Finland and the question of West European economic integration, 1947–1961

Abstract

The study deals, on one hand, with the international politics connections, and, on the other, the endogenous economic policy implications of Finland's relationship with West European economic arrangements from the Marshal! Plan up to the FINN-EFTA Agreement. In the 1950s, the Finnish economy was, in fact, a closed economy, albeit highly dependent on foreign trade. Finland's international position in the Soviet sphere of influence imposed restraints with regard to participation in international economic integration. Finland, for example, remained outside the Marshal! Plan and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), and even Nordic cooperation was a delicate matter from the point of view of relations with the Soviets. However, the protectionist foreign trade policies, consisting of both tariffs and quantitative restrictions, explain at least as much of the relative isolation of the Finnish economy. In these circumstances, Finland's participation in EFTA cooperation, within the framework of the FINN-EFTA agreement, from 1961 onwards was the decisive turning point towards an opening economy.     

Cooperation and Community Empowerment in Myanmar in the context of Myanmar Agenda 21

Since embracing the market economy in 1988 Myanmar has attempted to involve its civil society organisations, particularly in the health, education and welfare sectors. Both domestic and international non-government organisations play a key role in service delivery, poverty alleviation and capacity building in these areas. Civil society is regarded as a partner in Myanmar's nation-building processes. As Myanmar emerges from its decades of isolation (1962–88) and seeks to find its place amongst the family of nations, it set out, in Myanmar Agenda 21 (1997), a policy framework for sustainable development consistent with the identified principles of good governance based on cooperation and participative practices. This paper discusses how far this framework has been implemented; the obstacles to continued evolution of the socio-political structures; and whether civil society, domestic and international, can foster the 'coming out' process in a way consistent with Myanmar's concept of nation building and holistic security.     

Introduction to the special issue on ‘global trading system and protectionism: China,the United States and Europe’

ABSTRACT

In this Introduction to our Special Issue, we provide detailed and critical comments and summaries of the excellent papers. The papers are important contributions to the China-U.S. and China-Europe economic and trade issues in the context of the global trading environment, as shaped by the current unorthodox policies of the Trump Administration. The wonderful papers dealt with relevant issues related to international trade, investment, national security, trade laws, intellectual property rights laws, political science, business, etc. They constitute a must-read for academics, policy and business researchers, think tank fellows, experts in international organizations, as well as government-related researchers in various national capitals. The three Co-editors are all experienced and accomplished academics with vast experiences in public policies. As academics, they may hold different views but their unique and diverse perspectives provide an important background to the Special Issue. They jointly contributed major efforts to this timely and important Special Issue.     

国际公共产品中集体行动困境的克服

关于国际合作的现有研究通常不对公共产品与私人产品进行具体区分,从而忽略了国际公共产品的特性对国际合作的影响。作者从国际公共产品消费的非排他性和非竞争性等主要特性出发,建立并运用博弈模型分析了国际合作的主要障碍及其可能的解决方式。公共产品如果不具有完全的消费的非排他性或非竞争性,那么排他性的消费机制和成本分担机制就有可能建立,使国际合作成为可能。国家可以局部而渐进地克服集体行动的障碍,使得公共产品在较高水平上得到提供。这一过程形成了公共产品领域在国际合作上的特殊路径,即从不平衡到逐渐平衡,从小范围合作到广泛合作。这种非平衡性和层叠性同时也受到国家间关系、现存国际机制和国家之间在其他议题上的合作程度等因素的影响。以非排他性和非竞争性程度为考察对象,作者建立了分析国际合作可能性和路径特征的简明框架,为解释公共产品领域内的国际合作提供了新的研究视野。     

Otto Mønsted and the early margarine industry:

Abstract

The story of the Danish margarine matador, Otto Mensied has not previously been researched in depth. This paper gives a short outline of the career of this international businessman. The main emphasis is on his involvement in the British market. The eclectic theory of foreign direct investment has recently been expanded to cover international networks or alliances. Using this framework we offer some explanation of the fact that Mensted's British operations for some time were a threat to the Dutch early movers, Gebr. Jurgens and Van den Bergh. Their first cooperation agreement of 1908 may be interpreted as a response to the threat of a superior alliance between Mensiea Ltd., its suppliers and its distribution channel.     

中国油气国际合作区域战略研究

中国油气国际合作广度和深度不断加大，应注重区域差异。油气资源在世界上的分布大体上可以确定为六大重点区域。文章提出了特征一功能定位一舍作策略（Trait—Functions—Tactics，TFT）三位一体的国际油气合作区域战略选择的逻辑范式。根据国际油气区域合作逻辑模型以及全球油气重点区域特征，将世界油气六大重点区域在中国油气国际合作的战略功能定位划分为四个类型，即国家油气供应安全战略保障型、国家油气供应安全战略支撑型、国际油气合作拓展型和国际油气合作市场型。根据不同战略功能定位．提出相应的油气国际合作区域战略。     

Regional Economic Integration in the Pacific: An Empirical Study

Abstract

The Pacific Islands Forum, the regional organization comprising 14 Pacific Island countries (PICs), Australia and New Zealand is committed to strengthen regional cooperation and integration. This paper examines progress in real and financial integration in the region. Utilizing the methodology based on international parity conditions: purchasing power parity and uncovered interest parity, the study concludes that while PICs’ integration amongst themselves and with Australia and New Zealand, is relatively advanced with respect to goods and services, the financial market integration remains incomplete. The policy implication is impact of further liberalization is likely to be substantial on financial markets.     

网络空间安全视角下的信息安全产业发展路径论析

网络空间安全关系国家政治安全、经济安全、国防安全、文化安全、社会公共安全和民众安全。网络空间安全与信息安全产业相生相伴,信息安全产业发展是网络空间安全的经济基础保障。面对中国信息安全产业发展制度不完善、核心关键技术滞后、区域发展失衡和产业国际合作不足等困境,必须加大信息安全产业发展扶持力度、优化产业发展布局、加强信息安全产业人才队伍建设和推进信息安全产业国际化合作。     

Effects of the first world war on the engineering industries of Estonia and Finland

Abstract

At the turn of the last century, international political tension intensified and the Great Powers accelerated their armament efforts. Conflicts in the Balkans threatened, as early as in 1908, to lead the two blocs of European countries into a great war for which especially Russia would have been very poorly prepared. The economic crisis of the early 1900s had increased the technological backwardness of the eastern Empire's heavy industry and armament compared with those of the other Great Powers. Partly for this reason the Russian government considered it best to stay outside the Balkan conflict at this point and to concentrate on modernising its army's weaponry and speeding up the building of strategic railways and harbours in the western parts of the Empire. In 1908 the Imperial government acquired a domestic loan of 200 million rubles, followed by a foreign loan of 525 million rubles, to finance these armament efforts.     

网络环境下邻接权的法律救济探究

网络环境下邻接权具有特殊性,在保护上应具有特殊性,给邻接权的救济措施也带来了挑战。以此,针对邻接权法律救济的国际立法和国内立法实践进行分析,从民事、行政和刑事救济三方面探究应然救济措施,以期对完善网络环境下邻接权的法律救济具有一定参考价值。     

新冠肺炎疫情与全球治理变革

新冠肺炎疫情暴发以来迅速演变为一场全球公共卫生危机,不仅对人类生命安全和身体健康产生了巨大威胁,也使经济全球化受到重创,在全球多领域产生了全方位链式影响,凸显了全球治理的紧迫性和重要性。然而,现有全球治理体系在应对此次疫情过程中反应迟缓、部分失灵、治理成效有限。国际组织、国际机构、国际机制等应对不足、效果不彰。大国领导、大国协调与合作难度加大,未能体现领导作用。各国需要反思如何来加强全球治理体系改革,以更好地确保人类公共卫生安全。各国还需维护和稳定当前的世界秩序,在公共卫生领域形成一个人类卫生健康共同体。要树立人类命运共同体理念,强化对国际治理制度的更新、补充和替代,加大大国协调与合作力度,加强对世界卫生组织的赋权和赋能,提升其权威性和行动力,强化二十国集团等机制和制度建设,增补新的制度安排,在全球层面结成理念共同体、制度共同体、政策共同体、行动共同体和责任共同体。只有这样,各国才能共同应对未来人类所面临的公共卫生挑战,确保人类的生命安全和共同发展繁荣。     

Criticism of neo-colonialism: clarification of Sino-African cooperation and its implication to the west

ABSTRACT

This paper examines whether the claims regarding the nature of the Sino-African relations can be qualified or categorised as a neo-colonialism approach. Additionally, the paper analyses the Western perception and implication towards the Sino-African geopolitical cooperation and clarifies whether China is taking advantage of the weak African states in the name of South–South cooperation or playing the role of a contemporary proxy of the old colonial system and re-partitioning Africa. The relation between China and Africa simultaneously presents both challenges and opportunities for either of them. This study argues that the criticism that China is invading the continent and practicing neo-colonialism is just a speculation or Sino-phobia. In fact, the Chinese have no gene in their blood to invade Africa and it is crystal clear that unlike China, the Western world has had an influential history in the African continent. The African government and their societies have the ability to address the issues of Sino-African relations. This paper additionally provides a theoretical analysis of China’s enthusiastic involvement and contribution to the international aid operations and its presence and contribution in Africa.     

International Evidence on the Link between Quality of Governance and Stock Market Performance

Abstract

This paper examines the link between country-level governance and global stock market returns. We find a negative relation between governance quality and equity return. Countries with low governance scores, on average, have higher equity returns than those with high governance scores after controlling for global risk factors known to influence international equity returns. This implies that investors associate low governance quality with increased risk and thus demand higher risk premium. We find that the quality of governance as measured by Political Stability and Absence of Violence is key governance dimension affecting international equity returns, suggesting that heightened investor concerns over political risks have profound impact on equity markets. Interestingly, we find no evidence that variation in equity returns is affected by the governance indicator representing Voice and Accountability. The findings of this study provide important policy implications.     

美国航空运输业市场结构演变及其政策启示

本文详尽描述了20世纪70年代中期以来美国航空运输业市场结构的演变过程,并运用产业组织中的SCP分析框架,全面分析了美国航空运输业市场结构演变的原因,最后总结出促进我国航空运输业发展的政策启示,如坚持民航产业政策的有效性和灵活性、重视航空运输企业国际竞争力的培育、鼓励低成本航空公司的发展和完善基于市场细分的分工协作体系等。     

The new growing paradigm of Chinese security perspective

Throughout history, Chinese international behavior suggests that security calculations have remained and continue to be an inherent force in the minds of Chinese foreign policy decision‐makers. Since China launched its open‐door policy in 1979, the way the Chinese think and assess the field has significantly changed. Today, the once widely supported realist approach is being rejected by a growing body of Chinese experts who now view the world as increasingly interdependent in both economic and security terms. This paper shows how the Chinese perspective on security issues has diversified and significantly transformed into a more interdependent viewpoint. Despite general skepticism over whether China has learned the inevitability of state sovereignty infringement in the globalization age, Chinese analysts came to understand and believe in the necessity of the security regime and multilateralism in the post‐Cold War period. The “new security concept” exemplified the development of the mutual security in the late 1990s. Whether the Chinese design based on the new idea will be realized is unclear, given the present security structure dominated by the U.S.‐alliance system. However, the new growing paradigm of the Chinese security perspective might play an important role in the process of building multilateral security institutions and regimes in the region, and participation and influence might be China's intention as a responsible regional power     

Drivers and barriers of corporate social responsibility in the tourism industry: The case of Malawi

ABSTRACT

In developing countries, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes help in uplifting local communities by complementing governments’ efforts in providing public services in areas such as education, health, environment and security. But in the tourism industry, CSR has also been closely linked to responsible tourism in which tourism operators’ focus on protecting resources that attract tourists for business sustainability. This paper examines the drivers and barriers of CSR adoption in the tourism industry in Malawi. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and thematically analysed. The study reveals that the major drivers of CSR in the tourism industry in Malawi are community expectations, management values and commitment, cost reduction, natural and cultural resource management, competitive advantage and company size. The barriers to CSR adoption include lack of resources, lack of clear CSR policy and government support, lack of coordination, mismanagement of CSR resources by communities and lack of awareness.     

Ethnographic Heritage as a Branding Strategy: A Case Study of Yogurt in Bulgaria and Japan

Abstract

This article explores the various ways in which ethnographic images are deployed in branding strategies by Bulgarian and Japanese companies to frame industrial food as cultural heritage. Examining the history and marketing strategies of yogurt in Japan, I demonstrate how international marketing and cooperation has influenced the definitions, meanings and values of yogurt. In Japan, companies turn to ethnographic images of Bulgaria to sell their products, emphasizing visions of rural life over Bulgarian yogurt-making technology. At the same time, the fact that Bulgarian yogurt has turned into a symbol of health and wellbeing in one of the world’s economic powers is a source of national pride for consumers in post-socialist Bulgaria. The branding strategies of yogurt show how companies transform foods into culturally meaningful products, thereby doing much more than making profitable commodities of them. In educating and offering consumers new lifestyles, they change established systems of consumption and influence people’s imaginations.     

How Did Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Become Heavily Indebted? Reviewing Two Decades of Debt Relief

The paradox of debt is that heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) became heavily indebted after two decades of debt relief efforts. Average policies in HIPCs 1980–97 were worse than other less-developed countries (LDCs), controlling for income. Terms of trade and wars do not show a different trend in HIPCs than in non-HIPC LDCs. Financing HIPCs shifted away from private and bilateral nonconcessional sources toward International Development Assistance and other multilateral concessional financing––but this implicit form of debt relief also failed to reduce net present value debt. The record is not encouraging for the success of current debt relief efforts.     

人类命运共同体面向的新型国际合作理论

国际关系中的国际合作理论经历了三次转向。第一次转向是从权宜性合作向着国际机制理论转向,或称"国际政治经济学转向"。第二次转向是共同体合作概念的"国际政治社会学转向"。第三次转向更多地发生在非西方国际关系学界,不妨称为"跨文化转向",其本质上是适应多元一体、伦理本位的国际体系。20世纪中后期以来逐渐积累特别是由2020年新型冠状病毒肺炎全球性大暴发所进一步加剧的人类"大危机"意识,对全球治理与国际合作等都提出了新的要求,实际上需要西方主导的国际关系理论"向东看""向外看",在多文明包容和伦理本位的视野下推动无政府状态体系逻辑向半政府状态体系逻辑转换,由自助转向扶助,从未来世界、古代历史、现代实践和东西合璧中探寻人类政治合作的新形式。扶助不仅盛行于古代东亚国际体系,而且体现在不少现代大国的分散性行为中。在人类命运共同体理念不断加强的新时代,可以为新一轮全球治理提供国际合作的方案与智慧。     

Civil society and the right to have access to social security in South Africa

This article examines transformation in South Africa's social security system from a human rights and civil society perspective. Three claims are made: rights can be realised by civil society organisations, civil society organisations can transform social security, and the realisation of social security rights by civil society organisations can give us a means to address many of the problems identified with the involvement of NGOs in development. The basis of this assessment is a performative conception of rights, derived from the Grootboom legal judgment, which would allow civil society action to address the problems inherent in the social security system in South Africa. An analysis is thus made of this kind of public action and it is shown how it can be subsumed under the 1996 South African Constitution, and how the Constitution could transform civil society organisations' social action. Civil society action, it is proposed, could be valuable in further reforming the South African social security system, and in realising rights as autonomous social action.