During the past couple of decades China has witnessed a gradual shift in which it increasingly prioritises the environment and climate change as important global issues whereby it subscribes itself...Show moreDuring the past couple of decades China has witnessed a gradual shift in which it increasingly prioritises the environment and climate change as important global issues whereby it subscribes itself a leading role.This thesis explored the motives behind China’s shift regarding these issues, on the basis of Chinese policy documents, and by doing so analysed what the implications are for its role in global governance. It argues that China pursues a more dominant position in global governance, as international reasons for China's policy shift are its main motivation, in contrast to less important national reasons. As China clearly uses the environment and climate change as powerful political tools for pursuing its own interest, its future national and international actions on these topics are very unreliable.Show less
A research on the conflict in the South China Sea between China and other claimant states. This thesis tries to answer the question how China has been able to maintain its dominance and activities...Show moreA research on the conflict in the South China Sea between China and other claimant states. This thesis tries to answer the question how China has been able to maintain its dominance and activities in the South China Sea despite the negative ruling of the arbitral case between China and the Philippines. Special focus is being given to the explanation of absence of expected conflict between China and other claimant states or third parties (e.g. the Philippines, Vietnam and the US). The thesis concludes that conflict has stayed out mainly due to political change in involved countries, China's use of its recently increased hard and soft power and because of ineffectiveness of international institutions to solve these kind of conflicts.Show less
The 21st century has seen China emerge as a leading global actor. China’s rise has been multifaceted as the East Asian state has become a leading political, strategic and economic power. China’s...Show moreThe 21st century has seen China emerge as a leading global actor. China’s rise has been multifaceted as the East Asian state has become a leading political, strategic and economic power. China’s rise has also extended to the UN. Since the turn of the century, China has undoubtedly increased it’s influence and become a leading UN peacekeeping force. This Thesis argues that China’s emergence and active contribution has impacted the UN’s peacekeeping norms. Since the 1940s, decades of Western dominance over the UN’s peacekeeping agenda displayed a liberal character and came to embrace ideas such as interventionism and the promotion of human rights. As China has increasingly engaged with the UN peacekeeping agenda and participated in UN peacekeeping missions, the UN has been influenced by China’s very distinct peacekeeping values, such as the promotion of state sovereignty.Show less
Over the years, China has engaged in a multiplicity of strategies to coerce Taiwan towards unification, and the Taiwanese towards assimilating under a singular Chinese identity. After the 2014...Show moreOver the years, China has engaged in a multiplicity of strategies to coerce Taiwan towards unification, and the Taiwanese towards assimilating under a singular Chinese identity. After the 2014 Sunflower Movement protests in Taiwan, China identified the Taiwanese youth as a target demographic for coercive measures. The state has rolled out a number of incentives to induce young, talented Taiwanese to migrate to China. Through a series of in-depth interviews with young Taiwanese migrants in China, this paper seeks to ascertain whether or not living in China for extended periods of time affects Taiwanese attitudes towards national identity and cross-strait unification. The paper finds that although Taiwanese are gratified with the personal development and career development time in China affords them, they do not change their attitudes towards national identity nor unification by virtue of living in China and interacting with Chinese people. They undertake several practices in order to negotiate their national identity that ultimately end up reinforcing it.Show less
China recently revised its history textbook, such that the duration of the Second Sino-Japanese war has now been expanded from 8 years to 14 years, and this change has led to wide criticism,...Show moreChina recently revised its history textbook, such that the duration of the Second Sino-Japanese war has now been expanded from 8 years to 14 years, and this change has led to wide criticism, especially from Japan and Taiwan. Historical conflicts have always played an important role in shaping Chinese relations with Japan and Taiwan, as they cannot reach a common understanding about their shared historical memory.Regarding the Second Sino-Japanese War, each of the three sides have provided different depictions in their history textbooks. This thesis only focuses on the differences between Taiwan and Mainland China. Based on the findings above, the differences in the depictions of this war are mainly caused by the distinctive political interests and ideologies of the two sides. Furthermore, since this thesis also compares the history textbooks published on one side across time, between the 1980s and 2017, there also exist changes in a country’s political interests and ideology across time that also affect the textbooks.Show less
Although there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact...Show moreAlthough there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact management has on the sites themselves, the locals, the economy and the environment. This thesis will focus on two case studies, Lijiang and Dali, both ancient cities in Yunnan. In particular it will research two models of cultural heritage management, which are the government and government/private combination led models, and then proceed to discover what model appears to have the most seemingly ‘positive’ impacts the aforementioned aspects.Show less
