Axel Berkofsky's Books

China-GDR Relations from 1949 to 1989

The (Bad) Company You Keep

By: Axel Berkofsky

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

China-GDR Relations from 1949 to 1989

The (Bad) Company You Keep

By: Axel Berkofsky

This book provides an in-depth analysis of the relations between China and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1949 to 1989. These relations were characterized by some “ups” but many more “downs,” e.g. when, in the early 1960s, the Soviet Union ordered its vassal state in East Berlin to begin treating its former socialist comrade and brother-in-arms as an adversary and indeed enemy. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, especially from the archive of the GDR’s ruling party, this book examines selected issues and elements of East German and Chinese domestic and foreign policy. In order to better grasp the nature and the historical context of the bilateral relationship, it offers detailed insights into the following aspects: 1. the bilateral “honeymoon period” from 1949 to the late 1950s, which was accompanied by the two parties supporting and applauding each other’s oppressive domestic and ill-fated economic policies, including Mao’s Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution; 2. relations during the 1960s, when the “Sino-Soviet Split” defined the quality and level of bilateral animosities; 3. the 1970s, when Beijing replaced socialist comradeship with East Berlin with trade and aid from the US and West Germany; and 4. the resumption of Sino-East German relations in the 1980s and the subsequent period up to the Tiananmen Square protests and the collapse of the GDR in 1989. The book will appeal to historians, political scientists and scholars of international relations, as well as policymakers, diplomats, and others with an interest in this previously under-researched area.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

286

Publisher

Springer Nature

Published Date

ISBN 10

3030793370

ISBN 13

9783030793371

Post-Pandemic Asia

A New Normal for Regional Security?

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Post-Pandemic Asia

A New Normal for Regional Security?

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

In 2020, the way we define "insecurity" has drastically changed. Insecurity can now also be invisible and all around us, in the shape of a virus that disrupts people's lives, upends the economy, subverts the core functions of national governments and jeopardises the foundations of international cooperation. At the same time, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has not made traditional security challenges disappear, especially in and around Asia. This Report presents short- and long-term scenarios for each of the hotspots that challenge peace and stability in Asia, a region that, after the pandemic, has become even more crucial for a swift global recovery.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

107

Publisher

Ledizioni

Published Date

ISBN 10

8855264192

ISBN 13

9788855264198

China's Foreign Policies Today

Who is in Charge of What

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

China's Foreign Policies Today

Who is in Charge of What

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, China's foreign policy has significantly shifted from a defensive to an assertive approach. For decades, Beijing worked to integrate into the liberal international order, presenting itself as a peacefully rising power. By contrast, however, under Xi's leadership, the country is attempting to create a global system that is more favourable to its own interests. The Report examines China's current foreign policy approach, and the drivers behind the country's shift away from tradition. What are the main features of China's foreign policy today? How are decisions being taken, and to what extent do interest groups continue to have a say in decision-making after the recent power centralisation?

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

Ledizioni

Published Date

ISBN 10

8855267183

ISBN 13

9788855267182

Geopolitics By Other Means

The Indo-Pacific Reality

By: Axel Berkofsky,Sergio Miracola

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Geopolitics By Other Means

The Indo-Pacific Reality

By: Axel Berkofsky,Sergio Miracola

The Asia-Pacific has become the Indo-Pacific region as the US, Japan, Australia and India have decided to join forces and scale-up their political, economic and security cooperation. The message coming from Washington, Tokyo, Canberra and New Delhi is clear: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is no longer the only game in town and Beijing’s policymakers better get ready for fierce competition. Japan’s ongoing and future “quality infrastructure” policies and investments in the Indo-Pacific in particular make it very clear that Tokyo wants a (much) bigger slice of the pie of infrastructure investments in the region. China’s territorial expansionism in the South China Sea and its increasing interests and presence in countries in South Asia have done their share to help the four aforesaid countries expand their security and defence ties. Beijing, of course, smells containment in all of this and it probably has a point. Who will have the upper hand in shaping and defining Asian security and providing developing South and Southeast Asia with badly-needed infrastructure: the US and Japan together with its allies or the increasingly assertive and uncompromising China and its Belt and Road Initiative?

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

140

Publisher

Ledizioni

Published Date

ISBN 10

8867059300

ISBN 13

9788867059300

Mapping China's Global Future

Playing Ball or Rocking the Boat?

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Mapping China's Global Future

Playing Ball or Rocking the Boat?

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

China's future role on the global stage hinges upon a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. Beijing's meteoric rise in economic terms has been coupled with increasing military expenditures and a more assertive foreign policy stance. But the country is also facing a potential backlash, exemplified by protests in Hong Kong. This Report sets out to explore some of the key aspects of China's regional and global foreign policy. It analyses the core tenets that motivate and shape China's preferences, ideals, and actions, and explores how they interact with its partners, allies, and rivals.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

Ledizioni

Published Date

ISBN 10

8855261762

ISBN 13

9788855261760

Moving Targets

Trends in Japans Foreign and Security Policies

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Moving Targets

Trends in Japans Foreign and Security Policies

By: Axel Berkofsky,Giulia Sciorati

In December 2022, Japan announced it would drastically increase its defence budget by 2027. The decision came as a wake-up call for the whole region: Japan was gearing up for a world of heightened tensions and rivalry in the Indo-Pacific Region. This Report analyses the present and future of Japan's security and defence policies. Within the context of a rising China, Tokyo has broadened its defence ties with the US, India, Australia, and Taiwan. However, China remains its biggest trading partner, meaning Tokyo's policymakers are charged with the task and challenge of striking a balance between defence policies and business and trade relations with China.

Average ratings

N/A