This timely Research Handbook investigates the radically transformative impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), addressing key questions regarding its economic, political and strategic consequences: What does the Chinese government hope to achieve with the BRI? How have recipient states responded? And what are its potential opportunities and risks? Bringing together prominent international scholars and analysts, this Research Handbook arrives at a critical time in the infrastructural development of the BRI, shedding light on its influence in the future of global politics and economics. Chapters unpack the role of the BRI in Chinese foreign policy, placing infrastructural development at the centre of regional affairs, great power dynamics and economic and investment trends. Employing geopolitical and diplomatic modes of investigation, it offers critical and holistic views of the progress and challenges of the BRI's implementation and its implications on the world stage. Providing an innovative global viewpoint on the BRI, this Research Handbook offers cutting-edge perspectives for scholars and students of political science, particularly those investigating the latest developments in Chinese domestic and foreign policy. Its practical insights and broad empirical analysis will also benefit policymakers and think tank analysts working in the field. Huiyao Wang, Center for China and Globalization (CCG)

This book focuses on abstract entity anaphora in argumentative texts with Asher’s (1993) Segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT) as the theoretical framework, investigating its pragmatic features and exploring its referent interpretation. The data sources include more than 160,000-word argumentative texts (80,000-word English texts and 80,000-word Chinese ones) selected from newspapers, journals, and books in China and America. At first, a comparative study was done between Chinese and English argumentative texts so as to compare the pragmatic features of abstract entity anaphora in the two languages. Then, referent interpretation is explored within the SDRT framework. Although SDRT can account for most of the instances of abstract entity anaphora, it appears incompetent in dealing with some phenomena in the data of our study. Seven problems in SDRT were found, and corresponding solutions were proposed in an attempt to improve this theory. In general, this book has three aspects of significance. Firstly, it establishes abstract entity anaphora as an independent and a special kind of anaphora. Secondly, the research methods are the combination of empirical study and theoretical hypotheses as well as the coalescent of dynamic study and static study. Thirdly, the book is not limited to the application of SDRT to Mandarin Chinese and backward anaphora. Instead, based on the linguistic phenomena in the data, it challenges and improves the theory, and it even negates some aspects and meanwhile brings forward new solutions.

Since its launch in late 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a significant factor in shaping China's economic and diplomatic relations with the world. China's increasing clout presents opportunities as well as challenges, especially for the developing economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which constitute major sites for investment and trade alongside the BRI routes.This edited volume examines whether and to what extent China's economic ascendancy has impacted the proposed ASEAN Economic Community and the respective nations in the region. It deals with this question by grounding the analysis along three themes - institutions at a regional level, industry/sector, and particular ASEAN countries' economic relationship with China. Sixteen articles are presented to illuminate the state of affairs at the regional level and in specific ASEAN economies. They point to the importance of managing trade and investment flows stemming from China's increasingly sophisticated national firms. This in turn hinges on forging 'rules of the game' at both the multilateral and bilateral levels, which potentially leads to mutually beneficial industrialization and long-term wealth creation.The Political Economy of Regionalism, Trade, and Infrastructure will be of great interest to scholars of political economy and industrial policy in East Asia, as well as to scholars and policy professionals analyzing approaches to development strategy more broadly.

This book attempts to reveal historical dynamism of transforming contemporary Maritime Asia and to identify key driving forces or agencies for the evolution and transformation of Maritime Asia in the context of global history studies. It seeks to accomplish these goals by connecting different experiences in Maritime Asia both historically from the late early-modern to the present and spatially covering both East and Southeast Asia. Focusing on interactions on and through oceans, seas, and islands, Maritime Asia can deal with any aspects of human society and the nature, including diplomacy, maritime trade, cultural exchange, identity and others. Its interest in supra-regional interactions and networks, migration and diaspora, combined with its microscopic concern with local and trans-border affairs, will surely contribute to the common task of contemporary social sciences and humanities, to relativize the conventional framework based on the nation-state. In this regard, research in Maritime Asia claims to be an integral part of global studies. Part I deals with long-distance trade and diplomatic relations during the late early modern era and its transition to the modern era, mainly in the nineteenth century. Part II focuses on the emergence of transregional and trans-oceanic Asian networks and the original institution-building efforts in the Asia-Pacific region in the twentieth century.

An ideal text for the natural product scientist looking for new techniques in research, this volume comprises the latest information on natural/plant resources.The comprehensive chapters cover the chemistry and pharmacology of a range of natural products - from Chinese herbal medicine to tea extracts, microbes to marine sponges, and the latest technologies to enhance the synthesis, isolation and purification of bioactive herbal compounds from these products. Adding additional value to the book are chapters on new tools in information technology that can greatly facilitate the research of natural product scientists, and the technologies available for evaluating medicinal herbal products for purity.

Wang Gungwu is an immensely eminent and prolific writer. Over the past 50 years he has made an important contribution to both scholarly and political debate, bringing his unparalleled knowledge of the histories of East and Southeast Asia to bear on urgent contemporary social, political and cultural issues. As doyen of studies on the Chinese diaspora and China's relations with Southeast Asia, Wang Gungwu has played an instrumental role in developing this emerging field of scholarship since the 1950s.
This collection of essays by and about Wang Gungwu brings together some of Wang's most recent and representative writing about the ethnic Chinese outside China giving the reader a deeper understanding of his views on migration, identity, nationalism and culture, all key issues in modern Asia's transformation. The book collects interviews, speeches and essays that illustrate the development and direction of Wang's scholarship on ethnic and diasporic Chinese.
"Diasporic Chinese Ventures" is the ideal introduction to the often complex field of ethnic Chinese Studies making it an essential read for students embarking upon the study of the subject. Those who are already familiar with Wang Gungwu's work will find this book a useful and representative collection which also provides an intriguing assessment of Wang's own political and scholarly influences.

Advance your business interests in the ever-changing European market Foreign direct investment (FDI) and strategic alliances are among the most popular modes of international market entry and expansion in major markets by multinationals. This informative book uses case examples, a wide-ranging survey, and the expertise of authorities in the field to shed light on the when, why, and how of investing and forming alliances in the volatile environment of the European market.Providing both theoretical background and fascinating case studies, Foreign Direct Investment and Strategic Alliances in Europe begins with an examination of the relationship between contextual and strategic factors and foreign market entry strategies. Then it illustrates its meaning with a real-world application of that information, in this case examining the way Israeli manufacturers developed their entry strategies in the European Union.This insightful book also: analyzes the market entry, development, and expansion of the Coca-Cola company in Russia discusses strategic problems, barriers to expansion, and first- versus late-mover advantages in Russia's transition economy looks at the relationship between United States software firms and European companies provides guidelines for choosing what form a strategic alliance should take presents a survey of 114 international strategic alliances between firms in the United Kingdom and their European, American, and Japanese partnersStrategic alliances and foreign direct investment are expected to continue to flourish in Europe. By integrating FDI issues with those of strategic alliances, this well-referenced book will provide you with insights into both areas as well as up-close perspectives on specific segments of the European market.

This book provides fundamentals, highlights recent developments and offers new perspectives relating to the use of electrolyzed water (EW) as an emerging user- and environmental-friendly broad-spectrum sanitizer, with particular focus on the food industry. It addresses the generation, inactivation, pesticide degradation and safety of food by EW, illustrates the mechanism of the germicidal action of EW and its antimicrobial efficacy against a variety of microorganisms in suspensions. In addition, the sanitizing effects of combining EW with various chemical and physical sanitizing technologies have been evaluated, and recent developments and applications of EW in various areas including fruits and vegetables, meat, aquatic products, environment sterilization, livestock and agriculture has been described. The book can be a go-to reference book of EW for: (1) Researchers who need to understand the role of various parameters in its generation, the bactericidal mechanism of EW and its wide applications for further research and development; (2) Equipment producers who need comprehensive understanding of various factors (e.g. type of electrolyte, flow rates of water and electrolyte) which govern the efficacy of EW and developing its generators; (3) Food processors who need good understanding of EW in order to implement it in the operations and supervisors who need to balance the advantages and limitations of EW and ensuring its safe use.

This is the first book to offer a comprehensive overview of the history, and development of sport from the ancient to the contemporary era in China. It addresses the gap between the vibrant academic scholarship within China and the limited understanding of Chinese sport outside of the country. It opens different perspectives on Chinese sport and addresses a wide range of issues central to the development of sport in the context of Chinese culture, politics, economy and society. It explores a diverse set of topics including the history of Chinese traditional sport, the rise of modern sport and the Olympic movement, sport and nationhood, sport and politics and international relations, sport and physical education, sport and economy and commerce, sport and social stratification and diversity, and sport leisure and tourism. It offers critical insights into the multifaceted world of Chinese past and present-a contribution to our collective knowledge and understanding of Chinese sport and society-useful reading for students, researchers and professionals with an interest in the field of China and Chinese sport. This Handbook has been contributed to by a team consisting of 88 leading Chinese and Asian experts and scholars with varied backgrounds of studying and working in European, North American, and Australian universities, as well as Western scholars with expertise of China and its sports system and practice. It is composed of ten parts classified by different subjects. It provides a wide lens through which to better contextualise the relationships between China and the world within the global sport community. The Routledge Handbook of Sport in China is a vital resource for students and scholars studying the history, politics, sociology, culture and policy of sport in China, as well as sport management, sport history, sport sociology, and sport policy and politics. It is also valuable reading for those who are working in international sport policy making and sport organisations.

The past two decades have witnessed far-reaching socioeconomic and political changes in Asia, such as the growing intraregional flows of capital, goods, people, and knowledge, the rise of China as the world's second largest economy, and its increasing influence in Southeast Asia, intensified US-China confrontations in the global arena, and the onslaught of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Focusing on multidimensional interactions (including geopolitical and economic relationships, diaspora engagement, and knowledge exchange) between China and Southeast Asia, this book argues that an interwoven perspective of the political economy, transnational governance, and regional networks serves as an effective analytical framework for deciphering these transformations as well as their global and theoretical implications. Drawing upon a wide range of primary data and engaging with the latest interdisciplinary scholarship on contemporary Asia, this book's thought-provoking and nuanced analyses will appeal to scholars and students in Chinese and Southeast Asian studies, international political economy, international relationships, ethnic and migration studies, and public governance.

This is the first book in English that adopts a critical socio-historical perspective to examine the important themes and challenges of Asian indigenous culture and sport. Written by leading sport historians and scholars, the chapters in the book contain real-life case studies and comparative studies in Asian sport. The book examines the history, contemporary governance and management, gender, and ethnic issues embedded in folk sports and physical culture, and the challenges faced by Asian indigenous sports and their evolution. Based on cutting-edge research from China, Japan, Korea, Israel and beyond, this book will be a valuable addition to any course in sport history, sport culture, sport development and sport sociology. It will stimulate those who are seeking ways to promote and develop indigenous sports, from intangible cultural heritage protection to global sport partnership. It will also be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners, who wish to understand the changing face of Asian society and Asian indigenous sport. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of the History of Sport.

Thin films have an extremely broad range of applications from electronics and optics to new materials and devices. Collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts from physicists, materials scientists, engineers and others have established and advanced a field with key pillars constituting (i) the synthesis and processing of thin films, (ii) the understanding of physical properties in relation to the nanometer scale, (iii) the design and fabrication of nano-devices or devices with thin film materials as building blocks, and (iv) the design and construction of novel tools for characterization of thin films.Against the backdrop of the increasingly interdisciplinary field, this book sets off to inform the basics of thin film physics and thin film devices. Readers are systematically introduced to the synthesis, processing and application of thin films; they will also study the formation of thin films, their structure and defects, and their various properties - mechanical, electrical, semiconducting, magnetic, and superconducting. With a primary focus on inorganic thin film materials, the book also ventures on organic materials such as self-assembled monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett films.This book will be effective as a teaching or reference material in the various disciplines, ranging from Materials Science and Engineering, Electronic Science and Engineering, Electronic Materials and Components, Semiconductor Physics and Devices, to Applied Physics and more. The original Chinese publication has been instrumental in this purpose across many Chinese universities and colleges.

Although Asia has a long history of governance practices, its modern governance systems have been profoundly influenced by the Western models. This book explores how the declining economic and political influences on the global stage of the USA and Europe has significantly reduced developing countries' confidence in the public governance models promoted by the Western world. As academics have begun to challenge the assuredness of the conventional logic of 'Western = Global = Best', scholarship has also grown on the contextualized governance experiences in Asia. This timely volume explores the emergence of Asian models of governance, taking into account the shifting global political economic landscape and the region's rapid growth in recent decades. Could there be Asian models of governance that are distinct from the Western ones? If so, what are the key characteristics? The authors examine the potentials and challenges of Asian models of governance based on empirical studies from various Asian societies, ranging from Singapore and South Korea to Myanmar and Vietnam. As well as theoretical explorations, the book also provides rich empirical evidence on the contextualized lessons accumulated in Asia, offering a more nuanced understanding of Asian governance experience through comparative case studies. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Asian Public Policy which was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 2 Grant entitled "Transnational Knowledge Transfer and Dynamic Governance in Comparative Perspective".

Originating in the 1820s and used for 150 years thereafter, qiaopi is the name given in Chinese to letters written home by Chinese emigrants to accompany remittances. Their key function was to preserve family ties. Although such correspondence focused principally on the provision of economic support, the qiaopi also touched on cultural, political, educational, and gender themes. This book therefore seeks to examine the qiaopi from two interconnected perspectives. One views qiaopi from a political and institutional angle, the other from a financial and social angle. Bringing together the extensive research of a group of international scholars, this multi-authored volume sheds light on the larger significance of the qiaopi for modern China. Taking an empirical, evidence-driven approach, the contributors employ a wide range of primary sources in both Chinese and English and relate their findings to scholarship in both the Chinese-speaking world and in non-Chinese interdisciplinary fields. In so doing, this book helps to bridge the gap between Chinese- and English-speaking researchers in the field of qiaopi studies. As one of the first books in English on the qiaopi trade and its significance, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese history and Chinese migration, as well in Migration Studies and Diaspora Studies more generally.

China's rise to become a leading global power challenges both Western policy makers and business leaders. Written from a Chinese perspective, this book addresses the following question: does the Chinese strategic mind have its own idiosyncrasies that differ considerably from the West? The expert author, Hong Liu, systematically explores the processes of the Chinese strategic mind by expounding and unraveling the particular characteristics: what they are, how they have evolved and what strategic implications they have. With detailed case studies to elucidate how the Chinese strategic mind has worked, this book successfully synthesises knowledge from distinct academic fields such as military studies, philosophy, psychology, history, sociology, linguistics and strategic management. Providing a framework for Western practitioners to consider Chinese ways of thinking, this book will be of interest to decision-makers in business and government. It will also be of use to academics in the fields of strategic management, international relations and politics looking for a new perspective in their research.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of China to the world economy, and yet the majority of books either look at Chinese business by applying Western frameworks or models to the context of China or focus on a particular aspect of business in China. Authored by an academic expert on China, this new, completely revised edition of Chinese Business offers its readers a comprehensive and systematic body of knowledge of Chinese business. It has taken a holistic perspective, intending to achieve a balance between the academic and practical, between theory and practice and between traditional and current (Internet-based) industry. The framework of this book subsumes all the major factors that should be taken into consideration when Western companies contemplate a China strategy, including history, philosophy, ancient military classics, strategy and marketing, innovation, Internet business and human resources. The discussion of these factors is supplemented with insightful case studies. Chinese Business, Second Edition, can be used as a textbook for undergraduates and postgraduates at business schools and as a useful reference for researchers, senior executives, consultants and government officials involved in Chinese business.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of China to the world economy, and yet the majority of books either look at Chinese business by applying Western frameworks or models to the context of China or focus on a particular aspect of business in China. Authored by an academic expert on China, this new, completely revised edition of Chinese Business offers its readers a comprehensive and systematic body of knowledge of Chinese business. It has taken a holistic perspective, intending to achieve a balance between the academic and practical, between theory and practice and between traditional and current (Internet-based) industry. The framework of this book subsumes all the major factors that should be taken into consideration when Western companies contemplate a China strategy, including history, philosophy, ancient military classics, strategy and marketing, innovation, Internet business and human resources. The discussion of these factors is supplemented with insightful case studies. Chinese Business, Second Edition, can be used as a textbook for undergraduates and postgraduates at business schools and as a useful reference for researchers, senior executives, consultants and government officials involved in Chinese business.

This is the first book in English that adopts a critical socio-historical perspective to examine the important themes and challenges of Asian indigenous culture and sport. Written by leading sport historians and scholars, the chapters in the book contain real-life case studies and comparative studies in Asian sport. The book examines the history, contemporary governance and management, gender, and ethnic issues embedded in folk sports and physical culture, and the challenges faced by Asian indigenous sports and their evolution. Based on cutting-edge research from China, Japan, Korea, Israel and beyond, this book will be a valuable addition to any course in sport history, sport culture, sport development and sport sociology. It will stimulate those who are seeking ways to promote and develop indigenous sports, from intangible cultural heritage protection to global sport partnership. It will also be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners, who wish to understand the changing face of Asian society and Asian indigenous sport. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of the History of Sport.

Although Asia has a long history of governance practices, its modern governance systems have been profoundly influenced by the Western models. This book explores how the declining economic and political influences on the global stage of the USA and Europe has significantly reduced developing countries' confidence in the public governance models promoted by the Western world. As academics have begun to challenge the assuredness of the conventional logic of 'Western = Global = Best', scholarship has also grown on the contextualized governance experiences in Asia. This timely volume explores the emergence of Asian models of governance, taking into account the shifting global political economic landscape and the region's rapid growth in recent decades. Could there be Asian models of governance that are distinct from the Western ones? If so, what are the key characteristics? The authors examine the potentials and challenges of Asian models of governance based on empirical studies from various Asian societies, ranging from Singapore and South Korea to Myanmar and Vietnam. As well as theoretical explorations, the book also provides rich empirical evidence on the contextualized lessons accumulated in Asia, offering a more nuanced understanding of Asian governance experience through comparative case studies. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Asian Public Policy which was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 2 Grant entitled "Transnational Knowledge Transfer and Dynamic Governance in Comparative Perspective".

New Polymeric Products: Fundamentals, Forming Methods and Applications introduces applications of polymer materials in different fields, including new products and processing methods. This book is rich in content and creativity and introduces the development, history, characteristics and existing processing methods of polymer materials in a comprehensive and systematic manner. Sections include the latest achievements from future travel, energy problems, special environment, lens materials and biomedicine, which are the most concerning areas of human society today. The book also introduces forming principles, methods, achievements and development prospects from shallow to profound. It will benefit researchers and new academic participants and broaden their vision. Sections cover the development history and prospect of polymer materials, introduce polymer materials, including new materials, characteristics, synthesis, naming and functionality, and delve into new processing and forming methods which are introduced in three parts: plastic, rubber and fiber according to different product types.

Originating in the 1820s and used for 150 years thereafter, qiaopi is the name given in Chinese to letters written home by Chinese emigrants to accompany remittances. Their key function was to preserve family ties. Although such correspondence focused principally on the provision of economic support, the qiaopi also touched on cultural, political, educational, and gender themes. This book therefore seeks to examine the qiaopi from two interconnected perspectives. One views qiaopi from a political and institutional angle, the other from a financial and social angle. Bringing together the extensive research of a group of international scholars, this multi-authored volume sheds light on the larger significance of the qiaopi for modern China. Taking an empirical, evidence-driven approach, the contributors employ a wide range of primary sources in both Chinese and English and relate their findings to scholarship in both the Chinese-speaking world and in non-Chinese interdisciplinary fields. In so doing, this book helps to bridge the gap between Chinese- and English-speaking researchers in the field of qiaopi studies. As one of the first books in English on the qiaopi trade and its significance, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese history and Chinese migration, as well in Migration Studies and Diaspora Studies more generally.

Heavy ion collision experiments recreating the quark-gluon plasma that filled the nascent universe have established that it is a nearly perfect liquid that flows with such minimal dissipation that it cannot be seen as made of particles. String theory provides a powerful toolbox for studying matter with such properties. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to gauge/string duality and its applications to the study of the thermal and transport properties of quark-gluon plasma, the dynamics of how it forms, how it flows, and its response to probes including jets and quarkonium mesons. Calculations are discussed in the context of data from RHIC and LHC and results from finite temperature lattice QCD. This is an ideal reference for students and researchers in string theory, quantum field theory, quantum many-body physics, heavy ion physics and lattice QCD. This title from 2014 has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

Heavy ion collision experiments recreating the quark-gluon plasma that filled the nascent universe have established that it is a nearly perfect liquid that flows with such minimal dissipation that it cannot be seen as made of particles. String theory provides a powerful toolbox for studying matter with such properties. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to gauge/string duality and its applications to the study of the thermal and transport properties of quark-gluon plasma, the dynamics of how it forms, how it flows, and its response to probes including jets and quarkonium mesons. Calculations are discussed in the context of data from RHIC and LHC and results from finite temperature lattice QCD. This is an ideal reference for students and researchers in string theory, quantum field theory, quantum many-body physics, heavy ion physics and lattice QCD. This title from 2014 has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

This collection of essays by and about Wang Gungwu brings together some of Wang's most recent and representative writing about the ethnic Chinese outside China giving the reader a deeper understanding of his views on migration, identity, nationalism and culture, all key issues in modern Asia's transformation. The book collects interviews, speeches and essays that illustrate the development and direction of Wang's scholarship on ethnic and diasporic Chinese.

This book introduces readers to essential advances in the application of physical processing technology in food processing that have been made in recent years. It analyzes and describes the application of Power Ultrasound, Pulsed Electric Field, Supercritical-CO2, and Infrared Heating in the contexts of food sterilization, extraction, modification, drying and safety control. Covering all aspects of food physical processing, from basic principles to the latest technological developments, it offers a valuable application guide for food engineers and food researchers alike.