CIAO DATE: 04/2008
Volume: 3, Issue: 3
June 2007
Europe-China Relations and the New Significance of Central and Eastern European Countries (PDF)
Nicola Casarini
The article surveys the development of Europe-China relations over the last 30 years. It focuses on the main themes that have characterized the relationship. It gives due attention to the role played by the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) in Europe-China relations, both during the Cold War period and after accession to the EU in 2004. It is argued here that the role of the CEECs has evolved from a situation of marginal significance during the Cold War to a new strategic role after accession. This is mainly due to their more Atlanticist' foreign policy attitude paralleled by the emergence of the US factor in EU-China relations.
The European Union and China: Economic Priorities of the EU in China and Their Institutional Support (PDF)
Gabriela Pleschová
This paper analyzes the ways and mechanisms of how the European Union attempts to support its economic interests in relations with China. It also examines if the EU can be considered effective in assisting European companies that export to China and invest in China. Moreover, it focuses on the fact, if the tools designed by the EU can help entrepreneurs from small EU member states, such as for example Slovakia, in their commercial activities in China. The author derives from scholarly works which discuss EU-China relations, and moreover from official documents published by the EU and China, trade and investment statistics, as well as from her empirical research on the problems that Slovak exporters and investors encounter in China.
On Taiwan's United Nations Membership (PDF)
Joseph Y. K. Hsu
In October 1971, the UN General Assembly recognized that the Peoples's Republic of China would be the only lawfull representative of China to the UN and expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the UN. Since then there has been no representation of Taiwan's millions of people in this so called 'Worldwide' institution. Thirty six years have passed and nothing has changed. The article offers a few arguments for the UN to accept Taiwan as a 'real' member of the international community.
ASEAN and the Future of East Asia (PDF)
Hadi Soesastro
This article begins with a brief review of ASEAN's experience with regionalism over the past 40 years. The following section discusses the developments and challenges of establishing an ASEAN Community as this requires a radical departure from ASEAN's traditional style of regionalism. The subsequent section looks at the nature of the emerging regionalism in the wider East Asian (and Asia Pacific) region. ASEAN's role in the wider region will be discussed subsequently before this article concludes with some notes on ASEAN's role and challenges in promoting an East Asian Community.
Admire the Best; forget the West – Looking for an immigration policy for Central-Eastern Europe (PDF)
Zsolt Gál
Most western societies are ageing rapidly; the number of pensioners has been rising continuously during the past decades. In the future we are facing an even bigger rise in the number and percentage of the senior (65 +) population. Public pension expenditures have been expanding and they could reach unsustainable levels in the coming decades. The replacement of part of the working age population through migration could help to reduce the financial burden of ageing. The aim of this paper is to answer the question: is replacement migration a good solution for the new EU members to tackle the rising fiscal expenditure on pensions? The United States and most of the Western European countries have a long standing tradition of mass immigration. So we (the new member states) have a unique chance to study their experience and learn from their mistakes instead of repeating them.
Gabriela Pleschová
Lucia Klapáčová