Abstract This paper explores the game theory in international politics by analyzing a diplomatic mind game between the president of the United States, George W. Bush and the leader of Taiwan, Chen Shui-Bian. The paper demonstrates how the result from solving the game coincides with the final outcome of the situation The author also discusses, in depth, some of the external factors that affect the payoff for both sides. The paper uses online sources only.
Outline:
The Broad Picture
The Background and History
The Game Tree
Analysis
References
From the Paper "The period between 1979 and 2000 is rather uneventful with only occasional tension between China and the US. China, US and Taiwan are fairly comfortable with the status quo - although the then leader of Taiwan, Lee, made several radical speeches that irritated China. Taiwan acted largely according to the will of the US and kept the US fairly happy regarding the situation. However, things went for a sharp turn after 2000 when the current leader, Chen, was elected for the leadership role in Taiwan and largely disregarded the feeling of the US. There were some instances that angered Washington like Chen's holding a referendum during Taiwan's 2004 "Presidential" election, an act that provoked China; Chen ignored protests from Washington. Chen also broke his own pledge and dismantled a symbolic government agency in charge of reunification with mainland China. After a series of events, even Bush - who has given Taiwan an unprecedented level of military and diplomatic support since 2001, cannot stand Chen and decides to punish him a little when Chen is conducting his "transit diplomacy" en route to Paraguay in 2006. "
This paper reviews the book "Chen Village Under Mao and Deng" by Anita Chan, Richard Madesn and Jonathan Unger that studies the impact of revolutionary activities on isolated communities.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, 2005, $ 44.95
Abstract The paper examines global issues and presents a book report on the book "Chen Village Under Mao and Deng." The book report includes an examination of the authors, objectives, a summary, a look at methodology and the sources that were used. The paper also includes an evaluation section that is basically in favour of the book.
From the Paper "The effects of revolutionary activities on isolated communities have always been of interest to anthropologists and sociologists. This is precisely the issue examined in "Chen Village Under Mao and Deng." The authors of this work, Anita Chan, Richard Madesn and Jonathan Unger are all sociologists associated with Universities in Australia and the United States (Chan et al). The fact that the book is written as a sociological work is not surprising considering that it was written by three sociologists. The sociological style of the book also means that it does not have a clearly defined thesis. Instead the book is more of a general exploration of life in Chen village over the early 1960s to 1990."
Abstract The paper discusses how, in the Taiwan-based Kuomintang Political Party (KMT), the leadership nurtured economic growth and land reform that improved the standard of living for the majority of Taiwan's population. The paper proposes that the Kuomintang's suppressive nature and implementation of martial law provoked strong criticism that solidified Taiwanese identity and separation from China. The paper concludes with a discussion on Taiwan's reunification with China.
From the Paper "Furthermore to the problem of disrupted trade flows, as it must be acknowledged, Taiwan has managed to establish itself as the third largest producer of information technology products in the entire world, and this particular single industry has become the largest foreign currency generator and earner for Taiwan. This is not something, however, that is not fraught with innate risks, as demonstrated by the losses suffered by the country after the devastating earthquake recently, brought on by Taiwan's dependence on the IT industry for its blooming economy; there were just a few days of power blackouts following the earthquake, and this resulted in the complete disruption of chip manufacturing operations in the country, and this in turn meant that the prices of these components increased sky high within the next few months, all over the world."
This paper outlines Emperor Wen-ti's (581-604 C.E.) rise to power at the onset of the Sui dynasty in China beginning in 581 C.E. until its fall one emperor later in 617 C.E..
Abstract This paper explains that, after the period of dis-unification, Yan Chien proclaimed himself Emperor Wen-ti initiating the Sui dynasty, which was modeled after the earlier Han dynasty. The author points out that the Sui dynasty centralized Chinese power and returned an air of legitimacy to the imperial house; the principles of governance perfected during the Sui Dynasty remained ingrained in imperial China until its dissolution nearly 1,300 years later. The paper relates that Wen-ti chose to demolish the former capitol Ch'ang-an and rebuild it with the help of distinguished architect and engineer Yu-wen K'ai; Ch'ang-an would become not only the center of Chinese political thought but also the center of the Universe, presided over by the "Son of Heaven".
From the Paper "A man of great piety, Wen-ti actively nurtured the construction of Buddhist and Taoist temples and the recovering and re-copying of both religious and secular literature. To further the goals of unification Wen-ti issued decrees on the, "purification of Chinese literary style" (Wright 10). The Emperor offered charters to those willing to build Buddhist temples and both Wen-ti and his empress were to construct several, including one dedicated to her honor after her death in 603 CE. It is said that this temple was to house a tooth of the Buddha brought back by the pilgrim Fa-hsien from India in the fifth century (Wright 89). However pious, Wen-ti and his advisors also saw organized Buddhism as a force that needed constant monitoring in order to retain the Emperor's divine right of pronouncement on all matters of morality and public policy."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the Sui and Han dynasties of ancient China. The paper notes their differences and similarities, placing particular emphasis on the differences in legalist thought.
From the Paper "To even a casual observer, there is much in common between the Han and Sui Dynasties of ancient China. Both represent turning points in Chinese politics and culture. The creation (and to a degree the downfall) of each entails a fierce battle between old and new, the aristocratic and the peasant, and scattered power bases versus a unified state. Each was to leave a lasting impression on those that follow, indeed many of the elements of Sui success were merely a repackaging of Han innovation. So how then do we compare the two? With so much in common, the merits of each must be found in their differences rather than their commonalities. Perhaps one of the more telling contrasts is to compare the extent to which each Dynasty integrated its cosmology into its legalist structure."
Abstract This paper discusses two films that address, in different ways, the myriad small and large tragedies that were spawned by the cultural revolution in China. The 1998 "Xui Xui", directed by Joan Chen is both a love story and a story of all that was lost for all people in China during the Cultural Revolution. While, Zhang Yimou's film "To Live" tells of the subtler, less intentioned ways in which each family in China was changed by the cultural revolution.
From the Paper "Tragedy written on a small scale is still tragedy for those whose lives are touched by it. But even as we understand this we are still more compelled to try to understand those tragedies that occur on a large scale. Two films that address in ..."
Tags: Cultural Revolutionm, China, Red Squads, Joan Chen
An examination of the content and implications of the article, "A New Eutriconodont Mammal And Evolutionary Development in Early Mammals," written by Z. Luo, P. Chen, G. Li, G. Chen and M. Chen.
Abstract This paper examines and discusses the article, "A New Eutriconodont Mammal And Evolutionary Development in Early Mammals," written by Z. Luo, P. Chen, G. Li, G. Chen and M. Chen. The paper discusses the content of the article, the theory that it presents with regards to evolution and the implications of the findings on our understanding of the evolution of mammals.
From the Paper "This discovery may show that the development of these key mammalian traits in modern humans may have begun to develop long before anyone had previously thought they had, and certainly long before the development of human beings. While the possibility also exists that this may be an aberration and that this development arose and disappeared and arose again in modern mammals is also a distinct possibility, and many of their fellow researches seemed to think the latter case is more likely. More transitional fossils like this one need to be found in order to corroborate this singular find. However, the rarity of the find coupled with the unusual evolutionary connections, is certainly raising many questions in the scientific community. And questions are the beginning of true knowledge."
Abstract This paper examines the acceptance of Buddhism into the Chinese culture and describes its growth and effects on the Chinese people. The author shows how Buddhism reached levels of tremendous popularity among all social classes and was allowed to become too powerful in the eyes of the state; resulting in the political dissolution of the religion and a large amount of its infrastructure.
From the Paper "While the acceptance of Buddhism into Chinese culture was a gradual process, it eventually came to be embraced by the Sui and early Tang dynastic rulers as a tool which would help unify an empire which had previously been divided into North and South political entities. Buddhism reached levels of tremendous popularity among all social classes of Chinese civilization through its localized hierarchical structure and its ability to provide answers for questions which were not answered by the fundamental Chinese religions of the time, Taoism and Confucianism. Through its economic and political influence Buddhism became so powerful the state was required to intervene and dissolve the monastic structure for the greater good of China. This paper will identify the primary reasons for the rapid rise of Buddhism during the Sui and Tang dynasties, interpret what made Buddhism so successful economically at its height, and finally, discuss the fall of the religion during the Tang dynasty. This examination will prove three specific concepts related to Buddhism's rise and fall between the Sui and Tang. First, that Buddhism was a convenient tool which was methodically used by the Sui to take advantage of the fragmented social condition of the country and politically unite China. Second, how the rapid growth and subsequent dominance of the religion was a result of economic and political autonomy afforded by the poor management of religion by the early Tang dynasty. Finally, it will be proven that this autonomy allowed Buddhism to become too powerful in the eyes of the state; resulting in the political dissolution of the religion and a large amount of its infrastructure.
"While there is an abundance of evidence supporting the fact that Buddhism had been in existence in China as early as 130AD, there are no records of its impact on Chinese life and thought until near the end of the third century . It was not until the economic, social and political disunion of the once dominant Han Empire that Buddhism was able to spread throughout the Chinese world. Through the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties the religion gained popularity among the peasantry as well as elite members of society despite periodic suppressions from emperors who were not in favour of the relatively new faith. When the Sui dynasty was proclaimed in North China during 581, the emperor Wen di made immediate plans to conquer the South and command a unified China. It was not until 589 that his armies defeated the Chen forces at Nanking to form a politically unified China. Indeed, many problems lay ahead in truly unifying the new empire as more than one hundred and fifty years of social, political and religious practices had been separately cultivating between North and South. The practice of Buddhism, however, was an ideology shared by both North and South and one which crossed class divisions, enjoying popularity among peasantry and elites alike. As stated by Wright, "Buddhism would commend itself to the reunifying dynasty of Sui, and to its successor, the great Tang, as an instrument for knitting together two cultures", in referring to North and South differences. Indeed, part of the appeal to the Sui emperor must have been the universality of Buddhism; a concept which did not place foreigners at a disadvantage when compared to native Chinese, as Confucianism did. Recognizing this as a valuable political tool which could be used to unify his new empire, Wen di quickly converted to Buddhism soon after his conquest and subsequently made the declaration of himself as a Cakravartin King, a monarch who would defend the Buddhist faith with military force. As devout supporters of Buddhism as the Sui and early Tang were, they were careful to restrict some of the functions of the church, lest the religion gain too much power (referred to by Wright as "imperium in imperio", a principle defined as "an organization operating against the organization within which they seemingly reside") . Early Tang tendencies directed toward Buddhism, such as regulating the issuance of land titles, sales of ordination certificates, the compilation of a Buddhist canon, and utilization of a clerical examination system for prospective monks, effectively bureaucratized the religion within Tang rule. This careful administration allowed the state to remain the primary source of political and social order while still allowing the religion to flourish in accordance with the political mandates of the time. Unfortunately, this system proved unsustainable and the Tang emperors' devout patronage to the religion would create what Fairbank refers to as an "imperial Buddhism" whereby the monasteries began to assume the role of substantial landowners wielding increased social and economic influence, threatening those of the state."
Abstract This paper will discuss the article "Betrayed Into Motion: The Seduction of Narrative Desire in M. Butterfly" by Tina Chen. By analyzing the different aspects of performance perception within this paper, Chen utilizes the many aspects of theatrical critique to show Madame Butterflies deviation from common theater tradition.
Abstract The paper shows that in Chinese author Chen Yuan-tsung's novel "The Dragon's Village", land reform was hardly welcomed with open arms by the Chinese peasantry. Rather than acceptance, the individuals who took to the fields and rice paddies of China to spread the doctrine of communism, found a peasantry largely hostile to the ideology they espoused. The paper analyzes the heroine of the book, Guan Ling-ling and the conflicting emotions she has towards the ideologies of Communism.
From the Paper "This initial image of her early life sets up a clear portrait of the China Guan later hopes to change by going to the countryside. This China is patriarchal, as the women sit, waiting quietly to hear a man speak in the removed language of poetry. This China is hierarchical, as members of the urban class dine comfortably upon fine food. This is the food that the heroine of the book will later dream about as she starves in rural areas. (Chen, 1980, 280) Clearly, change is necessary in such an environment, and the protagonist's rejection of the trappings of such a life at first seems independent and admirable. However, the change created by land reform is no less absurd than the portrait of life in ostensibly communist Shanghai, in all of its near-aristocratic excesses."
Abstract Analysis of Yuan-tsung Chen's 1980 story of a young Chinese woman. Fictional tale is paralleled with struggles Chinese people go through as their country adopts Communism. Role of women in China and how the Revolution effected them. Protagonist's fight for equality; breaking down barriers between the sexes.
From the Paper "In Yuan-tsung Chen's The Dragon's Village (1980), the coming of age of a young woman, Ling-ling, is paralleled with the struggles that the people of China are going through as their country adopts communism. In the middle of revolution, land reform, and the Korean War, Ling-ling matures and discovers who she is as a woman and a person. Her tale reflects how the role of women in China frequently vacillated between emancipation and oppression during this time in history. Chen uses Ling-ling as well as the other women in her story as an example of what women in China were experiencing during this turbulent time, whether they were old, young, rich, poor, bourgeois, urban, or rural.
To understand how the revolution effected the lives of these women, one should first take a look at Chinese society and..."
Abstract This essay is about Chen Ruoxi and how she can be considered a Taiwan, as well as a Mainland-China writer. She had much experience in both non-communist and communist societies. Because of this, her stories about the Cultural Revolution, which are based on her own eye-witness experience, is very profound.
Abstract This paper examines the book, "The Execution of Mayor Yin and Other Stories from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution", by Chen Jo-hsi, a collection of short stories that show what life was like in China during the Cultural Revolution, which was created and sponsored by Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Specifically, it analyzes the author's ideas in the book and looks at how she writes of her experiences under Chinese rule and hopes to share those experiences with her readers so they understand what the Chinese people have endured under Communism.
From the Paper "From the first story, it is clear the author does not agree with the Communist rule in China, and this is one of the main ideas she carries through the book. She calls the young Red Guard "arrogant" and this is her position all through the book. The Communists and the people that support them, especially the youthful Red Guards, are arrogant and self-righteous, and they believe in the Communist Party at the expense of everything else, even their own family. People are afraid of the Guard, and they do not trust them, which the author shows is very wise by the execution of Mayor Yin, and many other happenings in the book. These people are not to be trusted. While the Red Guard were supposed to follow the teachings of Chairman Mao, and further the Cultural Revolution, they often furthered their own goals rather than the goals of the party."
Abstract This paper offers a personal view why it is theoretically preferable to be Da Chen, writer and survivor of Mao's China than K'ang-hsi, Second Emperor of the Ch'ing Dynasty of China. Mainly, this paper argues that it is more or less impossible to control a nation in an inter-connected world and it is even harder to control the world in a time and place wherein democratic principles are ascendant.
From the Paper " As someone who has been fortunate enough to study Chinese history, I feel qualified to offer my views vis-a-vis whether I would prefer to be K'ang-hsi, Second Emperor of the Ch'ing Dynasty of China or Da Chen, writer and survivor of Mao's China and (maybe) a future resident of twenty-first century China. Essentially, I am a positive person and I believe that the future is bright for China; that was not necessarily the case in the 1960s and 1970s when Da Chen was growing up under the yoke of Mao. Be that as it may, I believe that I would much rather be a young person living in twenty-first century China and looking forward to the challenges and expectations of a bright future than to be a potentate in the seventeenth century."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the film "Xiu-Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl" by Joan Chen. According to the paper, the film is a moving love story that takes place during China's cultural revolution. The paper explains that when the film's character, Wen Xiu, or Xiu Xiu, is sent to the countryside in a cultural movement to learn from Lao Jin to care for horses, she is told that she will only be there for six months, but it becomes clear that she will not be leaving the countryside again.
From the Paper "There are several places where we see the affection that Lao Jin has for Xiu Xiu. First, during the scene where the second visitor has come to Xiu Xiu, we alternately see Xiu Xiu being brutally taken advantage of, and at the same time in a different place, Lao Jin is collecting eggs. Lao Jin plans on bringing these eggs home to Xiu Xiu and the scene set in contrast to the scene in the tent turns the simple, every day act into something tender. The symbolism of the eggs, the pure white objects in the filth and dirt of a nest, also could represent the purity of Lao Jin's love."
