The Politics of Mining in Mongolia and Burma/Myanmar

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Hannah Smith

Protests against mining projects reveal contrasts in the political impact of resource extraction in Mongolia, an established 23 year-old democracy, and Burma/Myanmar, a liberalizing authoritarian state. Two similarities are apparent in the domestic tensions surrounding Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi and Burma’s Letpadaung copper mines: both governments and populations are keen to balance Chinese influence in their economies; and both struggle to balance development goals with local grievances. Yet, the differing role of the countries’ politicians means that the protests have different outcomes. Continue reading

Posted in Burma, Mongolia, Myanmar | Tagged economics, mining, politics, protests | Leave a comment

Lotteries vs. Auctions: China’s Experiments in Managing Automobile Growth

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Hannah Smith

The astronomical growth in the number of private cars in China has led to very visible environmental crises and congestion. But the nationwide increase conceals crucial policy differences between cities that influence effectiveness, revenue, efficiency, equity and public acceptance. While Shanghai and Beijing each had approximately 2 million motor vehicles in 2004, by 2010 Beijing had 4.8 million versus Shanghai’s 3.1 million. By 2011, 38% of Beijing households were vehicle owners in contrast to 18% in Shanghai. Two decades ago Shanghai opted for a monthly license auction to control vehicle ownership, while Beijing had few controls over usage or ownership until the run up to the 2008 Olympics. Continue reading

Posted in China | Tagged cars, congestion, environment, growth, hukou, licence, markets, middle class, pollution | Leave a comment

Island Connect in the Tuamotus: Satellite, Solar Power and Civil Society

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Hannah Smith

Despite their isolation, technological developments allow residents of Katiu, a tiny coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia, to engage as global citizens. The atoll is only 10 square km, 27 km long and 12.5 km wide. Its 286 residents subsist on fishing, copra harvesting and pearl farming. There is no tourism trade, and anything beyond coconut palms, breadfruit, taro, fish, seafood and some fruit must be imported on infrequent cargo ships. Until recently, the atoll was inaccessible except by boat, and islanders had limited communications with the outside world. Continue reading

Posted in Pacific Islands | Tagged Archipelago, Connect, French Polynesia, global society, internet, islands, Katiu, satellite, solar power, Tuamotu | Leave a comment

Overhauling China’s Organ Transplant System

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Hannah Smith

At a WHO conference in 2005, China’s vice-minister of health Huang Jiefu became the first public official to admit the country’s reliance on organs from executed inmates, and promised a transition to a voluntary donation system. A pilot for such a system has established a donation network set to expand this year, fixing the disorderly arrangements that have long been criticized by international health and human rights organizations. Continue reading

Posted in China | Tagged black market, health, institutions, medical tourism, organ donation, public health, reform | Leave a comment

Reflections on Japan (Video Interview with Sir David Warren)

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Hannah Smith

Recent territorial disputes point to tensions in the relationship between Japan and China. Competition extends beyond issues of history and territorial assertions to competition for resources and influence. Yet it is increasingly recognized that Japan and China are crucial to each other. Continue reading

Posted in Japan | Tagged Ambassador, China, cyber security, economics, security, soft power, trade | Leave a comment

Civil Society Organizations in Vietnam: Precarious but Full of Potential

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Hannah Smith

The rapid expansion of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Vietnam in the early 2000s was intertwined with the country’s opening and reform process. A decade on, CSOs number around 2,000 but few have been able to establish a sustainable funding base, strong financial and organizational systems and innovative research and programming. Continue reading

Posted in Vietnam | Tagged Civil Society, funding, regulations | Leave a comment

Hikikomori: Entering Middle Age

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Hannah Smith

When the term “hikikomori” (引き籠もり, acute social withdrawal) was introduced by the Japanese media in the early 1990s, it referred to high school students or young adults. Government, academics and society blamed a range of social or cultural pressures that built up to breaking point (such as failing an exam). A government estimate in 2010 put the number of hikikomori at 700,000, though the actual figure may be far higher. Hikikomori are predominantly males from middle- or high-income families able to support them financially. Many of the first to withdraw over twenty years ago are now middle-aged and present Japan with a new set of social problems. Continue reading

Posted in Japan | Tagged economic and social change, psychological disorder, social, social issues, society | Leave a comment

State Formation and Contemporary Mongolia (Video with Dr. Robert Bedeski)

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Hannah Smith

States are a paradox. On the one hand, with a monopoly on the use of force, they provide security, but on the other the formation of the state is often accompanied by violence.

The example of Mongolia is an interesting demonstration of this. Genghis Khan’s unforgiving destruction of enemies shows state formation to be brutal, but this was accompanies by the development of the rule of law and a written language, through which the nation developed. Continue reading

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Transforming Local Industrial Districts in Japan into Innovative Clusters

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Hannah Smith

A characteristic of the Japanese “flexible production system” is vast networks of subcontractors. Recently, the overseas sourcing of parent companies’ manufacturing has led to reorganization of small business in Japan. Efforts to revitalize regional economies in response have focused on the creation of industrial clusters. Continue reading

Posted in Japan | Tagged Business, economics, innovation, manufacturing, policy | Leave a comment

Why are Foreign Mining Companies Retreating from China?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Hannah Smith

In the 1990s, China opened up the country’s vast mineral resources to international investment. Over the past decade, it has reformulated its mining legislation to attract foreign companies into the Chinese mining sector with the hope of speeding up its modernization. Between 2001 and 2004 the number of foreign mining projects quickly increased from 150 to 279. But by 2010, this number had declined to 92. International firms continue to feel stymied by an inconsistent and convoluted mining policy and their inability to create relationships of trust with local mining stakeholders. Continue reading

Posted in China | Tagged commerce, energy, FDI, government, mining, natural resources | Leave a comment