San Antonio College Library

This introduction to East Asian politics uses a thematic approach to describe the political development of China, Japan and the Koreas since the mid-19th century. It seeks to analyse the social, political and economic features of each country, linking them to a common thread of Confucianism, which has shaped East Asian perspectives.

"Throughout the past three decades East Asia has seen more peace and stability than at any time since the Opium Wars of 1839-1841. During this period China has rapidly emerged as a major regional power, averaging over nine percent economic growth per year since the introduction of its market reforms in 1978. Foreign businesses have flocked to invest in China, and Chinese exports have begun to flood the world. China is modernizing its military, has...

"For many years, Japan was seen as the peculiar exception in Asia: a highly dynamic economy isolated in an otherwise moribund continent. With the rise of the Southeast Asian and Chinese economies, however, it has now become clear that Asia as a whole is experiencing an extraordinary revolution which will result, within a very few years, in living standards for some countries being on a par with those in the West."--BOOK JACKET. "The results of this...