Suchergebnisse

China's rise to great power status is indisputable but can it shape the future international order? This question remains widely debated because China's foreign policy is contradictory. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this book shows that China does not act from a position of strength, but that foreign policy contradictions are the result of the domestic vulnerabilities of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Providing exceptional insights into the considerations behind the opaque institutional structures of Chinese foreign policymaking and decision making, it shows that China will not provide a 'model' for a new international system, but could undermine the existing order.

Technical standardization has turned into a central subject of geopolitical contestation. At first glance, this might be surprising as technical standards follow an inclusive logic of action and are legally non-binding. However, China has adopted a state-centric approach to standardization that stands in sharp contrast to the private actor driving practice in the West. This allows China to link its standardization efforts not least to its security interests. In fact, standards are not only relevant to ensure the convergence of defense technology. Standards can also unfold security relevance if they create lock-in dependencies and prevent or enable the globalization of backdoors. NATO could react to China's growing standardization power by establishing an information exchange platform, avoid excessive politicization of standard-setting and make sure not to overestimate the risks.

Geo-economic rivalry is back on the international agenda, particularly in the field of high technology. Very often, technical standards are regarded as being a central arena of this competition. Surprisingly ignored is the question, how precisely technical standard-setting (such as Wi-Fi or 5G) empowers China. Based on the analysis of quantitative data, primary sources, and in-depth interviews, this article substantiates the widespread hypothesis that China's growing footprint in technical standardization empowers the Chinese party-state. It introduces seven proxies to measure influence on standard-setting. Next, it explains how technical standards can be utilized by states to gain economic, legal, political, and discursive influence. Finally, it shows thatChina's growing footprint in technical standardization is the result of party-state engagement, which provides leverage to China's political leadership. (J Contemp China/GIGA)

Germany's China policy was long shaped by the country's economic interests and the illusion that engagement could help bring about change. Beijing's more assertive foreign policy has led to an awakening in Berlin. But how far will the German government go in redefining its relations with China? (IPQ)

Die am Wochenende beschlossene Verfassungsänderung gibt Chinas Präsident Xi Jinping die Möglichkeit auf Lebenszeit im Amt zu bleiben. Das wird als Zeichen des wachsenden Autoritarismus und Xis zunehmender Macht gewertet. Doch ein genauerer Blick lässt zweifeln: Die Entscheidung ist eher Ausdruck von Zukunftssorgen und Selbstzweifeln der Regierenden in Peking.

Around the world, music serves as an important element of mobilisation for social movements. Singing songs is not only a peaceful protest technique but also helps to construct a protest identity locating and relating the social movement to its political and social environment. Most importantly, a social movement is to a significant extent remembered through its music, and this determines its future impact on local (contentious) politics. Against this backdrop, this article seeks to understand Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement through four YouTube music videos, analysing the lyrics, music, and video imagery in order to carve out core elements and values of the Umbrella Movement. Especially given the importance of Hong Kong's identity as a "global" city with a cosmopolitan culture and past, the peaceful nature of the movement and the rise of a xenophobic localism in the shape of sarcasm are emphasised. (China Perspec/GIGA)

Heute startet ein neues Format im Bretterblog: "kurz & knapp". Darin weisen wir auf einen online erschienen Beitrag hin, fassen ihn kurz zusammen und kommentieren ihn gegebenenfalls knapp. Los geht es mit einem Beitrag in der New York Times von Christy Wampole: "The Conference Manifesto".

Ein kritischer Diskurs ist essentiell für die Wissenschaft. Das ist zwar banal, wird aber im gegenwärtigen Streit um "Münkler Watch", einem Blog, in dem Studierende der Humboldt-Universität Berlin eine Vorlesung des Politikwissenschaftlers Prof. Herfried Münkler anonym kritisieren, häufig vergessen. Aber auch den Studierenden scheint es nicht um einen inhaltlichen Dialog, sondern um Aufmerksamkeit zu gehen.

In many European countries poverty migration and its impact on the European continent are currently widely discussed topics. Many seem to forget about grave migration problems taking place in Asia, where in Hong Kong, for example, the working and living conditions for approximately 320,000 foreign domestic workers (mostly women) are often intolerable.

Mit dem machtpolitischen Aufstieg Chinas treten Weltregionen in den Fokus, die in unseren Breitengraden vormals eher am Rande wahrgenommen wurden – insbesondere Asien. Neben der gestiegenen weltpolitischen Bedeutung eröffnen sich auch akademisch spannende Perspektiven, wie unlängst die zweite Global South Caucus Konferenz der ISA in Singapur zeigte.

Es gibt Neuigkeiten von Chinas bekanntestem Dissidenten und Künstler Ai Weiwei. Aber dieses Mal ist es nicht die chinesische Regierung, die sich Fragen stellen lassen muss, sondern die britische. Denn Ai erhielt kein 6-Monatsvisum, weil er "straffällig" sei. Doch der Künstler wurde niemals angeklagt. Was steckt hinter der Verweigerung? Ein Kommentar.

Eigentlich nimmt die Zahl der in China verbreiteten ausländischen Kulturgüter eher ab. Jetzt aber kommen ausgerechnet die Simpsons nach China.