Rural electrification programs are being implemented around the world to provide access to clean energy and fight energy poverty. Even though great achievements have been made in the past decades,...Show moreRural electrification programs are being implemented around the world to provide access to clean energy and fight energy poverty. Even though great achievements have been made in the past decades, especially in China, there are still obstacles which need to be overcome. Providing long-term benefits to the rural poor is rarely achieved due to neglected institutional, technical but also social factors. Most importantly, the approach governments adopt for implementing such programs has a strong effect on how successful policy goals are reached. By looking into centralized and decentralized approaches to electrification, this thesis uncovers the advantages and shortcomings found in two case studies in China and Bangladesh. In particular, this thesis analyses how the decentralized “evolutionary approach” can overcome some of the present obstacles in the Chinese socio-political context and thereby contribute to more sustainable rural development and poverty alleviation. Overall the results point towards a viable incorporation of more decentralized aspects into Chinese policy experimentation and future rural electrification pilot projects within China and ultimately further countries.Show less
This thesis covers, by using the Netherlands as a case study, the position of small states in the international system. China’s rise as a leader in global governance has stirred up many debates in...Show moreThis thesis covers, by using the Netherlands as a case study, the position of small states in the international system. China’s rise as a leader in global governance has stirred up many debates in the West on how to cope with increasing Chinese activism in the world. There is the fear of China expanding its influence and challenging the existing Western institutions, but also the hope of China, bringing more opportunities to the developing and developed countries. This research will analyze Sino-Dutch trade and Chinese FDI in the Netherlands. In the end, a proposal will be provided on how the Dutch government can respond, by applying a constructivist approach with protectionist elements, and balance both the hopes and fears of Chinese influences in their domestic market.Show less
Departing from materialist understanding of the South China Sea conflict, this paper foregrounds the role of ideas in producing the rivalry between China and the Philippines. Guided by...Show moreDeparting from materialist understanding of the South China Sea conflict, this paper foregrounds the role of ideas in producing the rivalry between China and the Philippines. Guided by constructivist theory of international relations fused with the rivalry approach to conflict, this undertaking has shown how an intersubjective and institutionalised conception of space generated the rivalry. Three ideas are identified as consequential: new cartographic ideas which promoted linearly demarcated boundaries, sovereignty as the power to exclude non-citizens, and the territorialisation of the sea.Show less
The theory on (security) regionalism has shown that both the SCO and AU are considered to be part of ‘weak state IO’s’, which was proven through the variables put forward by Kelly. Both the SCO and...Show moreThe theory on (security) regionalism has shown that both the SCO and AU are considered to be part of ‘weak state IO’s’, which was proven through the variables put forward by Kelly. Both the SCO and AU strengthen sovereignty by turning the security dilemma inwards, so as to handle the issue themselves, with varying degrees of success. However, the AU is susceptible to intervention from above or from one of its members, if the situation is deemed sufficiently worrying and ‘grave circumstances’ have been observed. The relationships between the individual states and their regional organisations are significantly different, due to their own power projection capabilities. China’s power projection capability is the second largest in the world and will continue to improve, as military spending will increase. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s socio-economic and governance issues have been obstacles in acquiring sufficient growth and thus projecting power. This was also shown in the case study and the government’s approach to handling the issue, eventually leading to the formation of the MNJTF together with its mandate to defeat Boko Haram. By imposing hard-hitting measures on the region, China is able to keep terrorist attacks inside the country to a minimum, while allowing law enforcement agencies to catch-up with the terrorists. This is exactly how the CT theory was explained in theory and thus proves its efficacy in action. The African Union’s military approach has emerged through the lack of control Nigeria’s government has over its territory and lack of effective law enforcement measures. As Boko Haram spread across borders, a multinational task force was established to combat the group. It shows that the framework to combat terrorism established by the SCO RATS has a more effective approach. However, due to the nature of these autocratic regimes and the tendency of elites in these regimes to use the regional security organisations for the purpose of promoting their “collective internal security”, the chance remains high for abuses of power, suppression of minorities and human rights abuses. This is what the thesis found for the situation in China; with the contested designation of ETIM as a terrorist organization, and ‘loose’ framework in SCO RATS to designate all unwanted ‘activities’ as terrorism. Although it has proven significantly effective, the provisions in the SCO RATS are at times vague such as ‘preventive measures’, which could be used to manipulate or even infringe upon basic human rights. Therefore, this paper would recommend to implement a regional oversight committee, including neutral UN observers which would provide checks and balances on the military (hard) and law enforcement (soft) measures. This seems highly unlikely, China’s capabilities have proven to be effective in getting international recognition but handling the issue discreetly by itself. Therefore, for China or other SCO members to ask for outsiders to join contradicts the essence of what the SCO is in the eyes of China, a way to gain international legitimacy and recognition, but also a way to keep external influence out of the region and letting them handle the problem by their own.Show less
