Asia-Pacific Newsletter, October 2011

October 2011, Vol. 4 No. 1

Tea Timein SanshiaAncient Temples and Tea Ceremonies

WHEN EAST MEETS WESTTIPS FOR LIVING AND STUDYING IN A CROSS-CULTURAL SETTING

PICKING UP THE PIECESA STUDENT RETURNS HOME TO POST-DISASTER JAPAN

BOOK REVIEWLI ANG’S THE BUTCHER’S WIFE

NOTES FROM ABROADA REPORT ON THE IDAS PANELAT SOUTH KOREAN FORUM

2 Asia-Pacific Newsletter Autumn 2011

When I was first told that part of my job as IDAS student representative would be to put out the bi-annual newsletter, I knew right away that I would enjoy taking an active role in the development of

this publication. What I was not prepared for was how much this work would add to my overall enjoyment of the program.

In fact, the long process of corresponding individually with each student on this project, and working more closely with the writ-ers—all of whom are IDAS students or guests among the IDAS ranks—has not only helped me get to know and respect each of you, but it has helped me appreciate what a special and fragile thing we have in our young program. Why am I telling you this? Because I hope that many of you will want to take on a leadership role in our program as well, whether it’s helping to expand our profile on campus, or arranging social events: it all adds up to better morale, and a more rewarding experience. And while I can’t make any promises, it might just add to your overall enjoyment of the program as well.

I am very proud of the issue you are holding in your hands right now. As a product of our own hard work, interests and passions, it is a mirror of who we are. Rather than a dry academic offering, it repre-sents the diversity, vitality and personality of the IDAS student body. Michael Tai, for example, offers a remarkably brash and honest assessment of his feelings and experience in cross-cultural settings, while Philippe Cachia, who is fiercely concerned about freedom and human rights, presents the final state-ment of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Carlos Henrique de Oliveira Brochado, a visiting student of public management from Brazil, writes about his home institution and the training received by the future corps of Brazilian public servants, as well as his own course of study and how his time at NCCU has contributed to that.

Fourth-year student Juan Uriburu Quintana offers us an analysis of China-MERCOSUR Relations, while José Guerra Vio examines China’s increasing role in an emerging East-Asian bloc. We also have a wonderful photostory by visiting student Laura Lygaityte, accompanied by words by IMAS student Shelly Chou, which provides an account of a fairly typical field trip in one of Dr. David Blundell’s always unpredictable classes.

My friend and fellow second-year IDAS student Taro Kurokawa has been kind enough to share his intensely personal experience last semester when he courageously returned home to Japan in the midst of the harrowing triple disaster that directly threatened his family. His words and pictures are truly an inspiration.

Because this newsletter is by us, for us, there are several “experiential reports” herein where students can share their experiences and lessons after taking semesters abroad or attending international conferences. Sebastian Biba provides some advice about exchange semesters: in his case, at Hong Kong University. Huong Le Thu spills the beans about the IDAS group trip to Busan, South Korea, to eat, drink, and de-liver conference papers, and Silvia Amato reports on the 36th International Small Business Congress held in Taipei last year. A fun little feature we hope to continue (and perhaps one day compile in book form) is the IDAS cookbook, presented by Janet Tan. In this issue, we feature Acehnese, Lithuanian and Taiwanese-American cuisine.

This month’s book review is provided by Greg Coutaz, who looks at Li Ang’s seminal work, “The Butcher’s Wife.” I have read Greg’s book-review blog, by the way, and can highly recommend it. All in all, I hope this issue represents who we are not as a dry university program, but as a community of real people, working together towards a common goal and sharing a few years of our lives together.

Once we graduate and start boasting about it on our resumes, IDAS will be with us for the rest of our lives. In no less tangible a way, we will be with IDAS for the rest of its life as the first (and at present, only) social-science PhD program in Taiwan taught in English.

The IDAS cement is still wet, and I urge you to leave your footprints.

We need your talent for the next

issue! Do you want to

contribute to the Asia-Pacific Newsletter?

Contact us at dkara.lekas@gmail.

com to have your

stories, photos, essays or art

featured. Remember, this is your newsletter!

-Ed

Calling all

students!

This issue’s cover photograph was provided by the very talented Laura Lygaityte, and exchange student from Lithuania currently studying at our university. All other photographs used in this publication are used courtesy of the photographers, or through a creative commons licence. All are attributed appropriately.

The Asia-Pacific Newsletter is a creative-commons publication by the student body of the International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. This is purely amateur and informal collaboration, and this is a strictly non-commercial publication that is not for sale under any

circumstances. We do not derive advertising or sales revenue, or donations of any kind.

from the editor

Dean Karalekas

Table of Contents

Autumn 2011 Asia-Pacific Newsletter 3

Features

5 When East Meets West

An East-Asian perspective on the culture clash.

10 On The Inside An exchange student from Brazil

finds perspective in Taiwan.

13 Tea Time in Sanshia

A photostory of the field trip to the historic Sanshia Temple.

20 China-MERCOSUR Relations

A Peripheral Realist Analysis of Economic Complementariness.

32 China’s Regional Aspirations

Can political leadership derive from economic integration?

36 Picking Up The Pieces

An IDAS student’s personal journey through the triple disaster in Japan.

44 I Have No Enemies The final statement of Liu Xiaobo.

DePartments

25 The IDAS Cookbook

Recipes for the grad student from around the world.

49 Book Review Greg Coutaz reviews The Butcher’s

Wife by Li Ang.

rePorts

8 A Semester at Hong Kong U

An IDAS Student reflects on a semester abroad.

28 Fun, Food and Formulae

A report on the IDAS conference panel in the city of Busan, South Korea.

34 Small Business Thinking Big

An IDAS student reports on the international conference held in Taiwan.

28 13

36

October 2011, Vol. 4 No. 1


On behalf of our entire fac-ulty and student body, I wel-come you to this issue of our newsletter. In it you will find an expression of thinking on a wide range of issues. The

International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies (IDAS) focuses on the social science study of the Asia-Pacific and is part of the College of Social Sciences at NCCU. National Chengchi University is recog-nized as the most prestigious university in the realm of social sciences and humanities. IDAS is unique in that it is one of the few English-language, social science PhD pro-grams in the region. I thank everyone who contributed to this issue—and especially, Dean Karalekas, our student body president, for putting this together.

This year we made some program changes as well. We now have four tracks of special-ization—political economy, international relations, public governance and socio-cul-tural issues of the region. We will continue to expand our course offerings in these ar-eas. NCCU has excellent professors in these areas who have much to offer, and my job is to ensure that those who are able to teach in English have the opportunity to partici-pate in our IDAS program. We now have over 45 doctoral students in our program, and students from other departments are increasingly finding their way to our classes, as well. I congratulate students who recently won awards for their work and presentations. We hope you enjoy this issue.

I thank the outgoing chair for his past lead-ership (Prof. Ping-yin Kuan), and I thank our new Dean for his (Prof. Yih-chyi Chuang).

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or Angel, our program staff. For information about IDAS, please email us at [email protected] or visit our website.

My sincerest and best regards,

Evan Berman, PhD Director

From the Director

This year we made some program changes. We now have four tracks of specialization—political econo-my, international relations, public governance and socio-cultural issues of the region.

“

”

WHEN EAST MEETS WEST

AN EAST-ASIAN

PERSPECTIVE


After Vasco da Gama round-ed the Cape of Good Hope and reached the west coast of India at the end of the 15th century, European powers went on to colonize much of Asia, Africa,

and the Americas, and essentially to domi-nate the world. The effect of that dominance continues to be felt today, both at the na-tional as well as the personal level, and learn-ing how to live with Westerners has, for me, become a life-long quest.

My first real encounter with the Occident came when I left Malaysia as a teenager to study in America. Since that time, I have lived in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belarus, and Canada. Of course, the West is not a homogeneous entity; American cul-ture is dissimilar in many ways to French or Russian culture, and the history of each country’s relations with Asia is different. Americans and their influence are the most pervasive in Asia today, however, so I will oc-casionally single them out without forgetting the differences between the Old World and the New World, and the enormous diversity among European cultures.

By East Asia, I refer to the countries along the Pacific Rim, such as China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Singapore, which are strongly influenced by Confucian tradition. This essay explores why the East got left behind, how Asians feel about them-selves, and suggests ways to work effectively

with Western colleagues. The global primacy of the

West (particularly over the last

t w o

hundred years) has left a deep imprint on the Asian psyche. This is something that perhaps only a material shift in the global power bal-ance will redress. As evidence, consider that Japan’s defeat in the Second World War so impaired that nation’s self-confidence that, despite remarkable post-war economic suc-cess (Japan’s GDP ranks second only to that of the United States), the average Japanese remains awed by the West. This condition is reflected in a fascination with American pop culture and the wholesale importation of English words into the contemporary Japanese vocabulary. It is estimated that up to 30 percent of modern Japanese consists of loan words.

English as StatusIn Japan, simply having the ability to speak English can elevate a person’s status several notches, while a white face commands more than the usual amount of respect. Cross-cultural marriages are not uncommon, but they consist largely of Asian women marry-ing Western men. The Westerner’s sense of superiority is often greeted by an Asian lack of self-confidence.

In dealing with many Westerners, the Asian frequently feels like a child relating to an adult, or a student to a teacher. This dysfunctional relationship is reinforced by the fact that the Westerners who find them-selves in Asia usually come from the edu-cated elite and hold positions of authority, be they expatriate managers, NGO aid workers, teachers, or missionaries. Asians hardly ever meet European or American farmers, truck drivers, or other blue-collar workers. Even when they go to the West as students, they are exposed mainly to other students or pro-

fessors at whose feet they learn. Thus, East meets West on an un-

equal footing, which often breeds

r e -

By Michael Tai

Cultural differences abound in “Approaches to Solve a Problem,”

with Germans heading straight toward the problem in order to

solve it, while the Chinese circle the problem and wait for the right

moment to act.

“Express one’s Opinion” illustrates how interpersonal communication

differs, with Westerners getting straight to the point, while Asians

choose a winding path, as such direct expression can often be perceived as

impoliteness.


sentment. The psychologic-al disequilibrium is real, and recovery requires not only a cognitive understanding of the stature gap but an internal restoration of self-confidence. Healing begins by rejecting false beliefs about the worth of self and other, and by em-bracing healthy ones.

The condition brought about by colonialism is reinforced by certain Asian cultural traits. Asian societies are hierarchical by tradition, and those of lower rank must behave deferentially toward those of higher rank. This behavior is easily carried over into international relations: If a nation is regarded as more prestigious or powerful, Asian instinct dictates that it be treated with greater esteem, the kind one accords someone of superior rank. Of course, this kind of impulse exists in other civilizations, too. Social struc-ture in medieval Europe was equally feudal but class relations there were tempered by Christianity. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “You are all sons of God… There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This Christian doctrine of ra-cial, social and gender equality left a powerful mark on Western civiliza-tion.

East Asia, on the other hand, is shaped by Confucianism, which stresses the dutiful attitude of each member of so-ciety over the intrinsic value of the individ-ual. Because there is no personal God who loves each man and woman as his very own, Confucian thought implies worth based on one’s station in life: A man is measured by his wealth, power and prestige, and a prince

is worth more than a pauper. By extension, nations are weighed the same way, and the citizen of an advanced country is worth more than one from a less-developed one. This kind of thinking cuts both ways; it can make a citizen of a particular nation feel either proud or inferior, depending on the perceived strength of the foreigners he faces.

Differences in value systems pose other challenges, too. Americans value individ-ualism, independence and assertiveness. Asians are just the reverse; they place the group above the self and prefer interdepend-ence and consensus. These differences work against the Asian in the company of Americans. Just when an American would push, the Asian pulls. One vexing problem is how and when to speak one’s mind: It is quite normal for Americans to voice disagree-ment, and I have witnessed them locked in heated debate only to chat away congen-ially during the coffee break as if nothing happened. When I express amazement, the Americans tell me that “It’s only a game” and that no one takes offence at the polemic.

Styles of Debate In Asia, American-style debate and disagree-ment is regarded as rude, offensive and could permanently jeopardize relations. Rejecting someone’s opinion gets mixed up with reject-ing the person as well. When a fierce argu-ment breaks out, the Asian is apt to keep silent or politely agree in order to maintain a semblance of harmony. These differences in etiquette have roots in the intellectual tra-ditions of each civilization. Ancient Greece was made up of independent city states and a philosopher whose ideas offended the ruler of one state could easily seek refuge or pa-tronage in a rival state. This, together with the Greek penchant for novel ideas, fostered

a culture of intellectual discourse and contest.

There was a period in China’s his-tory when the country consisted of independent states, too, but ever since unification under the Qin emperor in 221 BC, China has, for the most part, been a monolithic centralized state that allowed only limited intellectual

The photos in this sequence are used through a Creative Commons license courtesy of photographer Dierk Schaefer.

They were taken on September 11, 2008, during an open-air exhibition in Germany of work by Yang Liu, a Beijing artist trained in Germany, whose “East Meets West” series comments on the differences between Chinese and German culture. Ms. Yang’s website is here: www.yangliudesign.com

A compilation of this series is now available in book form, in “Ost trifft West” by Yang Liu, available on Amazon.de.

“Ways of Living” contrasts the lifestyles of people from the East and those from the West, with the latter being less community-oriented and more individualistic.


diversity. For centuries, candidates writing the Imperial civil service examination were tested on their mastery of the Confucian classics, not on originality of thought or abil-ity to critique. Hence, political correctness in Asia is more entrenched. Even today, the education systems in many parts of Asia em-ploy much rote learning: a pedagogical style that dates back to antiquity and, while it is not without merit, it implies a “correct” or “standard” answer to every question. This may be well and true in mathematics or the natural sciences, but not so in the human-ities and social sciences, and can actually be a hindrance.

Respect for AuthorityAs a result of the automatic respect for rank that this style of instruction inculcates, Asian students almost never disagree with their teachers, textbooks or anything they regard as an authority. Disagreement and disputa-tion are viewed as disrespectful and are a threat to harmony, so Asians avoid it. When called upon to exercise critical reflection on a

piece of writing, for example, most Asian students only manage to produce a sum-mary of what they have read.

Another value that works against the Asian is the

Eastern notion of modesty. Promoting oneself or broadcasting one’s abilities and achievements is frowned upon. Instead, one is taught to be self-effacing. This kind of modesty may be a virtue, but it puts the Asian at a disadvantage in many situations. Imagine a resume that downplays the skills and experiences of the candidate, or a

job interview where the candidate recoils from clearly articulating the strengths he will bring to the organization. There are, of course, ways to let others know your accom-plishments without sounding boastful. Many Asians have to be encouraged or coached on how to do so without feeling awkward.

In crossing from one culture to another, the old adage “In Rome, do as the Romans do” applies. This means playing by new rules, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. A per-son needs to tactically turn from his own cultural programming and learn a different set of behaviors. n

WOrkinG WiTh WESTErnErS

WhAt DoES An ASiAn nEED to Do to WoRk EffEctivEly Among WEStERnERS? ESSEntiAl StEpS incluDE thE fol-loWing:

practicing Assertiveness – Assertive is not the same as aggressive. you can state your preferences without feeling guilty. While Asians often communicate with subtle cues, Westerners prefer plain talk.

voicing opinions – Westerners are ac-customed to voicing their opinion and quite used to having others do the same. Everyone is entitled—indeed, expected—to hold an opinion, and a lack of opinion could be construed as a lack of personality or personhood.

Embracing Disagreement – Disagreement is a normal part of life. contesting someone’s ideas does not equal rejecting the person.

Affirming Self-Worth – All people are cre-ated equal. feeling inferior is just as wrong as feeling superior; shame is as detrimental as pride.

Macau is close enough to Hong Kong to make for an ideal day trip.


Exchange semesters always include opportunities and risks. First of all, there is usually the chance to get to know a hope-fully fascinating city—maybe in a culturally different setting—as

well as to make new friends from all over the world. For a PhD student, such a step may be particularly useful in the sense that learning about new angles can push your research, and building up a more extensive network with professors and other scholars in and beyond your field, as well as getting in touch with peers who come from diverse backgrounds and who present you with nov-el ideas, can be an exciting and enjoyable way to broaden your academic horizons.

On the flip side, however, it is equally pos-sible that all these expectations and hopes do not materialize, and you end up with a feeling of having lost time. Moreover, ab-surd bureaucratic regulations may bring you to your knees. Finally, exchange semesters may turn out to be costly as funding is not always provided easily or willingly by your home institution.

For the spring semester of 2010, I found

myself an exchange student at Hong Kong University (HKU). It was not my first ex-change semester during my career as a stu-dent, and therefore I tried to keep in mind the positive things that had worked for me earlier. Today, a few months after my de-parture from Hong Kong, I can indeed say that I am very glad that I sought, and finally took, this opportunity. During those four months at one of Asia’s top-notch universities, my research greatly benefited from in-depth and eye-open-ing conversations with professors, in-teresting workshops and seminars, and intense discussions with fellow students.

Bureaucratic DifficultiesStill, not everything went smoothly. As a matter of fact, I encountered a lot of bu-reaucratic difficulties before, during, and after my stay. The exchange confirmation from the host university, visa matters, ac-commodation, course selection, and choosing a personal advisor—the difficulty of all these issues should

not be underestimated. They all take time and are replete with hidden problems. In my own case, misunderstandings led to my application for a place in one of the HKU

dorms coming too late. This cost me lots of energy—after all, Hong Kong is not really a place where you can find living space eas-ily and affordably. Only shortly before my arrival, I was finally allocated a university-rented, off-campus room, and thought I was lucky. However, to share the room (and your privacy) with three undergrads from the mainland did not turn out to be what I was

A Semesterat Hong Kong U

By Sebastian Biba

About the author

Sebastian loves to travel – as long as he can afford it. He is very enthusiastic about sports. He plays on the NCCU Tennis Team and frequently goes for a swim. Also, he enjoys a good movie or an old whiskey with friends.

Despite being a world-class city, Hong Kong also offers hiking and other outdoor activities.

The author enjoys dinner with friends.


looking for. I did not even fit into the very short bunk beds. Luckily for me, and for the success of the rest of the semester, after three weeks I found a nice apartment with more privacy, but also at three times the rent.

At the university, the start was far from promising. The major problem, I believe, was that I was not only the first IDAS stu-dent to go abroad on an exchange semes-ter, but, more importantly, I was also the first incoming visiting PhD student to the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences, and, un-der it, the Department of Politics and Public Administration (DPPA). Under these cir-cumstances, and without there having been a precedent for the administration to draw upon, issues like receiving a student ID, en-rolling in classes, and transferring credits became a real adventure. The good news for you guys, however, is that whoever might follow me in terms of an HKU exchange experience as a visiting PhD student now has a case he or she can refer to.

Apart from bureaucratic issues, the aca-demic aspect of my stay at HKU gradual-ly gathered pace after classes had started. Fortunately, there also were several regu-lar PhD students newly incoming, and the

DPPA staff, professors included, worked hard to integrate all of us as quickly as pos-sible. Thanks to a few departmental gather-ings at the beginning of the term, it was easy for me to introduce myself to professors and fellow students. It was nice that I was never treated like an exchange student but always considered an equal part of the entire family.

The single most important key for the suc-cess of my stay, however, was my advisor, Professor Richard Hu, with whom I devel-oped a very good working relationship. He

made a lot of time for me, and so we met quite regularly and talked exhaustively about my current research interests, my disserta-tion topic, publishing, and future career op-portunities. His highly competent remarks on whatever the topic certainly contribut-ed a lot to the advancement of my research

project. Similarly fortunate

was my choice to take another research methods class, of-fered by another bril-liant professor who managed to fill in the gaps left by previous research methods courses. While there were very few inter-national conferences held in Hong Kong during my exchange, one highlight was waiting for me at the

beginning of term: I had the chance to attend a two-day workshop on “Regional Order in East Asia,” with top US international rela-tions scholar G. John Ikenberry.

ExplorationBesides university life, there was still enough time to explore Hong Kong and its outlying islands, as well as to make trips to Macau and mainland China. After having stud-ied and lived in Beijing and Taipei before, I found this Hong Kong experience to be

something like a missing puzzle piece. The skyline of Hong Kong Island is a dazzling sight when admired from the harbor front at Tsim Sha Tsui, and a hike up and around Victoria Peak, combined with its view over Hong Kong at night, is stunning. The of-ten narrow streets and alleyways teeming with people can take a little getting used to, even for an experienced traveler. Also, it feels strange to be so close to China, and to be able to read traditional Chinese charac-ters, but then to listen to people who speak a completely indecipherable Chinese dia-lect. Therefore, even though Taipei greeted me upon my return with one week of heavy rain, I am happy to be back, with a lot of new experiences gathered, contacts established, and friends made.

Finally, to those of you who are also inter-ested in a temporary change of air—and who are not holders of a Taiwan Scholarship—I recommend you pay a visit to the secretar-iat of the NCCU College of Social Sciences, which boasts partner colleges at renowned, mainly Asian, universities. Intra-university competition to get one of the places avail-able seems quite reasonable. Good luck! n


It is not within the purview of this paper to offer an opinion on which political-economic model is prefer-able for the attainment of social wel-fare; be it a liberal model in which public operationalism is almost in-

cipient, or a strongly interventionist model in which the responsibility for welfare almost entirely depends on the effective operation of the civil service. As an abstract entity rep-resenting the collective will, the state has to position itself on a continuum between the liberal and interventionist schools and choose a position that best promotes social welfare.

From this point of view, I believe that the opportunity of being a student of a school

of government such as the Professor Paulo Neves de Carvalho School is a really unique experience, especially for those who believe in and strive for greater social equality, im-proved use and distribution of public re-sources, and a better quality of life. Students at the School of Government at the Fundação João Pinheiro (FJP) have the opportunity to learn about and question the state’s actions and, more importantly, go on to exercise the function of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Administration, with a real op-portunity to effectively promote good public administration.

Regarding the School of Government as an institution, the fact that it has stood out on the national scene because of its excellence in

THE PERSPECTIVE OF A STUDENTBy Carlos Henrique de oliveira BroCHado

ON THE INSIDE


teaching is significant. It has, according to an assessment by the institutions of academic performance, achieved a leading position among the country’s schools of management. The academic environment of the school is appropriate for professional development once students have easy access to various educational and research programs. There is close interaction between students and teachers, and access to most of the important technical agents of the state, responsible for the design and supervision of major govern-ment policies.

In addition to this, students have several opportunities to participate directly in the activities of public agencies, either volun-tarily through placements, or via programs

launched on the student’s own ini-tiative. At this point it is worth noting the out-standing performance of a junior consulting firm named João Pinheiro Jr., which is operated by the students themselves under the guidance of their teachers. Students work-ing with João Pinheiro Jr. are invited to de-velop and manage projects within public institutions aimed at solving practical prob-lems. These factors, taken together, provide an excellent level of training to professionals who will deal directly with public manage-ment and the drafting and implementation of public policies.

By Carlos Henrique de oliveira BroCHado

In the early 1970s, Brazil experi-enced a period of exceptional eco-nomic growth; one so important that, like its Taiwanese counterpart, it came to be known as an economic miracle. The following decade would

prove to be equally significant for the coun-try, however, due to a remarkable period of economic restrictions, administrative diffi-culties and the need for an overhaul of the machinery of the state. In this adverse envi-ronment marked by state planning that was still weak in many parts of the federation, there emerged the first national institution for the training of public administrators: the Escola Nacional de Administração Pública. At that time, the basic tasks identified by the Brazilian government were a reduction in public spending, the privatization of state enterprises and less state intervention.

The adoption in 1988 of the new Citizen Constitution, among other influences, brought to light the need to pay attention to such concepts as democratic rights and

PA Education in Brazildiversity in the implementation of public policies. Moreover, un-der the influence of Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira since 1995, public administration affirmed the central importance of public demands and projects of social impact. Along this same line of reasoning, the teaching of public administration techniques became a strategic

tool for modernizing the public service, as well as a solution to the problem of meeting demand for qualified personnel and

professionalism in the public sector. In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, this trend led

to the foundation in early 1990 of the Escola de Governo Professor Paulo Neves de Carvalho

(School of Government), as part of the Fundação João Pinheiro (FJP), for the

training of public administrators. The school of government to-

day offers undergraduate as well as masters-level

programs in public administration,

in addition to spe-


As a student at the Professor Paulo Neves de Carvalho School of Government, I be-lieve it plays a vital role in creating a modern professional bureaucracy and contributing to the modernization, professionalization and renewal of the civil service. The main way to enhance the quality of the public service is the acquisition and production of new knowledge, enabling an environment of innovation, and continuous improve-ment of the public sector. In line with these ideals, the institution has recently sought to expand its partnerships with other in-stitutions around the world, allowing stu-dents an even greater opportunity, which is learning through a cross-cultural exchange of knowledge.

Regarding this aspect, the relationship with National Chengchi University (NCCU) was the first partnership in Asia formed by the FJP’s School of Government. For the short time that I have been an exchange student at NCCU, and from what modest amount I have been able to learn about Taiwan, I

believe this experience has been indescrib-ably rich. Even though Brazil and Taiwan are drastically diverse countries—socially, politically, economically, and especially cul-turally—I believe that both countries tend to strive for the highest ideals in promoting human welfare. As a result of this, the dif-ferences between the two countries should not be regarded as barriers to commu-nication and integration, but rather as common points of a rich source of experience and learning for people from both countries.

NCCU represents the first partnership of FJP’s School of Government in Asia. I have the sincere h o p e t h a t

cialization courses at post-graduate levels and various training courses. Formalized by state law in 1994, the school aims to prepare civil servants to become part of the pub-lic management boards, as well as to future public administration professionals in the formulation and implementation of pub-lic policies. Students receive a monthly al-lowance amounting to minimum wage, and education bonds are available to selected stu-dents who receive scholarships in exchange for a pledge to follow a career in the public service for a period of no less than two years.

The state government redefined its opera-tional model in 2003 when it adopted a sys-tem of governance called Choque de Gestão, or management shock. This new paradigm was driven by the concepts of efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public resources, and a strong focus on achieving results. This fact eventually put the course of study and the professional standing of public adminis-tration at the center of dynamic changes tak-ing place within the state. This model called

f o r cours-

es de-signed to

train and em-power civil ser-

vants, and bore a close resemblance to the French

model created in 1945 at the École Nationale d’Administration.

Bearing in mind the state’s historically strong presence in society and its tradition

of market intervention (common to Brazil and European countries), the Brazilian and French models share significant similarities. Under this same perspective, the experience of the United States in the area of training and improving the performance of public administration cannot be neglected, and so the Brazilian institutional arrangement also bears a strong North American bias.

The allocation of public servants among various government agencies such as the Government Secretariat, State Audit Institution, and Bureau of Education and Culture, is coordinated by the Bureau of Planning. Students leaving the School of Government to take positions in the pub-lic service often do so with the title of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Administration.

The responsibilities of this position include the formulation, evaluation and control of public policies, the exercise of activities re-lated to the areas of planning and evaluation, financial management and budgeting, ac-

count-i n g ,

m a n a g e -ment modern-

ization, streamlin-ing of processes, man-

agement and information technology, logistics capabili-

ties, material resources, human resources and asset management.

Clearly, public administrators require the capacity to deal with a wide range of fields of knowledge using a variety of skills to effect strategic planning, calculations and statistical predictions, and handle the socio-economic repercussions of public policy.

Accordingly, in view of the diversity of characteristics and faculties required from a candidate to be a public administrator, it is necessary that this person have three main skill sets: supervision, coordination, and general management capacity. In sync with the need for an interdisciplinary approach, the Course of Public Administration at FJP’s School of Government has seven core studies; Quantitative Grounds, Finance and Budget (such as Accounting, Mathematics and Statistics), General Administration, Public Administration, Sociology and Politics, Economics, Law, and Research Methodology.

The institution relies heavily on an inter-disciplinary approach to training as well as the development of practical activities where theory is complemented by theoreti-cal and practical skills. During the eight academic periods, students have 2,460 classroom hours, 300 hours of supervised practice and 300 hours of additional under-graduate activities, as well as a final course paper which is developed by the student on a theme related to the public organ of his supervised training. During their 300 hours of additional activities, students are encouraged to look for extracurricular ex-periences in public organs, participate in volunteer activities and integrate with the academic life of the institution: all of these are essential in creating a better atmosphere and are consistent with the activities of pub-lic managers. n

this is the first of many yet to come. n


Tea Time in Sanshia

A photostory by Laura LygaityteWords by Shelly Chou


This year, a new course was add-ed to the IDAS course list: the much-anticipated Belief Systems of Taiwan. The curriculum is de-signed to give students a founda-tional understanding of the major

religions and other systems of belief that operate in Taiwan with specific case studies from perspectives drawn from the anthro-pology and sociology of religion.

The course was taught by Professor David

Blundell, an anthropologist by training with a deep knowledge of Taiwan’s many belief systems. Dr. Blundell loves to share his knowledge and experiences with students


in the class, and unlike most professors, he likes to bring students outside of the class-room. Our class benefitted from visits to museums and temples where the students were able to gain first-hand experience with the subjects of our study.

One of the more picturesque field trips the class took this semester was a visit to a very typical Taoist temple. This, and the elaborate Taiwanese tea ceremony that we took part in afterward, helped students—many of whom are guests in Taiwan—to truly comprehend and develop a deep appreciation for Taoism and tea culture.

Rituals are performed to seek help from the gods. Devotees burn incense before an altar as they mentally repeat the question or favor they want to ask. Then they

drop two crescent-shaped divining blocks to the floor. When one block lands convex side up and the other flat side up, the answer is positive or the omen is good.



Taoism is a local religion that developed in China. It is based on the writings of the sixth-century thinker Lao Tzu. By the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), Taoism had moved to centrality by development of the immortal, and the search for immortality through contemplation and the use of prac-tices like control of respiration, a special diet, maintaining harmony with the cosmos, and the development of the immortal embryo. In Taoist temples, we can find representations


of animals that symbolize long life, such as the crane or turtle, and also some legendary animals like the dragon and phoenix.

The Sanshia Zushi Temple is a very tra-ditional temple where adherents worship Ching-shui Zushi. It was established in 1767

by immigrants from Fujian Province, and through its architecture we can see very typi-cal structures of a Taoist temple.

Drinking tea is a very important part of the culture for Chinese and Taiwanese alike, as it has been for centuries. In the tea cer-

emony, participants can find peace of mind, and of course, tea is also known to be very good for your health. We are very grateful to the owner of the Pu-men Teahouse, Mr. Yu Tien-fu, for opening his home to us and being such a gracious host. n


When East


meets southChina-MERCOSUR Relations A Peripheral Realist Analysis of Economic ComplementarinessBy Juan Uriburu Quintana

Chinese economist Zhu Hongbo speaks at the World Economic Forum on Latin

America 2009, held in Rio de Janeiro.

The MERCOSUR building in Punta Carretas, Montevideo, Uruguay.

24 January, 2007.


For the last few years, I have been studying China’s foreign policy towards Latin America in general, and to the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) countries in particular. As it is

generally agreed, the countries that make up South America’s leading trading bloc are in an excellent position to supply China’s in-satiable appetite for, and desperate need of, commodities. The Asian giant has started to enjoy what is nearly universally hailed as its imminent superpower status, one pow-ered by what Ted Fishman calls the world’s most rapidly changing economy. Thus, it goes without saying that the Chinese gov-ernment—fully aware of the fact that eco-nomic growth increases political concerns, influence, and importance—has been devot-ing considerable time and effort to politi-cally guaranteeing good relations with the resource-rich Third World countries in Latin America (among them the MERCOSUR members) and other regions such as Asia and Africa.

Appetite for commoditiesBeijing must remain on good terms with these nations in order to satisfy China’s vo-racious appetite for traditional commodities, as well as the natural resources that fuel the Chinese economic rise.

It has been pointed out that the People’s

Republic of China (PRC) is ravenous for such resources, and as The Economist observed in 2008, “Latin American economies are grow-ing at their fastest pace in decades, thanks in large part to heavy Chinese demand for their resources.” This should certainly be good news for Latin American countries in general, and for MERCOSUR members in particular, since it means that China needs what Latin American countries offer, and it does so to such an extent that reports from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Bank all

Photo World Economic Forum

Photo Vince Alongi

conclude that China’s emergence is beneficial to the Latin American region, especially the Southern Cone and Andean nations.

In this regard, it has been reported that Chinese President Hu Jintao, while at-tending the 2004 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Santiago, Chile, and after having visited Brazil and Argentina, completed the so-called ABC tril-ogy by signing dozens of new cooperative


agreements and announc-ing US$100 billion in in-vestment commitments to the region, including US$30 billion for Chile, Argentina and Brazil alone.

As will be more fully ex-plained later on, two of these countries (Argentina and Brazil) are full mem-bers of MERCOSUR, and the third (Chile) is an as-sociate member, which should be good news for these countries, since it would imply that the rise of China offers them the pos-sibility of benefiting from increased economic ex-changes, facilitated by the adoption of the foreign pol-icy profile of a trading state, as suggested by Peripheral Realism.

In this regard, it would be both appropriate and in-teresting to point out that China, instead of negotiat-ing with MERCOSUR as a bloc, has rather adopted a bilateral approach to-wards the bloc’s member countries, establishing so-called strategic partnerships with Brazil and Argentina, and negotiating preferen-tial trade agreements in recent years, such as the China-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which has been in effect since 2006, and the China-Perú FTA, which has been in ef-fect since 2010.

Moreover, with regard to China’s importance to South American countries, it should be noted that some American scholars have claimed that the Washington Consensus has been replaced by a new Beijing consensus through which South American countries willingly rely on China. Others analysts such as political scientist Edward Friedman have character-ized the PRC’s new pattern of relations with South American countries as a form of 21st-Century neo-colonialism.

Bilateral StrategyChina has adopted a bilateral strategy when dealing with MERCOSUR member states, approaching them on an individual basis. By doing so, the PRC can take greater advantage of its size and importance, benefiting from playing the role of a powerful central state dealing with peripheral states on a one-to-one basis. It has been noted, however, that

the trading bloc has not been able to take full advantage of the increasingly important role played by the PRC in Latin America, mostly because of its own limitations.

In The Americas in Transition: the Contours of Regionalism, Ivan Bernier and Martin Roy define MERCOSUR as a simple and evolv-ing agreement with ambitious goals—one that has a political dynamic—constituting a

About the authorJuan Uriburu Quintana is a PhD candidate in the IDAS program. He is also an associate research fellow with the Center for Latin American Trade and Economy Studies at the Chihlee Institute of Technology and a research assistant in the China Politics Division of the Institute of International Relations.

Headquarters of the Banco de la Nación Argentina. Chinese investment is making

major headway in the region’s banking sector. 21 August, 2009.

China’s Export-Import Bank is financing the construction of several dams in Latin America,

including the 1,500 megawatt Coca-Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Project, which will divert water flow

away from the 480-foot San Rafael Falls, leaving Ecuador’s tallest waterfall high and dry.


flexible common market that deals in some detail with goods and investment, but only superficially touches upon services and gov-ernment procurement.

All this favors Beijing, which has been tak-ing advantage of both its politico-economic relevance, and the fact that one of the mem-bers of MERCOSUR recognizes Taipei, to deal with the bloc’s members individually, making them feel their peripheral character and the specific weight that China’s central position implies in bilateral relationships.

Indeed, the PRC has been focusing on those countries that, being associate members of the bloc, offer China a better platform from which to continue accessing South American markets and, more importantly, to avail itself of the abundant reserves of natural resources with which the continent has been blessed. Thus, the PRC has been pursuing an open regionalism strategy and it has been prioritiz-ing the negotiation of such FTAs with care-fully chosen trans-Pacific partners: in recent years, a China-Chile FTA has been signed and a China-Perú FTA negotiated. In ad-dition to that, it should be pointed out that MERCOSUR lacks internal cohesion and suf-fers from several other problems, such as the lack of consolidation of the bloc. n

Photo Visionshare

Photo Diego Torres Silvestre


Tomato and Tofu – a real healthy dishBy Janet TanIngredients:2 tomatoes 1 block of tofu1 scallion (green onion) 1 tablespoon sugar1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cooking oil

To prepare:Dice scallion into small pieces (about 2 cm long).Dice tomatoes into small pieces (about 3 cm squares).

Slice Tofu into similar size of tomatoes.Get a pan (or a pot) with a lid.Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in heating pan with medium heat.Put half diced green onion in pan and heat for 10 seconds.Put diced tomatoes in the heating pan and put in 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt, cover the lid for 3 minutes.

Open the lid and stir the tomatoes and put diced tofu in the pan, stir gently and cover the lid for another 3 minutes.

Open the lid and stir gently. If you like it dryer, cook longer with lid open for another 2 minutes.

Add the rest of the scallion and stir gently for 5 seconds.Turn off the heat, and pour into dish.Ready to serve. It is great with rice.

Tomato is a Western fruit. The name in Chinese means “foreign plant.” The American invention of “ketchup” is actually Chinese, and it sounds

like the Chinese word for tomato, “chaejiang.” So ketchup is a Chinese-made Western sauce.

This dish was my mother’s invention when she first immigrated to the United States in the early 1970s. At that time, there were few Chi-

nese ingredients sold in American markets. Tomato was a common ingredient for Western cooking like spaghetti, and she could get some tofu

blocks and scallions from Chinatown in New York. She used three ingredients to make this dish delicious, and so tamed her homesickness. In

Chinese cooking, scallions are often used as a spice to bring the fragrance out. Tomato with sugar and salt brings out the taste; tofu gives

it texture and nutrients. The dish is supposed to be a bit soupy. Tofu soaked in the tomato sauce for a few minutes absorbs the flavor and

becomes very tasty. This flavorful dish is well liked by both Westerners and Easterners. Put one spoonful of “tomato tofu” over your white

rice, and it will just be heavenly. Try it and this can be your best graduate school survival food.


Best Met Through Food

By Dita S.N.A Diliani

If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit Indonesia, you should definitely put the country on your

vacation list. Indonesia has hundreds of ethnicities, and thus its local cuisine varies magnificently

from region to region. If you are the type of person who likes to try new things, here is the best way to

experience Indonesia: through its food. Let me take you to the West side of Indonesia first; to Aceh. The

following are the most famous and delicious dishes from that part of northern Sumatra: food you must

become familiar with—especially if you plan to date an Acehnese. Keep in mind, these dishes are but

a small part of Acehnese traditional cuisine, but they will give you a good taste, and they are common

enough if you happen into an Acehnese restaurant.

If you enjoy spicy fare then Mie Aceh, or Aceh Noodles, is something that can challenge your appetite.

Sometimes cooks will include beef, shrimp or crab to cook with this menu, or just leave it plain. You can

ask the chef in advance not to add too much extra cabe rawit, or green chilies, to keep things from

getting too hot—biting into one of these chilies while enjoying your mie will really open up your eyes, and

your mouth.

Timpan is made by mixing glutinous rice flour and pumpkin, wrapping it in banana leaves and then steam-

ing it to perfection. Adding to the wonderful aroma of a steaming timpan is the grated coconut, brown

sugar and jackfruit that can be added to the recipe. Although the final result can be sticky, the taste

makes the stickiness worth it. It can be found served in many coffee shops in Aceh, as it is the perfect

companion to a nice, hot cup of java. This next dish is known by various aliases: some call it Ayam Tangkap, which means “caught chicken,”

while others refer to it as Ayam Sampah, or “trash chicken.” The names have nothing to do with chas-

ing down fowl or rummaging through the trash: they refer to the traditional way the dish is presented,

with the meat resting almost hidden under dry pandan leaves, forcing the diner to hunt or rummage for

the delicious chicken, which is cut into small pieces and cooked with chilies and pandan leaves. However

you order it, be warned: many people report feeling sleepy afterwards, or sometimes getting the munch-

ies. If you can keep a secret, then I’ll let you in on the rumor that some Acehnese chefs throw in a dash

of marijuana as a secret ingredient making the food so tasty. It also keeps customers coming back for

more! Our final dish is a goat curry that Acehnese cooks prepare in huge pans—but don’t worry: you don’t

have to eat all of this alone. The restaurant will serve it out in small plates. However, you might want to

consult your doctor before ordering the goat curry, as it is not recommended for people with cardiac

conditions or high blood pressure. Yes, it is that good! You will find no tough meat because of the long

time—almost two hours—that it takes to cook.


Cepelinai – Potato dumplings

By Laura LygaityteLithuanian traditional cuisine is notable for its diversity of dishes made from potatoes and

meat. Cepelinai (also known as didzkukuliai), or “zeppelins,” are a type of dumpling made

from grated potatoes and usually stuffed with ground meat, although sometimes dry cottage

cheese (curd) is used instead. They are usually served with sour cream, spirgai (fried bacon

bits), or mushrooms. Cepelinai originally came from Germany in the middle of the 20th century, but their fame

spread throughout the country and now they are considered to be a Lithuanian national dish.

These zeppelins are very filling, and for this reason they are eaten during days of hard work,

especially during harvest time.

Ingredients

1 kilogram raw potatoes (peeled and grated)

3-4 cooked potatoesSalt to taste

1. Put raw potato gratings in a double cheese cloth, and squeeze dry. Save potato liquid, let

potato starch settle at the bottom, decant potato liquid, and mix starch with dry potato

gratings. 2. Add cooled boiled potatoes to raw grated potatoes; salt and blend it well enough so that

you can get the elastic dough. (Adding several crushed vitamin C pills at this point can prevent

potato discoloration.) Take about 1/2 cup potato mixture and flatten, making a round form.

(While making zeppelins, moisten your hands with water—it will facilitate the process.) Place

a spoonful of filling mixture in the center of the round; fold over, seal seam, and make it into an

oblong shape. 3. Put the zeppelins into boiling salt water one after another, stir them constantly and gently

while cooking so that they do not stick together.

4. Cook for about 20-30 min. The degree of readiness can be defined in the following way:

after immersion, zeppelins again fall to the bottom. Serve hot. Beef or Pork Filling 1 onion, finely chopped500 grams ground meat (beef, pork, or a mixture

of both)Salt and pepper to taste (other favorite spices

might be added as well) Sauté onion, and add to the ground meat. Season

with salt, pepper, and other spices. Blend well. The sauce

Meat-filled cepelinai are served with the sauce.

Cut the bacon into bits, fry it and add finely

chopped onions. Fry until the onions are a pleas-

ant golden color. Add sour cream and blend.

The sauce can also be melted butter, sour cream,

or mushroom sauce.Enjoy your zeppelins!

These adorable cartoon characters attended one of the most prestigious economics conferences in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lunch at Yonsei canteen with GSIS students.


Having attended several interna-tional conferenc-es before, I knew enough to expect one thing: they are

always a lot of fun. Nevertheless, I was unprepared for just how much fun we would have in Busan, South Korea in late June. In truth it was probably the most enjoyable conference-going expe-rience I have had to date. While the term fun could hardly be used to describe the actual content of the conference—the name speaks for itself: the Seventh Annual Conference of the Asia-Pacific Economic Association—especially as I am not an economist myself, but no one could have asked for better company, a better setting, or a better guide. Overall

the trip was an enormous success. We were able to interact with many influential econ-omists from around the world working in and with the Asian region. It was a pleasure to represent Taiwan in general, as well as

National Chengchi University’s IDAS program in particular, and all members of the excur-sion were well-represented and very impressive. We managed to forge many ties with foreign aca-demics and maintain a presence within the economics academic community.

This was the first time that, as a study program, IDAS organized a dedicated panel to cover gen-eral topics within the field of Asia-Pacific Studies, especially

within such an established academic com-munity. It was also the first time IDAS class-mates travelled as a group, along with our program director and chaperone, to attend such an event.

The excitement was multiplied because the timing of the conference (June 24-25) co-incided with the start of our summer vaca-tion, and the venue was the wonderful city of Busan. Moreover, we were fortunate enough to have among our number Jimmy Cho, who is not only extremely knowledgeable about his native Korea, but quite possibly the best guide on the peninsula.

Setting outSo, shortly after our final exam period ended, Dr. Ping-yin Kuan, Janet Tan, Jimmy Cho, Huong Le Thu, and Hsiaping Lan from the department of Public Administration set off for Seoul, where we met up with José Guerra Vio who was already in country as he was taking his exchange semester at Yonsei University. José managed to arrange for the IDAS delegation to meet with Dr. Sukhee Han and students from the Graduate School

Fun, Food and Formulae

By Huong Le Thu

Despite being a world-class city, Hong Kong also offers hiking and other outdoor activities.

The Seoul-Busan high-speed train had it all: friends, doughnuts and romantic comedies.

The best tour guide in South Korea: IDAS’s own Jimmy Cho.

The first of several dinners consisted of Dakgalbi (inset), a delicious Korean BBQ chicken.


of International Studies. After a fruitful discussion with the Yonsei

professor and his students, the IDAS team was invited for lunch at the Yonsei canteen before departing for Busan. On Thursday, 23 June, we took a high-speed train and left rainy Seoul for sunny Busan, which we were told is famous for its beautiful beaches, de-licious seafood, and laid-back atmosphere.

Busan welcomed us with warmth and peace. But this peace only lasted for a while before we were joined by a boisterous Dean Karalekas and Silvia Amato, who had flown in directly from Taipei to Busan.

team two ArrivesThey had arrived at the Gimhae airport and immediately made their way to the Oncheonjang district to meet up with Janet and Jimmy at the hotel, whereupon the four took a cab to the Haeundae district to meet all the other attendees at a welcome party that was put on by the conference organiz-ers. It was held at the Theus Restaurant on the 4th floor of the beach-side Seacloud Hotel.

At the reception, we fi-nally met the organizer of the event, Joyce Wong, who walked us through all the necessary registration pro-cedures and introductions. After dinner, it was time for the IDAS team, now com-plete, to taste some of the city’s exciting night life.

Much of downtown Busan is located right on the beach, and so we start-ed with a stroll along the sand, followed by a mid-night feast of Galbi, which is the famous Korean bar-beque. Korean food was

Team IDAS.

The Korean vegetable pancake really hits the spot.

The first members of the IDAS team to arrive in Seoul enjoy a meal on their first night in town.


something that our indispensable host Jimmy insisted on with persistent Korean hospitality, and so after the Galbi, we pro-ceeded to enjoy our third dinner of the eve-ning, which consisted of Bulgogi; a mari-nated beef that literally means “fire meat” in Korean. Naturally, this was all accompanied by copious amounts of C1 Soju, which is a smooth, delicious brand of the Korean bev-erage only available in Busan.

The next morning, we waddled over to the campus of Pusan National University. Luckily, none of us had to present on the first day, but we all had to serve as discussants on papers delivered by other conference partici-pants, all of whom were very accomplished economists.

The conference kicked off with a welcome speech by Masihiro Kawai, who spoke about the toll and reconstruction efforts in the

wake of Japan’s triple disaster. After his talk, the first regular session began with the topic of Income Distribution, Economic Growth and China, with the first speaker being Paul Vandenberg of the Asian Development Bank. His presentation on how China can avoid the Middle-Income Trap was excellent.

Francoise Nicolas of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri France) and Paris-Est Université in Marne-la-Vallée provided a European perspective on the post-crisis regional financial and monetary cooperation in East Asia. Dr. Nicolas dem-onstrated a keen understanding of trends in Asia, both economic and social.

About the author

Huong Le Thu is an artist turned academician, a traveler and a food-lover.

This picture should give you some idea of how much food was consumed.

Our final meal in Korea.

Our fearless leader, moderator and chaperone, Dr. Kuan.


The next session was a treat, as Janet was the chair of a panel which included a very interesting paper by Pak-Hung Mo of the Hong Kong Baptist University on institu-tions, entrepreneurship and channels to sus-tained economic growth. Some of us had the opportunity to enjoy speaking privately with the personable Dr. Mo several times during the length of the conference, who is a very lively conversationalist. Especially fascinat-ing was his theory on the Chinese writing system and its possible applicability to the creation of a common East-Asian identity.

Other interesting papers were presented by Geethanjali Nataraj and Anjali Tandon, who conducted a factoral analysis of export diver-

sification in China, and Anders Johansson of the Stockholm School of Economics and Harvard University, who studies the level of political participation and entrepreneurial IPOs in China.

ground coveredAlthough the conference lasted just two days, it was very densely organized, with five parallel sessions for each time slot. Among the various topics covered, different sessions were dedicated to:

1. Development,2. Political economy with some studies

concerning ASEAN, 3. Analyses of the financial crisis, 4. International trade, 5. Corporate governance, 6. Foreign Direct Investment, 7. The Chinese economy, 8. Integration in the Asia-Pacific, 9. Economic and social issues, and 10. Our IDAS session. The final day of the conference was of

course the most important for the IDAS students as it was finally time for our panel. Professor Kuan made an excellent modera-tor, and Dean began the panel, presenting his paper on the emerging polarization in Asia. He was followed by José presenting his paper on supranational collective identity formation through institutionalization and governance. I spoke about cultural policy

as a sustainable development strategy in the case of multi-ethnic Vietnam in the post-Doi Moi era. Finally, Janet gave a speech about the Taiwan Economic Miracle.

The conference wrapped up after two in-tensive days of debate, networking, econom-ic formulae, and soju. While Dean and Silvia departed for Taiwan from Busan, the rest of us headed north. Jimmy rented a van and drove us back to Seoul right before a large typhoon was to hit.

After several hours of driving, Jimmy re-warded us all with the famous Korean gin-seng chicken soup. It was the perfect finale on our last night in Seoul before flying back to Taiwan the next morning.

The best thing to come out of this confer-ence was IDAS team spirit; the experience of attending the conference helped glue us together, and not only did we make the first academic appearance of IDAS internation-ally, but for the first time we had a chance to feel a real sense of unity and camaraderie in our young program. n


China’s Regional AspirationsPolitical Leadership through Economic Integration

By José Guerra Vio


According to Sun Tzu, author of the Art of War and legend-ary figure in Chinese classical literature, “supreme excellence consists in breaking the ene-my’s resistance without fight-

ing.” Today, Sun Tzu’s axiom assumes a new meaning as China attempts to become the leader of the East Asian regional integra-tion process.

To be sure, the Chinese leaders see the woes of the stagnant and troubled West as offering an opportunity for them to upgrade their in-ternational status, and they have found that promoting regional integration among their neighbors may be the best way to accomplish that. This strategy becomes even clearer in times of economic uncertainty: economic integration is a means to sustain stability while restoring confidence, by assuring the

whole region that China’s rise is peaceful, and that it holds benefits for all.

Indeed, those were the lessons learned after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. This time around, however, the benefits of an econom-ic downturn can be tremendous if Beijing officials make the right moves. Thus China’s active campaign to court its wary neighbors in the pursuit of different types of region-al arrangements—first with the 10 ASEAN members, as well as the two enclaves of Hong Kong and Macau, and presumably later with Taiwan—in an agreement that many see as the first step toward political integration.

The Chinese are aware that development cannot be reached in isolation from the rest of the world, or even the rest of the region, and therefore it makes sense to seek regional stability and development through economic arrangements. “Regional economic integra-tion benefits all” appears to be the slogan that the Chinese leadership is trying to sell when touring the neighborhood.

Undeniably, China is looking for like-minded countries among its neighbors in order not just to secure its economic sta-bility and maintain its growth rate thanks to what economic integration could sig-nify; but especially because it wants to en-hance its sphere of influence as the leader of a vibrant and thriving East Asian bloc that could counterbalance a self-indulgent Western bloc.

The non-economic benefits from these ar-rangements are relevant as geopolitics be-comes the guiding principle for Beijing’s interests in trade talks. The key strategic issue is that, once economic integration is achieved, regionalism increasingly advances into more inclusive arrangements, where se-curity and politics become the central aspect.

Regional integration could well be consid-ered as the new method of territorial and ideological expansion in the 21st Century. No conquest by force, but union by entice-ment. A race is being run by regional blocs, with each trying to become more competi-tive and attract new aligned partners.

As part of what seems to be a well-planned, long-term strategy, the Chinese hope for the emergence of that East Asian bloc to nego-tiate more effectively with America and the European Union. When the shift to political issues comes, their capacity to affect regional and global affairs as the paramount voice of the most economically prosperous part of the world will be tremendously efficient. n

About the author

José Guerra Vio is a student in the IDAS program. He recently returned after completing an exchange in Seoul, South Korea, where he had been studying at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies.

China is reaching out to the world economically, as well as militarily, as evidenced by these PLA soldiers wearing the blue berets of the United Nations.


Small and medium-sized enter-prises (SMEs) account for more than 98 percent of all businesses on the Taiwanese economic land-scape, according to Roscher Lin, chairman of ISBC 2010. Lin made

the observation at the 36th International Small Business Congress, which kicked off in Taiwan October 5, 2010, to identify oppor-tunities for SMEs in the wake of the current economic downturn.

Meetings were organized to discuss the leading role that SMEs take internationally, and economic experts, consultants, scholars, and government officials gathered to assess the future of SMEs in a global expansion of

markets. For this reason, the ISBC interna-tional economic forum, a four-day program in Taipei, provided a platform for the ex-change of knowledge about the operational aspects of SME development.

The actual sessions mainly focused on top-ics such as innovation and improvement of efficiency and performance levels, as well as research and development (R&D), transfor-mation, and upgrading of current competen-cies. Issues concerning environmental gov-ernance and support planning on long-term strategies under a global perspective also enhanced a more direct interaction among conference participants.

What was underlined is the central role

of entrepreneurship in Asia and the Pacific, for the growing number of businesses that have been able to transform their economic orientation to import/export and industrial activities.

SmEs WidespreadIn 2008, according to statistics provided by the Republic of China Ministry of Finance, approximately 1,235,000 SMEs accounted for 97 percent of all business enterprises in Taiwan. SMEs have been particularly successful in the service sector, while the wholesale and retail industries are growing in importance with an increasing share in domestic sales of 84.3 percent of total sales.

SMALLBUSINEsSTHINKINGBIGISBC:

A Report on the 36th International Small Business Congress Held in TaipeiBy Silvia Amato

Conference attendees toured the Kaohsiung World Games Stadium during the ISBC 2010.

Source: the author.

In addition, there is a strong showing by export-oriented SMEs whose activities have formed an industrial framework through which electronics and information technol-ogy (IT) firms, along with new high-tech industries (semiconductors, aerospace, bio-tech, and pharmaceuticals) have been able to expand into large export enterprises.

In order to involve the international and local responses of institutional and business actors for new challenges and opportunities launched in the SME sector, speakers at the 2010 ISBC congress offered an introspective view about how they saw the commercial experience of companies from their own direct access.

A focus on innovationIn one of the topics covered, titled Innovation for Excellence, Dae Yong Chung and Tae Yeung Eom from Soongsil University of Seoul, South Korea, presented a study about franchising in the Korean food- service Industry in order to identify the relationship between entrepreneurs and performance levels, showing comparative advantages for first movers in this market.

Innovation in franchising has also been demonstrated by Tsai Ching-yi of National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology. Her report illustrated the re-cent trend of using a multi-unit franchising (MUF) structure, which has been emerging as a popular franchising model.

Speaking on the Taiwanese experience with SMEs and innovation, another contributor brought up innovative activities that have added value within an industrial chain sys-tem through state investment strategies that


address the overlapping dimensions called innovation base, innovation trust, innova-tion resistance, and innovation boost.

In parallel sessions about financial support for SMEs, Chung explored the issue of en-trepreneurial ability to exploit business op-portunities while attracting venture capital, based on data from South Korean start-ups in the IT industry. In Taiwan, the financial upgrading of national SMEs was studied by another author from the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research who col-laborated with Lin Chia-hui in an investiga-tion of the emergence of industrial structures through financial instruments drafted in ac-cordance with Taiwan’s economic policies.

Other contributors came from Japan, South Africa, China, Austria, Australia, and the United States. They brought their international experience and perspectives about SMEs and the transition to industri-al development and growth. Among other participants, Timothy Tan from the IDAS program presented a paper that offered in-sights into the need for corporate social re-sponsibility and the ESG, or environmental, social, and governance practices in small and large firms.

The process of industrial development and growth is changing, and how it is under-stood by self-employed businesspeople on a small scale remains quite central in terms of erecting the optimal legal and behavioural frameworks for better implementation and regulation. In the words of Chairman Lin, the 2010 conference was basically a great opportunity to understand the dynamics of global SMEs with first-hand input provided by ISBC participants. n

The ISBC organized a visit to Kaohsiung Harbor during the conference. Source: the author.

Picking Up The PiecesWords and pictures by Taro Kurokawa

Miyagi Photo courtesy of Lions Clubs International

On the way to the affected area, I drove the car holding a camera.

To get us to Fukushima, we rented this van near Haneda airport in Tokyo.

Ichu Tsai (left) of the Taiwan Friendship Association and Mr. Sato, whose house

was hit by the tsunami.


On Friday, March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck in the northeastern part of Japan. It was one of the larg-est quakes in recorded history, but it was just the beginning.

This temblor was followed by more than 50 aftershocks, and it triggered a 7-meter tsu-nami that devastated the cities and villages along more than a thousand miles of coast-line. This in turn led to a radiation emer-gency due to failures in the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The magnitude of this triple calamity cannot be overstated. During this onslaught, Japan has showed both its strengths and weaknesses to the outside world.

On the one hand, it showed its strength of character in the disciplined and restrained deeds of its citizens whose stoicism under such chaotic conditions was a marvel. On the other hand, opaque information flows from the government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), as well as the muddled decision making that was on evi-dence generated distrust not only among other nations but also its own citizens. I hope and believe that this experience of Japan’s can provide some instruction and guidance in future emergencies, anywhere they hap-pen in the world.

Herein I describe my experience as I made my way to Iwaki city, Fukushima, in the af-fected area from March 30 to April 3 to de-liver relief goods collected by a Taiwanese charity.

Before DepartureSince March 11, we had all seen the shock-ing news reports which daily carried images

of the tsunami, while getting

s omet imes conflict-

ing information, especially about the extent of radiation diffusion around the Fukushima facility. The official statements made by some politicians and nuclear experts were incon-sistent during the first several weeks. Both the local and international media continued re-leasing news reports fueled largely by their own speculation. These various information re-sources served only to confuse people.

This is especially true of the Internet, through which rumors ran faster than the truth. International in-stitutions and foreign governments released

their views and prospects on this matter, and the Japanese government’s response measures were different from

these. While the Japanese govern-

ment estab-lished an evacuation zone of 20-30 kilome-

ters, foreign governments set their own cri-teria for their citizens in the affected area. It was hard to judge what information was cor-rect, and therefore relevant to our situation.

Thanks to the good will of the Taiwanese people, a great many relief goods were do-nated in Taiwan. My friend working at one particular charity asked me to accompany him to Japan on a mission to deliver a ship-ment of donated relief supplies. At that time,

it was very difficult to find truck driv-ers willing to bring items into the af-

Mr. Sato’s house in Ena. Almost all of the interiors were damaged by seawater.

Mr. Tsai helps clear Mr. Sato’s house of debris. It’s hard to dump a lot of things with a lot of memories.

Some of the houses along the river appear intact but have been tilted off their foundations.


fected area in Touhoku. There were two rea-sons for this difficulty; one is that no one wanted to go to Fukushima because of con-fusing information about radiation diffu-sion. Another reason is that, even for those who dared to drive into Fukushima, gasoline was extremely hard to locate, especially for the return trip.

Given this situation, it was hard to decide to go there, though we could access some

information about the affect-ed area through the

Internet: Each mu-nicipality office in the area had been using their web-sites to disseminate information about their needs and con-ditions. Knowing what they needed and being ready for the risk, we decided to go.

It was not long be-fore we were faced with another prob-lem: Official per-mission, issued by the prefecture gov-ernment, was nec-essary in order to be allowed to deliv-

er our supplies. It took time to get there and back, and it made us very nervous, because the list of goods needed by the evacuees was changing day by day.

in JapanWhile we were still in Taiwan, our original plan had been to deliver the goods to Sendai city, Miyagi, which was seriously damaged by the tsunami. To that end, we had been in contact with government officials in Miyagi prefecture. Though we had series of setbacks after arriving in Japan, we were finally al-lowed to proceed to Fukushima.

This is probably the nature of any crisis, but things were changing every minute. The original plan didn’t go well. First, we had to

change the plan to go to Sendai-city at Haneda International Air- port in Tokyo. This

was because of a misunderstanding between the charity and the Miyagi prefecture office. The charity had already sent relief goods by airplane, but Miyagi prefecture didn’t know that we also would come to deliver the relief goods by truck. The charity interpreted it this way because some of the food items had to go through a customs inspection. Then, the goods we brought were not on the most re-

cent list of needed items provid-ed by Miyagi prefec-

t u r e .

Volunteers distribute supplies at an elementary school-turned-shelter in

Iwaki. About 30 evacuees were living in the gymnasium when we arrived.

A bridge fell into a river, surrounded by structures knocked off their foundations.

Witnesses reported that the river water was flowing backward at the time of the tsunami.

A parking area damaged by the tsunami, in Onahama beach, Iwaki, Fukushima.


Mr. Kushida, an architect, inspects a destroyed building in Onahama.

This building in Onahama was probably a garage. The roof remains, but the rest was destroyed by the tsunami.

A picture from the local newspaper of capsized ships inside Onahama Port, which was strictly off limits.


This kindergarten was crushed by the tsunami. Fortunately, everybody managed

to evacuate in time.


Of course, the line to clear customs was ex-tremely long. Finally, thanks to a kind cus-toms officer, we were cleared and could leave the airport.

Right out of the arrival gate, we were met by two Japanese friends of the head of the Taiwanese charity. They were also members of a Japanese nongovernmental organization (NGO) which plants cherry blossom trees around the world. I quickly realized that, in this kind of chaotic situation, the most useful source of information and assistance are through your own personal networks. We could not get a rental car at the airport, which was not unexpected since the office was closed due to a gasoline shortage in the entire eastern part of Japan at that time. Our hosts called another car rental company they knew and a vehicle was procured for us. They informed us that Iwaki city was really suf-fering from a lack of food and other daily goods, due largely to the gas shortage. Then he called his friend in Iwaki city to receive us and help us to deliver the relief goods di-

rectly to the people who needed them most. Our final destination was thus decided upon.

to fukushimaThe drive from Haneda to Iwaki city took five hours. The traffic out of Tokyo was far less congested than usual. On the way to Iwaki, we saw stores with empty shelves, and the roads—even the normally well-kept highway—were bumpy and hard to traverse in Fukushima. It began to dawn on us the things that had happened there. Since Iwaki is situated 40-50 kilometers away from the power plant, we got nervous as we ap-proached the city: Radiation is invisible, so the threat it poses is more about the tricks your mind plays on you than anything tan-gible. There were few lights on in the houses when we reached Fukushima prefecture at nine o’clock. It felt like a ghost town that night. Nobody ventured out into the streets, and even the neon signs above the restau-rants were out. There we met Mr. Kushida, a Japanese businessman and friend of my fellow traveler. We stayed at a sauna that

he owns. He took us from t h e

affected area to City Hall, where he intro-duced us to Mr. Sato, whose house was de-stroyed by the tsunami. We spent two days helping him clear his house of the rubble that had once been his possessions.

Iwaki city is the second-biggest city in the Touhoku area, after Sendai. It has a popula-tion of 340,000 peo-ple, minus the 19,000 who were evacuated af-ter the initial earthquake. When we arrived, there were 3,000 evacuees being sheltered in public facilities such as school gymnasiums and community cen-ters. According to the vice mayor, 16,000 people were trying to leave the city because of the radiation. The damage wrought by the tsunami in Iwaki city was relatively light compared to the devastation in the coastal cities of Miyagi and Iwate pre-fectures. The biggest problem was the radia-tion, so that right after the nuclear power plant exploded the city distributed iodine to citizens aged 40 years and under. They took this measure in order to stretch their iodine supply: the effect of certain types of

radiation exposure


only appears 20-30 years later. As we helped him clean the remnants of his

house, Mr. Sato told us that the residents in his town really wanted to come back to the city to begin the recovery effort. Actually, he had also evacuated to the home of rela-tives in Chiba prefecture several days ago. However, opaque information on the nuclear plant prevented evacuees from coming back. Once they come back to start their lives over again, there would inevitably be a change in the government-mandated evacuation area, and many never come back, even though they had the will to do so. Most were just

waiting and watching how the situation played itself out.

At that time, we watched

as the government issued seemingly con-flicting and contradictory orders, and too little information was released to make any solid decisions. Given the choice of staying put in an uncertain situation, it was much easier for many citizens to make the deci-sion to leave everything behind and start new lives someplace else.

We also delivered the relief goods to evacu-ees sheltering in the gym at Iwaki Taira Third Elementary School. There were 30 people when we arrived. Most were not young, and nor were they wealthy. The accommodations looked neither convenient nor comfortable, but people were certainly thankful to have them. It looked like one giant room, without any walls or curtains for privacy. Some said they were under great stress and so decided to sleep in nearby cars.

Mr. Kushida took us to an area that was heavily dam-

aged by the

tsunami. This area had been out of bounds just days ago, but recovery efforts had just begun, and people had started the prelimi-nary work of removing debris from the roads to allow access. Little by little, people were filtering back in.

After leaving fukushimaBy this point, two months had passed since the greatest disaster in Japan’s history had occurred, and yet the aftershocks contin-ued to strike, reminding all that it was not yet over, and that it had not been just a bad dream. The nuclear power plant problem has still not yet been resolved, and some people living in the evacuation area are not yet able to go home. As of May 2, there were 15,000 victims and 10,000 people missing. Iwaki city still has 1,300 people who evacuated.

Though things have not improved very much, these things take time. My impression is that the future of Japan is not so dark as we had expected, as long as we have people

working hard, helping each other, and rebuilding their commu-

nities. n

Japan still needs our help.

please consider making a donation to the lions club international, the Red cross, or any of the many charities working hard to help the people of Japan pick up the pieces.

-Ed

Image Courtesy Viktor Hugosson


Liu Xiaobo: “I have no enemies: my final statement”

June 1989 was the major turning point in my fifty years on life’s road. Before that, I was a member of the first group of students after restoration of the college en-trance examination after the Cultural Revolution (1977); my career was a smooth ride, from undergraduate to grad stu-dent and through to PhD. After graduation I stayed on as a lecturer at Beijing Normal University. On the podium, I was a popular teacher, well re-ceived by students. I was also a public intellectual: in the 1980s I published articles and books that created an impact. I was frequently invited to speak in different places, and invited to go abroad to Europe and the United States as a visiting scholar. What I required of myself was to live with honesty, responsibility and dignity both as a person and in my writing. Subsequently, because I had returned from the United States to take part in the 1989 movement, I was imprisoned for “counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement

Soft power is about at-tracting people, not money. Unfortunately, people like Liu Xiaobo would rather escape China. And where would such dissidents escape to? A place where people are free to talk; an attractive country; a country with soft power. Certain facts are obvious to

most of the governments on five continents that have to deal with such inconveniences as political opponents, a free Internet, media freedom and periodic elections: A responsi-ble government does more than rule; it governs. It has to defend its policies, and it gets judged on how well it governs: and it gets removed through the elec-toral process if it fails to govern well. And what do such coun-tries get in exchange for all this trouble? Respect. Admiration. Soft power. For some reason (which may

be worth a dissertation or two), China belongs to the last remaining and nearly extinct species of dictatorships which are not willing to understand this simple fact: Treating peo-ple without respect is just not attractive.Our studies in International

Relations deal with what gov-ernments should do or not do, and I have found it useful to be reminded that exceptional government policies are often influenced by exceptional indi-viduals. Liu Xiaobo is one such individual, and I hope you find his words as touching as I do. Philippe Cachia

An oppressive government is

more to be feared than a tiger.

- Confucius


to crime,” losing the platform I loved; I was never again allowed to publish or speak in public in China. Simply for expressing divergent political views and taking part in a peaceful and democratic movement, a teacher lost his podium, a writer lost the right to publish, and a public intellectual lost the chance to speak publicly. This was a sad thing, both for myself as an individual, and, after three decades of reform and opening, for China.

Thinking about it, my most dramatic experiences after June Fourth have all been linked with the courts; the two opportunities I had to speak in public have been provid-ed by trials held in the People’s Intermediate Court in Beijing; one in January 1991 and one now. Although the charges on each occasion were different, they were in essence the same, both being crimes of expression.

Twenty years on, the innocent souls of June Fourth are yet to rest in peace, and I, who had been drawn into the path of dissidence by the passions of June Fourth, after leaving the Qincheng Prison in 1991, lost the right to speak openly in my own country, and could only do so through overseas media, and hence was monitored for many years; placed under surveillance (May 1995 – January 1996); educated through


labor (October 1996 – October 1999s), and now once again am thrust into the dock by enemies in the regime. But I still want to tell the regime that deprives me of my freedom, I stand by the belief I expressed twenty years ago in my “June Second hun-ger strike declaration:” I have no enemies, and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested and interrogated me, the prosecutors who prosecuted me, or the judges who sentence me, are my enemies. While I’m unable to accept your surveillance, ar-rest, prosecution or sentencing, I respect your professions and personalities. This includes Zhang Rongge and Pan Xueqing who act for the prosecution at present: I was aware of your respect and sincerity in your interrogation of me on 3 December.

For hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of en-mity can poison a nation’s spirit, instigate brutal life-and-death struggles, destroy a soci-ety’s tolerance and humanity, and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy. I hope therefore to be able to transcend my personal vicissitudes in understanding the development of the state and changes in society, to counter the hostility of the regime with the best of intentions, and defuse hate with love. As we all know, reform and opening brought about development of the state and

change in society. In my view, it began with abandoning “taking class struggle as the key link,” which had been the ruling principle of the Mao era. We committed our-selves instead to economic development and social harmony. The process of abandon-ing the “philosophy of struggle” was one of gradually diluting the mentality of enmi-ty, eliminating the psychology of hatred, and pressing out the “wolf’s milk” in which our humanity had been steeped. It was this process that provided a relaxed environment for reform and opening at home and abroad, for the restoration of mutual love between people, and soft humane soil for the peaceful coexistence of different values and dif-ferent interests. It provided the explosion of popular creativity and the rehabilitation of warm-heartedness with incentives consistent with human nature. Externally abandoning “anti-imperialism and anti-revisionism,” and internally abandoning “class struggle” may be called the basic premise of the continuance of China’s reform and opening to this day. The market orientation of the economy; the cultural trend toward diversity; and the gradual change of order to the rule of law: all benefited from the dilution of this men-tality. Even in the political field, where progress is slowest, dilution of the mentality of enmity also made political power ever more tolerant of diversity in society, the in-tensity of persecution of dissidents has declined substantially, and characterization of the 1989 movement has changed from an “instigated rebellion” to a “political upheaval.”

The dilution of the mentality of enmity made the political powers gradually ac-cept the universality of human rights. In 1998, the Chinese government promised the world it would sign the two international human rights conventions of the United Nations, marking China’s recognition of universal human rights standards; in 2004, the National People’s Congress for the first time inscribed into the constitution that


“the state respects and safeguards hu-man rights,” signaling that human rights had become one of the funda-mental principles of the rule of law. In the meantime, the present regime also proposed “putting people first” and “creating a harmonious society,” which signaled progress in the party’s concept of rule.

This macro-level progress was discernible as well in my own experi-ences since being arrested.

While I insist on my in-nocence, and hold the accusations against me to be unconstitutional, in the year and more since I lost my freedom, I’ve experienced two places of detention, four pre-trial police of-ficers, three prosecutors and two judg-es. In their handling of the case, there has been no lack of respect, no

time overruns and no forced confessions. Their calm and rational attitude has over and again demonstrated goodwill. I was transferred on 23 June from the residential sur-veillance to Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Detention Center No. 1, known as “Beikan.” I saw progress in surveillance in the six months I spent there.

I spent time in the old Beikan (Banbuqiao) in 1996, and compared with the Beikan of a decade ago, there has been great improvement in the hardware of facilities and software of management.

In particular, Beikan’s innovative humane management applies more flex-ible management of what the discipliners say and do, on the basis of respecting the rights and dignity of detainees. This management, embodied in the journals Warm Broadcast and Repentance, music played before meals and when waking up and going to sleep, gave detainees a feeling of dignity and warmth, stimulating their consciousness of keep-ing order in their cells and countering the warders’ sense of themselves as lords of the jail. It not only provides detainees with a humanized living environment, but greatly improves the environment and mindset for their litigation. I had close contact with Liu Zhen, in charge of my cell. People feel warmed by his respect and care for de-tainees, reflected in the management of every detail, and permeating his every word and deed.


Getting to know the sincere, honest, responsible, good-hearted Liu, really was a piece of good luck for me in Beikan.

Political beliefs are based on such convictions and personal experiences; I firmly believe that China’s political progress will never stop, and I’m full of optimistic expectations of freedom coming to China in the future, because no force can block the human desire for free-dom. China will eventually become a country of the rule of law in which human rights are supreme. I’m also looking forward to such progress being reflected in the trial of this case, and look forward to the full court’s just verdict—one that can stand the test of history. Ask me what has been my most fortunate experience of the past two decades, and I’d

say it was gaining the selfless love of my wife, Liu Xia. She cannot be present in the court-room today, but I still want to tell you, my sweetheart, that I’m confident that your love for me will be as always. Over the years, in my non-free life, our love has contained bitter-ness imposed by the external environment, but is boundless in afterthought. I am sentenced to a visible prison while you are waiting in an invisible one. Your love is sunlight that transcends prison walls and bars, stroking every inch of my skin, warming my every cell, letting me maintain my inner calm, magnanimous and bright, so that every minute in prison is full of meaning. But my love for you is full of guilt and regret, sometimes heavy enough to hobble my steps. I am a hard stone in the wilderness, putting up with the pummeling of raging storms, and too cold for anyone to dare touch. But my love is hard, sharp, and can penetrate any obstacle. Even if I am crushed into powder, I will embrace you with the ashes. Given your love, my sweetheart, I would face my forthcoming trial calmly, with no

regrets about my choice and looking forward to tomorrow optimistically. I look forward to my country being a land of free expression, where all citizens’ speech is treated the same; where different values, ideas, beliefs, political views ... both compete with each other and coexist peace-fully; where majority and minority opinions will be given equal guarantees, and in particular, political views different from those in power will be fully respected and protected; where all political views will be spread in the sunlight for the people to choose; all citizens will be able to express their political views without fear, and will never be politically persecuted for voicing dissent; I hope to be the last victim of China’s endless literary inquisition, and that after this no one else will ever be jailed for their speech. Freedom of expression is the basis of human rights, the source of humanity and the

mother of truth. To block freedom of speech is to trample on human rights, to strangle hu-manity and to suppress the truth.

I do not feel guilty for following my constitutional right to freedom of expression, for fulfilling my social responsibility as a Chinese citizen. Even if accused of it, I would have no complaints. Thank you.

Liu Xiaobo, December 23, 2009 Translation Courtesy Prof. David Kelly, China Research Centre, University of Technology, Sydney, February 7, 2010

About the authorA student in the IDAS program, Greg Coutaz is a Swiss expat who has been living in Taiwan since 2008. He writes the “Reading in Taipei” blog on which he reviews books, mostly fiction. His blog can be found at:

www.wretch.cc/blog/bookstaipei


Of all the influential authors in contempo-rary Taiwan literature, Li Ang is definitely one of the most controver-sial fiction writers. Born

on April 7, 1952, in the historical town of Lukang in central Taiwan, she graduated from Chinese Culture University with a degree in philoso-phy. She went on to study drama at the University of Oregon, after which she returned to teach at her alma ma-ter. Beginning her writing career at the age of 16 with “Flower Season,” she has published nearly 20 novels or collections of short stories. Most of Li Ang’s novels revolve around the themes of modern man’s issues of love and sexual relations, while de-scribing society’s transforming view of gender psychology and ethics with young people. The publication of “The Butcher’s Wife” in 1983 estab-lished her as a feminist writer whose work transgressed the boundaries of what was conventionally considered to be proper subject matter for a fe-male writer. “The Butcher’s Wife” has been translated into more than 10 differ-ent languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, and Korean. In 2004, she was awarded The Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French minister of culture as an ac-knowledgement of her literary achievement. Li Ang’s works have not only contributed to the development of Taiwan literature, but have also promoted the image of Asian women’s literature on the international lit-erary scene.

“The Butcher’s Wife” was a sensation in Taiwan literature with its suggestion that ritual and tradition are the functions of op-pression. Its critique of traditional Chinese male-dominated society caused widespread outrage with its unsparing portrayal of sexu-al violence and emotional cruelty. The story was indeed inspired by a groundbreaking case that occurred in Shanghai in the 1930s, where a woman killed and dismembered her

husband. In traditional Chinese patriarchy, any woman who murders her husband is presumed to have done so for adulterous purposes, not because she was first abused or mistreated. Five decades later, this tragic event inspired Li Ang to write a deep and ter-rifying novel that challenges this demeaning attitude toward the moral character of wom-en that has been held in China for centuries.

After a childhood of starvation and hard work, Lin Shi is sold by her dead father’s brother into marriage with a sadistic pig butcher named Chen Jiangshui. He is a vi-olent and abusive husband. He dominates her sexually and takes pleasures in fright-ening her in various ways. His brutality to-wards her knows no bounds. The more she screams, the more he likes it. The heroine is further isolated by the vicious gossip of her neighbours who condemn her for screaming aloud. When Lin Shi’s mind finally snaps and she murders her husband, the people of her

village refuse to see her as a victim and assume that she committed the crime for a lover.

This is the shocking story about the life that one innocent woman was forced to endure. Li Ang describes vividly the horror that Lin Shi went through and how she decided to take charge. She shows the readers a non-Western view of the miserable condi-tions that Chinese women are forced to put up with. The issue of mental and physical abuse is a serious one that the author addresses in a manner that is at once simple and yet com-plex. “The Butcher’s Wife” is easy to read, but examines the intricacies of how domestic violence can affect the human mind. This book will grab you and force you to keep reading. It will certainly make you uncomfortable, and you will sometimes feel as if you are engaging in an act of voyeurism. For example, the horrible descrip-tion of the heroine’s rape and con-stant physical aggression will intrigue and disgust you all at the same time. At some points, you will be even too repulsed to go on, but you will.

Li Ang is an accomplished writer who suc-ceeds in keeping her readers fascinated. The tragic story of Lin Shi will definitely capti-vate you from start to finish. “The Butcher’s Wife” is a must read for anyone interested in female authors’ writing from this period and motivated to explore the link between tra-dition, violence and exploitation of Chinese women. This book is a courageous portrait of the emancipation of women, and ranks as a landmark novel in both women’s studies and Asian literature. n

The butcher’s wife and other storiesBoston: Cheng & Tsui Co., 1995, 246 pages, US$29.99.

Book Review

The Butcher’s Wife By Li Ang


About IDAS The International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies (IDAS) at National Chengchi University, located in northern Taiwan, is the first to offer an English-taught doctoral program in Asia-Pacific Studies in Taiwan. The IDAS program brings an interdisciplinary understanding of the Asia-Pacific region and offers students courses and research related to many aspects of the region.

Starting Fall 2011, we now offer four tracks–political economy, socio-cultural research, public governance, and international relations–that take advantage of NCCU’s excellent academic talent as one of Asia’s top universities. This program focuses on training profes-sionals and places an emphasis on the combination of theory and practical research.

For students who want to broaden their horizons and stretch their boundaries, we offer an essential learning environment to equip students with well-rounded research skills and enhance their professional abilities. We are part of NCCU’s College of Social Sciences, and draw on English-speaking faculty throughout the cam-pus. We also offer the opportunity for students to study abroad, and those who come to NCCU can also take advantage of our excellent language center for learning Mandarin.

“Welcome to IDAS! This brochure gives a synopsis of essential program information, which I hope you find useful. Please contact us at [email protected] .”

– The Director

The Program Our comprehensive, Asia-Pacific Studies program involves :

• A minimum of 30 credit hours and specializa-tion (see curriculum below)

• A Qualifying Exam after coursework• Publishing or presenting at least one academic

paper (in English) related to your dissertation in a national or international journal with an official anonymous peer review system

• A dissertation of original research • Completing all requirements within 7 years,

excluding 2 years for an approved sabbatical

Curriculum Track1: Political Economy Track 2: Social & Culture Track3: Public Governance Track4: International

Relations

Five (5) Elective Courses

(examples)

Independent Study Independent Study Independent Study Independent Study

Economic Analysis

Seminar on Industrial Development in East Asia

Other

Culture,Gender and Development in Asia

Science, Technology and Society

International Images and Global Communication

Political Development and Governance in Asia-Pacific

Civil Society and Citizen Participation in Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific Security

International Political Economic Studies

Cross-strait Relations and the US-China-Taiwan Interactions

Five

(5) R

equi

red

Cour

ses Track Core Courses (2)

Asian Economic Development

Development and Culture in a Global Context

Public Policy Governance in Asia-Pacific

Regionalism and Southeast Asia

Asian Political Economy Cultures and Societies in a Changing World

Public Management in Asia-Pacific *Theories of International and Regional Relations

Additional Tool Course choose at least 1

IR Methods / Program Evaluation / Qualitative Methods / Statistics / Advanced Statistics /Methodology of Social Science / Policy Analysis

Foundation Courses (2)

Research Methods

Asia-Pacific Regional Development

What is the IDAS Program?


national Chengchi university

ScholarshipsTaiwan ScholarshipScholarships in the amount of NT$30,000 per month will be provided to qualified foreign students who want to pursue their Doctoral degrees at universities in Taiwan.Visit the Ministry of Education’s website for details.http://www.edu.tw (Click on ‘English’)

International New Student ScholarshipNew degree-seeking international students who are not recipients of other government scholarships are eligible for the Scholarship for New International Students. Please visit the website of the Office of International Cooperation at NCCU for details.http://oic.nccu.edu.tw/english/news.php

IDAS ScholarshipThe purpose of the scholarship is to recognize and reward individuals who have achieved academic excel-lence. It encourages students to apply for and remain in the IDAS program. The number and amount of awards will vary from year to year. Please visit the IDAS website for details. http://www.idas.nccu.edu.tw

IDAS FacultyEvan BermanDirector, IDAS Distinguished ProfessorPhD, Public Policy, The George Washington University , USA w International Public Administrationw Governancew Leadership and Performance w Human Resources Management

Ping-yin KuanDirector, IMASCoordinator, Social-Cultural IDAS Track Department of SociologyPhD, Sociology, University of Virginia, USA w Sociology of Educationw Social Stratificationw Research Methodology/Statistics

Fu-kuo LiuInstitute of International RelationsCoordinator, International Relations IDAS Track PhD, Politics, University of Hull, UK w Regional Security in the Asia-Pacificw South China Sea and Regional Securityw The Development of Regionalism in the Asian Pacific Area

Ching-Ping Tang Coordinator, Political Economy IDAS Track Associate Dean, NCCU College of Social Sciences PhD, Public Administration, University of Southern California, USA w Democratizationw Technology Policyw Community Development in the Asian Pacific Area

Don-Yun Chen Coordinator, Public Governance IDAS Track PhD, Political Science, University of Rochester, USA w E-governmentw Bureaucratic Politicsw Citizen Participation and Democracy

Mei-Chuan WeiGraduate Institute of Development Studies PhD, Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science, UKw Politics and Historyw Political Culture

Tsung-Jen Shih International Master’s Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS)PhD, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madisonw Internet and Civic Lifew Culture and Public Opinion on Scientific Issuesw Data Analysis in Communication Studies

David Scott AckermanInternational Master’s Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS)PhD, Marketing and Consumer Behavior, University of Southern California, USA w Consumer Behaviorw Marketing and Maintaining Research in Social Influencew Cross-Cultural Research

Yuang-Kuang KaoGraduate Institute of Development Studies PhD, Political Science, National Chengchi University, Taiwanw Methodology of Social Science w Comparative Political Institutions w Local Government and Autonomyw Political Development

… and other faculty who teach in our program!

College of Social Sciences

NCCU Facts- Dedicated to social sciences, international relations, communication, business, law, education, languages.- About 16,000 students- About 1,000 international students - About 650 faculty members - Big, wooded campus, 15 minutes from downtown Please visit: http://www.nccu.edu.tw/english/ Also: http://oic.nccu.edu.tw/international/en/

Student Organization and Activities The Asia Pacific Studies Association (APSA) was established in December 2008 by students of Asia Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University. The association is devoted to knowledge exchange among students and scholars of regional studies in multiple disci-plines. Students from all over the world come here for our program and are a significant international presence at academic events as well as extra-curricular activities. NCCU offers many student activities and dedicated support services for international students. See also NCCU International Association at:http://nccuinternational.wordpress.com

Admission Requirements1. Application form2. Autobiography3. Research Plan4. Master’s Thesis or other sample of writing 5. Official transcripts of Master’s degree 6. Two letters of recommendation 7. Photocopy of TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC scores within two years. (Optional for those who have earned graduate degrees in English-speaking countries.)8. Personal honor or other record of award

* For more information, please visit:The Office of International Cooperation (in English) http://oic.nccu.edu.tw/english/admission/index.php The Office of Academic Affairs (for Taiwan Citizens)http://www.nccu.edu.tw/admissions

* To Apply: use the above links, or contact us at the IDAS Program, [email protected] (Ms. Angel Li).

Contact Us12F, North Wing, General Building of CollegesNo. 64, Section 2, Zhi-nan Rd., Wenshan DistrictTaipei City 11605, Taiwan (ROC)Tel: +886-2-2939-3091 ext. 51278Fax: +886-2-2938-7449E-mail: [email protected] visit the IDAS website for more information.http://www.idas.nccu.edu.tw

Estimated Tuition and FeesProgram Costs (per academic year)Tuition (based on 15 credit hours) NT$ 45,750Incidental Fee NT$ 49,200Subtotal NT$ 94,950

Other Costs (per academic year) Approximate AmountHealth Insurance NT$8,300IT Facilities Fee NT$1250 Campus Housing (if necessary) NT$29,000Living Expenses NT$120,000Subtotal NT$158,550

Total (per year) NT$253,500

Approximately US$7,681 (per academic year/based on US$1:NT$33)Tuition, fees and expenses are subject to change and annual adjustment. *Credit fee is pending for the adjustment

International Doctoral Program in Asia-Pacific Studies

Asia-Pacific Newsletter, October 2011

Documents

Transcript of Asia-Pacific Newsletter, October 2011