Patriotic songs and populism in Chinese politics
Since the ascent of President Xi in 2012, the Chinese government has sought to entrench its authority through an embrace of populist politics, in addition to an economic performance-based and ideologically-validated legitimacy. This chapter investigates Chinese ‘patriotic songs’ as an essential component of state propaganda. By analyzing changes in staging, associated images, and the lyrical contents in the past 40 years, this chapter argues that Chinese populism has embraced nationalist appeals and images while, for the most part, avoiding a personalization of leadership. The study identifies the trends of depersonalization and de-politicization in Chinese patriotic songs, which have in some respects been reversed under Xi Jinping. Moreover, in contrast to the anti-establishment populist sentiments in many other countries, Chinese populist politics values the elites’ dual role as ‘leaders’ and ‘servants’ of the people. These trends have signalled the evolving Chinese leadership style, propaganda approach, and most importantly, the concept of Chinese populism.
Re-Thinking New Zealand’s Independent Foreign Policy
In the eyes of many politicians and analysts Aotearoa New Zealand's "independent" foreign policy is being undermined. Critics argue that closer security arrangements with Australia and NATO as well as the possibility that New Zealand will join Pillar II of AUKUS would reverse the country's ability to chart a pragmatic self-determining approach in its foreign policy.
Recently, former Prime Minster Helen Clark and former National Party leader Don Brash put aside their historical animosity to argue that a decision to join AUKUS would "abandon our independent foreign policy in favor of unqualified support for America's 'China containment policy.'" They accused New Zealand's current government of deciding to "throw in our lot with America's attempt to slow China's economic rise and keep it tightly hemmed in by American forces." Various members of the opposition Labor Party have similarly argued against a New Zealand presence in AUKUS, describing the pact as an attempt to "wedge" China and a trade threat.
Navigating around the Chinese hegemon
How a rising China will integrate itself with the global economic and political order is a salient issue in world politics. On the one hand, China's rejection of the South China Sea arbitration, its efforts to isolate Taiwan internationally and its willingness to work with controversial leadership in developing states indicate a more assertive 'China First' foreign policy. On the other hand, a review of a range of foreign policies suggests that Chinese policymakers have internalised a set of international norms in some areas even as the Chinese state has vigorously pursued unilateral foreign policy objectives.
Australia and New Zealand in the West Papua Conflict: A New Zealand pilot's abduction focuses attention on Wellington and Canberra's hands-off approach to the long-running conflict in Indonesia.
The drawn-out hostage drama in West Papua over New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens has focused Western attention on this neglected area of the world. Mehrtens was abducted and his plane burned by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on February 7, 2023. He was accused by the group of violating a no-fly zone it had issued over the West Papua region. On April 16, rebel spokesperson Sebby Sambom stated in a recorded message that TPNPB has "asked the Indonesian and New Zealand governments to free the hostages through peaceful negotiations." The group originally demanded that Indonesian authorities recognize the independence of West Papua, but more recently it indicated that it was prepared to drop the demand for independence and seek dialogue.
A 'Uniform' for All States? International Norm Diffusion and Localisation
Daffodil Day, usually held in spring, raises funds for cancer awareness and research using this symbol of hope. On that day, people who donate money to this good cause are usually given a yellow daffodil pin to wear. When I lived in Auckland, New Zealand, on the last Friday in August most people walking around the city centre proudly wore a cheerful yellow flower. So many people generously participated in this initiative that one almost felt obliged to join the cause in order to wear the 'uniform' - the daffodil pin - as everyone else did on that day. To donate and to wear a daffodil is the social expectation, and operating in social environment people often endeavour to meet the expectation by doing the 'appropriate things' defined by societies or communities. After all, who does not like to receive a beam of acceptance and appreciation from a fellow daffodil bearer in Auckland's Queen Street?
States in international society are no different. In some ways, states wear 'uniforms' while executing domestic and foreign affairs just as human beings do within their social groups. States develop the understandings of desirable behaviour from the international community with which they interact and identify. They are 'socialised' to act in line with the expectations of international community. These expectations are expressed in the form of international norms, a prescriptive set of ideas about the 'appropriate behaviour for actors with a given identity' (Finnemore and Sikkink 891). Motivated by this logic of appropriateness, states that comply with certain international norms in world politics justify and undertake actions that are considered appropriate for their identities. This essay starts with examining how international norms can be spread to different countries through the process of 'state socialisation' (how the countries are 'talked into' wearing the 'uniform'). Second, the essay investigates the idea of 'cultural match': how domestic actors comply with an international norm by interpreting and manipulating it according to their local political and legal practices (how the countries wear the 'uniform' differently). Lastly, the essay probes the current international normative community and the liberal values embedded in major international norms (whether states would continue wearing the 'uniform').
The Dragon Roars Back
"The Dragon Roars Back" is a deep-dive into the leadership and foreign policy of the People's Republic of China. With a focus on transformative leadership, Suisheng Zhao explores how the leaders of each generation moulded China and its treatment of the wider world.
International norms and Chinese environmental governance
The extent to which states incorporate or 'localise' international obligations and norms into their domestic political and legal environment has become a salient issue with the proliferation of international agreements and norms. China in particular has been a source of much consideration with its increasing international economic and political importance. International norms are shared expectations or standards of appropriate behaviours for actors in international community. China's incorporation of international norms into domestic practices and as part of its foreign policy can significantly impact an international policy or normative agenda. Moreover, because China is a relative newcomer to international society and in many ways ascribes to Westphalian state-centric notion of sovereignty and more insular notion of human, political and social rights, an investigation of how norms are incorporated into Chinese domestic system provides a window into the norm localisation process overall.
"Long COVID" or a New Turn? Chinese Politics in the Post-Pandemic Era
The mark left by the Chinese government’s COVID-19 policies is still visible today, despite the silencing of protests. While there is no stomach to force change from the government, nor is there any desire to return to the way things were.
Disputed Destiny: The future of Economic Community of West African States' Peacekeeping Operations - Dataset
The dataset contains the respondents' views on the dimensions of insecurity in West Africa and ECOWAS initiatives as the peace and security actor in the region. Specifically, they are arranged in accordance with the fourteen research questions designed for this study. The areas covered include ; the effectiveness of ECOWAS’s responses to myriads of conflicts across West Africa; the successes and failures of ECOWAS post-Cold War peace operations and factors responsible for the outcomes; the challenges associated with ECOWAS peacekeeping in West Africa; the appropriateness or otherwise of ECOWAS Multilateral Security Mechanisms ;ECOWAS missions in Liberia (ECOMOG), in Gambia (ECOMIG) and Mali (MICEMA/AFISMA/MINUSMA).It also contains the Respondent's views on the lessons and strategies to be deployed to boost ECOWAS operational capability in the future. This information is a product of 12 Months field research conducted across West Africa states,particularly across ECOWAS's Peace and Security Directorates. This involved data collection through a number of qualitative research techniques such as participant observation, in-depth interviews, and semi-structured methods (written open-ended questionnaire, focus groups), and case studies.The contents of these responses support the findings of this study.
China’s Preference for Hard Power Is Creating Major Headaches for Beijing
The Taiwanese presidential election on January 13, won by Vice President Lai Ching-te (or William Lai) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was hardly welcomed by China. The Chinese government had actively opposed the DPP. It has been accused, not for the first time, of electoral interference in favor of its preferred candidates.
After the election, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, "Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change." The statement reiterated the One China principle and re-affirmed Beijing's opposition to "'Taiwan independence' separatism." Punctuating its position, Beijing condemned foreign leaders who extended congratulations to Lai, and welcomed Nauru into an official relationship as the Pacific island state severed ties with Taiwan just two days after the election.