"Asia and Africa today"
- is a scientificl monthly journal (in Russian)
of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Included in Russian Science Citation Index on
WoS platform, and EBSCO Publishing.
ISSN 0321-5075. Published since July 1957.

 

 "Asia and Africa today" № 12 2012

 

Azia&Afrika 12 2012 cover

 

 Top Problem

ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE "ASIAN INDUSTRIAL AGE" by I.A.Rodionova, Dr.Sc. (Geography), L.V.Shkvarya, Dr.Sc. (Economy)
Keywords: Asian economies, GDP growth, innovation, assimilation of new technology
 In the process of global economic development of the last two or three decades the influence and importance of economies of Asian countries has been steadily increasing. This manifests itself in different forms: faster GDP growth in comparison with the U.S. and European countries, more active transformation of the economy to an innovative way of development, in rapid assimilation of the achievements of world science and new technology, in increase of the number and relative share in the population of highly educated professionals, etc.
     Of course, this process has its own leaders (primarily China and India) and outsiders, but the latter’s are gradually catching up with the first ones, and therefore leading position in economic development sought by the Asian economic are becoming more and more evident.

THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN ENERGY (on the example of sub-Saharan countries) by L.N. Kalinichenko
Keywords: energy infrastructure, sub-Saharan Africa, hydro potential, alternative energy
Sub-Saharan African countries are well endowed with a wide range of renewable energy resources including hydro, solar, wind and geothermal energy which are now used at a very low level. The expansion of this sphere of African economy can provide its sustainable development and contribute greatly to the energy security goals by increasing access to modern energy for the majority of population.

JAPAN: IN POLITICAL DEADLOCK by D.V.Streltzov, Dr.Sc. (History)
Keywords: Democratic Party of Japan, Liberal Democratic Party
 In late September 2012 elections of leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) took place. The same month elections of leadership of the main opposition party - the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) - were held.
 At the DPJ Congress Yoshihiko Noda won by a landslide in the first round, thus preserving the post of the Prime Minister of Japan. But it was preceded by a party split, and elections to the House of Representatives to be held soon.
As far as the LDP is concerned serious fight for the chairmanship in the party unfolded. Liberal Democrats still fail to get out of the deepest political crisis caused by its inability to provide effective generational change in the party leadership.

IN WHAT WAY CHINA’S MEMBERSHIP IN THE WTO AFFECTS ITS AGRICULTUR AND ECOLOGY ECOLOGY: PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES by E.I Kranina, PhD (Economy)
Keywords: China, WTO, trade liberalization, environmental sustainability, genetically modified products, ecosystem services, environmental crisis

Having joined the WNO China has developed its environmental legislation aimed at expansion of international environmental cooperation, preservation of biodiversity, genetic resources and biotechnology. Peking has also created a platform for patents trading and trading with various forms of intellectual property rights in accordance with WTO requirements.

THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF CHINA BEFORE AND AFTER JOINING THE WTO by L.A.Volkova, PhD (Economy)
Keywords: WTO, agricultural sector of China, preparatory work
 China's accession to the WTO (December 2001) was preceded by long-term (over 10 years) and multilateral preparing of its economy, including agriculture for working in the market conditions. Throughout the period following the joining the WTO funds were allocated for new technical equipment of agricultural enterprises. Special attention was paid to the safety of food products, funds were allocated for equipment necessary for quality control of products.
     Preparatory work done in China before joining the WTO has played a positive role for the adaptation of its agricultural sector to the conditions of this international organization, contributed to the growth of foreign trade of agricultural products.

MYANMAR. A LADY AND THE GENERALS: ENMITY OR COMPROMISE? by N.A.Listopadov, Dr.Sc. (History)
 Keywords: Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, National League for Democracy

For many months, the world was watching what was happening to a fragile woman, modestly living in an old house on the bank of Inya Lake. Her name is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Joining the newly-formed National League for Democracy (NLD), she gave numerous speeches calling for freedom and democracy.
 Attention to Suu Kyi increased even more when in April 2012 she was elected to the Myanmar parliament. Together with their leader the NLD candidates won victory in 43 of 45 districts.

PIRACY IN THE GULF OF GUINEA: NEW THREATS by E.A.Elkina
Keywords: piracy, kidnapping, safety of commercial shipping

 “Two crew members were kidnapped, one injured in pirate attack near the west coast of Africa and another one listed as missing after eight armed men attacked a Dutch cargo ship. Having robbed the crew, the pirates fled.
 Some more similar reports are regularly published in Nigerian mass media and in the bulletins of agencies that monitor the safety of commercial shipping in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea.

HOW TO DO BUSINESS IN SAUDI ARABIA by K.N.Dudarev. Part 1
Keywords: Saudi Arabia, Arab market, oil industry, business negotiations, competitive advantages

 What qualities should have an entrepreneur, who has to work in Saudi Arabia?
Perhaps the perfect choice is a manager with significant experience in the specialty, and at the same time, with fluent in English and Arabic. He is also supposed to know, traditions of Arab countries, their customs and habits, able to negotiate, etc. To find such a specialist is next to impossible.
 The author is an orientalist, journalist, businessman, who worked in various Arab countries for about a quarter of century. The last 8 years - in Saudi Arabia as an adviser on business development of Russian companies.

CENTER OF GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY MOVES TO AFRICA by S.A.Gorokhov, PhD (Geography)
Keywords: African continent, Christianity, sub-Saharan Africa

The article is concerned with revelation of the African continent significance in the territorial development of modern Christianity. Characteristic features of the global confessional space regional differentiation are analyzed in detail. Much attention is given to establishment of the trends in Christianity and Islam rivalry in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

 Russia and The East

THE RUSSIAN OLD BELIEVERS AND THEIR MEMORIES by A.A.Hisamutdinov, Dr.Sc. (Economy)
Keywords: Russian emigration in China, old believers in Manchuria, Russian mode of life in China, old believers memories

This article is about destiny of Russian old believers who left Russia for China after the Civil war and during collectivization in the Soviet Far East (1930-s). As most other Russian emigrants, they preferred to live near the Soviet border hoping to return to their motherland after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The old believers built their own villages in northern Manchuria where they engaged in agricultural works and hunting. Also, they preserved an older traditional style of life and culture. The memories of the old believers and their ancestors are invaluable resources of information about the life of Russian emigrants. The author's description is based on field research in China and in Oregon and Alaska (USA).

 

 Pages of History

* PERSONALITY IN THE HISTORY OF ARABIA by A.M.Vasiliev, Academician. Part 2 (Part 1 in “Asia and Africa Today”, 2012, № 10)

Keywords: King Abdul Aziz,  Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al Wahhab, sharif of Mecca Husayn Ibn Ali, Percy Cox, Harry St. John Philby

The article tells about life of the founder of modern state of Saudi Arabia - king Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

 

 Events, Facts, Comments

REPORT ON THE RUSSIAN JUBILEE IN TUNISIA by N.L. Krylova, Dr.Sc. (History)
Keywords: Tunisia, Tunisian Russian emigre colony, Bizerte
In winter 1920 the Russian Black Sea squadron of thirty ships left the Crimea and arrived to the port city of Bizerte which was the French naval base in Tunisia those years.
There were about six thousand Russian sailors and their families and civilians on board. They formed Tunisian Russian emigre colony. It was the largest Russian emigre colony on the African continent at that time. Among them was the family of eight Manstein with a girl named Anastasia.
 In September 2012 friends, relatives, neighbors and friends of Anastasia Manstein-Shirinskaya (1912-2009) gathered in an ancient Tunisian port to celebrate her 100th birthday anniversary. Until recently she was the last Russian who survived and lived up to our days of those who came to Tunisia almost a century ago.

 

 Culture, Literature, Art

“AFRIQUE-SUR-SEINE”: THREE CENTURIES OF HISTORY by N.S.Naydenova, PhD (Philology)
Keywords: immigration, identity, emigration, sub-Saharan Africa, France

The article traces the history of emigration from sub-Saharan Africa to France from the middle of the XIXth century till present. The objective of the article is to determine the main driving forces of African migration and its general perspectives. A special emphasis is made on the evolution of the African immigrant’s image in the public conscience.

 

 Book Review

MOUSE HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO MOUNTAIN by N.I.Petrov

 Book Review of V.A.Skosyrev’s work “Mouse brings money. Indian report” (M., FJC, 2012, 284 p.). Mouse, indeed, present in many of the pages of the book. But is not alive, it’s an electronic - an indispensable part of most computers. The author analyzes the reasons for which in recent years India has made great progress in the field of information technology and computer systems.

 Summary