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This is a study about the collapse of Chinese traditional commercial order in the late Qing period. It regards the process as an influence from the prevalence of pro-British Chinese commercial networks in the 1880s. Through the analysis of various Sino-British commercial conflicts after the Arrow war, this book reveals when and where such a commercial network was born and what impact it brought about on the Chinese society.

This book examines the response of British policy-makers to the collapse of belief in racial superiority, and with it the ideological basis of empire, following the fall of Singapore in 1942. The book studies the Anglo-American debate in which British officials led by Lord Hailey, countered American criticisms of imperial rule by emphasizing economic development and peace-keeping as new, non-racial justifications for western authority. These are themes that have retained a powerful resonance in the post-war world.

Cover -- Contents -- List of Tables -- Preface -- List of Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1 The Security Council Issue in Japan's UN Policy, 1956-89 -- Introduction -- Joining the UN -- UN policy during the initial years -- Early moves towards the Security Council bid -- Keeping UN Charter revisionism alive -- 'Quasi' permanent Security Council membership as a stepping stone? -- Conclusions -- 2 Japan's Multilateral Record and the Rationale for the Bid -- Introduction -- Japan's multilateral diplomacy in the 1990s -- The Gulf War, 1991 -- Japan's record as a non-permanent member on the Security Council -- PKO participation and the bid -- Permanent membership: a matter of prestige? -- Permanent membership: a matter of financial power? -- Permanent membership: a matter of merit and readiness? -- Conclusions -- 3 Gathering Support at the Domestic and International Levels -- Introduction -- The end of the East-West confrontation and the Security Council -- Competitive pressures from Germany -- A low profile policy for domestic consumption versus external lobbyism -- The outcome: application by stealth and prevarication -- Winning support among member states -- The pros and cons of US endorsement -- Support from the UK, France and Russia -- Common EU position defeated by Italy -- Buying Third World backing? -- Conclusions -- 4 Japan's Participation in the Working Group on Security Council Reform -- Introduction -- Historical background of security council reform attempts -- Security Council reform in the 1990s -- Equitable representation -- Financial power as qualification -- Scope of Security Council enlargement -- Silence on the veto right -- Improving working practices of the Security Council -- Towards permanent stalemate instead of permanent membership? -- Conclusions -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

More than most Latin American countries in recent times, Peru has seen party voting strength, organisation and loyalties eroded. Since the Fujimori period, however – when parties found themselves under systematic attack – the return to more normal electoral activity has opened up a space for parties to reemerge. The 2003 Law on Political Parties was designed to strengthen a pluralistic party system. However, the results proved disappointing. Three rounds of elections in 2006 did little to restore voter confidence in Peru's major parties; these remain 'top-down' affairs with only shallow roots in society. However, the November 2006 local elections suggested that new forces may be emerging at the meso- level of politics in tandem with social movements. Study of Peruvian politics requires its own decentralisation. ; A partir de la década de 1980, el Perú, a diferencia de otros países de América Latina, ha sufrido un fuerte deterioro en sus fuerzas electorales, sobre todo en la organización y confianza que inspiran sus partidos políticos. No obstante, desde la época de Fujimori cuando los partidos sufrieron un ataque sistemático, lograron restablecer un espacio en la actividad electoral recuperando la actividad partidaria. La Ley de los Partidos Políticos del año 2003 tuvo la finalidad de fortalecer un sistema partidario pluralista; sin embargo, sus resultados fueron decepcionantes. En el año 2006 se realizaron tres rondas electorales que contribuyeron muy poco a renovar la confianza entre los votantes. Los partidos políticos cuentan con una estructura vertical, sin raíces profundas en la sociedad. No obstante, las elecciones municipales y regionales de noviembre de 2006 sugirieron la emergencia de nuevas fuerzas a nivel meso – de la política, junto con los movimientos sociales. El estudio de la política peruana requiere su propia descentralización.

An assessment of the explanatory utility of different approaches to account for post-Soviet Russia's foreign policy towards the West, arguing that only by focusing both on external constraints and changes in the Russian leadership's foreign policy thinking can we explain major facets of Russia's conduct from 1992-2007