This book looks at the main factors which have contributed to the strikingly strong growth of Asian economies in the last twenty-five years. It considers the economic policies adopted to promote such growth, arguing that it will become increasingly difficult to sustain this. The author then examines the inequalities generated by economic growth, before considering the dynamics of the four different types of political system which have evolved in Asia: veiled authoritarianism; market Stalinism; emerging bourgeois democracy and elite democracy.

A comparative study which describes and analyses the contribution of agriculture to the economies of East Asia. Until now, little attention has been paid to the agricultural sector which actually underpins industrial and commercial development. Recently, this sector has become the focus of increasingly bitter economic disputes, especially over protection and the use of import tariffs. A comparative framework is used, employing case studies from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea to highlight both the common characteristics of agriculture's role in East Asian development, and features particular to the political economy of agriculture in each country.

For students of international political economy, it is hard to ignore the growth, dynamism, and global impact of East Asia. Japan and China are two of the largest economies in the world, in a region now accounting for almost 30 percent more trade than the United States, Canada, and Mexico combined. What explains this increasing wealth and burgeoning power? In his new text, Ming Wan illustrates the diverse ways that the domestic politics and policies of countries within East Asia affect the region’s production, trade, exchange rates, and development, and are in turn affected by global market forces and international institutions. Unlike most other texts on East Asian political economy that are essentially comparisons of major individual countries, Wan effectively integrates key thematic issues and country-specific examples to present a comprehensive overview of East Asia’s role in the world economy. The text first takes a comparative look at the region’s economic systems and institutions to explore their evolution—a rich and complex story that looks beyond the response to Western pressures. Later chapters are organized around close examination of production, trade, finance, and monetary relations. While featuring extended discussion of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, Wan is inclusive in his analysis, with coverage including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines. The text is richly illustrated with more than fifty tables, figures, and maps that present the latest economic and political data to help students better visualize trends and demographics. Each chapter ends with extensive lists of suggested readings.

This book examines the nature of political transitions in Southeast Asia and why political transitions toward political liberalisation and democracy have failed to take off. It considers political systems in the region that have gone through significant periods of transition but continue to face serious challenges toward democratic consolidation.

Based upon work supported by the Department of Energy (National Nuclear Security Administration) under Award Number DE-FG52-03SF22724.

. . . the book is in a comprehensive, readable format. . . the book is logically organised, rich in data and statistics regarding the issues that it covers, as well as accessibly written such that its points would not be lost on the average upper-level undergraduate student with some preparation in Asian studies and the social sciences. Jane M. Ferguson, South East Asia Research . . . a serious academic work that should be on the official reading list of every media studies course. Chris Roberts, Presenter, Sky News Jonathan Woodier has written an excellent book on the politics of media control in Southeast Asia. He shows how political elites in the region are using major events such as the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the 2001 September 11 terror attacks as well as innovations in media tools such as public relations and the internet to control information flow to their citizens. This book is a must read for anyone interested in an explanation why Southeast Asian models of authoritarian models are surviving. A brilliant analysis, it combines media theory with a critical discussion of contemporary developments in Asia. James Gomez, Keio University, Japan True to the old Chinese adage kill a chicken scare a monkey , the few who once challenged Southeast Asia s ruling elites disappeared and the majority were silent. Crude, but effective. Modern times, however, demand a more sophisticated approach. Ruling elites now strip cultures naked and micro manage people s minds. Their preferred tools of penetration and manipulation are a compliant media and a money hungry PR industry. Jonathan Woodier s insights will ensure that you will never read a newspaper or watch TV news in quite the same way again. Trevor Watson, Professional Public Relations Pty Ltd, Australia This is an engaging and informative analysis of the media landscape in South East Asia. It uncovers the pervasive impact of the global media on the political process, and raises important academic and policy issues in the process. This book is timely, and will be a must read for policymakers, academics and students across communications, media studies, politics and democratization, as well as for everyone with an interest in current day developments in South East Asia. Joep Cornelissen, Leeds University Business School, UK Jonathan Woodier s latest work considers what impact the media has upon the democratization process in Southeast Asia. Has the media had a liberalizing effect or become subject to elite control in Southeast Asia and, if so, why? What role does the global media play in this process, particularly given its conglomerization and commoditization? By examining the communications media and its relationship to political change in Southeast Asia, this fascinating study will endeavour to provide both a regional comparative analysis and a more balanced interpretation of the mass communication media in the wake of September 11, 2001. The book also investigates the durability of authoritarian regimes and the enduring capacity of the media-controlled state alongside the growing sophistication of political communications particularly the use of PR consultants. The author provides an insider s view with unique insights into the practice of political communication and its development throughout the strategically important region of Southeast Asia with its large Moslem states as well as much further afield to countries such as China and post-industrial Europe. As such the book will be warmly welcomed by academics of politics, international relations, media, communications and PR. It will also appeal to researchers interested in political change, the rise of the global media giants and the influence of authoritarian states such as China.

A systematic investigation of the connection between civil society and political change in Asia - change toward open, participatory, and accountable politics. Its findings suggest that the link between a vibrant civil society and democracy is indeterminate: certain civil society organizations support democracy; thers could undermine it.

Political Change in South-East Asia takes up the debate between those who resist the pressure for democracy and point to unchanging 'Asian' values, and those who believe that the appeal of democracy is universal. The author examines the case for both sides and concludes that the strong state will be a fixture of South-East Asian politics for some considerable time to come. Increasingly close links between the ten states of South-East Asia are likely to reinforce perceptions of a common culture and in the end put up more effective defences against external cultural influence.

This book deals with the major problems that Japan and East Asian countries have faced during the turbulent years of their reconstruction and development from 1945 to the present time. The Development Report of the World Bank 1993 on the same subject was given the subtitle East Asian Miracle. I have never thought, however, that the impressive achievement of East Asian development was a miracle in any sense. Indeed, as this book tries to show, Japanese and Asian development has been the fruit of the sweat, tears, and blood of all East Asian nations. The efforts and sacrifices involved in the process of their development after World War II are no less than those during the war itself. One should not overlook the fact that almost all the peoples of East Asia have achieved not just economic development but indeed new nation-building after hundreds of years of coloni al submission. It is my assertion in this book that even economists' analyses of Asian development should pay attention to not only the logos but also the pathos of develop ment in this last half of twentieth century. Ever since I became the director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University in 1969, I have written extensively in English as well as in Japanese on the various problems arising in the Japanese and other Asian economies.

A powerful new survey of political change in Southeast Asia, exploring why some countries have become democratic while others remain authoritarian.