Reclaiming community spaces in the Mekong River transboundary commons: Shifting territorialities in Chiang Khong,Thailand

In Northern Thailand's Chiang Khong district, which lies along the banks of the Mekong River and the Thai‐Lao border, an community‐based environmental movement under the leadership of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group emerged in response to processes that have appropriated territories traditionally used by locals for state‐led economic exploitation. The Rak Chiang Khong has put up fierce opposition to large‐scale development projects such as the China‐led navigation project, which planned to blast ecologically and culturally significant rapids, and hydropower dam development along the Mekong River. As a result, local‐level governance arrangements of the transboundary commons in Chiang Khong have shifted to counter threats both within and beyond the borders of Thailand. Through adapting fishing arrangements, engaging in community‐led research and establishing village conservation zones, overlapping forms of territorialisation have emerged in response to socio‐ecological changes to the river. These new forms of territorialisation are produced by complex configurations of political, cultural, and ecological histories, politicaleconomic changes, and transboundary dynamics. These territorial strategies have been key towards reclaiming the transboundary commons of the Mekong River for riparian communities, and providing a deeper understanding of the values that drive community involvement in the transboundary environmental governance of the Mekong River.     

How transboundary processes connect commons in Japan and Thailand: A relational analysis of global commodity chains and East Asian economic integration

In this paper, with a focus on Japan and Thailand, we outline a relational environmental and economic history of East Asian economic integration (EAEI) and its implication for the commons in both places. We draw attention in particular to global commodity chains as relational processes not only of trade and investment, but also geopolitics and aid, to argue that these transborder processes have connected together commons in distant localities resulting in their simultaneous enclosure, dispossession and (re‐)commoning with implications for community vulnerabilities in positive and negative ways. To demonstrate this argument we analyse three periods of EAEI: the late nineteenth century until World War II, when Japan and Thailand both began to modernise and new trade and geopolitical relations emerged in the context of colonialism; the post‐World War II recovery until the Plaza Accord in 1986, during which time Japan rapidly industrialised, as did Thailand to a lesser extent and regionalism was largely defined by US hegemony; and the post‐Plaza Accord period, when Japan deindustrialised its labour intensive manufacture and heavy industry and Thailand rapidly industrialised and EAEI became defined by new and intensified global commodity chains.     

Scaling the environmental commons: Broadening our frame of reference for transboundary governance in Southeast Asia

The transboundary environmental commons in Southeast Asia are normally conceived in terms of shared resources and environmental impacts that transcend national borders. The Mekong's ‘fugitive resources’ of water, fish and sediment and the issue of Indonesia's smoke haze drift into Malaysia and Singapore dominate discussion. Assumed national interests shape actors and institutional arrangements for transboundary commons governance. Failure to address the governance challenges is explained in terms of their politico‐cultural failings (e.g. the ‘ASEAN Way’ of non‐interference), the weak regulatory remit of agencies with a specific transboundary governance role (Mekong River Commission), the dominant developmental agenda of subregional cooperative arrangements (Greater Mekong Subregion) or the geopolitical dominance of China (Lancang–Mekong Cooperation). This article builds on these critiques by considering the relationship between the local commons impacted by transboundary projects and the framing of the commons at an inter‐governmental level. It shows that neglect of the local commons and the impacts on them of projects with transboundary effects is partly to be explained by the institutional scaling of the transboundary commons at a country‐to‐country level. It also argues for an expanded notion of transboundary, including investment and governance flows as well as the material environmental footprint of large‐scale investments.     

Is ASEAN ready to move to multilateral cross-border electricity trade?

This paper reviews progress towards the establishment of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Power Grid (APG) and the key barriers to multilateral cross-border electricity trade in ASEAN. An analysis across political, technical, institutional, economic, environmental, social and time dimensions is employed. Using a policy sequencing framework, the paper concludes it remains premature for ASEAN to pursue a strong form of power sector market integration on account of the sizeable barriers that currently remain, especially economic and institutional barriers. Focusing on bilateral power purchase agreements and large-scale investments in solar and wind power over 2022–2030 would help to develop stronger foundations for ASEAN to make steps towards deeper regional integration in the electricity sector in subsequent years, while also being consistent with renewables adoption goals.     

云南构建区域粮食产业链及供应链对策研究

云南地处祖国西南边陲,有比邻中南半岛“世界米仓”的区位优势且资本和技术领先于周边国家,因此,云南应进一步发挥优势,依托云南系统的粮食生产、加工和储运能力以及与相关国家完善的农业经济贸易合作平台和通道,加快推进区域性粮食产业链和供应链建设,为巩固和提升国家粮食安全战略保障能力做出云南的贡献。为此,作者采用对比分析等方法,系统分析了2010—2019年云南粮食生产规模、占全国的比重、品种结构变化以及粮食安全保障体系特点、中南半岛6国粮食出口贸易情况等,找出了云南口粮生产能力下降、种粮比较效益下滑、农业“走出去”支持政策不足等问题,并进一步提出了对内要进一步落实“藏粮于地、藏粮于技”战略、提高全省粮食生产能力,对外应以农业投资和储运体系为重点提高获取境外粮食的能力,同时应做大沿边加工物流业、做优农产品进出口贸易政策等建议。     

As the world gets smaller, the chances of invasion grow

Summary While the issue of invasive alien species has important biological components, economic factors such as global trade deserve much greater attention for several reasons. First, virtually all of our planet’s ecosystems have a strong and increasing anthropogenic component that is being fed by increasing globalisation of the economy. Second, people are designing the kinds of ecosystems they find productive or congenial, incorporating species from all parts of the world through quicker and more efficient means of transportation. And third, growing travel and trade, coupled with weakening customs and quarantine controls, mean that people are both intentionally and inadvertently introducing alien species that may become invasive. The great increase in the introduction of alien species that people are importing for economic, aesthetic, accidental, or even psychological reasons is leading to more species invading native ecosystems, with disastrous results: they become invasive alien species (IAS) that have significant deleterious effects on both ecosystems and economies. This paper examines some of the important non-biological dimensions of the IAS problem, including historical, economic, cultural, linguistic, health, sociological, management, legal, military, ethical, and political dimensions. These are addressed in terms of the causes, consequences, and responses to the problem of IAS. These dimensions of IAS are fundamental, and successfully addressing the problem will call for greater collaboration between different economic sectors and among a wide range of disciplines. The Convention on Biological Diversity, the negotiations of the World Trade Organisation, and many other international agreements offer important opportunities for addressing the complex global problems of IAS through improved international cooperation.     

A new inequality? Privatisation,urban bias,migration and medical tourism

Access to health care in developing countries, the main destinations of medical tourists, is notoriously uneven, and often becoming more so. Medical tourism, urban bias and privatisation have combined to exacerbate this trend. This is exemplified in both Thailand and India, where regional areas have been disadvantaged by the migration of health-care workers to hospitals focusing on medical tourism, neo-liberal national financial provision for medical tourism (and related tourism campaigns) and evidence of trickle-down gains is lacking. Medical tourism challenges rather than complements local health care providers, distorts national health care systems, and raises critical national economic, ethical and social questions.     

On the economic interdependence between China and Japan: Challenges and possibilities

The paper presents an analysis of the economic relationship between the two most important economies in Asia. Over the last decades, the Chinese and Japanese economies have become more economically interdependent, a development which will, in the long run, impact the countries' political relationship. The paper seeks to answer the question: How can China and Japan gain from the current economic situation, further enhance their relationship and increase their synergies for regional economic development? Data on trade and Foreign Direct Investment are used in combination with primary data from interviews with Japanese and Chinese companies on how they perceive the current business situation and future potential. The result of the data analysis shows that the countries have much to gain from their economic interdependence. The firms see great potential in their respective markets but are concerned about political turbulence. Three possible scenarios for the future economic relationship are presented, including fierce competition on all markets and a leveraging of resources for mutual development between Chinese and Japanese companies.     

State Infrastructure and the Geography of Employment

ABSTRACT The effects of state public capital investment on economic growth is an important question that has been the focus of a recent substantial research effort. But the majority of this research has ignored these investments’influence on the intra-state pattern of economic activity. Yet if external agglomeration economies are important determinants of growth, then investments may indirectly affect growth by fostering or discouraging agglomeration. This paper discusses the effect of state infrastructure investments on the distribution of employment within states and the implications of these spatial effects for aggregate state employment growth. Preliminary empirical results suggest that state infrastructure investments tend to redistribute growth from areas of dense employment to other parts of the state. This redistribution may diminish agglomeration benefits offered by cities, which has the potential to reduce state growth. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications of the work for research and policy.     

Regional impact and spillover effect of public infrastructure investment: An empirical study in the Yangtze River Delta,China

Since China's reform and opening up, public infrastructure investments have significantly improved. These investments drive China's long-term economic growth. Based on panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2006 to 2017, the simultaneous equation models (SEMs) are constructed to explore the regional impact and spillover effect of infrastructures with resolving endogenous problems. Public infrastructure investment remains to have a systemic effect on household income, urban population, and land prices in certain regions. In certain region, the estimated coefficients of public infrastructure investment are consistent with expectations and significant, which are 0.523, 0.142, and 0.781 with three-stage least squares method. And the endogenous variables also affect public infrastructure investment. But, the coefficient of the spatial term is −0.019, negative and not significant. The cross-regional spillover effect of public infrastructure investment is nonsignificant using the generalized spatial three-stage least squares method.     

Dams and state security: Damming the 3S rivers as a threat to Cambodian state security

State security is a key concern for countries when dealing with transboundary river governance issues. While there is a considerable amount of literature on transboundary river cooperation in general, there has been little on transboundary cooperation and the damming of shared rivers in terms of their impacts on state security. As a result, this article seeks to answer the following questions in relation to the lower Mekong basin: (i) How is the damming process embedded in transboundary cooperation? (ii) How does this type of cooperation contribute to peace and security in the study area – the 3S river basin? And, (iii) how can transboundary cooperation be improved so as to address state security issues? To answer these questions, this study reviews the relevant literature and uses two case studies, one of the Yali Dam in Vietnam and the second of the Lower Sesan 2 Dam in Cambodia. In doing so, the article examines dam developments in the lower Mekong basin, their environmental and human security impacts, and how they contribute to or threaten state security in Cambodia. It concludes that dams on international rivers induce insecurity among states downstream and that cooperation between riparian states is key to addressing this insecurity.     

Monarch,monarchy, succession and stability in Thailand

Abstract: Many in Thailand have begun to worry about the future, when a new monarch will reign. There is fear that without the wise use of informal royal influence, Thailand may not be able to resolve future crises without major conflict. There have thus been attempts to re‐engineer the political system to increase stability, at the expense of democracy and participation. Yet, of the many achievements of King Bhumibol, perhaps the most overlooked has been his strengthening of the institutions of the monarchy. In this article, I will argue that the institutions of the monarchy have been greatly strengthened in the last four decades. Although the current monarch came to the throne with little institutional support, any future monarch will come to the throne with the assistance of large numbers of personnel, a stable budget and a council of powerful and experienced advisors. The informal role of the monarch in supporting democracy has also been shared, to some degree, with a larger and more influential privy council, and especially with its president. Consequently, future monarchical succession should see considerable continuity and stability. Such preparations make the sacrifice of democracy in pursuit of stability unnecessary and unfortunate.     

The Dynamic Firm–Territory Nexus of Taiwanese Informatics Industry Investments in China

ABSTRACT This article explores the transformation of industrial systems in transborder investments made by Taiwanese information technology investors in China. It asks how cross‐border firms would operate in these new territories. The study found that, by and large, Taiwanese investors chose to respond strategically to the tensions in different ways at different stages. At first, regarding China as a land of cheap labor and land, they relocated the Taiwanese industrial system in such a way as to avoid disturbing the hosting regions. The situation changed as China’s market emerged confidently and opened gradually to foreign investors after the mid‐1990s. Exploring this huge new market in China provided a mandate for Taiwanese investors to prosper. They opened up their firm boundaries and added new departments of research, development, and marketing. They developed from being merely export subcontractors to producing their own brand‐name goods. In the most recent stage, Taiwanese investors have created networks to tap into local resources to support new activities. Echoing Yeung (2005) in a recent issue of this journal, this article argues that new investments change the developmental trajectories of the host regions and, at the same time, the regions imbued the incoming firms with their own regional stamp. From this perspective, location and localization decisions by cross‐strait firms may be regarded as geographically sensitive strategies whereby firms, as reflexive agents, protect and reinforce their competence through the evolution of a firm–territory nexus.     

江苏省物流业对GDP影响的多元回归模型分析

为了研究江苏省GDP与物流业之间的经济增长关系,以江苏省1986-2012年全省主要经济指标：人均GDP、进出口总额、物流业增加值、固定资产投资额、港口货物吞吐量作为研究对象,运用Eviews软件对江苏省GDP进行回归分析。并建立了物流业增加值、港口货物吞吐量影响因素在内的江苏省GDP的预测模型。同时,通过建立物流业增加值、港口货物吞吐量的模型,对这些影响因素进行预测,从而对江苏省GDP进行预测。实证分析表明物流增加值和港口货物吞吐量与江苏GDP之间有明显的线性关系,因此这两者的持续快速健康发展将对该省GDP的持续快速健康发展起积极的促进作用,最终结果显示该模型具有较好的预测效果,可为江苏省制定经济发展目标提供依据和参考。     

农村经济发展状况和生活环境对流动决策的影响

本文运用Tobit模型和调查数据,考察了农村经济社会发展状况对农村劳动力流动行为决策的影响。结果发现：农村经济发展状况整体上对农村劳动力流动产生显著的负向作用;农村基础设施对农村劳动力流动也产生负向影响。在中国城乡二元结构长期作用下,即便在惠农、强农的政策体系和促进城乡经济社会一体化发展的制度框架已初步建立,县域经济和乡镇企业发展迅速的大环境下,农村经济和生活环境的改善,并不能从根本上阻挡农村劳动力向城市流动的趋势。建议政府切实贯彻“一号文件”,以社会主义新农村建设为契机,将有限的资源重点投入到既能促进农民外出打工又能增加劳动力在本地转移的公共事业和基础设施建设上。     

The brokerage role of small states and territories in global corporate networks

Global economic activity is networked through cross‐national linkages between firm headquarters, branches, and subsidiaries. Brokerage emerges as a key territorial function of this network, with some places acting as gateways or intermediaries for flows of global knowledge, information, or trade. This function is particularly salient for small states and territories leveraging the benefits of borrowed size by offering global professional services, warehousing, logistics, shipping, and finance to wealthy nations or high net individuals. Nonetheless, to date our understanding of how small states and territories facilitate wealth accumulation is limited to broad concepts of their role as “gateways” or “brokers.” Drawing on a typology of brokerage and a network analysis applied to the ties between approximately 700,000 firm headquarter and subsidiary locations of 13 of the world's largest stock exchanges, we explore the brokerage role of small states and territories through case studies of Luxembourg, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Panama. Brokerage is found to play an important role in the economy of all four. We argue that each of these small states and territories is uniquely positioned as a broker in global corporate networks, but that this role differs according to geo‐economic and political positionality.     

The challenge of sustainable tourism development in the Maldives: Understanding the social and political dimensions of sustainability

Issues of power and politics are central to the development of the tourism sector and its prospects for contributing to sustainable development. This is demonstrated through a case study of the evolution of tourism in the Maldives, a luxury tourism destination where the government has followed a consistent policy of ‘quality tourism’ that has often been cited as a prime example of sustainable tourism. However, recently concerns have been raised about environmental degradation, human rights abuses, connections between the political and economic elite, and huge economic disparities associated with tourism here. Research on sustainable tourism needs to recognise the state's pivotal role in directing tourism development and consider how states balance the competing interests of other powerful tourism stakeholders.     

中国与泰国农产品贸易竞争性和互补性研究

泰国是中国的友好邻邦,农产品贸易合作不断深化。2016年,泰国农业和合作部推动大面积种植计划,大幅度提高粮食产量,势必对农产品进出口产生影响。在新形势下对中国与泰国农产品贸易特征进行研究,可以为农业部门对外贸易决策提供依据。研究结果表明：2006年至2015年,中国与泰国农产品贸易额不断扩大,蔬菜、水果、水产品、棉花、谷物、糖类的贸易量较大;中国农产品的RCA指数全部小于1,泰国农产品的RCA指数全部大于1;中国农产品出口对泰国农产品进口的TCI指数均小于1,2008年至2015年泰国农产品出口对中国农产品进口的TCI指数均大于1。     

Is There a Trade and Defense Perimeter? The Regional Impacts of Trade and Defense Spending in the United States, 1978-1986

Using an expanded shift share technique to impute international trade-related industrial job change, the extent to which structural changes in trade and defense spending appear to explain state economic performance differentials is explored. The findings show there is limited support for the “trade perimeter” argument, but strong support for the hypothesized relationship between military procurement spending and state trade performance. To the extent that defense commitments, especially to private sector procurement and R & D, have operated as an informal industrial policy, particularly by guaranteeing strong domestic sales, they have enabled a significant number of states peripheral to the traditional industrial heartland to build a strong international trade posture. The conclusion offers observations on the economic development implications of these findings.     

The Power of Governance in Financial Relationships: Governing Tensions in Exotic Infrastructure Territory

ABSTRACT The scope of financial products has recently extended to include investments in infrastructure assets that were previously community owned. While private investment in infrastructure is not new, the rise of institutional investors searching for infrastructure investments to match long‐term liabilities is a recent phenomenon. Most cannot hire the necessary expertise or take on the relatively large risks that accompany undertaking such endeavors in‐house, with many opting to place capital in specialised infrastructure funds. While there is a plethora of studies on various aspects of public and corporate governance, this paper concentrates on the governance of relationships between institutional investors and their infrastructure fund managers, contributing to the growing body of literature on financial geographies through a focus on the decision‐making of financial actors at the micro level, where the origins and destination of capital into geographies are determined. This private governance is defined as the “regulation” by private agents, insofar as they must anticipate and deal with potential or inherent conflicts of interest. Even as the “embedded” argument stresses the role of concrete personal relations and networks in generating trust, when interests need to be safeguarded in new and unfamiliar settings such as in infrastructure equity investing, the scope of private governance plays a central role in creating the financial relationship. This is supported through a discussion of four problems in private infrastructure governance, which are affected by but also have an impact upon the development of trust and long‐term relationships. Despite differing constraints and various degrees of negotiating leverage, innovative economic action is structured through anticipating and aligning diverging interests of (new) social relations.