When the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on December 10, 2010, its recipient, Liu Xiaobo, was in Jinzhou Prison, serving an eleven-year sentence for what Beijing called “incitement to subvert state power.” In Oslo, actress Liv Ullmann read a long statement the activist had prepared for his 2009 trial. It read in part: “I stand by the convictions I expressed in my ‘June Second Hunger Strike Declaration’ twenty years ago—I have no enemies and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested, and interrogated me, none of the prosecutors who indicted me, and none of the judges who judged me are my enemies.” That statement is one of the pieces in this book, which includes writings spanning two decades, providing insight into all aspects of Chinese life. These works not only chronicle a leading dissident’s struggle against tyranny but enrich the record of universal longing for freedom and dignity. Liu speaks pragmatically, yet with deep-seated passion, about peasant land disputes, the Han Chinese in Tibet, child slavery, the CCP’s Olympic strategy, the Internet in China, the contemporary craze for Confucius, and the Tiananmen massacre. Also presented are poems written for his wife, Liu Xia, public documents, and a foreword by Václav Havel. This collection is an aid to reflection for Western readers who might take for granted the values Liu has dedicated his life to achieving for his homeland.
The most up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of corruption and change in the Chinese Communist Party, "Cadres and Corruption" reveals the long history of the party's inability to maintain a corps of committed and disciplined cadres. Contrary to popular understanding of China's pervasive corruption as an administrative or ethical problem, the author argues that corruption is a reflection of political developments and the manner in which the regime has evolved. Based on a wide range of previously unpublished documentary material and extensive interviews conducted by the author, the book adopts a new approach to studying political corruption by focusing on organizational change within the ruling party. In so doing, it offers a fresh perspective on the causes and changing patterns of official corruption in China and on the nature of the Chinese Communist regime. By inquiring into the developmental trajectory of the party's organization and its cadres since it came to power in 1949, the author argues that corruption among Communist cadres is not a phenomenon of the post-Mao reform period, nor is it caused by purely economic incentives in the emerging marketplace. Rather, it is the result of a long process of what he calls organizational involution that began as the Communist party-state embarked on the path of Maoist "continuous revolution." In this process, the Chinese Communist Party gradually lost its ability to sustain officialdom with either the Leninist-cadre or the Weberian-bureaucratic mode of integration. Instead, the party unintentionally created a neotraditional ethos, mode of operation, and set of authority relations among its cadres that have fostered official corruption.
The financial burden imposed upon the Chinese farmer by local taxes has become a major source of discontent in the Chinese countryside and a worrisome source of political and social instability for the Chinese government. Bernstein and Lü examine the forms and sources of heavy, informal taxation, and shed light on how peasants defend their interests by adopting strategies of collective resistance (both peaceful and violent). Bernstein and Lü also explain why the central government, while often siding with the peasants, has not been able to solve the burden problem by instituting a sound, reliable financial system in the countryside. While the regime has, to some extent, sought to empower farmers to defend their interests - by informing them about tax rules, expanding the legal system, and instituting village elections, for example, these attempts have not yet generated enough power from 'below' to counter powerful, local official agencies.
This volume unravels the politics surrounding behind China’s hegemonic project of heritage tourism development in Lijiang. It provides a compelling study of the dialectical relationships between global and domestic capital, the state, tourists and locals as they collude, collaborate and contest one another to ready Lijiang for tourist consumption. Using rich material from insightful interviews and quantitative data, the authors show how complex tourism development can be even as it strives to do good for the community. Su and Teo investigate the practices of contestation and negotiation of identity within Lijiang; analyze the negotiations that transform material and vernacular landscapes; and suggests strategies that will enable sustained tourism interest in this location. Linking Gramsci’s theory on hegemony to the cultural politics of space, this book has two major strengths: it establishes a theoretical framework to conceptualize power relations in tourism space and provides critical insights into the rapidly shifting socio-political landscape of contemporary China. Comparisons with other Chinese heritage sites are also provided. By addressing the power struggles inevitable in the process of tourism development, The Politics of Heritage Tourism in China provides an innovative understanding of China’s dynamic politics in a period of transition. As such, it will address the needs of students and academic scholars working in the fields of China studies, tourism, cultural studies, urban studies, sociology, geography, political science and heritage studies.
At the time Wang was writing, novels about the Cultural Revolution tended to be fairly conventional tales of how good people suffered nobly during this decade of madness. The system itself was rarely called into question. Wang’s book was radically different . . . The idea of how to stand up to power underlies Golden Age." —Ian Johnson, The New York Times Book Review Like Gary Shteyngart or Michel Houellebecq, Wang Xiaobo is a Chinese literary icon whose satire forces us to reconsider the ironies of history. “Apparently, there was a rumour that Chen Qingyang and I were having an affair. She wanted me to prove our innocence. I said, to prove our innocence, we must prove one of the following: 1. Chen Qingyang is a virgin; 2. I was born without a penis. Both of these propositions were hard to prove, therefore, we couldn’t prove our innocence. Infact, I was leaning more toward proving that we weren’t innocent.” And so begins Wang Er’s story of his long affair with Chen Qinyang. Wang Er, a 21-year-old ox herder, is shamed by the local authorities and forced to write a confession for his crimes but instead, takes it upon himself to write a modernist literary tract. Later, as a lecturer at a chaotic, newly built university, Wang Er navigates the bureaucratic maze of 1980’s China, boldly writing about the Cultural Revolution’s impact on his life and those around him. Finally, alone and humbled, Wang Er must come to terms with the banality of his own existence. But what makes this novel both hilarious and important is Xiaobo’s use of the awkwardness of sex as a metaphor for all that occured during the Cultural Revolution. This achievement was revolutionary in China and places Golden Age in the great pantheon of novels that argue against governmental control. A leading icon of his generation, Wang Xiaobo’s cerebral and sarcastic narrative is a reflection on the failures of individuals and the enormous political, social, and personal changes in 20thcentury China.
Metamaterial Design and Additive Manufacturing covers optimization design, manufacturing, microstructure, mechanical properties, acoustic properties, mass-transport properties and application examples of PMs fabricated by selective laser melting additive manufacturing technology. The book introduces the definition and concept of pentamode metamaterials and then describes their characterization, including manufacturing fidelity, mechanical response, acoustic properties and so on. Final sections analyze research situations, problems and applications of additive manufacturing pentamode metamaterials. - Covers design and optimization methods of pentamode metamaterials - Describes manufacturing fidelity, microstructure and physical properties of pentamode metamaterials fabricated by AM - Includes recent applications for pentamode metamaterials, along with research situations and potential problems
Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Potential approaches presented to facilitating mechanization in Africa include prioritizing market-led hiring services, eliminating distortions, and developing appropriate technologies for the African context. The role of agricultural mechanization within overall agricultural and rural transformation strategies in Africa is also discussed. The book’s recommendations and insights should be useful to national policymakers and the development community, who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research.
By integrating different research angles and methods of philosophy of law, sociology of law, applied linguistics, and legal translation, this book presents a groundbreaking approach to the non-standardization phenomenon in Chinese legislative language, unveils the underlying causes and adverse effects thereof, and provides potential principles, strategies, and methods to be followed in the standardization of Chinese legislative language. Divided into three parts, this book firstly talks about the fuzziness of language, addressing both the active and negative influences thereof on the legislation; secondly approaches the non-standardization phenomenon in Chinese legislative language from the perspective of philosophy of law; and thirdly offers a comprehensive studies on the standardization of Chinese legislative language, offering possible solutions to address the above-mentioned problems and promote the standardized development of law making. This book facilitates the legal practitioners, jurists, law students, legal translators as well as the non-experts to get a better understanding of the mechanism and process of legislation and improve their skills and capacities in apprehending and translating Chinese laws and regulations.
Data Management and Internet Computing for Image/Pattern Analysis focuses on the data management issues and Internet computing aspect of image processing and pattern recognition research. The book presents a comprehensive overview of the state of the art, providing detailed case studies that emphasize how image and pattern (IAP) data are distributed and exchanged on sequential and parallel machines, and how the data communication patterns in low- and higher-level IAP computing differ from general numerical computation, what problems they cause and what opportunities they provide. The studies also describe how the images and matrices should be stored, accessed and distributed on different types of machines connected to the Internet, and how Internet resource sharing and data transmission change traditional IAP computing. Data Management and Internet Computing for Image/Pattern Analysis is divided into three parts: the first part describes several software approaches to IAP computing, citing several representative data communication patterns and related algorithms; the second part introduces hardware and Internet resource sharing in which a wide range of computer architectures are described and memory management issues are discussed; and the third part presents applications ranging from image coding, restoration and progressive transmission. Data Management and Internet Computing for Image/Pattern Analysis is an excellent reference for researchers and may be used as a text for advanced courses in image processing and pattern recognition.
A yet-untranslated essay collection on the importance of critical thought, from one of the foremost Chinese intellectuals of the 1990s. Wang Xiaobo’s Pleasure of Thinking is an essay collection as riotous as it is contemplative. Between rollicking anecdotes about living between the East and West and serious musings on the intellectual situations at home and abroad, Xiaobo examines modern life with the levity missing from so much of today’s politico-cultural discourse. In “The Maverick Pig,” he considers the existential differences between humans and livestock. In “Tales From Abroad: Food,” he recounts the culture shock of discovering American diets while studying at Carnegie Mellon. Several pieces focus on literature, with notable essays devoted to Italo Calvino, Bertrand Russell, and Ernest Hemingway, whom Xiaobo admired greatly. Others are more personal in nature, ranging from a meditation on getting mugged, to the consideration of the question: why do I write? Controversial, hilarious, and inimitable, Pleasure of Thinking is a delightful celebration of Wang Xiaobo’s unique critical perspective.
Earth-moving is a common activity at mines, construction sites, hazardous waste cleanup locations, and road works. Expensive and sophisticated machines such as wheel loaders are used for earth-moving. This book presents a robotic control approach to the computer control of wheel-loader-type excavators. The unpredictable and dynamic rock excavation environment poses challenges for the design of the real time control algorithm. The control method developed here is based on the analysis of human operators' performance; it applies neural networks, fuzzy logic and finite state machines to embody human excavation strategies for on-line bucket digging trajectory design. A behavior-based control architecture organizes operation of the modules to achieve quick system response. Extensive experiments have been performed to demonstrate the diggability of the algorithm in various difficult-to-excavate environments.
Biomimetic Robotic Artificial Muscles presents a comprehensive up-to-date overview of several types of electroactive materials with a view of using them as biomimetic artificial muscles. The purpose of the book is to provide a focused, in-depth, yet self-contained treatment of recent advances made in several promising EAP materials. In particular, ionic polymer-metal composites, conjugated polymers, and dielectric elastomers are considered. Manufacturing, physical characterization, modeling, and control of the materials are presented. Namely, the book adopts a systems perspective to integrate recent developments in material processing, actuator design, control-oriented modeling, and device and robotic applications. While the main focus is on the new developments in these subjects, an effort has been made throughout the book to provide the reader with general, basic information about the materials before going into more advanced topics. As a result, the book is very much self-contained and expected to be accessible for a reader who does not have background in EAPs.Based on the good fundamental knowledge and the versatility of the materials, several promising biomimetic and robotic applications such robotic fish propelled by an IPMC tail, an IPMC energy harvester, an IPMC-based valveless pump, a conjugated polymer petal-driven micropump, and a synthetic elastomer actuator-enabled robotic finger are demonstrated.
This book delivers a comprehensive, insightful, and updated analytic description of contemporary Chinese legal system. From a macro perspective, it presents, both theoretically and empirically, the evolution of Chinese law, describing its distinctive features, comparing it with other experiences across the world, and exploring the influence of economic, social, cultural, and technological factors thereon. From a micro perspective, based on the latest laws and regulations so promulgated and relevant research, this book briefly summarizes the basic theories and knowledge of existing law in the PRC, including the Constitution, civil law, criminal law, administrative law, procedural law, intellectual property law, economic law, etc. With this book, not only law students, lawyers, and those who have a background in Chinese law but also general readers can catch a penetrating glimpse into the fast-changing Chinese legal system.
Like all industrialized countries, China has encountered increasing problems with land contamination in recent years. Abandoned mining and manufacturing sites and obsolete industrial complexes, while also creating new polluting industrial enterprises, represent impending environmental threats. More importantly, a number of social and economic problems have developed and must be dealt with, in some cases urgently. Contaminated land laws and regulations have been established and have evolved in the US and UK and many other jurisdictions over the past few decades. These regimes have substantially influenced the relevant legislation in the context of numerous Asian and European countries and will inevitably benefit similar legislative efforts in China. This book is the first monograph that focuses on how China can learn from the US and UK with respect to contaminated land legislation and comprehensively illustrates how contaminated land law could be created in China. It will be of interest to academics and practitioners in environmental law in China, as well as the US and UK.
The danwei, or work unit, occupies a central place in Chinese society. To understand Chinese politics demands a better understanding of this system. This volume provides a systematic study of the danwei system and addresses a variety of questions from historical and comparative perspectives.
This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the transformative trajectory undertaken by Chinese domestic enterprises, with a particular focus on Geely Automobile. Comprising five chapters and totaling 13 sections, the study delves into Geely's remarkable progression from a state of catch-up to surpassing established competitors. The initial chapter chronicles Geely's entry into the automotive industry amidst resource and technological scarcity, shedding light on the strategies employed to achieve breakthroughs during the nascent stages. The subsequent section elucidates Geely's transition from a late entrant to a prominent player in the global automotive market, facilitated by innovative practices across organizational, technological, talent-driven, quality-oriented, and cultural dimensions. The third chapter examines Geely's successful foray into globalization, offering a comprehensive analysis of its non-linear growth trajectory, overseas mergers and acquisitions, and strategic expansion efforts. The fourth part explores Geely's approach to embracing uncertainty and navigating cyclical challenges in the automotive industry, seeking determinative opportunities for future growth. Finally, the concluding chapter draws insights from Geely's non-linear growth and advances the "C theory," an enriched local innovation management framework grounded in China's unique developmental context.
One of the first evaluations of China's leadership transition with Jiang Zemin's 2002 retirement as Communist Party chief, this book probes the country's related institutional transitions—both those under way and those still needed if China is to remain stable and prosperous in the 21st century.
By making a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis on the translation history of both the ancient Chinese legal classics and the modern laws and regulations, this book presents a full picture of development of Chinese legal translation. Legal translation in China has undergone twists and turns in the past and always lacked a systematic and comprehensive theoretical framework. Therefore, guided by the language planning theory, this book intends to build a theoretical framework for study and practices of legal translation in the New Era and provide a feasible path for general readers, students of relevant majors, and professionals interested in Chinese legal culture to get a refreshed understanding legal translation and legal culture promotion.
1997 saw a major reform in China which signaled the move away from its traditional economy, when Jiang Zemin called off the debate on public versus private ownership. However, none of the existing theories can fully explain the transformation of the property rights system during the post-Mao reforms. The first part of this volume will reconceptualize the property rights reform in post-Mao China to provide a political economy explanation of why the transformation of property rights in China appears piece-meal.The success of the post-Mao reforms can be attributed to China's ability to integrate the experience of a variety of transition models. The second part of the paper investigates two distinct transition models, in light of the lessons from current Vietnamese reform. It explores the dynamics of political actions and analyzes the political reasons for economic reform.
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