry
"Both the May Fourth Movement of 1919 and the June Fourth Incident seventy years later were part of global upsurges in protest activity. Each was deeply influenced by foreign ideologies and experiences and each exerted, in turn, a significant impact on protest movements elsewhere in the world. In both instances, participants articulated demands as citizens; but the two cases differ markedly in the extent to which students and workers actually formed a political alliance to press a common demand for political inclusion."

May Fourth: Some Fin-de-Siècle Reflections
Leo Ou-fan Lee
While the Chinese Communist Party continues to claim the May Fourth Movement as a crucial event in modern China, the vast majority of Chinese people certainly do not pay attention to the passing of its anniversary. Even the scholarly community in China has shifted its attention away from grandiose discussions about the future of the Chinese nation to more academic discourse. Perhaps this is a good development because it finally allows Chinese scholars to focus on the May Fourth project of "enlightenment."

China's Half Century
Roderick MacFarquhar
"China probably did need to endure Mao to reach Deng...the political and economic disasters imposed by Mao finally woke the Chinese leadership to the ultimate danger to their regime if there were no radical change...Deng's reforms, however, unleashed a new threat from an awakened population...The threat that the Beijing Spring represented to the PRC regime was suppressed but not eliminated..."

The People's Republic of China as History
William Kirby
"From the standpoint of either domestic or foreign policy (not to mention in comparison with the rest of East Asia), it would be difficult to judge the first three decades of the People's Republic of China as anything but a grievous failure ­ a disaster based (if one is generous) on faulty assumptions regarding China's economy, polity, and international position and on a determination to reverse many of the trends of the preceding half century...Yet the history of the first three decades remains largely unwritten in part because of the unfinished nature of the post-1979 reforms."

China in Tibet: Forty Years of Liberation or Occupation?
Lobsang Sangay
"[T]here is a high level of resentment between Tibetans and Chinese. Mistakes and misguided policies of the Chinese government have exacerbated these tensions, leading some observers to conclude that Tibet is a case where Chinese policies ­ judged even by their own goals and standards ­ have consistently failed."

The Twentieth Anniversary of the Democracy Wall Movement
Merle Goldman
The 1978 and 1979 Democracy Wall Movement represented a crucial transition point in the history of Chinese social movements. Red guard activists used the tactics they had acquired in the Cultural Revolution to criticize the Communist regime. Moreover, new publications and organizations were formed to express and discuss political reform, ideological changes, and social criticism.

The Meaning of the 1989 Democracy Movement
Wang Dan
"The 1989 Democracy Movement was a turning point. Before 1989, disparate elements of society, including students and intellectuals, held false notions of the government. They perceived an unprecedented relaxation of the political environment around 1988. In fact, it was precisely this fantasy which prompted the students to take to the streets."

An Unsafe Playing Field: Labor Relations in Foreign Enterprises in China
Ying Zhang-White
"In order to manage through a period of rapid economic change with increased possibilities for social dislocations and instability, the central government has delegated much political and legal authority to its lower levels...However, THK FIEs [Taiwan-Hong Kong Foreign Invested Enterprises] take advantage of the flexibility that comes with decentralized law application."

Intellectual Property in China: Prospectus for New Market Entrants
Jonathan Spierer
Leaders enforcing both national and regional Chinese laws would be well-served by asking themselves what is more important for China's future: a pirating industry capable of stealing and undercutting other firms' innovations or a legitimate software industry capable of competing on an international level?

Asian Studies Events at Harvard
Staff editors attended many of the myriad of Asia-related talks at Harvard. Their summaries include presentations by Gary Crawford, Douglas Paal, Cao Siyuan, Lu Mai, Boris Nemtsov, Ambassador Sato Yoshiyasu.

Autumn 1999
Volume III, No. 4.

Structures

From the Ribald to the Sublime: Beijingers Reflect on the PRC's Fiftieth Anniversary
Michael Forsythe
On the streets of Beijing, the fanfare in honor of the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China is cause to look back to the past and give voice to hopes for the future. Former HAQ Executive Editor Mike Forsythe gives us a firsthand report.

Legal: Five Recommendations for Chinese Constitutional Reform
Cao Siyuan
Cao Siyuan shares his views on the urgent necessity of constitutional reform in China. The 1982 Constitution currently in force is incompatible with the needs of China today and reform is needed to undergird the rapid economic reforms, as well as to protect the interests of the people and safeguard basic freedoms. Without constitutional reform, substantive reforms of the political system will be difficult.

HAQ Interview: Professor William Kirby
Professor William Kirby, the incoming Director of the Harvard Asia Center, discusses relations between the PRC and Taiwan in light of the recent rise in cross-straits tensions. He also comments on the Asian economic recovery, China's current challenges, and the future of the Asia Center.

Spatial: Beijing's Illegal Structures as Indices of Broader Social Change
Carolyn Straub
Rapid urbanization and rural migration in China have caused the proliferation of illegal housing structures in both the inner city and the outskirts of key urban centers. Carolyn Straub explores the economic, social, and cultural context of city planning and development in Beijing and uses the current housing crisis and the problems of "fringe settlements" to highlight the need for government planners to address the effects of urbanization and make concrete decisions about the shape of the city in this new era.

Fiscal: Asian vs. International: Structuring an Asian Monetary Fund
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis, researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), outlines the debate surrounding the IMF's role in Asia and presents a critical view of a proposed alternative an Asian Monetary Fund (AMF). Drawing on past examples of Asian institution building, Lewis advocates an "economic architecture" for Asia utilizing existing institutions and enhanced international cooperation.

Educational: Education and Workforce Participation in the Earliest Little Dragon
Chris Spohr
"Individuals' access to . . . employment may itself be a potent indicator of welfare and of the pace of modernization in LDC economies." Chris Spohr analyzes data from Taiwan to assess the relationship between "formal education and individuals' access to the diversity of possible employment outcomes." He concludes that Taiwan's education reform of 1968 did have an impact on participation in the workforce, particularly in rural areas.

Cultural: Social and Political Collective Identities in Central Asia: The Balance Between National and Transnational Integration
Hélène Perrin Wagner
Wagner relates how traditional collective patterns of identity once common across Central Asia were reshaped by the shared Soviet past. Now cross-currents of nationalism, internationalism, and the revival of clan heritage work to create a complex new landscape of ethnic, national, and trans-national (or even multi-national) self-definition.

Fifty Years of Sino-American Academic Partnership
Elizabeth Perry
Elizabeth Perry draws on her own experience in American Chinese studies to trace the growth and development of scholarship on China, including the growth of academic exchanges, the increased ease of access to key sources, and the broader scope of social science research on China.

Asian Studies Events at Harvard, Autumn 1999
Staff editors attended many of the myriad of Asia-related talks at Harvard. Their summaries include presentations by Nancy Chen, Anthony Neoh, Lee Ching-Huan, and Elizabeth Remick

Winter 2000
Volume IV, No. 1.

Matching Democracy and Developmental Policymaking in an Aid-Dependent Country: An Illustration from Nepal
Devendra Raj Panday 
Multilateral and foreign aid donors are increasingly strident in asserting independent roles in aid recipient states' domestic policy processes and conditioning assistance on subscription to preferred strategies and approaches. Former Nepalese Finance Minister Devandra Raj Penday confronts the tension between donor engagement and the promotion of political accountability and pluralistic politics in fledgling democracies like Nepal. Penday advocates the endogenization of developmental policy, reserving appropriate spheres for donor influence while submitting policies to the "civic and political scrutiny" of the donee states' electorates.

Constitutional Adjudication and the Korean Experience
Justice Yong-Joon Kim
In an October address at Harvard Law School, Justice Yong-Joon Kim, President of the Constitutional Court of Republic of Korea, describes the function of a separate Constitutional Court (unlike the American Supreme Court, which functions both as a court for constitutional matters and a court of final appeal) in promoting consistent application of the constitution in states "still struggling to cast aside the historical baggage of authoritarianism." 

Doi Moi 2? Vietnam After the Asian Financial Crisis
Carlyle A. Thayer
The Vietnamese Reform program launched in 1986, doi moi, has stalled under the weight of inefficient state industrial and financial sectors, regional economic crisis, natural disaster, and rural unrest. Despite the elevation of younger leaders, Thayer warns that renewed reform effortsthe doi moi 2 advocated by foreign observorsare unlikely in the climate of caution and conservatism prevailing in Hanoi today. Vietnam runs the risk of being "left behind" when growth returns to the region while sliding into its own destabilizing recession.

Reforming Thai Bankruptcy Laws
Karen Wong, Chiridacha Phunsunthorn, and Tiziana Sucharitku
Although formal Bankruptcy Laws have been on the books in Thailand for over three centuries, legislation has long lagged behind the needs of Thailand's commercial development. The Asian Financial Crisis resurrected stalled reform efforts, leading to substantial amendments to the Thai bankruptcy regime in 1998 and 1999. Attorneys Karen Wong, Chiridacha Phunsunthorn, and Tiziana Sucharitku consider the new legislation. They suggest that the reforms may help reduce nonperforming loans, restore foreign investor confidence in Thailand, and afford more efficient, equitable, and constructive mechanisms for resolving debtor-creditor disputes.

HAQ Interview: Deputy Prime-Minister Lee Hsien-Loong of Singapore
Interview by John Rutwitch
In an interview with HAQ, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong of Singapore, son of Senior Minister Lee Kwan Yew and likely successor to the current Prime Minister, considers Singapore's future in the global and regional economies.

The Chinese Economy: Stability Amidst Turmoil
Shalendra D. Sharma
The PRC has stumbled little amidst a regional financial crisis which "sent dynamo economies of East and Southeast Asia crashing down like dominoes." To explain China's relative resilience, Dr. Shalendra Sharma points both to the "strong fundamentals" reflecting continuing reform and to the absence in China of commercial and financial practices common to "Asian Contagion" victims. Sharma warns, however, of the need to confront serious weakness in the banking and state industrial sectors before China's economic health is seriously compromised.

Buryat Musical Traditions in the Post-Soviet Era
Tristra Newyear
Trista Newyear offers what will be, for many, an introduction to the musical and lyrical traditions of the Buryat people , native to Russian-Mongolian-Chinese border region. Newyear's conversations with Buryat musicians hints at the challenges facing Buryat culture in the post-Soviet era in the Buryat homeland, elsewhere in the Russian Federation, and abroad.

The 'State-to-State' Flap: Tentative Conclusions About Risk and Restraint in Cross-Straits Relations
Alan M. Wachman
Elizabeth Perry draws on her own experience in American Chinese studies to trace the growth and development of scholarship on China, including the growth of academic exchanges, the increased ease of access to key sources, and the broader scope of social science research on China.

Building a Case Against the Khmer Rouge: Evidence from the Tuol Sleng and Santebal Archives
George Chigas
Several leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge are in Cambodian state custody, and slated to stand trial this year for the atrocities of the Democratic Kampuchea regime . Although the tribunal , charges, and procedures have yet to be finalized, it is likely that the case against the Khmer Rouge will rely heavily on evidence drawn from the archives of the santebalthe Khmer Rouge Domestic Security Force and of the infamous Tuol Sleng Prison. George Chigas, Associate Director of the Cambodia Genocide Program at Yale University, offers a grisly glimpse into documents likely to figure prominently in the case against the Khmer Rouge.

Asian Studies Events at Harvard, Winter 2000
Staff summarize Asia-related events at Harvard, including presentations by Nancy Chen, Donald Clark, David Shambaugh,Xin Chunying and Jeffrey Sachs.

Spring 2000
Volume IV, No. 2.

Asia's Future: Entrepreneurship and the Internet

The Case for China's Accession to the WTO
by Mark A. Groombridge, Ph.D.
Mark Groombridge forcefully argues that fears of the harmful effects of China's entry to the WTO are unwarranted. China's entry will only bring prosperity for both sides. For the US, China's entry will mean cheaper goods and increased access to Chinese markets. For China, entry will further the pace of economic reform, lifting more Chinese out of the mires of poverty.

The Emergence of the Internet and Entrepreneurship in Japan
By Hitoshi Suga
Mr. Suga describes and explains the emergence of a new Internet-based economy in Japan.

Project Finance in Asia: Prospects for the Near Term
by Tsugumichi Watanabe
Mr. Watanabe argues that the future of project finance in Asia has improved, but government guarantees and legal reform are necessary before foreign investors are willing to risk large sums in developing Asian economies.

Virtual Enigma: Why We Can't Understand Indonesia
by Mary Margaret Steedly
Mary Steedly argues that the Western mind often takes the surprising and the seemingly mysterious Indonesia for granted. Most recently, the Western media focused on the brutality and violence in Indonesia with the same sense of bafflement. In fact, if one closely examines the social tension and the declining legitimacy that had been there a few years ago, the recent violence would not seem as surprising.

Macao's Regression
by Michael Forsythe
In this short piece, Forsythe explores the mixed feelings of commoners toward Macao's repatriation to China.

Loyal Opposition: The Rise of Vietnamese Dissidents
by Zachary Abuza
In this provocative essay, Professor Abuza first outlines the main obstacles to political reform in Vietnam, including perceived security threats and a conservative ideology. Despite these problems, a vocal opposition has emerged from within the party, calling for a more democratic National Assembly, more rule of law, and a freer press.

India in the Context of the September Elections
by Yubaraj Ghimire
Yubaraj Ghimire traces the political history of India leading up to the 1999 general election and explores the evolution of the parties which will continue to shape India's multi-faceted political landscape.

Cogito (I'm a South Asian), Ergo Sum!
by Dipak Gyawali
South Asia's nation-state approach to identity has spawned an introverted polity that clips history to suit short-sighted nationalism. It ignores the ethno-linguistic and religious tapestries that define South Asianhood.

Economic Growth in India or What's a Nice Government To Do?
By Jonathan J. Everett
This paper contains the substance of remarks delivered by Mr. Everett at the Harvard Asia Business Conference on January 29, 2000. Mr. Everett notes that India's vast human capital has been stifled by its quasi-socialist bureaucracy, leading to stagnant growth in India's recent history. However, with the advent of the Internet and the increasing flow of information, the Indian bureaucracy will no longer be able to stifle new businesses based on information and knowledge.

Entrepreneurship in China: the promise and its perils
Interview with Rick Yan, Managing Director, Bain & Company China
by Sophie Roell
Mr. Rick Yan, Vice President of Bain & Company, joins HAQ reporter Sophie Roell in a discussion of a wide range of topics, from China's entry into the WTO to recruiting young Chinese into consulting.

Harvard Asia Business Conference 2000: Asia at the Dawn of the Millennium
On January 28-29, more than 1,000 students, academics, professionals and entrepreneurs attended the 2000 Asia Business Conference, co-hosted by the Harvard Asia Business Club and the Harvard Asia Law Society. Throughout the weekend, over ninety leaders from businesses and governments across Asia shared their perspectives on issues ranging from Asian financial reforms to entrepreneurship in India to China and the World Trade Organization. Despite reminders of the continuing challenges confronting the Asian economies, the 2000 Conference exuded the energy and optimism of the e-commerce success stories that dominated the weekend. Featuring representatives of top Asian "dot coms," plenaries, keynotes and panel sessions all reflected the growth of the Internet and e-commerce across Asia and the opportunities Asian e-business offers for budding entrepreneurs.

Summer 2000
Volume IV, No. 3.

Uncertain Future for Central Asia

Reform Within and Without the Law: Further Challenges for Central Asian NGOs
by Sarah Prosser
After examining recent reforms of laws regarding non-governmental organizations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, Ms. Prosser concludes that these legal reforms to date have not removed many obstacles to the development of NGOs in these countries.

The Regulation of the NGO in Central Asia: Current Reforms and Ongoing Problems
by Richard Remias
Mr. Remias's article briefly summarizes the initial Soviet concept of NGO regulation, details the most recent initiatives regarding the regulation of NGOs within Central Asia, and isolates some of the specific problems facing these reform efforts.

Taliban Afghanistan: Image and Governance
by Nasim Zehra
In this article, Nasim Zehra argues that after successfully taking power, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan will have to adjust its policy to continue its rule and to lessen international isolation.

An Uncertain Ally: The US Government and Tibet
By John Kenneth Knaus
Mr. Knaus provides a concise history of the "tangled, sporadic, fluctuating, yet strangely persistent" relationship between Tibet and the United States. He then argues that since the Nixon era, the Executive Branch of the US government has tended to concur with China's stance toward Tibet. Congress, on the other hand, has kept the Tibetan issue alive and has pressed the Executive Branch to include Tibet in its negotiations with China.

Members of Falungong in an Autocratic Society
by Dai Qing
Dai Qing argues that China still has not escaped from the mode of collective society of the previous eras. On the one hand, thousands of Falungong believers gathered together on the basis of the traditional "cultivation of life" and worshipped their master devotedly. On the other hand, the dictatorial ruling regime, the Chinese Communist Party, deployed the usual tactic of suppression against Falungong. Neither side behaved in a way that demonstrated the traits of a modern society. This event became the largest conflict against China's transition toward modernity in the new century. This article is based on her lecture at the Fairbank Center, Harvard University on November 18, 1999.

Human Rights and Confucian Virtues
by Joseph Chan
After summarizing the tortuous history of the infusion of Western discourse on rights in the Chinese psyche, Chan proposes that, "we now have a new opportunity for a more accurate appreciation of the strengths and limits of human rights and of the need to reform and renew traditional Chinese culture."

Is there a Question of Taiwan in International Law?
by Leopoldo Lovelace, Jr.
Professor Lovelace examines the competing claims of sovereignty over Taiwan between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on the basis of international law. While he argues that international law itself does not unequivocally support the claim of either party, it does provide a strong basis against an armed conflict to resolve the issue.

Why Is Foreign Investment in China Concentrated in the Coastal Areas?
by Wei Zhang
Wei Zhang argues that the preferential policies enjoyed by the coastal provinces in China are not fundamental reasons for the spectacular growth in these areas since reform. Instead, the main driving forces of the fast growth in the coastal areas are their inherent comparative advantages.

Autumn 2000
Volume IV, No. 4.

Myanmar and Thailand: Keep a Look Out
By Paul Kerr
Paul Kerr warns that the uneasy relation between Thailand and Myanmar could unsettle the overall stability of ASEAN and hamper its ability to pursue more important regional goals such as instituting ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). He suggests that ASEAN should avoid getting directly involved in resolving the bilateral disputes and that a third party, such as Australia or the United States, should act as a mediator instead.

Vietnam's Human Rights Issues in Contemporary Perspective
By Doan Viet Hoat
Dr. Hoat argues that to address the economic crisis of the country, communist Vietnam must shed its ideological and political monopoly and promote economic and political programs of modernization and accountability. Drawing upon his personal experiences in Vietnam as an educator and political prisoner, Dr. Hoat offers an insightful analysis of the current state of Vietnam and its possibilities for the future.

Reflections on Voting, Identity, and Self-Affirmation in Japan
By Deok Keun Matthew Ahn
After tracing the history of Korean residents in Japan, Mr. Ahn argues that the granting of local suffrage rights for permanent residents would begin to address the long-standing barriers against political participation of Koreans in Japanese society.

Viewed from the Inside Out: Beyond the Behavioristic Approach to Japanese Classrooms
By Sawako Suzuki
Sawako Suzuki analyzes the perceived effectiveness of the school system in Japan and questions the transferability of Japanese educational methods from their embedded socio-cultural context into American classrooms.

Japanese Values and Encounters with External Influences
By Michiko Aoki
Michiko Aoki analyzes Japan's historical ability to adopt foreign elements when faced with external pressures without relinquishing Japanese values. Drawing upon religious and political examples of outside invasion, Ms. Aoki argues that Japan has demonstrated pragmatic adaptability when encountering challenges from abroad.

Liberating Taiwan: Peaceful Offensive or Armed Might
By Kong Qingjiang and Betsy Röben
Kong and Röben argue that China is becoming increasingly impatient with the apparent lack of success of its peaceful offensive, and is likely to resort to military means to achieve unification with Taiwan, especially after the recent election pro-independence Chen Shui-bian as the new Taiwanese president.

The Developing Rule of Law in China
By Dr. Zhenmin Wang
Wang tells the history of the development of the rule of law in China, from the end of the Cultural Revolution, which almost obliterated the Chinese legal system, to the present day. He discusses the myriad difficulties facing China in the road to a modern legal system and the role that Hong Kong can play in China's legal development.

Reflections on the Nobel Peace Prize
By Don Baker, Anders Karlsson, and Jina Kim 
Last month, South Korea's President Kim Daejung received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts at ending a half-century of enmity with North Korea. Don Baker, Anders Karlsson, and Jina Kim react to the news.

Winter 2001
Volume V, No. 1.

Economics and Security in Central Asia
By Robert M. Cutler
Robert Cutler presents a comprehensive survey of the most significant economic and security issues in contemporary Central Asia, including an analysis of their evolution since 1991 and an evaluation of their future prospects.

'Asian Values' and the Democratic Transition in Central Asia
By Gregory Gleason
Gregory Gleason analyzes the significance of cultural differences for public policy in the countries of Central Asia and explains why international efforts to promote democratic institutions and processes have met with limited success.

The Politics of History in Tajikistan: Reinventing the Samanids
By Kirill Nourzhanov
Producing a nationalist version of history has acquired special importance for the leaders of independent Tajikistan as a means of reinforcing common Tajik identity, particularly in the aftermath of the civil war. The most recent campaign of this kind is the drive to reinvent and glorify the Samanids-a Muslim dynasty which ruled Mawarannahr and Khorasan during the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. The article will discuss the particulars of this campaign launched by President Rahmonov in March 1997 and the ways in which it contributes to the general political discourse in Tajikistan.

From Tamerlane to Terrorism: The Shifting Basis of Uzbek Foreign Policy
By William D. Shingleton and John McConnell
In February 1999, a series of major bombings in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent altered the face of Uzbekistan's government. The bombings caused a shift from a foreign policy based on nationalism to one focused on counter-terrorism. In this article, the impact of this shift on Uzbekistan's relations with 'greater Uzbekistan', the other former Soviet states, and the outside world are discussed.

Elections in Central Asia: a new beginning for a comprehensive environmental strategy?
By Daphne Biliouri
The recent elections in three of the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) over the past two years have raised some concerns over the path that the states are taking in respect to democracy and the effect such will have on the environmental policy of the region. A brief view of the existing situation and how it appears to be evolving in the near future leads to the conclusion that the environment has become a priority area for the leaders of the Central Asian republics. The question remains whether the international community is providing necessary assistance and support.

Bankruptcy Law in China: Lessons of the Past Twelve Years
By Dr. Li Shuguang
In this article, Professor Li examines the current state of bankruptcy law in China. He outlines the problems in the enforcement of the current Bankruptcy Law and suggests how these problems can be remedied.

Was World Bank Support for the Qinghai Anti-Poverty Project in China Ill-Considered?
By Pieter Bottelier
In July 2000, China withdrew its request for World Bank financing for the Qinghai anti-poverty project, one of the most controversial projects in the 54-year history of the Bank. Mr. Bottelier expertly traces the events leading to the decision and raises important questions regarding the validity of the charges against the project and the appropriate role and responsibility of the World Bank.

The U.S.-Vietnam Trade Agreement
By Tai Van Ta
In this article, Tai Van Ta examines the U.S.-Vietnam Trade Agreement and its likely impact on the Vietnamese economy and society.

Interview with Doan Viet Hoat
By Michou Nguyen 
On December 8, 2000, HAQ editor Michou Nguyen conducted an interview with Vietnamese human rights observer Doan Viet Hoat. Dr. Hoat spoke on a variety of issues, from free trade and economic stability to President Clinton's trip reception by the Vietnamese people.

The Meaning of President Clinton's Trip to Vietnam
By Chan Tran
Chan Tran reflects upon President Clinton's trip to Vietnam and its possible implications for human rights advancement in the country.

Book Review: "The Quest for Identity: International Relations of Southeast Asia"
By Phar Kim Beng
Phar Kim Beng reviews Amitav Archarya's The Quest for Identity: International Relations of Southeast Asia : "By his own admission, Amitav Archarya, a professor at York University (Canada) is not an Asianist. Rather, his niche is "Asian Pacific regionalism". Two questions obviously emerge: Can an entity as diverse as Asia-Pacific be labeled a "region" without skewing the meaning of the term? More importantly, has contemporary social sciences developed the necessary tools and lenses to examine it?"

Harvard Asia Business Conference 2001: Connecting Asia
By HAQ Editorial Staff
On February 2-3, more than 1,000 students, academics, professionals, and entrepreneurs attended the 2001 Asia Business Conference at the Harvard Business School, organized by the students of the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Law School. This year's conference theme was aptly titled "Connecting Asia", and brought together over 70 of the leading experts in capital, technology, and trade to discuss the new world order of globalization and its impact on Asian business, government, and society. The tone of the events reflected both the optimism and uncertainty of the new age as speakers and audience alike grappled with the future of Asia in light of the increasingly interconnected world. After 2 days, 3 keynotes, and 3 plenaries, "Connecting Asia" demonstrated fully the challenges and opportunities facing Asia as it strives to relate both to itself and to the international community.

The Impact of WTO Treaties on Investments in China
By Thomas Weishing Huang
It is likely that China will become a member of the WTO this summer, if not earlier. What effect will WTO membership have on the investment landscape in China? In this article, Mr. Huang expertly explains the various obligations and implications of WTO accession. He notes that there will be a tremendous amount of work in terms of regulatory compliance with WTO requirements, but predicts that China's economy will continually benefit from foreign investments.

Cross-strait Scramble for Africa: A Hidden Agenda in China-Africa Cooperation Forum
By Phillip Liu
Liu presents different factors impacting Taipei-Africa-Beijing triangular relationship. By analyzing Taipei-Beijing competition in Africa, Liu argues that Beijing's recent China-Africa Cooperation Forum will not deteriorate Taipei's diplomatic relations with Africa. Liu concludes that African states could maximize their interests by effectively manipulating their relations with both Chinas.

The Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula: Agenda for the New Administration
By Tim Beal
There has been considerable progress towards peace and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula over the last year or so but now it hangs in the balance with a new U.S. administration. President Bush can wholeheartedly endorse President Kim Dae-jung's 'sunshine policy' of constructive engagement with the North or he can take a tough line and derail the policy. In this article, Tim Beal predicts that 2001 will see a de facto alliance between the two Kims to persuade Bush to support the peace process.

War and the Rights of Motherhood: Vietnamese Women in the 1990s
By Karen Turner
This article examines the problems facing female "American War" veterans in Vietnam today. The Vietnamese government has not provided adequate welfare for these veterans, who are also facing enormous difficulties in starting their own families. In reaction to such difficulties, some veterans pay young men to impregnate them and live in isolated all-female communities with their children. While such single families are inconsistent with traditional morality in Vietnam, most Vietnamese have been willing to tolerate these families in recognition of the great sacrifices these veterans have made for their country.

Religious Aspects of Uzbek Nationalism
By Dick Martin
Dick Martin examines the complex phenomenon of Uzbek nationalism and argues that modern nationalism in Uzbekistan seeks to appeal to the long-standing religious sensibilities of the Uzbeks. He conducts a close study of popular texts, slogans, and songs in Uzbekistan to illustrate the ideological foundations of state nationalism.

Summer 2001
Volume V, No. 3.

Hijras and the Politics of Empowerment in Contemporary India 
Amita Satyal 
The recent 'birth' of the hijra (eunuch) as a politician in India spans various temporalities. The hijras have acted as a political metaphor and in the process lent a paradoxical twist to the meanings of the very symbols of which the hijra is a repository. Indeed, the hijras straddle various positions and discourses and serve to emphasize the complexities of the 'modern' and the politics of democracy in India.

Judgment, Not Justice: The Supreme Court of India's Decision on Narmada and the Sardar Sarovar Project 
Pablo S. Bose 
A recent Indian Supreme Court ruling authorized the continuation of the Sardar Sarovar Project in the Narmada Valley in western India. In this article, Pablo Bose examines some of the flaws in this decision. After establishing the historical context in which to evaluate the judgment, Bose discusses the merits of the case, contrasts the majority's approach with that of the dissent, and concludes with a brief cost-benefit analysis of the project as a whole.

The Duality of Socialization and Education: The Impact of Formal Schooling on Child-Rearing in Japan 
Yoko Yamamoto 
Yoko Yamamoto examines the apparent conflict between the two important values that Japanese mothers seek to inculcate in their children: values of social harmony and emphasis on higher education attainment. Interestingly, Yamamoto conducted a survey of twenty Japanese mothers to gauge the prevalent attitude among contemporary Japanese mothers toward child-rearing.

Engaging China in South Asia: An Indian Perspective 
Arabinda Acharya 
In this article, Arabinda Acharya examines the evolving Indo-Chinese relations in the context of the continual rivalry between India and Pakistan and the improving relations between the US and India.

Changing India: Implications for Asia and the United States 
Teresita C. Schaffer 
Teresita Schaffer argues that India has undergone significant changes in its political system, economy, foreign policy, and military capacity in the last decade. For India to continue its path to become an important regional power, Schaffer asserts that India needs to focus on improving the efficiency of and combating corruption in its bureaucracy. The US should constructively engage India to facilitate India's growth.

Philanthropy in India's High Technology Communities and the Complex Search for Social Innovation 
Mark Sidel 
Philanthropy by the new economy companies in India has aroused growing public and academic interests as its plays increasingly important roles in improvement of education and civic institutions. In this article, Professor Sidel examines the trends in this new economy philanthropy and looks to the challenges and promises ahead.

Why the Internet Will Make Asia Freer 
Peng Hwa Ang 
In this article, Dr. Ang examines why Internet should lead to freer flow of information and how arguments for such free flow apply to Asia.

Korea: Playing Between the Regional Powers 
Alon Levkowitz 
The Bush administration has dramatically changed US policy toward North Korea and has thus created great uncertainty in the future of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. In this article, Alon Levkowitz argues that President Kim Dae-jung should press on with his "Sunshine Policy" before South Korea is again pushed into the background in another crisis between the United States and North Korea.

Autumn 2001
Volume V, No. 4.

Asian Perspectives on September 11

Looking for God in the Streets of Seoul
The Resurgence of Religion in 20th-Century Korea 
By Don Baker 
Although modernization and urbanization led to a decline in religious participation in most developed nations, Don Baker argues that these f    orces had the opposite effect in Korea. Based on strong statistical evidence, Baker posits that because religious affiliation was associated with modernity, the ranks of the faithful swelled instead of declined as Korea become one of Asia's industrial giants.

Reunification in the Balance 
Korea's Need for A Continued US Alliance 
By Suk-woo Kim 
The former South Korean Vice-minister of Unification presents his vision of a unified Korea with a continued US military presence. In contrast to the nationalism commonly evoked by the prospect of reunification, Kim insists that a pragmatic approach to the issue is the key to national and regional stability.

All Systems Ready? 
China's Institutions and the WTO Countdown 
HAQ Editors

The Chinese Banking Sector: 
Current Conditions and Future Prospects 
By Victor Shih 
China's banking system, burdened by nonperforming loans and state intervention, faces many obstacles to genuine reform. Victor Shih examines the banking industry sector by sector, and argues that the government's dependence on banks as political tools may result in a financial crisis.

Is China's Judiciary Ready for WTO Entry? 
By Qingjiang Kong 
Qingjiang Kong identifies five main weaknesses in China's judicial system which may cause problems in its integration into the WTO. He evaluates steps taken by China so far in reforming its legal system to meet WTO requirements, but concludes that deeper structural changes need to occur before China can become a successful member of the WTO.

Asian Studies Events at Harvard, Autumn 2001

Winter 2002
Volume VI, No. 1.

Media Freedom in Asia

Getting the Story in China
American Reporters Since 1972 
By Jonathan Mirsky 
Tracing the history and experiences of American reporters in China, Jonathan Mirsky presents a picture of the challenges encountered by foreign journalists in China. He combines first-hand accounts with an examination of how the government's systematic distortion of reality affects Chinese and Western journalists' search for the truth.

NHK's Censorship of Japanese Crimes Against Humanity 
By Lisa Yoneyama 
In early 2001, a major Japanese television documentary intended to address the country's war crimes was censored due to right wing pressure. Lisa Yoneyama, who participated in the program's production as an in-studio commentator, provides both a personal and an analytical perspective on the documentary and the implications of its censorship.

The Survival of Burmese Journalism
By A. Lin Neumann 
Combining interviews with Burmese journalists and personal observations from his recent research in Burma, A. Lin Neumann describes the state of the press under one of the world's most oppressive governments. A supplementary report describes the activities of the Burmese exile press in Thailand.

Chinese Media and the Information Revolution 
By Shanthi Kalathil 
Shanthi Kalathil considers the impact of the Internet on the Chinese government's ability to maintain its monopoly on information. She identifies current trends and points out that while the Internet is a growing part of many lives in China, people still rely on the print media for information while the government maintains a close watch on the Internet's development.

The Media Tax Probe and the Media Reform Movement in South Korea 
By Seung-Mock Yang 
In 2001, the Korean government subjected the country's media to an unprecedented tax audit resulting in a furious debate about the government's true motivations. Was this move intended to encourage transparency and accountability in a media that is dominated by a few powerful players? Or was it born of the government's desire to muzzle media criticism?

Local Media and the Fight Against Corruption in China 
By Sophie Beach 
The Chinese press is more diverse and active today than at any time in recent history because of calls by the central government to investigate corruption and abuses of power. Yet, reporters who take advantage of this invitation often find themselves at the mercy of local officials. Sophie Beach argues that journalists are increasingly subject to threats and arrests with no legal recourse to protect their rights.

Hong Kong Media in the Changing Political Landscape 
By Chris Yeung 
The handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 has come and gone without significant effects on the media in Hong Kong - or has it? Chris Yeung analyzes the media's ability to play its watchdog function in light of factors such as the antagonistic relationship between the government and the media, economic pressures and image problems.

Conflict in Aceh 
The Consequences of a Broken Social Contract 
By Anthony L. Smith 
While demands for independence in Aceh, Indonesia are often believed to be driven by religious differences, Anthony L. Smith argues that the civil conflict is due to anger over human rights abuses committed by the government. Smith examines the independence movement in Aceh by tracing its history and looking at the roles played by the separatist group, Free Aceh Movement (GAM), and by the Indonesian military and security forces.

Gyanendra's Test
Nepal's Monarchy in the Era of Democracy 
By Holly Gayley 
News of the massacre of Nepal's royal family shocked the world in June 2001. Holly Gayley examines the history of the Hindu monarchy in Nepal to address the question of whether the new king will prove to be a true collaborator with Nepal's eleven-year old democracy.

Revisiting Japan's Internationalization
The JET Program after 14 Years 
By David McConnell 
Since its creation in 1987, the Japan Teaching and Exchange (JET) Program has sent thousands of young native English-speakers to Japan to teach English and to internationalize the country's education system. David McConnell weighs the success of this program and considers its impact on Japanese education and society.

Spring 2002
Volume VI, No. 2.

Why Can't Japan Apologize?
Institutions and War Memory Since 1945 
Steven T. Benfell 
A specific set of institutions established after 1945 explains the continuing importance of the memory of World War II in Japanese domestic politics and foreign relations. Steven Benfell concludes that apologizing to wartime victims is not simply a question of remorse, but of institutional change in Japan.

Interview with Ezra Vogel
China-Japan Relations 
Ilya Garger 
Ezra Vogel talks about the challenges facing Sino-Japanese relations in light of the ongoing salience of history. He emphasizes that regardless of other factors, the United States will continue to play a key role in shaping relations between the two countries.

Dynamics of Sino-US Relations
The Perspective from Beijing 
Willy Wo-Lap Lam 
With the approaching retirement of Jiang Zemin as President and Communist Party general secretary, Chinese foreign policy towards the US may change under the new leadership of Hu Jintao. Willy Lam considers the future of Sino-US relations, in light of the expected changes in the Chinese leadership and the policies of the Bush administration.

Interview with Sadako Ogata 
Japan and the Reconstruction of Afghanistan 
Emily Parker 
Japan's special envoy for Afghan affairs and the former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata talks to HAQ about Japan's involvement in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

The Breakthrough Generation 
Dalit Youth in Contemporary India 
Marika Vicziany 
Caste boundaries are blurring in Indian urban centers, resulting in the creation of a "breakthrough generation" of untouchables who are pursuing opportunities never before possible for members of their caste. Using interviews with students at the University of Mumbai, Marika Vicziany examines how the values and aspirations of this generation differ from those of their parents, and their counterparts in rural India.

The Threat of Islamic Terrorism 
A View from Southeast Asia 
Eva-Lotta E. Hedman 
The notion of a "global war on terrorism" and the threat of "Islamic terrorism" beg further questions about variation across national contexts. Eva Hedman examines the diversity in the responses of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.

Korea's New Development Paradigm 
Premier Business and Cultural Center in Asia 
Kihwan Kim 
Kihwan Kim outlines a strategy for Korea's transformation into a business and cultural center. While noting that Korea has great potential to become such a mecca for international business, he points out the many obstacles in the way of such development and offers suggestions for overcoming them.

Harvard Asia Business Conference 2002: Phoenix Rising 
HAQ provides coverage of the Asia Business Conference held at the Harvard Business School on February 1 and 2, 2002. Keynote speeches were made by China's Vice-Minister of Finance, Jin Liqun; former US Trade Representative, Ambassador Charlene Barchefsky; and managing director of Salomon Smith Barney, Jeffrey Shafer. Plenary panels and discussion panels addressed a wide range of topics, with Asia's economic recovery as the overarching theme.

Conference Focus 
India: A Turning Point on Trade? 
Susan Esserman and Arun Venkataraman 
Former Deputy US Trade Representative Susan Esserman and Arun Venkataraman discuss the factors that may push India into a more liberal approach to international and regional trade.

Summer 2002
Volume VI, No. 3.

Organized Crime in Asia

Utopian Visions and Kinship Divisions
Ideological Perceptions of Ethnic Conflict in Ambon
Kathleen Turner

ASEAN's Economic Performance
Reviewing the Past, Looking to the Future
Teofilo C. Daquila

Autumn 2002
Volume VI, No. 4.

War, Diplomacy and the Asian Military

No More Military Intervention?
Recasting and Forecasting Military Politics in South Korea
Chung-In Moon and Sang-Young Rhyu
The breakneck pace of democratic change over the last 15 years has made a return to politics by the South Korea military seem almost impossible. Through a thoughtful analysis of the historical determinants of military intervention in South Korea, Chung-In Moon and Sang-Young Rhyu provide ample support for such a positive prognosis, along with a warning not to count the military out just yet.

Interview with Thomas Christensen
The Chinese Military and Post 9/11 Sino-US Relations
Leif-Eric Easley
While China continues to struggle with its own development and power in Asia, its role in recent US anti-terrorism initiatives is not to be overlooked. Professor Thomas Christensen talks with HAQ about Chinese security policy, the state of the Chinese military and the current status of Sino-US relations.

Japan's Changing Structure of Civilian Control
Japan, Civilian Control and the "Normal" State
Christopher W. Hughes
Since the end of World War II, Japan's military security policy has been based on the primacy of civilian control. Christopher Hughes discusses the nature and evolution of this principle as it has come to be eroded by domestic and international pressures, and how new challenges in the post-Cold War period may lead to its ultimate subversion.

From Shenyang to Pyongyang
Japan's Diplomatic Trials in Northeast Asia
Shinju Fujihira
The Shenyang Incident and Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang reflect the potential uncertainty of Japan's foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Through an analysis of these two events, Shinju Fujihira examines recent developments in Japanese bilateral relations with China and North Korea, and the changing role of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in shaping foreign policy.

The Indo-Pakistan Military Balance and Limited War

Manoj Joshi
The stakes in post-9/11 military tensions between India and Pakistan are changing. Manoj Joshi discusses the nature of "low intensity conflict" and Indo-Pakistan relations up to the present, and argues that contrary to widely-held expectations, a stable power equilibrium between the two countries has not resulted from overt nuclear capability.

Back from the Brink of Nuclear War? Post-Crisis Indo-Pakistan Relations
Interview with Ambassador Teresita Schaffer
Richa Gulati
HAQ interviews Teresita Schaffer, former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, about the prospects for war and peace along the India-Pakistan border, given the past year's ebb and flow of tensions. She explores the roles of various parties in diffusing last summer's potentially explosive situation, internal barriers to resolving the conflict, and the effect of US diplomacy on the region.

Power Politics in Central Asia
The Future of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Sean L. Yom
Will the Shanghai Cooperation Organization be a real forum for the Central Asian states or will it continue to be dominated by Russia and China? Sean Yom suggests that the answer to the question lies in the United States' willingness and ability to control violent Islamist groups in Central Asia, a role that Central Asian states had previously expected Russia and China to fulfill.

Asian Studies Events at Harvard, Autumn 2002

Winter 2003
Volume VII, No. 1.

Complexities of Modernization in Asia

Interview with Elizabeth Economy
China's Development and the Environment
HAQ Staff
China's rapid modernization has led to environmental disaster. In an interview with HAQ, Economy discusses the nature of China's environmental problems, as well as the attempts by the government, NGOs and the general populace to address these problems. She also addresses the actions of foreign investors and international institutions, as well as China's role in regional and international efforts for environmental protection.

The Role of International Support for Civil Society Organizations in China
Julia Greenwood Bentley
The growth of civil society, regarded by many in the West as a prerequisite for democracy and grassroots political pluralism, is a key dimension of modernization. After an overview of the emerging civil society and civil society organizations (CSOs) in China, Bentley suggests ways in which the international community can play a positive role in the CSOs' development.

The Myths and Realities of China's Population Program
Joan Kaufman
Despite the bad reputation of China's family planning program, Kaufman argues that the Chinese government has been making serious efforts to improve the program's approach. Concerned that conservative religious groups in the US have been successfully using the Chinese case to lobby for restrictions on US funding for family planning worldwide, Kaufman urges a re-evaluation of China's reputation and calls on the Bush administration to support China's efforts.

The BJP, the RSS Family and Globalization in India
Ashok Malik
How do Hindu nationalists relate to globalization? Malik analyzes the complex and often paradoxical attitudes towards globalization within the "family" of Hindu nationalist organizations in India. Malik suggests that globalization is not perceived as a threat to Indian cultural products, despite sporadic publicity stunts that might suggest otherwise. Instead, he focuses on the diverse political responses by these groups to economic liberalization, including the opening of India to foreign investment since 1991.

Clashing Ethnicity, Religiosity and Modernity Among Muslims in Gujarat
Shahid Refai
After examining the rhetoric against modernity in fundamentalist Islam, Refai turns to Sufi liberalism, historically more diffuse and widespread in India. He argues that even though sectarian autonomy among decentralized Sufi communities has led to economic progress, the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalism and Hindu nationalism leaves little room for moderate religious communities and a secularism necessary for modernization. Refai concentrates his analysis on the state of Gujarat, the site of tragic violence between Hindus and Muslims in 2002.

Interview with Hans-Dieter Evers
Knowledge Society and the Modernization of Southeast Asia
HAQ Staff
The emergence of knowledge societies fueled by the information revolution represents a major new element in the transformation of the post-industrial world economy. As Southeast Asia mulls over strategies for success in this new age of knowledge-intensive growth and development, Evers evaluates the region's prospects for producing successful knowledge societies.

Modern Regression: Central Asian Markets, Democracy and Spoils Systems
Eric W. Sievers
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly independent republics of Central Asia have been undergoing wrenching changes fundamentally affecting the lives of their citizens. Describing in detail the many failures of this transition that have derailed the Central Asians' initial expectations of a bright and prosperous future under capitalist democracy, Sievers offers his assessment of what went wrong.

Summer 2003
Volume VII, No. 3.

Popular Culture in Asia: Community, Dissent and Identity in a Global Age

Patriotism and the Muslim Citizen in Hindi Films
Amit Rai
Numerous Bollywood films address the trauma of communal violence that has plagued India's recent history. According to Rai, these films construct the Muslim terrorist as a monstrous “other” to be exorcised from a Hinduized national family. Rai, who analyzes the “cinepatriotism” evident in these films, offers telling insights into the rhetoric of counter-terrorism, also applicable to the US media.

South Korean Cinema: The Take-Off to Globalization
Jinhee Kim
An impressive growth of the domestic film industry in recent years has transformed South Korea into a significant player on the international film market. In an engaging survey, Kim discusses the economic and other factors fueling this growth and offers hints regarding its pitfalls as well as potential future directions.

Interview with Professor Zhang Hui-jun, President of the Beijing Film Academy
HAQ Staff
The leader of China's premier film academy shares with HAQ a wide range of information about the academy, including its history, curriculum, graduates, and impact on Chinese and world cinema. The picture that emerges is the BFA as a thriving institution poised to play an increasingly important role in defining the future of Chinese and Asian cinema.

Three Oral Poetries from Southern China
Mark Bender
China's ancient traditions are still vibrant and relevant in the contemporary world of literary and performing arts. Bender examines three styles of oral poetry, their transmission, and significance to both performers and audiences. As he explores the rich cultural markers embedded in these artistic forms, Bender highlights the use of regional dialects and ethnic minority languages.

Graffiti Photos: Expressive Art in Japanese Girls' Culture
Laura Miller
Graffiti photos, photographs supplemented with written words, are a widely popular "art form" in Japan mainly among teenage and college-age girls. In a perceptive essay, Miller argues that these photos provide a creative and powerful forum for girls engaged in a struggle over their autonomy and self-identity to forge social bonds and influence the trajectory of Japanese aesthetic sensibilities, language and technology.

Dancing the National Drama: The Muslim South in Filipino Dance
William Peterson
In discussing the history of the pangalay dance tradition in the Philippines and its rise as a national symbol, especially in relation to the country's Muslim south, Peterson argues that the dance tradition has created a fictional image of the country's precolonial past, both at home and abroad. As he relates several contemporary popular performances of the dance to the Philippines' current
social context, Peterson proposes that the dance may be able to bridge religious and cultural differences within the country.

Autumn 200 3
Volume VII, No. 4.

Understanding the Context of Emerging Pathogens in China
The SARS Crisis and China's Health Care System
Gail E. Henderson
The SARS crisis and China's response to it highlighted both the modernization of China's health care system and the serious flaws that remain. Gail Henderson explores the rapid development of China's public health system over the past few decades and explores the lessons to be learned.

The Politics of China's SARS Crisis
SARS and Chinese Politics
Yanzhong Huang
Huang presents a political analysis of the SARS epidemic crisis in China. He argues that a problematic institutional structure prevented information flow within the state bureaucracy, resulting in the initial official denial of the disease, policy inaction, and exacerbation of the epidemic. However, the same authoritarian governmental structure enabled the authorities to deal with the crisis in an expedient fashion.

Gender, Medicine, and Modernity: Childbirth in Tibet Today
China's Control of Reproductive Choice in Tibet
Jennifer Chertow
Chertow explores the formation of an emergent modernity in Tibet regarding childbirth practices and reproductive choices. While arguing that China inscribes its nation-building policies onto women's bodies, she details the myriad ways that Tibetan women actively negotiate their engagement with government health incentives and traditional medical practices.

India's Foreign Policy Towards China: The NDA Experience
Dominant Issues in Sino-Indian Relations
Raviprasad Narayanan
Narayanan analyzes the policy of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government towards China since 1998. He details the perceptions and issues dominating Sino-Indian relations, providing a window into the significance of Prime Minister Vajpayee's recent visit to China.

Towards a Sustainable Rural Development Policy in Vietnam
WTO, Income Disparity, and Rural Poverty in Vietnam
Khai Q. Nguyen
Vietnam's rural sector remains underdeveloped despite the country's overall significant growth. Nguyen warns that a widening income gap between rural and urban sectors may result in undesired social and political consequences for Vietnam's stability. The timely implementation of his proposed short-term and long-term remedies is urgent, especially in view of Vietnam's WTO accession.

Unlocking South Asia's Economic Potential: Considering an FTA between Sri Lanka and the US
An Argument for Stronger U.S. Economic Ties with Sri Lanka
William H. Avery
Avery discusses how Sri Lanka could potentially be a powerful catalyst in advancing South Asian economies, further opening up the region to wider international trade, and promoting peace and political stability. He argues that strong economic ties between Sri Lanka and the US are critical to helping the region emulate the economic success that East Asia has experienced in the last few decades.

Winter 2004
Volume VIII, No. 1.

Ethnicity in China: The Case of Xinjiang
Colin Mackerras
Based on his fieldwork in Xinjiang, Mackerras analyzes the impact of PRC government policies on wide-ranging aspects of society, from politics to education, economic inequality to culture, and ethnic relations to terrorism.  Despite the lingering traditional problems of separatist movements and ethnic inequalities, the author argues that the policy of the Great Western Development Strategy has produced much social progress in the region.

Tulkus in Tibet
Pamela Logan
In Tibet, Tulkus, or incarnate lamas, occupy a fascinating position of political and religious power. The author explores their lives, giving a comprehensive background on the selection process, the lives of these leaders, and their religious roles. She pays special attention to the current relation of the Tulkus to the Chinese government and to the role of Tulkus outside Tibet.

Muslim Armed Separatism in Southeast Asia
Andrew Tan
After 11 September 2001, there has been a growing tendency to view Muslim revolts in Southeast Asia as a function of Al Qaeda operations and strategy. Tan explains that the complexity of Muslim rebellion in the region must be separately recognized and understood in order to devise a viable, long-term strategy for containing armed separatist revolts and the spread of radical Islam.

Creating "Indian Country" in Taiwan?
Niclas S. Ericsson
Ericsson investigates the currently debated proposal to create Indigenous Autonomous Areas (IAA) for Taiwan's aboriginal communities to increase their political and social empowerment and preserve their traditional cultures. He compares the IAA model to the system of Native American reservations in the United States, focusing on the legal implications of these separate yet equal regions, and analyzes a specific case on the ownership of natural resources in an aboriginal community.

Foreign Migrant Workers and Social Discrimination in Korea
Dong-Hoon Seol and Geon-Soo Han
This paper illustrates institutional and operational discrimination against foreign migrant workers in Korea. It analyzes the reasons behind discrimination in terms of racial hierarchy, xenophobic attitudes, and the traditional hierarchy of employer and employee in Korean culture. Seol and Han also introduce various efforts to abolish discrimination against migrant workers by Korean government and civic organizations. As concluding remarks, the authors suggest that abolishing discrimination against migrant workers is the beginning of preparation for the social integration and reunification of the two Koreas.

Ethnic Diversity, Identity, and Citizenship in Japan
Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu
Japan is usually described as a mono-ethnic country with homogeneity as its national pride. In this article, Shigematsu challenges this notion and discusses the many facets of citizenships, cultures and ethnicity in Japan's fast evolving society.

Spring 2004
Volume VIII, No. 2.

The Environment and Asia

Small Government, Big and Green Society: Emerging Partnerships To Solve China's Environmental Problems
Jennifer L. Turner
This article examines the history and present state of environmental NGOs in China. It will provide an overview of the different forms of environmental activism in China, how environmental NGOs have created a public space for their activities, and how they have built partnerships with different local, national, and international entities.

The Nexus between Environmental Policy and Human Rights in Central Asia
Amanda Wooden
This article addresses the lack of effectiveness of environmental policy in the former Soviet nations of Central Asia and the confluence between environmental policy and human rights in these nations. It will provide an assessment of the state of environmental policy and an overview of relevant literature on the region; include a discussion of the lack of political will to address the serious environmental issues which plague all five former Soviet nations, and address the nexus between environmental degradation and human rights.

Muslim Armed Separatism in Southeast Asia
Andrew Tan
After 11 September 2001, there has been a growing tendency to view Muslim revolts in Southeast Asia as a function of Al Qaeda operations and strategy. Tan explains that the complexity of Muslim rebellion in the region must be separately recognized and understood in order to devise a viable, long-term strategy for containing armed separatist revolts and the spread of radical Islam.

Contemporary Landscape Architecture In Asia
An Interview with John Beardsley

Environmentalism and Japan
An Interview with Amanda Suutari

Consequences of Severing the DMZ
An Interview with Jae Chun Choe

Cross-Taiwan Strait Relations: What are the Legitimate Expectations from the WTO?
Kong Qing Jiang
This article discusses how the recent accession of both China and Taiwan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) influences the working relattionship between these two governments. He also details how each side uses WTO membership to further its trade interests and political gain.

A Consideration of the Apology for the Sinking of the Ehime Maru by the Greeneville
Terumi Takemura
This article analyzes the cross-cultural implications of apology between the United States and Japan over the U.S. navy's accidental sinking of a Japanese Fisheries boat, the Ehime Maru, off the water in Hawaii.

How can Central Asian Republics Benefit from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
Basil Polemitis
This article analyzes the promise and potential pitfalls of the recently created Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from the perspective of the four Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. At risk of being dominated by China and Russia, the SCO is nonetheless a crucial vehicle for addressing transnational security issues, such as drug trafficking and the destabilizing presence of militant Islamic groups, in what has become a volatile region.

Summer 2004
Volume VIII, No. 3.

Migration in Asia

Regional Income Gap and Migration: the case of Thailand
Yukio Ikemoto and Izumi Takei

Empowerment and the City: the case of female migrants in domestic work
Ravinder Kaur

North Korean Migration to China: economic, political and humanitarian aspects of a forgotten tragedy
Bernhard Seliger

The Invisible Man - an invisible Epidemic: masculinities, (homo)sexualities, vulnerabilities and HIV risk in South Asia
Shivananda Khan

Fall 2004
Volume VIII, No. 4.

U.S. Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia: the imperative of institutions
Erik M. Kuhonta
In the post 9/11 world, U.S. foreign policy has been guided by two primary concerns: strengthening military capacity both at home and abroad, and buttressing democratic governance. These goals do not, however, address the central problems in developing countries: that of weak institutions in state and society. In Southeast Asia, the two countries that have been most vulnerable to terrorism – the Philippines and Indonesia – are plagued by weak institutions. On the other hand, the two countries that have tackled terrorism more effectively – Singapore and Malaysia – are characterized by stronger institutions. In the long-term, U.S. foreign policy is more likely to achieve a secure international environment by focusing on institutional capacity in the developing world.

Free Expression Vis-À-Vis Cultural Factors From "Asian Values" In Malaysian Politics
Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani

Understanding the San Francisco Peace Treaty's Disposition of Formosa and the Pescadores
Richard W. Hartzell

Financing Conditions and Institutional Failure of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Financing in Transitional China
Haifeng Wang

Winter / Spring 2005
Volume IX, Nos. 1 & 2.

Double Issue: Securing Asia in the Age of Terror / Trends in Contemporary Asian Literature

Southeast Asia's War on Terror: Who is cooperating across borders?
Niklas Swanström

The War on Terrorism and Japan's National Identity
Yongwook Ryu

China's Evolving Approach to Counterterrorism
Bates Gill and Melissa Murphy

Poetry and the Renaissance Machine in Singapore
Gwee Li Sui

Hidden Stories of Ourselves: Reading Japanese
Women's Autobiographies
Ronald P. Loftus

A Report on Modern Chinese Literary Studies in the English-Speaking World
David Der-wei Wang

Forced Marriages and Female Heroines in Uyghur Culture
David Brophy

Shiba Ryotaro, Russia and Japan's National Identity: A Case Study in National Identity
Alexander Bukh

Summer 2005
Volume IX, No. 3.

Outsourcing and Information Technology

Social and Cultural Impact of Outsourcing: Emerging Issues from Indian Call Centers
Jaya Prakash Pradhan and Vinoj Abraham

The opportunities that outsourcing brings for enhancing global development also comes with serious social consequences for those who work for foreign companies. This article investigates call centers in India and their effects on gender, identity, and society.

Interview: Discussing Outsourcing, Globalization, and the Korean Economy with Bain & Company's Sunny Yi
David Lee

HAQ visits Bain & Company's Seoul office and discusses current trends of outsourcing to and from Korean with Sunny Yi who is currently the managing partner of Bain's Seoul office.

Asian Nations and Structure of International Interactions: Telecommunication, Trade, Air Passenger, Air Mail, Air Freight and Conflict
Jang Kim

This paper provides a theoretical background for describing globalization as flow homogeneity by employing structural analysis of global interactions using network analysis. The theoretical model describes the structure of major international interactions (import, export, telecommunication, air freight/passenger/mail) and conflicts and determines the structural similarity of Asian nations and the rest of the world. An earlier version of this paper was presented on August 26th, 2005 at the Harvard Project for Asia and International Relations Conference 2005, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan.

Japanese Auto Parts Exports to China and the Concept of Contract-based Outsourcing
Iwao Tanaka

Due to China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, Japanese auto and auto-part exports to China have dramatically increased. Japanese auto-part manufacturing is often outsourced to smaller firms with a contract of relationship-specific investment, particularly
through “keiretsu” business networks. This study finds that globalization of skill-intensive specific parts production enhanced by multinational corporations is advantageous to Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises.

Urbanism in Dalian: Physical Consequences of IT Outsourcing
Hong Yao and Chengyu Que

This paper investigates the physical manifestion of outsourced industries in the case of software outsourcing to Dalian, a pleasant coastal city which was once under Russian and Japanese occupation. The authors document the proliferation of public parks, ef ficient infrastucture, and museums in the city's efforts to compete with other Chinese outsourcing destinations such as Shanghai and Shenzhen. Dalian, in searching for its new identity in the age of globalization, is retayloring its urban fabric in order to lure investors, and in turn, is a model Chinese city in terms of traffic management and environmentally conscious urban planning.

Growth of the Internet and the Establishment of Proper Digital Copyright Strategies: China as a Case Study
Yijun Tian

This article investigates copyright policy in China in light of the escalating tensions between China and the United States over copyright policy due to the growth of rapid information exchange due to the Internet. It suggests a legal, political, and social framework for China in order to avoid potential IP trade conflicts in the near future.