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This Week at ISN

16 20 December 2013

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Will China Collapse?

When it comes to economic development and geopolitical power, China has indeed come a long way over the past thirtyfive years. However, does that mean a 'Rising China' is no longer burdened with existential problems that need urgent attention? And is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the leadership of Xi Jinping up to the challenge of managing these problems? In this dossier, we first grapple with these questions by examining Beijing's current reform agenda, how it's dealing with interethnic conflict, and why in the face of sporadic protests it often bows to citizens' demands. We then look at the dark side of China's economic growth and ponder how it might affect its ability to shape global affairs in the future.

Chinese Communism and the 70-Year Itch

16 December 2013

China's government is approaching an age that is often fatal for single party regimes. Yet, while Larry Diamond warns that a system-wide crisis could occur at any time, the fall of the Chinese Communist Party would be an unwelcome development both at home and abroad. More

China's New Reforms in Theory and Practice

17 December 2013

Xi Jinping will spearhead the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) latest round of political and economic reforms. So which of the two types will most likely receive higher priority? According to William Overholt, economic reforms will continue to trump real political change well into the future. More

Fragmented Authoritarianism and Protest Channels

18 December 2013

The Chinese government continues to repress its political opponents. Yet, every now and then Beijing deviates from the script and comes down on the side of the protestors. This, according to Yao Li, reflects the Chinese Communist Party's determination to maintain social stability at all costs. More

Ethnic Policy in China: Is Reform Inevitable?

19 December 2013

Chinese public opinion is gradually coalescing around the idea that Beijing needs to rethink its ethnic policies. So what should we expect and will it decrease the likelihood of further outbreaks of ethnic conflict within the country? Well, don't hold your breath, warns James Leibold. More

China: The Dark Side of Growth

20 December 2013

China's rapid economic development has come at a heavy cost, with severe environmental degradation, widening inequality and other problems pointing towards a troubled future. As Yanzhong Huang sees it, Beijing needs to address these problems now rather than later, especially if it aspires to be a true global power. More

// Security Watch
Impasse in Japan-Korea Relations Is an Opportunity for Resolution
16 December 2013

Why have relations between Tokyo and Seoul taken a dramatic turn for the worse under the regimes of Shinzo Abe and Park Geun-hye? According to Kazuhiko Togo, four mutually-reinforcing structural problems are to blame. More

Syria's Chemical Weapons: Is the UN Exceeding Its Mandate?

17 December 2013

Do the plans to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpile overstep their mandate and even complicate existing international treaties and conventions? Bob Rigg believes so. In fact, the UN-sponsored plans are an open invitation to future troubles. More

Egypt's Protest Law: The Interim Government and the Fabrication of Problems
18 December 2013

What conclusions can we draw from the Egyptian government's recently enacted protest laws? According to Nader Bakkar, Cairo is making the same mistakes the Morsi regime made and it has accumulated a set of political powers that are reminiscent of the Mubarak era. More

Solving the EU's Southern Immigration Problems

19 December 2013

The unrelenting tide of illegal immigrants from across the Mediterranean Sea is not the fault of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) per se, writes Jochen Klingler. It's the lack of cooperation between the northern and southern flanks of the European Union (EU) that is to blame. More

Summing up Ukraine's 2013 OSCE Chairmanship

20 December 2013

Was Ukraine's chairmanship of the OSCE a roaring success or a damp squib? Perhaps a little bit of both, says Matthew Rojansky. Kyiv's stewardship and its relationship with major regional powers was sound enough. Unfortunately, ambition, enthusiasm and creativity were sadly lacking. More

// Blog
Pakistan's Political Renaissance
16 December 2013

Shahid Javed Burki is confident that Pakistan is now on its way to becoming a true democracy. Not only is executive authority back in the hands of elected representatives, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has recently taken three important steps to rein in the country's armed forces. More

Bringing the Iran Deal Back Home

17 December 2013

The US helped to broker the deal that temporarily suspends aspects of Iran's nuclear program. But what happens next? According to Anne-Marie Slaughter, Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani now face the difficult task of selling the agreement to allies, skeptical domestic opponents and their electorates. More

South Africa's Winnable AIDS Battle

18 December 2013

Is South Africa finally on the offensive in its battle against HIV/AIDS? Tochukwu Akunyili thinks so. Today, he highlights the three critical steps Pretoria has taken to contain the spread of the epidemic and, by extension, demonstrate that it is serious about tackling this devastating disease. More

The Afghan Muddle

19 December 2013

Will the disparate regimes that make up Afghanistan's near-neighborhood come together and provide a regional solution to the country's insecurity? It won't be easy, says Jaswant Singh, but that doesn't stop him from outlining the preconditions the countries will have to meet if any solution is going to work. More

What's Ailing France?

20 December 2013

According to Michel Rocard, France's domestic political and economic woes boil down to two problems 1) its politicians are not applying the lessons of the past to current challenges, and 2) they are more interested in diversionary political tactics than providing genuine leadership. Both practices must change, argues Rocard. More

// Video
Deciphering China's Third Plenum: Politics, Policy, and Prospects
This video focuses on the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, which took place in November 2013. In paticular, it looks at who bureaucratically gained and lost at the plenum, how decisions made at the session will shape China's future economic policy, and how the latter will impact US-China relations. More

Humanitarian Negotiations: Talking to the 'Other Side'

In this video, four practitioners discuss the negotiating processes state and non-state actors have to go through in order to perform humanitarian aid. In particular, they focus on the give-and-take of such negotiations, the tools they have developed to facilitate them, and the different types of groups they have to bargain with. More

China Dreams: 20 Visions of the Future

In this video, the London School of Economics' William Callahan discusses how Chinese Premier Xi Jinping's concept of the "China Dream" has evolved and how it might shape the country's aspirations in the future. More

Coming Up
The ISN is running a different publishing schedule over the Christmas holiday period. The normal schedule will return on 06 January 2014.

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