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What is East (Northeast and Southeast) Asia?

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1 What is East (Northeast and Southeast) Asia?
Prof. Mark R. Thompson Master of Arts in Modern Asian Studies (MAMAS) Dept. Asian and International Studies (AIS) City University of Hong Kong AIS5024: The State and Economy in East Asia Lecture 1

2 Confucian Confusion in East Asia
East Asia sometimes includes just the “Confucian” countries China, Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, and Vietnam But more generally includes non-Confucian “South East Asia” ASEAN ten not Confucian except (supposedly) for Singapore and Chinese minorities in each country Non-Confucian 9 + 1: Brunei, Cambodia, (East Timor), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar/Burma, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

3 What is “East Asia”? Different regime types ASEAN weak
Northeast Asia divided Greater China v Japan, N. v. S. Korea, Taiwan/China, etc. Arbitrary geography Little common history or culture Except traditional imperial China And hated period Japanese rule (colonialism and WWII) Not political, geographic, cultural or historical entity

4 “East Asia” across time
Time period Characteristic Pre-modern Chinese empire and tributary states Colonial Divided by British, French, Dutch, American and Japanese colonialism World War II “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Zone”, anti-colonial, pan-Asian ideology, discredited by Japanese war crimes Cold War -“Hot wars” in Korea and Vietnam, American strategy encourages growth to strengthen anti-communism; -“tiger” economies helped by Japanese production alliance too Post-Cold War -Communist conversion to capitalism becomes possible: China then Vietnam but not North Korea (still Stalinist) but recently post-socialist Burma/Myanmar? -Economic crisis ; -China challenges Japanese leadership

5 World regions compared
Geography History/ Culture Association Economic integration Regime type Europe Clear to the West, fuzzy to the East Strong but diverse Strong (at least it once was): EU Strong but weakening? Mostly democratic (except Hungary, Poland, and of course Russia) Latin America Clear (south of U.S.) Strong Middle to weak: OAS MERCOSOUR, middle Mostly demo-cratic Africa Clear (though only in sub-Saharan region) North vs south, Tribalism Weak to middle: OAU weak Mixed: new democracies and old authoritarians Middle East Fuzzy in North Africa, Iran Strong, Islam/ Arabic Middle to weak: both part of OAU and OIC Mostly authoritarian, new demos South Asia Relatively clear (except Myan-mar, Afhanistan) Weak, conflictual Weak Democratic East Asia Arbitrary Weak – diverse, few common roots ASEAN +3: weak to medium Informal, but growing Mostly authoritarian but some new democracies

6 So what is East Asia? Not geographical, cultural, historical or political But it has become an economic region “flying geese” of economies Developmental states (Johnson) Modular authoritarian “developmentalism” Democracy only after development (sometimes!) – modernization theory

7 Developmental States “Particular explanation” of NE Asian industrialization” “Seemless web” Political bureaucracy and money interests Structured economic life in NE Asia Derived from Johnson’s 1982 MITI book “Plan rational” Mercantilist strategy Driven by nationalism

8 Developmentalism Economic strategy, But also political legitimation
and ideology Collectivist and state interventionist State defined goals EOI and rapid growth Not free market, consumption-oriented Conditions Economic: interventionist state Political: repressive state, “dev. Dictatorship”

9 Developmentalism II Justifies seizure state power for development
Justifies postponing democracy in its name Initially involves despotic power Power over society But strives for infrastructural power power through society (Michael Mann) by sustained economic growth and political control with limited coercion

10 Developmentalist “flying geese”
* Malaysia (1969 emergency, Mahathir’s PMship) Thailand ( Sarit military regime, military rule ) China (1979 Deng’s reforms) South Korea (1961, Park regime) Hong Kong (British colony until 1997) Japan (mid-19th Meiji restoration) "Market-Leninism" Southeast Asian “tiger cubs” Four “tigers” Vietnam (1986 “doi moi” reforms) Taiwan (1949, KMT regime) Singapore (1961, Lee-led PAP regime) Indonesia ( , Suharto regime) Philippines (1972, Marcos declares martial law)

11 A more or less Moore-ian approach
Barrington Moore, Jr. (1966) Different paths to the modern world Democratic and authoritarian Class coalitions crucial Business dependent on developmentalist state “labor repressive” regimes The stronger developmentalism, the later democratization will occur (if at all)

12 A “reactionary coalition”
Coalition of civilian/civilianized powerholders, Technocrats for bureaucratic-rationality Close business associates (“cronies”) lead industrialization and reduce transaction costs Religious leaders provide traditionalist legitimacy With labor demobilized and business dependent who is there to oppose developmentalism? Have to “wait” for the rise of middle class But can also be co-opted by state

13 Democracy after growth?
“Driven by growth” narrative of modernizationists But what has “driven” growth in Pacific Asia? Developmental states pursuing “late industrialization” Democracy delayed by developmental states hindered not driven by growth” Kaname Amatsu

14 What’s ahead (theoretically)
Next week: a look at economic development Developmental states (state-led economic development) Weak III: a look at the political implications of growth Modernization theory (economic growth inevitably leads to democracy) OR Authoritarian developmentalism (growth used to legitimize dictators and strengthens authoritarianism)


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