Northeast Asia is a political system divided & ripe for change, where the U.S. play the role of the offshore balancer & China can eventually become a potential hegemon. The future of this region is unclear & leads to three scenarios: the present aloofness, conflict, or cooperation. Trying to overcome the limits of neorealism, liberalism & constructivism, an offensive neoclassical realist theory named tridimensional realism is presented. According to this theory, under the present balanced multipolar structure of power the possibilities of conflict are reduced & the aloofness should evolve towards limited cooperation. However, in case a potential hegemon unbalances the multipolar structure, aloofness & limited cooperation may fall into conflict. Adapted from the source document.
The creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) marks an important progress in international law. However, in order to become a relevant body the Court must rely on the cooperation of all its members & benefit from the help of the states that didn't subscribe to the Rome statute. In the post 9/11 context it is important to assess the impact of the new counter-terrorist agenda on the regular functioning of the Court: will it help or will it endanger the ICC professed goals? In this particular context, the United States' position is of the utmost importance. Adapted from the source document.
The EU-Russia negotiations towards the renewal of the bilateral Cooperation & Partnership Agreement were burdened by misunderstandings on shared values & specific issues of relations with the Baltic states & Poland. In a context of raising tensions, the Portuguese Presidency chose continuity rather than change of the EU-Russia partnership. Adapted from the source document.
The European Council on Foreign Relations has published last July a report on the European Union's Security & Defence policies. The report has strong & weak points & it should be analyzed taking into account the present state of European Security & Defence Policy. Portugal is strongly committed to the development of ESDP. Adapted from the source document.
The article focuses on the region with the lowest level of regional integration: South Asia. Firstly, it describes the role played by the central intergovernmental organization in South Asia: the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Secondly, it outlines the key obstacles for integration in the region. Thirdly, it describes how the main regional actors -- SAARC, Member states, academia & civil society, & the European Union assess regional integration in South Asia. Finally, the article suggests possible scenarios for the region. Adapted from the source document.
Although its visibility was greatly enhanced by the 9/l1 attacks, the EU cooperation in the field of counterterrorism began in the 1970s. Then, as now, the rhetoric was much inflated & there was a marked gap between the politicians' rhetoric & the adoption of effective measures. The first section of this article traces the evolution of the European counter-terrorist cooperation & tries to assess the motives, as well as the limitations, behind the main initiatives. The second part examines the balance between the demands of the counter-terrorist efforts & the preservation of human rights & the rule of law. This is an issue whose relevance has become evident not only in domestic terms, but also in the field of the EU external relations. The EU policy towards the Mediterranean Arab states will help to illustrate these dilemmas. Adapted from the source document.
This is the full text of the Joint Declaration, covering the issues of political dialogue, economics, language, culture, education, science, technology, justice, & health. Politically, the two nations are committed to intensifying relations at the highest levels, including reciprocal visits by the heads of state. Economically, the two governments are committed to facilitating greater cooperation between Portuguese & Chinese industries. In terms of language, culture, & education, the two countries are committed to the widest possible sharing & cooperation. In the fields of science & technology, Portugal & China intend to set up a high-level series of workshops & conferences for the mutual exchange of knowledge. Where justice is concerned, the two nations are committed to studying each other's legal systems so that each might learn from the other. Finally, in the health field, cooperation will entail the sharing of national projects & cutting-edge medical practices. R. Young
An evaluation of Argentine, Brazilian and Chilean cooperation on security policies over the last decade demonstrates that high levels of trust have been sustained. This article proposes a heuristic model for the analysis of cooperation between states on matters of security policy. The model that is suggested is based on three levels of analysis that condition the security policies of the countries under consideration: 1) State and society; 2) inter-state relations and 3) international systems. Next, it is argued that common rules shared by different countries are more easily established when this involves small groups of states at a regional level, and not at a world scale, in which it is much more difficult to achieve unanimous or consensual acceptance of rules. Following a macro-theoretical debate on states' motivation to cooperate in an international system, the author introduces Karl W. Deutsch's concept of "security community" and questions whether such a community can be found in southern Latin America. The heuristic model that is introduced should permit answering the questions posed and determine the phase of integration.
The article argues in favor of the European Constitution from a Portuguese perspective. Adoption of the Constitution would guarantee that an enlarged EU would enjoy a major political cohesion, that democracy would be heightened & refined in the member states, & that government throughout the EU would become more effective & efficient. While these three reasons are ample enough for the Constitution to be adopted, there are many more reasons that are specific to the position of Portugal. Increased integration with the rest of Europe would bring to Portugal advantages in terms of greater economic development, better modeling of democratic institutions, & an improved ability to meet all of the unpredictable challenges of the new millennium. R. Young
The relations between the United States & China were heading towards a second cold war before September 11. In a sense, the priority changes in American strategy & the focus on the struggle against the threat of catastrophic terrorism & nuclear proliferation created an opportunity for security cooperation between the two great powers. The Chinese strategy on "peaceful rise" is a response to this new situation aiming at consolidating external conditions favourable to China's international recovery. However, the factors of strategic competition have not disappeared & they have been aggravated by competition for energy resources & by regional rivalries not only in Eastern Asia, but also in South & Central Asia & in the Middle East. Adapted from the source document.
This is the full text of the Joint Communique of January 17, 2005, given on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Portugal & the People's Republic of China, & coinciding with Portuguese President Dr. Jorge Sampaio's state visit to China. The text is followed by an annex. The major topics discussed in the main body include the furthering of bilateral relations, the new Portuguese consuls general in Shanghai & Hong Kong, the status of Macau, economic & cultural cooperation, the stimulation of tourism between the two nations, & the sharing of television programming. More broadly, the document discusses the improvement of relations between the EU & mainland China, particularly in terms of the positive role Portugal can play. Also addressed are the sensitive issues of the status of Taiwan & relations with North Korea. The annex lists a number of accords that were finalized during the state visit. R. Young
The main purpose of this article is to draw a balance Bush's legacy in Africa using sources which document the perspective of both Americans & Africans. The article comprehends three main sections. The first one argues that in order to be correctly understood George W. Bush administration policies in Africa must be compared to the legacy of his predecessors -- namely Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush & Bill Clinton. The second one highlights how American strategy has now concentrated on four pillars: military cooperation, the fight against diseases such as HIV-AIDS & malaria, the protection of democracy & good governance. In the last part we try to anticipate the priorities that might figure in an African agenda of John McCain or Barack Obama. References. Adapted from the source document.
Defence date: 21 November 2008 ; Examining Board: Prof. Doutor Jacques Ziller, Instituto Universitário Europeu; Prof. Doutor Pedro Bacelar Vasconcelos, Universidade do Minho; Prof. Doutor Rui Moura Ramos, Universidade de Coimbra; Prof. Doutor Francesco Francioni, Instituto Universitário Europeu. ; First made available online 14 January 2015. ; Portugal is a very good illustration of the current identity quests that are pursued by communities of all shapes and sizes – local, national, supranational, international, civilizational – in response to old urges and new threats posed in a globalised, but also "glocalised", world. Torn between its European body and its atlantic/lusophone "soul", Portugal tries to strike a balance between the two dimensions of its identity as a polity and, in the process, claims a special role as mediator between north and south, Europe and the African continent. Although fully committed to the European immigration policy, with its restrictive dimensions and its focus on integration, Portugal purports to articulate the European demands with the special solidarity bonds that exist with the Portuguese speaking countries. It has been so for a number of years, but the recent developments in both the Portuguese nationality and immigration laws show that the fears expressed by many that Schengen would surpass the lusophone ties were well founded and that, no matter how well intended the Portuguese policies are in these matters, the result will be detrimental to the so-called lusophone citizens. They do enjoy a special status – encompassing voting rights and access to public office that is generally forbidden to all foreigners (a status unparalleled in the two other European countries under scrutiny, France and the United Kingdom) – but their access to the Portuguese territory has been curtailed. Even more than Portugal, which until recently was the last of the European "nation states" and only now faces visible cultural diversity in its society, the European Union and the Community of the Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) struggle with the definition of their respective identities and sense of purpose, seeking to win the hearts and minds of their peoples. Commonly considered a natural spontaneous community, due to the existence of a common language, the CPLP faces the difficulties posed by mutual distrust and old grudges and the fear, by many, that it is only an expression of imperial nostalgia on the part of Portugal. Its member states show only a mild commitment, engaged as they all are in other regional communities of their own, as can be seen in the discussions on citizenship and free movement within the lusophone area. There are many similarities between the legal systems of the CPLP member states, which can be explained by the cooperation between lawyers and academics specially in Africa and East Timor, but some of those similarities are merely formal, with little correspondence in the law in action, and coexist with relevant differences due mostly to different levels of socio-economic development and political will. For the European Union the purpose of fostering a feeling of belonging and solidarity between the peoples of Europe is an ongoing struggle for legitimacy which has suffered major setbacks in recent years. After the constitutional momentum, the Union has adopted a more modest stance, but has by no means given up winning the support of the European citizens. One of the fields in which its intervention is demanded is directly linked with the identity quest in progress – border definition and control, policies towards illegal and legal aliens. Stressing the need to integrate the third country nationals who are legal residents and adopting the mantra of intercultural dialogue, the EU presents itself as a guardian for human rights and a fighter against racism, at the same time as it tries to keep Europe for the Europeans as much as possible. Its member states are willing, for European or domestic reasons, to go along and easily drop old preferences for extra-community bonds of solidarity. Portugal may again be the last of the empires, keeping a special status for the foreigners of lusophone origin, but it nevertheless keeps with the times when it comes to admission to its territory.
