Based on extensive field work involving the leading figures of the diverse Syrian National Coalition, an umbrella initiative of opposition groups fighting against the Assad regime, this study critically evaluates the challenges ahead as well as the inherent opportunities for the post-conflict era in Syria.

Today, by many accounts, China is the world's foremost purveyor of foreign aid and foreign investment to developing countries. This is the product of China's miracle economic growth over a period of more than three decades, together with China's drive to become a major player in world affairs and accomplish this through economic rather than military means. This three-volume work is the first comprehensive study of China's aid and investment strategy to trace how it has evolved since Beijing launched its foreign aid diplomacy at the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Volume I examines the definitions, origins, nature, and scope of foreign aid and investment by other countries. Using that background, John F. Copper then traces China's financial assistance to developing countries from the Mao period - when China gave meaningful foreign aid despite its own economic struggles - through the beginning of China's post-1978 economic boom and during subsequent decades of rapid economic growth. Copper shows that China has a more salient history in giving foreign assistance than any other country in the world; while China's objectives in giving foreign assistance have changed markedly over time, China has always been driven by efforts to realize its foreign policy objectives and expand China's external influence.

This book examines the controversial issue of securitization in a global, historical context. It traces its origins and compares evidence of securitization across countries, linking differences to variations in legal, political, and cultural regimes. By incorporating the history and current status of securitization (including sources of value and risk) with alternative markets and future outlooks for the global market, Buchanan provides an overall assessment of the costs, benefits, and sustainability of securitization in the global economy, particularly in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The book also offers a roadmap for future research. As financial regulators around the world plan a sweeping overhaul of securitization markets with tough new rules designed to restore market confidence, it is essential to consider the global outlook for securitization.

Since its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December 2001, China has been committed to full compliance with the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. This text considers the development of intellectual property in China, and offers an interdisciplinary analysis of China's compliance with the TRIPS Agreement using theories originating in international relations and law. It notes that despite significant efforts to amend China's substantive IP laws to prepare for WTO accession and sweeping changes to domestic legislation, a significant gap existed between the laws on paper and as enforced in practice, and that infringements to the agreement are still prevalent. The book examines how compliance with international rules can be promoted and encouraged in a specific jurisdiction. Making a case for a wider, more interdisciplinary and global outlook, it contends that compliance needs to align with the national interests of relevant countries and jurisdictions, as governments' economic interests support the greater enforcement of the IP laws.

This book is divided up into three sections. The first deals with the problem of the World economy and the most important issues affecting the World economy. The second analyses problem mainly affecting the developed countries. The third analyses the issues in the developing countries particularly in the BRIC countries.

In a rapidly globalizing world, commercial relations and regional trade integrations between countries have improved. Analyzing trade relations both inside and outside countries allows for economic improvement. Globalization and Trade Integration in Developing Countries provides emerging research on the difficulties and challenges developing countries face in world trade as well as their performance. While highlighting topics such as economic growth, foreign trade policy, and trade competitiveness, this publication explores the trade integrations and commercial trends in advancing countries. This book is a vital resource for policy makers, government agencies, businesses, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the advantages and techniques of improved international markets and trade.

This book contributes to the debate on the decoupling of emerging economies from the advanced economies with a new, empirical investigation approach. Taking counterfactual experiments performed using a time-varying panel VAR model, the author argues that over the last thirty years, emerging economies have become less vulnerable to shocks spreading from advanced economies. This resilience to external shocks has changed in a non-progressive manner over time, with phases of greater resilience followed by others of lower resilience and vice versa. This research outlines its wave-like path and presents new results that contribute to the discussion.

As the first international convention focused on stimulating trade through policy actions, the International Symposium on Trade Promotion and Assistance sought to present a comprehensive treatment of the role of the public sector in trade promotion. The papers presented at the conference have been collected in this book, and they review trade promotion activities at the international, state, and local levels. They also address the roles of private-sector institutions such as universities, trade centers, and trade associations in providing information and assistance to those companies interested in exporting. The book presents the invaluable experience and advice of experts who discuss obstacles firms face in exporting efforts and suggest how to achieve higher awareness levels, how to best assist firms in getting into the market, and how to make experienced exporters more successful.

Divided into four parts, this collection features eighteen selections that address various aspects of trade promotion and assistance. The five chapters that make up Part I focus on state and federal programs in trade promotion. Part II, which contains seven chapters, looks at trade promotion programs in such countries as England, Norway, Australia, and China. Part III presents four readings on university and private initiatives in stimulating partnerships for export promotion, and Part IV features three chapters of empirical research findings on exporting with implications for public policy. A conclusion and index are also included, as well as a number of tables and figures. This book will be an important reference for companies involved in international business and sales, for business and marketing courses, and for public and academic libraries.

The rise of emerging or new powers has recently become one of the most researched areas in International Relations. While most studies focus on relations between traditional and emerging powers, this edited collection turns the focus 180 degrees and asks how countries outside these two power sets have reacted to the emerging new world order. Are emerging powers creating a united front in a struggle to change the global order, or are they more concerned with national interests? Are we seeing major changes in the global order, or simply an adjustment by the traditional powers to the emergence of new contenders? In order to the answer these questions, the authors take a broad thematic approach in analyzing recent trends in the interplay between states, markets and societies, concentrating in particular on Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and on the three major emerging powers: China, India and Brazil.

What impact do international economic inputs have on human rights in Third World nations? William Meyer explores the effects of direct investment by U.S. multinational corporations, economic and military aid, and MNC manufacturing plants. He examines the international political economy of human rights at both the national and the international levels. Case studies are combined with quantitative studies that use aggregate cross-national data, and theories that link MNCs to human rights are subjected to empirical testing. As Meyer illustrates, at the national level, human rights violations are associated with U.S. MNCs in Chile, Honduras, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. MNCs have been especially guilty of violating labor rights, particularly through their reliance on sweatshops. MNCs have also been responsible for widespread pollution and environmental degradation. At a broader international level, increased investment by MNCs tends to go along with human rights improvements in the Third World as a whole. Meyer shows that there is a broad positive relationship between direct investment by MNCs and broader political rights and improved living standards. Aggregate data are also analyzed for human rights as compared to U.S. economic and military aid. Economic aid is found to be associated with improved civil-political rights and improved socioeconomic rights. Military aid, by contrast, is associated with declining levels of civil rights and with lower levels of social welfare. This book will serve as an important study for researchers, activists, and students of human rights.

This volume brings together a distinguished group of contributors from European universities and research institutes as well as U.S. finance and economic institutes to examine a broad range of issues related to the current and future roles of international and European monetary systems. Among the topics covered are the relationship of each system to the U.S. dollar and its fluctuations vis-a-vis the Japanese Yen and German Deutschmark; the effect of fiscal policies on monetary systems; the role of the European currency unit; exchange rate management and international coordination; the theory behind, and policy implications of, over- and undervalued currencies; and the prospects for future currency unification and currency competition. Students of international finance and trade, international economics, and monetary theory will find this an important contribution to debates over international monetary policy.

Divided into two major sections, which address the international and European systems respectively, the book begins with three chapters that examine the exchange rate system of a managed float with respect to the dollar. The fundamental question addressed by the authors is whether this system, which has predominated in the last decade, has contributed to increasingly unstable real exchange rates. The following two chapters examine the role of the IMF's special drawing right and the appropriate exchange rate regime for developing countries. The remaining chapters focus on the European Monetary System, and explore such issues as the convergence of monetary and fiscal policies within the European Monetary System and the role of the private European Currency Unit. A bibliography is included for those who wish to pursue further research on these topics.

The Arab upheaval and the world's biggest financial crisis after the Great Depression were almost simultaneous in their occurrence. The Mediterranean economies now face a dual challenge of a political and financial restructuring in the light of a shaky economic pedestal on which they stand. In light of this socio-political and economic shift in both inland and in world markets, this book offers a thorough analysis on problems, prospects and the way ahead for the financial integration of the South-Mediterranean region. Several perspectives on financial integration and policy recommendations are put forward from a leading group of researchers specializing on the Mediterranean region.

This book presents a broad range of empirical research papers covering key issues in development finance. Despite having gained significant momentum in Africa and other emerging economies, textbooks and research publications on development finance are still very limited. This book shines a light on the main focal areas of the international 'finance for development' agenda and outlines innovative approaches to enhance economic growth and development finance to contribute towards realizing global sustainable development goals. Chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as domestic resource mobilization, debt relief, microfinance, financial sustainability, tax buoyancy, Foreign Direct Investment, foreign capital flows, and labour productivity. This book serves as a valuable reference tool for researchers, students and practitioners in this field.

This book addresses the puzzle of why the World Bank was unable to effect sweeping neoliberal health reforms in Latin America from the 1980s onward. Through the use of quantitative regional data together with interview and archival data collected during fieldwork in Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, and Washington DC, this book argues that the answer to this puzzle is twofold. First, the World Bank has not promoted a uniformly neoliberal, monolithic agenda in health. Second, countries' autonomy and capacity in this sector shape how the World Bank is involved in reforms. Finally, the book distinguishes neoliberal ends from means in health sector reform and traces changes in "banking on health" over time.

Europa's comprehensive survey of Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. General Survey Leading authorities on the region analyze topics of regional importance. Country Surveys Chapters on each country, containing: - essays on its recent history and economy, and a chronology of events - an extensive statistical survey of economic indicators - a comprehensive directory of the most significant political, commercial and cultural institutions - a bibliography of books concerned with the country's history, politics and economy - detailed coverage of the self-proclaimed secessionist territories of the region, including, for the first time, chronologies of events. Who's Who in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia - biographical information on more than 150 leading political figures in the region Regional Information - a directory of major international organizations and research institutes concerned with the region - select bibliographies of books and periodicals.

The Financial Crisis, though originating in the US, is global and comparable with the Great Depression of the 1930s. The book takes both micro and macro view of the crisis. It examines the evolution of the global monetary system and looks at the crisis from a systemic angle. It examines the institutional changes in American capitalism and market mechanisms. The dynamics of the market and its cyclical characters are discussed. It examines the structural changes in the US economy. The role of globalization and international funds flow, their changing character and the growing interdependence among nations have been examined. At the micro level, the book discusses the subprime market and the gaps in the system that created the crisis. It deals with the supervisory structure and growing influence of the derivatives market and the synthetic products that are threatening the financial system. It also analyzes the fundamental changes in the global trading and payments patterns, which are influencing the US balance of payments and the US dollar. The secular changes in the structure of the US economy are impacting the global economy. The work deals with the measures taken to resolve the crisis both in the US and on a global scale. The reforms necessary to avoid the recurrence of the crisis are outlined. The study aims to underline these factors and draw a perspective for the US dollar. It is also proposed to draw a scenario for a more efficient and equitable global monetary system with a role for the US dollar along with a new vehicle for international payments and finance. This would also include the reform of the global economic system and the IMF. The special feature of the book is that it takes a holistic view of the problem. The systemic and macro issues are discussed in addition to its microanalysis.

In the years since World War II, the United States and other countries have created a new economic order which has produced one of the broadest and most sustained periods of prosperity in world history. The essence of this new economic order is a system of rules to govern, facilitate, and promote trade in goods and services. The result is applauded by some and condemned by others. This study discusses the roles of money, systems, and growth in the emerging, new economic order. Studying the roles of money, systems, and growth are important for gaining insight into the likely behavior of economies such as China's. A nation as large as China could undermine the ability of other countries to impose politically difficult economic disciplines. There is need for caution. The upheaval in Asia that is affecting the world's largest markets is a case in point. Failure to implement reforms consistent with the rules of the new economic order has pushed such countries as Albania, Romania, and Macedonia close to becoming Europe's hidden Third World. The power of monetary policy and economic growth to either facilitate or hinder a country's readiness to adopt the rules of the new economic order is underscored in this study.

With China replacing the United States as the world's leading energy user and net oil importer, its relations with the Middle East is becoming a major issue with global implications. Horesh and his contributors set out to analyse the implications of China's growing presence in the Middle East.

This book argues that that the rise of great firms - those with sustainable high return on invested capital (ROIC) - will lay the foundation for China's successful economic transformation. Drawn from the author's research on corporate finance and the Chinese economy, the author maintains that being big could be easy but means little for corporate China, especially in the context of China's transition from an investment-led economy to an efficiency-driven one. The work discusses both internal and external impediments that lead to lack of great companies in China and suggests institutional conditions which foster the rise of great companies in China, including, reversing the government's obsession with GDP, reforming the financial system, and promoting entrepreneurship. Policy makers, investors, corporate executives, and MBA students and scholars will appreciate case studies of Huawei, Alibaba, Xiaomi, and Lenovo, among others, that illustrate the endeavors made by Chinese entrepreneurs at the grassroots level and highlight what makes successful companies in China.

This compendium of essays brings together some of William Baumol's most distinguished and acclaimed papers with some that are more rare, including a discussion of the growth and innovation mechanism that accounts for the unprecedented growth performance of the market economies. Amongst many other papers of note are a discussion of appropriate regulatory principles for privatized and deregulated firms, and a survey of the accomplishments of economists in the past century and the past millennium. This collection includes the following essays: * Productivity Growth, Convergence and Welfare: What the Long-Run Data Show * On the Possibility of Continuing Expansion of Finite Resources * Social Wants and Dismal Science: The Curious Case of the Climbing Costs of Health and Teaching * Towards Microeconomics of Innovation: Growth Engine Hallmark of Market Economics * Use of Antitrust to Subvert Competition * Predation and the Logic of the Average Variable Cost Test. The papers engage with an eclectic range of issues and represent a vignette of the author's varied contributions to the economic literature.

Exhaustively researched and updated, South Asia 2022 is an in-depth library of information on the countries and territories of this vast world region. General Survey Essays by specialists examine issues of regional importance. Country Surveys Individual chapters on each country, containing: - essays on the geography, recent history and economy of each nation - up-to-date statistical surveys of economic and social indicators - a comprehensive directory providing contact details and other useful information for the most significant political and commercial institutions. In addition, there are separate sections covering each of the states and territories of India. Regional Information - detailed coverage of international organizations and their recent activities in South Asia - information on research institutes engaged in the study of the region - a survey of the major commodities of South Asia - bibliographies of relevant books and periodicals. Additional features - biographical profiles of almost 300 prominent individuals in the region.

Kessler shows how political considerations distorted the liberalization process in Mexico, leading to inconsistent and unsustainable patterns of financial policy. Although market reform is promoted in developing countries to improve economic efficiency and stimulate growth, in Mexico financial liberalization provided rent-seeking opportunities for privileged groups and increased the states' ability to finance politically inspired obligations. The research examines four periods: the populist administrations of Echeverria and Lopez Portillo, during which the foundations of modern financial markets were paradoxically laid; the debt-crisis years of de la Madrid, who reversed his party's political strategy by favoring the business class with financial opportunities; the economic transformation undertaken by Carlos Salinas, who mixed genuine reform with destabilizing anti-market measures; and the political watershed of the Zedillo administration, whose unpopular bank rescue gave opposition parties unprecedented power within Mexico's policy making process. Kessler also provides a comparison of financial collapse in two other emerging markets, South Korea and Russia, and examines the political roots of crisis in both countries. He concludes by suggesting how greater attention to questions of power, social organization, and challenges to state authority can help the policy-making community avoid giving well-meaning advice that is unlikely to be implemented in a sustainable way.

This book explores financial stability issues in the context of East Asia. In the East Asian region financial stability has been a major concern ever since the Asian crisis of 1997/98, which still looms large in the collective memory of the affected countries. The global crisis, which had its starting point in 2007, only served to exacerbate this concern. Safeguarding financial stability is therefore a major goal of any country in the region. Diverging cultural, political and economic backgrounds may however pose different stability challenges and necessary cooperation may be complicated by this diversity. Against this backdrop the contributions of this book by leading academics from the fields of economics and law as well as by practitioners from central banks shed light on various financial stability issues. The volume explores the legal environment of central banks as lenders of last resort and analyzes challenges to financial stability such as shadow banking and the choice of exchange rate regimes. Case studies from China, Japan and Indonesia are contrasted with experiences from Europe.

This book gives readers the theoretical and empirical methods to analyze applied economics. They are institutional economics, information economics, environmental economics, international economics, financial economics, industrial organization, public economics, law and economics, and spatial economics. Because the chapters of this book deal with current topics in these categories, they are relevant not only to researchers and graduate students but also to policy makers and entrepreneurs. As there is uncertainty about the global economy, it is necessary to consider optimal, efficient behavior to survive in the confused world. The book is organized in three parts. Part 1 deals with institutional economics, information economics, and related topics, approached through game theory. Part 2 focuses on environmental economics, international economics, and financial economics, through a microeconomic or econometric approach. Finally, Part 3 concentrates on public economics, social security, and related fields, through microeconomics or macroeconomics.

This book highlights the difficult policy choice that must ultimately be made during China's structural reform according to the theory of the Impossible Trinity, between exchange rate and monetary policy autonomy.