This book, the first of a multi-volume set on the Silk Road during the Ming Dynasty, takes a holistic and global view of the origin and development of the Silk Road.The multi-volume work revisits the history of the Silk Road and analyzes the evolving relationship between China and the world from the late 14th century to the mid-17th century. It reveals the historical significance of the Silk Road and cultural exchange for world history. This first volume focuses on China's foreign ...

This book systematically presents the theory, numerical implementation, field experiments and practical engineering applications of the ‘Vehicle–Track Coupled Dynamics’. Representing a radical departure from classic vehicle system dynamics and track dynamics, the vehicle–track coupled dynamics theory considers the vehicle and track as one interactive and integrated system coupled through wheel–rail interaction. This new theory enables a more comprehensive and accurate solution to the train...

Few issues in the relations between China and the West invoke as much passion as human rights. At stake, however, are much more than moral concerns and hurt national feelings. To Washington, the undemocratic nature of the Chinese government makes it ultimately suspect on all issues. To Beijing, the human rights pressure exerted by the West on China seems designed to compromise its legitimacy. As China's economic power grows and its influence on the politics of developing countries continue...

Offering a coherent overview of the historical and institutional context of enduring patterns in East Asian political economy, this updated and expanded second edition textbook explores the dramatic regional and international transformations that this key region has faced since the 2008 financial crisis.Key features of the second edition include:Utilizing an International Political Economy theoretical framework to offer a truly holistic view of the East Asian politica...

Japan seeks economic competitiveness vis-a-vis the West and economic dominance in Asia, but it mainly competes through cooperative use of economic resources, which facilitates realization of the goals of partner nations. This book studies Japan's balance between the United States and East Asia by focusing on the use of economic power - defense spending, consumption, and investment - to advance Japan's political and strategic as well as economic interests. It also investigates Japan's direc...

With China's global ascendancy, Chinese foreign policy has become a popular area of study for scholars around the world. Rather than simply contributing to this subject, this book sets out to reflect on the field itself, using as samples some of the author's previous work, both published and unpublished, covering different areas of Chinese foreign policy and adopting different approaches. In doing so, it examines how knowledge about Chinese foreign policy has developed, focusing on areas s...

This timely book explores the turbulence of East Asian politics on a domestic and international scale. Drawing on insights from experts in the field, it provides an in-depth analysis of topics including economic regionalism, the rise of China as a global superpower and historical influences on modern developments.An interdisciplinary array of academics shed light on the rapidly evolving nature of East Asian politics and its uncertain future, reflecting on the region’s impact on glo...

What explains change and continuity in Japan's economic statecraft? This Element examines the interplay between factional dynamics in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan's foreign policy through two cases: Japan's unprecedented decision to impose severe sanctions on Russia following its 2022 Ukraine invasion, and its decades-long ASEAN strategy amid political uncertainty and great power competition. The authors find that factional balance or the outsized influence of a large facti...

Urbanization is one of the most important phenomena in economic development. In the past three decades, Asian urban populations expanded by almost one billion, a figure expected to double in the next three decades. Clearly, both the scale and pace of urbanization in Asia is unprecedented in human history and will dominate the global urbanization landscape. Asia's urbanization, in turn, is dominated by what is happening in China and India, the two most populous, fastest growing economies in...

Despite its increasingly secure place in the world, the People's Republic of China remains dissatisfied with its global status. Its growing material power has simultaneously led to both greater influence and unsettling questions about its international intentions. China also has found itself in a constant struggle to balance its aspirations abroad with a daunting domestic agenda. This authoritative book provides a unique exploration of the complex and dynamic motivations behind Beijing's f...

This brief explains the principles and fundamentals of carbon dioxide utilization and highlights the transformation to fuels and value-added chemicals such as formic acid and methanol. It is divided into six chapters, including an introduction to the basics of CO2 utilization and transformation of CO2 to formic acid and methanol with homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, respectively. The brief will appeal to a wide readership of academic and industrial researchers focusing on homogeneo...

This book delivers timely research on the various interfaces of family and work, and their impacts on individual wellbeing in East and Southeast Asia. It highlights changing family structures and processes, with special attention to inter-generational relationships, gender roles, cultural norms and employment. The book presents both qualitative and quantitative research works, adopting a comparative approach to analyze a number of demographics. In-depth field studies are also included, whi...