Politics: East Asia
Contents
Lecture 1 – 3-9 – The Politics of Japan .................................................................................................... 2
Lecture 2 – 10-9 – the politics of the PRC ............................................................................................. 17
Lecture 3 – 17-9 – The History and Politics of Taiwan .......................................................................... 31
Lecture 4 – 24-9 – the history and politics of Hong Kong ..................................................................... 44
Lecture 5 – 1-10 – The Politics of South Korea...................................................................................... 58
Lecture 6 – 8-10 – the politics of North Korea ...................................................................................... 70
Lecture 7 – 29-10 – nationalism and the legacy of history ................................................................... 86
Lecture 8 – 5-11 – international relations and territorial disputes ..................................................... 101
Lecture 9 – 12-11 – the rise of China................................................................................................... 114
Lecture 10 – 19-11 – civil society and social movements ................................................................... 131
Lecture 11 – 26-11 – feminism in East Asia ......................................................................................... 147
Lecture 12 – 3-12 – x ........................................................................................................................... 159
1
,Lecture 1 – 3-9 – The Politics of Japan
Issues in Japanese politics
- Economy – Abenomics
o Three arrows
▪ fiscal stimulus
▪ monetary easing
▪ structural reforms
- Education
- Demographics
- Gender
o “declaration of action” by a group of male leaders who will create “a society in which
women shine”
- Health and environment
- Regional cooperation
The rise
- Post-war reindustrialization in record time
o Immediate, unexpected and unique rise after the second world war
- One of the highest standards of living in the world
o Maintained until today
- High point of economic and political stability and growth: 1975-1989
o Relatively short period of time
o Financial stability and job security is associated with this time period
- Followed by “the lost decade(s)” from 1990
o Temporary and part time employment
o Very little economic growth
o Stagnation
o Inability to deal with economic and political problems
➔ Notable: massive contrast 1980s (economic growth, political stability and growing cultural
clout and self-confidence) and 1990s and after (economic stagnation, political ossification
and lack of self-confidence)
o Roaring economy vs doom and gloom
Remarkable economic progress of Japan:
➔
o Growth in real per capita GDP in Japan, Britain, and the US, 1870-2008
▪ Natural log of per capita GDP in 1990 international Geary-Khamis dollars)
After the 1980s the real estate bubble burst
2
, ➔ Japan was not about to be the number one in the world so the roaring economy was
overstated
➔ The doom and gloom of the lost decades is overstated as well
- Several “lost decades” have led to crisis of confidence
o Structural issues that the country does not get a grip on
- Stark contrast exuberant 1980s with following decades
- Structural economic issues and demographic timebomb endlessly lamented but never
resolved
- Last decades have seen rise in more ugly Japanese nationalism, however this is definitely not
a majority sentiment
- Despite all this: Japan is in many ways a thriving and stable middle-class society
- In 1980s “Japan as number one” rhetoric was overblown, but so is today’s pessimistic view
o Japan was never on the way to become the economic hegemony of the world but
Japanese people currently are not unhappy either
- The History Issue has led to highly problematic relations within East Asia and can be
considered perhaps Japan’s greatest international challenge today
o Colonial past
Post-war Japan
Political themes in Japan 1945-present
- Imperialism and war
o The History Issue
o Shaped relations with neighbouring countries
- Atomic energy and nuclear weapons
o Trauma
▪ Hiroshima
▪ Nagasaki
o Anti-nuclear weaponry sentiment
- Relations with West and with Asia
o What should the relation be with the West/USA?
o What are the relations between japan and Asia?
Japan in Asia? Out of Asia? – Fukuzawa Yukichi 1885
➔ Focus on relations with the west
➔ Move away from Asia
➔ the terminology used in the present debate is very different but the message is the same
The political system
- From the 1880s: first western style government in Asia
- Parliamentary system modelled on Bismarck’s Prussia
o First western style political system in Asia
- Post-war: multiparty system with free elections
- Parliament largely similar to other democratic countries (West)
- Though with unique system of vote distribution
o First Past the Post
o Proportional Representation
- Unusual: “one party dominant” system
3
, o Normal democratic parliamentary system
o One party is continuously the dominant one for decades on end
o Japan is unique in this respect at present
▪ Similar: Italy and Sweden in the past
o LDP has been the main dominant party until today
▪ Minus some minor gaps
10 April 1946: women’s vote (universal suffrage)
- Only enshrined in the constitution in 1947
The Japanese constitution (1947)
- Three pillars
o Democracy
o Pacifism
▪ famous article 9
o Rights and duties
- Article 9: pacificity
1947 constitution
- Replaced quasi-absolute monarchy (war times) with liberal democracy
- Drafted under supervision of SCAP
o South Central Asia Programs
▪ local governance
▪ mobilization of women voters
▪ access to information
▪ the rule of law
▪ political party development
▪ independent media
- Significant input from Japanese liberal and pacifist politicians
➔ Hard to amend: 2/3 majority both houses of parliament plus referendum
o Not unusual
Constitution chapter II: renunciation of war
➔ Article 9: aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the
Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or
use of force as means of settling international disputes.
In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well
as all other war potential, will never be maintained.
The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
o Topic of contention in Japanese politics
▪ especially throughout the last decades
o Abe Shinzo’s profile is very much connected to the possible revision of article 9
o Very unique in international politics
o Dilemma: modernizing defence forces
o Summary
▪ No foreign wars
▪ No armed forces
4
Contents
Lecture 1 – 3-9 – The Politics of Japan .................................................................................................... 2
Lecture 2 – 10-9 – the politics of the PRC ............................................................................................. 17
Lecture 3 – 17-9 – The History and Politics of Taiwan .......................................................................... 31
Lecture 4 – 24-9 – the history and politics of Hong Kong ..................................................................... 44
Lecture 5 – 1-10 – The Politics of South Korea...................................................................................... 58
Lecture 6 – 8-10 – the politics of North Korea ...................................................................................... 70
Lecture 7 – 29-10 – nationalism and the legacy of history ................................................................... 86
Lecture 8 – 5-11 – international relations and territorial disputes ..................................................... 101
Lecture 9 – 12-11 – the rise of China................................................................................................... 114
Lecture 10 – 19-11 – civil society and social movements ................................................................... 131
Lecture 11 – 26-11 – feminism in East Asia ......................................................................................... 147
Lecture 12 – 3-12 – x ........................................................................................................................... 159
1
,Lecture 1 – 3-9 – The Politics of Japan
Issues in Japanese politics
- Economy – Abenomics
o Three arrows
▪ fiscal stimulus
▪ monetary easing
▪ structural reforms
- Education
- Demographics
- Gender
o “declaration of action” by a group of male leaders who will create “a society in which
women shine”
- Health and environment
- Regional cooperation
The rise
- Post-war reindustrialization in record time
o Immediate, unexpected and unique rise after the second world war
- One of the highest standards of living in the world
o Maintained until today
- High point of economic and political stability and growth: 1975-1989
o Relatively short period of time
o Financial stability and job security is associated with this time period
- Followed by “the lost decade(s)” from 1990
o Temporary and part time employment
o Very little economic growth
o Stagnation
o Inability to deal with economic and political problems
➔ Notable: massive contrast 1980s (economic growth, political stability and growing cultural
clout and self-confidence) and 1990s and after (economic stagnation, political ossification
and lack of self-confidence)
o Roaring economy vs doom and gloom
Remarkable economic progress of Japan:
➔
o Growth in real per capita GDP in Japan, Britain, and the US, 1870-2008
▪ Natural log of per capita GDP in 1990 international Geary-Khamis dollars)
After the 1980s the real estate bubble burst
2
, ➔ Japan was not about to be the number one in the world so the roaring economy was
overstated
➔ The doom and gloom of the lost decades is overstated as well
- Several “lost decades” have led to crisis of confidence
o Structural issues that the country does not get a grip on
- Stark contrast exuberant 1980s with following decades
- Structural economic issues and demographic timebomb endlessly lamented but never
resolved
- Last decades have seen rise in more ugly Japanese nationalism, however this is definitely not
a majority sentiment
- Despite all this: Japan is in many ways a thriving and stable middle-class society
- In 1980s “Japan as number one” rhetoric was overblown, but so is today’s pessimistic view
o Japan was never on the way to become the economic hegemony of the world but
Japanese people currently are not unhappy either
- The History Issue has led to highly problematic relations within East Asia and can be
considered perhaps Japan’s greatest international challenge today
o Colonial past
Post-war Japan
Political themes in Japan 1945-present
- Imperialism and war
o The History Issue
o Shaped relations with neighbouring countries
- Atomic energy and nuclear weapons
o Trauma
▪ Hiroshima
▪ Nagasaki
o Anti-nuclear weaponry sentiment
- Relations with West and with Asia
o What should the relation be with the West/USA?
o What are the relations between japan and Asia?
Japan in Asia? Out of Asia? – Fukuzawa Yukichi 1885
➔ Focus on relations with the west
➔ Move away from Asia
➔ the terminology used in the present debate is very different but the message is the same
The political system
- From the 1880s: first western style government in Asia
- Parliamentary system modelled on Bismarck’s Prussia
o First western style political system in Asia
- Post-war: multiparty system with free elections
- Parliament largely similar to other democratic countries (West)
- Though with unique system of vote distribution
o First Past the Post
o Proportional Representation
- Unusual: “one party dominant” system
3
, o Normal democratic parliamentary system
o One party is continuously the dominant one for decades on end
o Japan is unique in this respect at present
▪ Similar: Italy and Sweden in the past
o LDP has been the main dominant party until today
▪ Minus some minor gaps
10 April 1946: women’s vote (universal suffrage)
- Only enshrined in the constitution in 1947
The Japanese constitution (1947)
- Three pillars
o Democracy
o Pacifism
▪ famous article 9
o Rights and duties
- Article 9: pacificity
1947 constitution
- Replaced quasi-absolute monarchy (war times) with liberal democracy
- Drafted under supervision of SCAP
o South Central Asia Programs
▪ local governance
▪ mobilization of women voters
▪ access to information
▪ the rule of law
▪ political party development
▪ independent media
- Significant input from Japanese liberal and pacifist politicians
➔ Hard to amend: 2/3 majority both houses of parliament plus referendum
o Not unusual
Constitution chapter II: renunciation of war
➔ Article 9: aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the
Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or
use of force as means of settling international disputes.
In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well
as all other war potential, will never be maintained.
The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
o Topic of contention in Japanese politics
▪ especially throughout the last decades
o Abe Shinzo’s profile is very much connected to the possible revision of article 9
o Very unique in international politics
o Dilemma: modernizing defence forces
o Summary
▪ No foreign wars
▪ No armed forces
4
