Singapore’s existence and success derive in part from its achievements in the domestic political arena and in part from the skilful management of a well-defined foreign policy with clearly identifiable goals and issues. A visible core of realist self-reliance is layered with the demands of a competitive trading state that requires a liberal international trading regime. Hence, both competitive and cooperative philosophies support Singapore’s foreign policy.This text charts the phil...

In 2012, the Communist Party of China (CPC) inaugurated the Xi Jinping era when it elected him to be the General Secretary of the CPC. The following year Xi was elected President of the People’s Republic of China. The Xi Jinping era has seen a remarkable transformation of Chinese foreign policy, which has been adjusted to facilitate the achievement of what Xi has proclaimed as “the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation.” Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative has become a major element of Chines...

Since at least the 1990s, international mediation efforts have investigated whether civil conflicts could be resolved through democratization. The results have been mixed, and within the scholarship there is no real framework for how to approach the question, let alone any agreement on the answers.Drawing on concrete cases from three continents, and bringing together contributions from political scientists, historians, area specialists, and international relations experts, Internat...