This pathbreaking, multidisciplinary work challenges our unthinking acceptance of such terms as 'Asia Pacific' and 'Pacific Rim.' Clarifying the hidden power relationships and hegemonic struggles that are disguised by ideological constructions of the region, the contributors uncover fundamental contradictions_including the human costs and consequences_that underlie the much-celebrated economic boom. In evaluating the idea of 'Asia Pacific,' the book shifts our focus from abstract relations...

The first book to explore the historical development of Belgian politics, this groundbreaking study of the rivalry between Catholicism, Socialism and nationalism is essential reading for anyone interested in Europe before World War I.

For the first time since World War II, global output will drop (-1.7%); per capita income will fall in more than 50 developing countries; net private capital flows will likely turn negative – a more than $700 billion drop from the 2007 peak; and trade is expected to decline by 6.1% in 2009 – the worst decline in 80 years. In response to this global downturn, a number of governments have passed stimulus packages and other measures that aim to preserve domestic industries and jobs, and somet...

This book examines China’s new development policies, which seek to reposition China from export platform for a diverse array of low-cost consumer goods to technological leader in sectors linked to advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, e-commerce, and new internet-related production networks oriented to China’s large domestic market. Focusing on the post-2010 period, the book shows how China’s central government programs and reforms (“upgrading from above”) are...

The international fragmentation of economic activities – from research and design to production and marketing – described through the lens of the global value chain (GVC) approach impacts the structure and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) agglomerated in economic clusters. The consolidation of GVCs ruled by global lead firms and the recession of 2008-09 exacerbated the pressures on cluster actors that based their competitive advantage on local systems, spurring an i...