On July 13, 2013, the Philippines filed an arbitration case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, against China’s increasingly assertive claims in the South China Sea...Show moreOn July 13, 2013, the Philippines filed an arbitration case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, against China’s increasingly assertive claims in the South China Sea (SCS). Three years later, the Court awarded outcomes in favour of the Philippines, rejecting China’s nine-dash line sovereignty claims. As scholars provide different interpretations of China’s subsequent behaviour, this thesis contributes to such debates by examing China’s economic diplomacy towards the Philippines, understanding such tools to serve both political and economic objectives. Analyzing official government statements and contemporary news reports, it is found that China has applied economic diplomacy to both pressure the Philippines over SCS issues and to vigorously promote and improve bilateral economic relations. This has led to China’s economic diplomacy downplaying the significance of the PCA ruling while accentuating the importance of bilateral economic ties.Show less
In the last few years, the topic of sustainable development has gained international traction. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are far diverse and far-reaching. Therefore, for China to...Show moreIn the last few years, the topic of sustainable development has gained international traction. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are far diverse and far-reaching. Therefore, for China to achieve the 2030 SDG’s, China needs to take a multistakeholder approach. This thesis focuses on the youth as the primary stakeholder for analysis. The role that youth participation plays towards SDGs in China, however, remains relatively unexplored in academic research. Yet the youth is an important stakeholder, as it holds significant importance for their future. The youth in China represents a significant demographic where 227 million youths account for 17% of the population. This thesis seeks to take an exploratory approach to understand how youth participation (YP) in China plays a role in China’s national and international ambitions to achieving global SDGs. Because of the lacuna in literature which connects youth participation, the SDG’s and China simultaneously, the relevance and current debates that contribute to the context of SDGs in China and youth participation are first explored separately in the first two chapters. Before introducing the case studies, the third chapter outlines the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework has chosen contemporary models of Jans and Backer youth work and social participation1 and the Typology of Youth Participation and Empowerment (TYPE) framework. They are used to understand social context and the influence of the youth-adult power dynamic in youth participation of the SDGs in China. The fourth chapter introduces the methodology, the case studies, and limitations of the research. The fifth chapter highlights findings of youth participation, and the last chapter provides analysis and discussion of the results to answer the research question.Show less
