Details

2013 Asia and Africa today

THE CURRENT ECONOMIC STRATEGY OF CHINA: INVESTMENT FACTOR by L.V.Novoselova, Dr.Sc. (Economics)

Keywords: China’s economy, XVIII Congress of the CPC, effectiveness of capital investments

The XVIII Congress of the CPC (November 2012) has proclaimed the need to accelerate the transformation of the pattern of economic development in China with a focus on building a more harmonious society based on the potential of modern industrial and scientific technical achievements. The CPC proclaimed the need to improve the quality of life of the people, substantially reducing the gap between quality of life and standard of living of urban and rural areas, creation of favorable environmental protection and creative openness to the outside world.

REGIONAL SECURITY. LESSONS OF THE LAST KOREAN CRISIS

DIZZY WITH NUCLEAR ACHIEVEMENTS by Y.M.Rusakov, PhD (History)

Keywords: the Korean Peninsula, North Korea, Kim Jong Un, Korean crisis, NK’s nuclear ambitions, U.S, SK drills

The last Korean crisis was triggered by new North Korean missile and nuclear tests and aggravated by US South Korean military drills in the Yellow Sea as well as Pyongyang’s response, aimed at achieving a major goal, e.g. asserting NK as a nuclear power and eliminating some limits, produced by the Six Party Talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Although vociferous ‘balancing on the brink of nuclear war’ was mostly perceived as a cheap show, regional stability and world policy suffered a major psychological blow which may have serious negative consequences in case of an accelerated arms race in Eastern Asia. On the other hand, this shocking experience may force regional states to take more responsibly any actions causing aggravation, particularly militarization, of local conflicts, including territorial disputes.

 WHERE DOES A YOUNG NORTH KOREAN LEADER LEAD THE COUNTRY? by O.V.Kiryanov. Part 1

Keywords: DPRK, reforms, military elite, foreign policy, trade and economic ties

The death of Kim Jong Il at the end of December, 2011 and the rise of his young and quite inexperienced in political affairs son Kim Jong Un to the position of the DPRK leader caused serious worries among experts about the future of North Korea. However young Kim quickly managed to establish his position as the post powerful and influential actor on the DPRK political scene. Keeping a basic course of the state similar to his father’s, Kim Jong Un initiated some changes in the political, economic and social fields of life in NK. The article gives a brief analysis of new moments appeared in North Korea after Kim Jong Un’s rise to power.

SOUTH KOREA AND AFRICAN COUNTRIES: ECONOMIC COOPERATION TODAY AND TOMOR ROW by M.A.Morekhodov

Keywords: Republic of Korea, success in economy, cooperation with African countries

Last year, the Republic of Korea (ROK), without much pomp, but quite in a grand manner celebrated the 50th anniversary of the beginning of economic reforms in the country associated with the adoption of the first Five Year Plan (196-1966). For just half a century, the ROK has made literally a giant leap. Now its economy is the 4 th biggest one in the Asia Pacific region and the15th in the world rankings. Today, South Korean companies are working in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia. The African continent is nothing but a basic component of economic development of South Korea in future. This is a huge market for the consumption of Korean goods. What is even more important is the fact, that Korea needs a rich, rapidly developing, established Africa as a reliable and stable business partner, loyal and reliable friend.

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS IN MALAYSIA: A NEW MANDATE OF THE NATIONAL FRONT by V.A.Pogadaev, PhD (History)

Keywords: Malaysia, 2013 general election, Najib Abdul Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, Anwar Ibrahim, Nurul Izzah Anwar

The article analyses results of the recent General Elections in Malaysia. Although the National Front got the majority in the Federal Parliament and the right to form the government, it lost 7 chairs in Parliament while the oppositional People’s Pact strengthened its position. Malaysia gradually goes towards two party system. Being concerned about the prospect of political unrest, the Prime Minister Najib called for “national reconciliation”. The widespread popular frustration over the election outcome is a potent factor that could trigger instability in the country.

THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN POLITICAL LIFE OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN by E.V.Dunaeva, PhD (Economics)

Keywords: Shia clerics, Islamic Republican Party,

Combatant Clergy Association, the Conservatives, the Reformists, Association of Combatant Clerics Clerical parties and Shiite organizations have remarkable impact on Iranian society and politics. After the Islamic revolution the currents of the revolutionary clerics united under the umbrella of one party, the Islamic Republican Party (IRP) monopolized the political sphere. The difference in the opinions of clerics led to polarization of two wings. The rightwing camp named the Conservatives was made up of the Combatant Clergy Association and the League of the conservatives Teachers. The leftist camp the Reformists was made up of the Association of Combatant Clerics. Last years the influence of these organizations on politics began to weaken. 

«EMERGING POWERS» ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT: ANGOLA САSE by T.L.Deych, PhD (History), V.A.Usov, PhD (History)

Keywords: Angola, China, India, Brazil, BRICS, infrastructure, investment, oil resources

This paper analyses China, India and Brazil activities in Africa during the last ten years. Angola, which is rich with oil and mineral recourses, is one of the most attractive destinations for these three BRICS members. As in other African countries the most successful actor is China, but others try to overtake as well. Although the main focus of Brazil’s activity in Africa are Portugal speaking countries, its achievements in Angola are also the most impressive.

RUSSIAN BUSINESSMEN IN SAUDI ARABIA (notes of the former commercial attaché in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) by P.G.Gulkin

Keywords: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), how to do business, Russian business in Saudi Arabia

This article is significantly an addition to the previous publication in our journal on the trade and economic cooperation between Russia and KSA. For example read “How to do business in Saudi Arabia” by K.D.Dudarev in “Asia and Africa Today” № 12, 2012. It’s in fact, specific recommendations for Russian businessmen, who intend to master the markets of the Kingdom, as well as of the Arab world as a whole. Notes are valuable because they are based on personal experience of the Russian diplomat and expert on foreign trade.

INDIA. FAMILY PLANNING. FROM TOP OR FROM BOTTOM? by R.V.Dmitriev, PhD (Geography)

Keywords: Indian population policy, family planning

In the article the regional aspects of Indian population policy are discussed. The necessity of developing a specific Indian model taking into account the regional imbalances is underlined. The main directions of the demographic policy in India on the state and regional levels are considered.

SHINZO ABE ' OLD NEW PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN by E.V.Molodyakova, Dr.Sc. (History)

Keywords: Japan, reforms, innovation, foreign policy, diplomacy, economy, trade and economic ties

Mr. Shinzo Abe became the new Prime Minister of Japan after the bright victory of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the elections, which took place on December 16, 2012. It is the second time during the overall Post War history of Japan when the Prime Minister who had previously resigned, returned to the same position. For the first time Mr. Shinzo Abe held this post in 2006  2007. Mr. Abe’s resignation after the only one year of his political activities was officially based on the health conditions. Nevertheless, the main reason of the resignation was the failure of the LDP to come up with the serious issues being continuously accumulated in Japan for years.

RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IN MOROCCO: PROBLEMS OF STUDYING by N.V.Sukhov

Keywords: Morocco, teaching the Russian language

Teaching children from mixed families the Russian language on the one hand helps their successful adaptation in the new society, as well as fosters a feeling of being Russians which hinders their entry into the different cultural environment. In multilinguistic Morocco the core language plays the role of the social marker and often specifies the personal features, the choice of profession and even the place of the person in the world. Not only the mixed families, but also teachers, social organizations of Russian compatriots and the Russian government institutions in Morocco play a positive role in the maintaining of the Russian language and culture in this country.

99 MASTERPIECES AND 1000 YEARS OF ISLAMIC CULTURE by K.V.Meshcherina, N.I.Petrov

Keywords: The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, The Mardjani Foundation, classical art, the Islamic world

In spring 2013 the amazing exhibition of works of Orient art «Classical Art of Islamic World from 9th to 19th centuries. Ninety nine names of God» was presented in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Especially for this exhibition 99 masterpieces were selected from Mardjani Foundation collection based in Moscow since 2006. Their number corresponds to the beautiful names of God recited by Muslims in their prayers.

INDONESIAN POETS ABOUT UNEMPLOY' MENT by Y.I.Noskov

 Keywords: Indonesia, global economic crisis, unem  ployment 

The global economic crisis has affected the level of unemployment in many countries, including Indonesia. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics Indonesia, in August 2012 the number of employees was approximately 108 mln people (of a population of nearly 250 mln), unemployed more than 8 million. This is official statistics. In fact, the number of unemployed is much higher. Almost half of unemployed are young people, especially college graduates, the number of which in 2009 numbered about 1 mln people.

KANYAKUMARI: CHURCH AND CAPE by V.P.Kashin, PhD (History)

Keywords: India, Kerala, Kanyakumari Temple, the Gandhi Memorial

The Kanyakumari Cape is one of the most beautiful places of India. It is named after the Kanyakumari Temple, located on the shore. The temple is dedicated to the virgin goddess who did penance to obtain Lord Shiva’s hand in marriage. The temple attracts tourists from all over the world. The sparkling diamond nose ring of the deity is said to be visible even from the sea. The Gandhi Memorial has been built on the spot where the urn containing the Mahatma’s ashes was kept for public viewing before immersion. The memorial was designed in such a way that on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, 2 October, the first rays of the sun fall on the exact place where his ashes were kept.

HISTORY OF AFRICA IN THE BIOGRAPHIES by N.I.Petrov A huge (1,120 pages!) volume «History of Africa in Biographies», edited by a well known Russian scholar A.B.Davidson, has been published in Moscow. Without any doubt, this work will make a significant contribution to the Russian academic African studies. It will help many people to understand the history of Africa through the fate of 157 African politicians and public figures whose biographies are included in the book. These biographies like brushstrokes of different colors develop an amazing and unique portrait of the «Black Continent».

«MALAY WORLD»: A VIEW FROM INSIDE by E.V.Safonova A very useful book «Malay World (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore). The Dictionary» (Moscow, Eastern Book, 2012, 798 p.) was issued. It is a result of many years of hard work by its author, V.A.Pogadaev, PhD. The author lives in Malaysia for more than ten years, teaching at the University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur). The dictionary contains about 9000 entries that reflect the past and present of the Malay world. It includes also the names of mythological characters, political and public figures, scientists, writers, artists, musicians, artists, athletes, etc. 

Summary