Gunter Schubert

Jens Damm

The tension between Taiwan's globalization and its ongoing identity formation is clearly visible in the economic, political and societal spheres of the island republic. Against this background, the authors of this volume deal with the following questions: To what extent has Taiwan become part of the Greater China region and - in that sense - a part of "China"? How successful have Taiwan's endeavors been to escape "China", assert its own identity and communicate this to the international community? How does Taiwanese identity connect to its integration within "Greater China" and beyond, that is, to its being part of a gobalized (transnational) world? The varied focus and range of the papers in this volume show that politically, the result of the debate on Taiwan's (national) identity is undecided; economically, however, Taiwan has become part of a Greater China region and cross-Strait integration would thus seem to be inevitable.

Taiwanese Identity from Domestic, Regional and Global Perspectives

Mechthild Leutner

Networks ranging from village level to transnational level have always played a crucial role in Chinese society. The contributors to this volume aim to trace the interaction between various networks which have existed from the 19th century to the present day. The articles deal with theoretical concepts, historical examples, such as non-state responses to the North China Famine (1876 - 1879), the role of missionaries in the modernization of China and disaster management, including recent inter-ethnic business competition in Hong Kong, Han settlers in Xinjiang, temple festivals in Macau and urban migrants' social networks in today's China. By drawing on new material and theoretical frameworks, these studies shed fresh light on the ways in which various forms of networks have shaped Chinese society, while at the same time questioning traditional and rigid perspectives of Chinese society based solely on networks and guanxi.

China Networks

Hauke Neddermann

China as a place of isolation hiding from the world behind a great wall – an image which has become exposed as a pejorative cliché. However, The opposite is the case: The country has been immersed in transnational and transcultural exchange for centuries. China was, is and will be part of a global context. This volume sheds new light on the dimensions of China’s continuous engagement with the world: as an inspiration for European garden designers, as a participant in global dialogue on culture, law and innovative technology, as a destination for academics, business leaders and refugees, but also – and increasingly so – as a powerful political actor in Asia and throughout the world.

Perspectives on and from China

China in a Global Context

Niu Dayong

The rapidly changing role of China - once an isolated pariah state, now a G-20 member and an emerging superpower in Asia and beyond - is one of the factors to be considered in any conceptualization of the current state of global affairs. The articles in this issue offer preliminary insights into the expansive topic of China's diversified economic, political and cultural interactions with the world. U.S. policies towards Tibet during the Cold War period are examined as well as current global Chinese business networks, China's foreign policy in the 21st century, and the developing relations between China and the five Central Asian states. Jens Damm is an Associate Professor at Chang Jung University, Tainan. He is currently leading a three-year research project at the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Mechthild Leutner is Professor emerita of Modern Chinese History and Culture at Freie Universitaet Berlin. Niu Dayong is a Professor of the History Department, Peking University. His research is mainly focused on the interactions between China and foreign powers in recent decades.

Historical and Contemporary Aspects

China's Interaction with the World

Isabelle Cheng

This issue of the journal Berliner China-Hefte / Chinese History and Society, themed 'Taiwan: Self vs. Other' brings together outstanding contributions from the 11th annual European Association of Taiwan (EATS) conference, which was held at the University of Portsmouth in 2014. The various papers included here examine how Taiwan perceives and projects itself to its domestic and international audiences by employing a wide variety of case studies. (Series: Chinese History and Society / Berliner China-Hefte, Vol. 47) [Subject: ?Asian Studies, Sociology]

Self vs. Other

Taiwan

This issue of the Berliner Chinahefte/Chinese History and Society deals with cultural exchanges between China and the outside world and with their impact, mostly in terms of questions regarding tradition and modernity. China is understood more as an area composed of certain cultural elements which may include the Chinese (and Taiwanese) diaspora, where a sense of belonging still exists, and which exerts influence on everyday culture and habits.

China between Tradition and Modernity

Intercultural Dialogue across Borders

Simona Thomas

The internet is developing more extensively in China than any other country in the world. Chinese Cyberspaces provides multidisciplinary perspectives on recent developments and the consequences of internet expansion in China. Including first-hand research and case studies, the contributors examine the social, political, cultural and economic impact of the internet in China. The book investigates the political implications of China's internet development as well as the effect on China’s information policy and overall political stability. The contributors show how although the digital divide has developed along typical lines of gender, urban versus rural, and income, it has also been greatly influenced by the Communist Party’s attempts to exert efficient control. This topical and interesting text gives a compelling overview of the current situation regarding the Chinese internet development in China, while clearly signalling potential future trends.

Jens Damm

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