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2011 Asia and Africa today

 

BRIC HAS BECOME BRICS by A.A.Archangelskaya, PhD (History)
Keywords: Africa, BRIC, BRICS the Republic of South Africa, multipolarity, foreign policy, world economy
The article presents an analysis of the current condition and perspectives of a rather new political «club» of five quickly developing countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, the Republic of South Africa. The latest has joined the organization in 2011 demonstrating the growing interest of the world community in Africa. One could not exclude the possibility of expanding the BRICS in the near future. Indonesia, Turkey, Australia, Nigeria and Mexico pretend to membership in the organization
The author stresses objective political and economic interest of the member-countries in effective cooperation. At the same time interaction between the BRICS states is not deprived of internal contradictions due to competition between them in the world markets.

PASSIONS FOR THE OCEAN

THE BIG INDIAN OCEAN AND THE CHINESE STRATEGY OF «THE STRING OF PEARLS» by N.B.Lebedev, PhD (History)
Keywords: People’s Republic of China, India, Indian Ocean, sea strategy
The big Indian Ocean is a major strategic area. About 50% of the world container traffic and 70 % of oil products transportations are being shipped thru this Ocean.
The military superiority in the Indian Ocean still belongs to US Naval Forces and, in opinion of the American military experts, the United States will keep it, at least, up to the middle of the XXI century. However such state of affairs does not suit China which develops and carries out in this region its own strategy, entering in political and military rivalry with the United States.
The American experts have nicknamed this Chinese strategy as «the String of Pearls», meaning under «pearls» the strong points of the Chinese Naval Forces and the Air Forces which are stretched from the. Hainan island in the South- Chinese sea up to the South-West Asia.

THE WORLD OCEAN IS IN DANGER by Yu.A.Ershov, Dr.Sc. (Economy)
Keywords: the World Ocean, oil, gas, ecology
The author pays attention to problems of technogenic accidents which occur during sea extraction and transportation of hydrocarbons. Those accidents threaten security of many countries and can cause irreparable damage to all ecological system of the Earth.
In fact, in world legal practice there is no uniform legislation which could regulate the oil pollution problems resulting from industrial activity. The author believes that it’s absolutely necessary to develop the so called Sea Constitution - the law fixing the most important norms of protection of «health» of the World Ocean.

REVOLT IN THE ARABIAN WORLD: CROPS AND SHOOTS

CRISIS IN LIBYA IN THE LIGHT OF RUSSIAN, CHINESE AND AFRICAN INTERESTS by T.DEYCH, PhD (History)
Keywords: Libya, Caddafi ,oil, NATO, Russia, China, the African Union
The consequences of Libyan crisis may be significant not only for oil-importing countries. Russia has serious economic interests in Libya and has already incured financial losses. With the onset of hostilities at least 27 Chinese projects have been attacked; the Chinese workers were evacuated from Libya. The air strikes launched by Western allies violate the Chinese principle of “non-interference” in internal affairs of African states. After abstaining in UN Security Council voting, China criticizes the escalation in fighting and demands immediate ceasefire. The ongoing bombing of Tripoli and other Libyan cities, numberless victims among the civilian population forced also Russia to take a stronger stance against the West actions. Furthermore major African countries (the South Africa, a new BRICS member-state included) and the African Union have demanded France and Great Britain back off.

CHINA HAS TAKEN THE ROAD TOWARDS “THE CONSUMER SOCIETY» by V.V. Zhiguleva, PhD, (Economy)
Keywords: China, reforms, foreign trade, the consumer market
The world financial and economic crisis has not bypassed the People’s Republic of China. Reduction of production has had an effect in the first place on the export oriented branches of economy. Cutting down of export to the developed countries resulted in closing of hundreds of manufactures in different areas of China.
However realization of a package of anti-recessionary measures has helped to keep high rates of growth of gross national product. At the same time preservation of enormous rates of growth of the Chinese economy (about 10 % a year) could present a danger of its «overheating».

IN SEARCH OF TAKING EFFECTIVE ADVANTAGE OF DIASPORA by A.A.Sergeyeva
Keywords: the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese diaspora, cultural expansion
China is short of territory, as well as of water, power and other resources. In order to prevent an overpopulation of the country the Chinese leaders follow the policy of demographic expansion. However in many spheres of employment along with surplus of manpower there is a deficiency of qualified and highly skilled personell. The author analyzes one of the major directions of policy of Chinese leadership - attraction of the qualified scientific and administrative personell.

THE WORLD COUNCIL OF HINDUS: WHAT IS IT? by V.P.Kashin, PhD (History)
Keywords: Vishva Hindu Parashid (the World Council of
Hindus)
The author is analyzing the activity of one of the most influential and mass organizations of the Indian nationalists - Vishva Hindu Parashid (the World Council of Hindus). It has been set up in 1964 for consolidation of a Hindus community, protection and propagation Hinduism and for keeping in touch with Hindus living abroad.

TRANSFRONTIER MIGRATION

INDIAN AND PAKISTANI MANCHESTER: HOLIDAYS AND WORKING DAYS by I.J.Kotin, Dr.Sc. (History), (St.-Petersburg)
Keywords: the Great Britain, Manchester, Punjab, Pakistanese, immigration
The destiny of one of the oldest in England the Indian- Pakistani community in the city of Manchester is connected with manufacture and sale of textiles. As early as in 1930s some tens of Muslims have arrived from Punjab to study in the Manchester university.
The author dwells on contemporary problems of this community of immigrants from Southern Asia.

ISLAMIZATION, ISLAMIZM AND EXTREMISM

THE CASE OF ASIA BIBI by V.V.Vorobyev
Keywords: Pakistan, Islamic radicalism, case of Asee Bibi, terrorism
The end of 2010 - the first half of 2011 was a period of another activization of Islamic forces in Pakistan which have renewed an aggressive offensive policy towards liberal part of a society.
The article speaks of the sensational action brought against a Christian girl Asia Bibi. She has been accused of the insult of prophet Mohammed and put into prison. This and other analogous cases demonstrate the growth of religious intolerance in Pakistan as well as widespread of traditional prejudices and conservative mentality among significant part of population of the country.

ALGERIA: RISK AND PROFITABILITY FOR THE INVESTORS by V.V.Senkovich
Keywords: Algeria, hydrocarbons, investment opportunities
This article comments on the Algerian Government’s economic policy and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of modern investment climate in Algeria taking into account the legislation amendments introduced in August 2010. In the author’s opinion, investors have all the reasons to consider the economic situation in Algeria as promising. This estimation is confirmed by the growth of direct foreign investments in the economy of the country.
The official visit of the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Algeria in October 2010 has given a further impetus to Russian-Algerian business relations. The expansion of legal basis of relations between the two countries granted new opportunities for Russian business which has a chance to take an advantageous positions in the Algerian market.

HOW TO DO BUSINESS IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EAST? by N.I.Petrov
Keywords: vebinar, an electronic seminar, countries of the East, the Commercial and Industrial Chamber
Vebinar is a new term in the Russian modern lexicon, and in the practice of business and business training. It means an Internet-seminar. Thanks to modern technologies unlimited number of interested persons can participate in it. Recently the Committee of Economic Integration of the Commonwealth of Independent States and of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of the Commercial and Industrial Chamber of the Russian Federation and the International Institute of Management for Associations of Businessmen of the Russian Federation have conducted such seminars. One of them has been devoted to features and reefs of modern business intercultural dialogue.

EXTERNAL ECONOMIC LINKS OF GERMANY WITH THE COUNTRIES OF NORTHERN AFRICA by K.A.Tkachenko
Keywords: Northern Africa, Germany, investments
In clause the main spheres of foreign policy strategy of Berlin towards the countries of Northern Africa are considered.
The share of the countries of Northern Africa in external trade turnover of Germany is insignificant - about 0,3 %. However the share of Germany in external trade turnover of the countries of this region is much higher - 8 %. The author positively estimates prospects of economic and investment cooperation of Germany with those countries.

THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA IN THE WORLD MARKET by V.A.Sidorov
Keywords: South Africa, world market, foreign trade
This article considers the current state and the future of the South African - the most developed country in the African continent - in the world markets. The author provides a short historical overview of the role that trade has played in the economy of the Republic. He also examines the structure of the South African exports and imports. Finely, he makes an analysis of the geographic distribution of trade - what trading partners are more important, and whose influence is rising or declining.

BREAK OF THE AFGHANI WRITERS INTO THE WORLD LITERATURE by A.S.Gerasimova, PhD (Philology) (St.-Petersburg)
Keywords: Afghanistan, Afghani novel, Afghani emigrant writers
The beginning of XXI century was marked by real break of writers - natives of Afghanistan into the world literature. Particular attention the author pays to works of Haleda Hosseiny (born in 1965) and Atrika Rahimi (born in 1962).

IRANIAN DIRECTOR BAHMAN GHOBADI: A SINGER OF THE KURDISH PEOPLE’S FREEDOM by N.V. Kazurova
Keywords: Iranian Cinema, Bahman Ghobadi, the Kurdish Question
Contemporary image of Iranian film industry has been formed after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian film director of Kurdish origin, who actively stands up for development of the Iranian national cinematographic art.
The major theme of his works is the fate of the Kurdish people, oppressed by the tyranny of Turkey, Iran and Iraq throughout centuries. The article contains the review of five Ghobadi’s full-length films (2000-2009) made in the style of Art House.

«FOR MANY YEARS WE HAVE BEEN LIVING IN ONE STATE» by E.M.Kuzmin
This is the review of the monograph «Russia in the Central Asia» written by G.I.Chufrin, Dr.Sc. (Economy), correspondent-member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and devoted to the major problems of development of relation between Russia the Central Asia countries in the period after disintegration of the USSR.

Summary