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2013 Asia and Africa today

REGIONAL SECURITY JAPAN ‑ CHINA ‑ USA AND TAIWAN PROBLEM by I.V.Gordeyeva

Keywords: Japan, USA, China, Taiwan, Senkaku maintaining the status quo

The author gives an assessment of Japan’s policy toward Taiwan, which is given by the Japanese and Chinese experts. Japan, like the U.S., is not interested in the reunification of Taiwan with China, which would further enhance the power of a rising China. Growing convergence of Japanese and American foreign policy, the Taiwan issue included, is a major concern in Beijing, one of the factors which significantly increase tension in SinoJapanese relations.

WORLD CRISIS: RECOVERY PROBLEMS PROCESSES OF DIFFERENTIATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTIRES: CURRENCY AND FINANTIAL ASPECTS by L.L.Fituni, Dr.Sc. (Еconomics). Part 2 (Part 1 in “Asia and Africa today”, 2013, № 5)

Keywords: international financial relations, capital movement, BRICS, IMF quota, low income countries, external debt, global governance

The article gives a comprehensive picture of dramatic changes that occurred in finance of developing countries during the last decade, including the geography and structure of financial flows. The author focuses on the new role of the BRICS countries in the global financial relations, investment and governance. The article provides a detailed and thorough analysis of BRICS’s struggle for quotas and influence in the leading international financial institutions. It contains plentiful data of financial cooperation within the BRICS. The author concludes by predicting a number of new trends in the global finance and the role of the emerging markets.

THE PEACE PROCESS IN AFGHANISTAN: MECCA’S EPISODE IN 2008 by V.G.Korgun, Dr.Sc. (History)

Keywords: negotiation process, the Afghan problem, dialogue of political forces, the Taliban movement, extremist ideology, terrorist danger

This article examines a meeting of the Afghan conflicting factions’ representatives in Mecca in 2008 as the first step towards termination of hostilities in Afghanistan. A negotiation process with the Taliban was initiated by President Karzai’s government and its Western partners. The reaction of different political figures and forces to this event, both in Afghanistan and outside, is analyzed in the article. The analysis of the Mecca meeting is given in the context of the situation in Afghanistan and in the world. The policy of Karzai’s regime and the countries members of the international coalition is discussed as well. Attention is also paid to positions of Afghanistan neighbors and regional powers, particularly Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which are active participants in Afghan developments. Considering the results of the first contacts between conflicting sides the author contemplates over possibility of further steps along the road to peaceful process in this country.

CHINA’ FINANCIAL POLICY AFTER JOINING THE WTO by V.V.Zhiguleva, PhD (Economics)

Keywords: China, financial policy, domestic prices, dynamics of prices

After joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 China has lost benefits arising from the former nature of its economy “closed” from the outside world. Nowadays, the country, which has become an important component of the world economy, is not only influenced by the dynamics of the world prices on domestic prices (raw materials and food products), but determines the level of prices for many kinds of industrial products. Over the past 10 years there have been sharp fluctuations of domestic prices while the consumer price index rose only slightly. However, the causes and essence of the growth of prices, fiscal policy in general are significantly different from the processes that took place in the period before the country’s accession to WTO. The analysis of these differences is the subject of this article.

SOCIO‑ECOLOGICAL CRISIS IN AFRICA ON THE NEW STAGE. WILL AFRICA “SURVIVE” IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM? by V.I.Gusarov, Dr.Sc. (Geo‑ graphy)

Keywords: socioecological situation in Africa, deforestation, desertification

The author analyzes the evolution of the socioecological situation in Africa during last decades. At the turn of the century, it escalated so seriously, that one can speak of the beginning of the permanent crisis which created the real threat even to the existence of the African peoples. This crisis is developing simultaneously in three main directions: the degradation of the environment, the extreme display of which became the desertification; the exhaustion of water resources.

FRANCE ‑ ALGERIA: FROM POLITICAL RHETORIC TO POLITICAL ACTION (the end of the XXth ‑ beginning of the XXIth century) by N.V.Borodkina, PhD (History) (The Yaroslavl State University)

Keywords: FrancoAlgerian relations, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande

The article is dedicated to FrancoAlgerian relations under presidencies of Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande. To characterize the French policy in Algeria statements of the presidents of that period are used. The true motives of the French policy in Algerian are revealed on the basis of these statements and the political situation as a whole.

POWER ENGINEERING: TODAY AND TOMORROW ELECTRICAL POWER ENGINEERING SECTOR OF INDIA: PROBLEMS AND SECTOR’S REFORMS by S.L.Rabey 2013

Keywords: India, fuel and energy complex, power sector, institutional structure

The article is devoted to the research of the electricity power engineering sector of India both in its current state and in dynamics over the past two decades. The brief statistical overview is coupled with institutional analysis of the liberalization of the sector. This process was initiated in the beginning of the 1990s and is still under way. The landmark of the reforms the 2003 Electricity Act is reviewed in detail. The author compares the situation in electricity power engineering sector of India’ economy with that in the neighboring countries of the region, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and makes an assessment for the future.

“SEVEN REPUBLICS” OF NIGER by V.R.Filippov, Dr.Sc. (History). Part 2 (Part 1 in “Asia and Africa today”, 2013, № 5)

Keywords: Niger, coup, Tuareg people, conflict, military regime

The dynamics and nature of the sociopolitical process in Niger are substantially influenced by the presence of rich deposits of uranium ore in the Sahel region in the NorthEast of the country. In 2009, uranium reserves ranked Niger the 9th in the world (276 thousand tons), on its production the 6th place (about 6% of world production).

SHARE, WISHING TO DOMINATE. The Western powers use ethno‑religious factor in the Middle East by E.I.Ustinov, PhD (History)

Keywords: Middle East, ethnoreligious manipulation, the U.S. Program to work with local communities abroad

Political and military leaders of Western countries are doing their best to make the people of the Middle East (as well, indeed, the people of other countries, where the West carries out its expansionist policy), love uninvited guests from distant and alien world, or to treat to them with sympathy at least. The published article talks about the efforts undertaken by the West to «build bridges» between the two ideologies, cultures, lifestyles, and by and large between two worlds. An analysis of the mechanisms by which the U.S. uses ethnoreligious factor reveals direction of events which are taking place in the region, their real motives and dynamic, as well as allows to predict the emergence and development of new crisis situations and to identify the tools and methods of their solutions.

TANZANIA: NATIONAL AND ETHNIC SELF‑ CONSCIOUSNESS OF TANZANIANS by O.V.Ivanchenko

Keywords: Tanzania, national identity, ethnic identity, Swahili

The article considers the question of the formation of the national selfconsciousness in Tanzania in its relation to ethnic selfconsciousness. The article is based on the results of author’s field studies in the major cities of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar). During the studies 374 people of different ethnicity, and religion, region of origin and social status were interviewed.

THE CHINESE ABROAD. PROSPECTS OF OUTBOUND TOURISM IN CHINA by Chang Pi Yu (Taiwan)

Keywords: China, outbound tourism

Tourism is rapidly growing sphere of economy in China today, both inbound and outbound, as well as domestic tourism. This article considers the topic of outbound tourism in China the main stages of its origin and prospect of its development.

TUNISIA: FILMS OF LAST YEARS by A.S.Shakhov, PhD (History)

Keywords: Tunisia, cinema, Nuri Buzid, Nasser Hemir, Sarah Abidi

Despite the relatively small volume of film production, Tunisian cinema is characterized by thematic diversity, commitment to the ideals of humanism, respect for the values of the Russian culture, of the true and analytical reflection of the problems of national reality.

WOMEN‑POETS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA by N.I.Ni, PhD (Philology)

Keywords: poetry of the Republic of Korea, womenpoets, emancipation, Shin Dongchun, Yu Anjin, Kang Eungyo, Kim Namjo

The article analyses the women’s poetry of the Republic of Korea. Until recently love was the main theme of their poetry but recently this theme is giving way to the theme of self realization of a woman herself as a person. Korean women are beginning to realize that progressive development of the country is nowadays impossible without their active participation. And this awareness is reflected in their works. BOOK REVIEW A BOOK WRITTEN WITH LOVE FOR AFRICA by A.V.Voyevodsky, PhD (History) Review of the book written by a famous Russian historianafricanist A.S.Balezin «In Africa: In Search of Russia. Historian’s Travelling Notes» (M., 2012). IN MEMORY OF A.B.LETNEV (1929‑2013) FOR 60 YEARS HE STUDIED AFRICA by A.V.Antoshin, Dr.Sc. (History) (The Ural Federal University) Artem Letnev belonged to a generation of Africanists, who came to the science in the 1950s, a time when public interest in the Black Continent was growing. In those years Africa attracted the attention of the younger generation both in the Soviet Union and the West. They wanted to understand what kind of transformation was going in that continent, which many decades had been associated only with colonialism.

 Summary