Review of Consolidating Taiwan’s Democracy

The article reviews the book Consolidating Taiwan\u27s Democracy by John F. Copper

Review of Is Taiwan Chinese? The Impact of Culture, Power, and Migration on Changing Identities

The article reviews the book Is Taiwan Chinese? The Impact of Culture, Power, and Migration on Changing Identities by Melissa J. Brown

Review of Human Rights in Asia: A Comparative Legal Study of Twelve Asian Jurisdictions, France and the USA

This article reviews Human Rights in Asia: A Comparative Legal Study of Twelve Asian Jurisdictions, France and the USA by Randall Peerenboom, Carole J. Petersen, and Albert H.Y. Chen

Rethinking Linkage To The West: What Authoritarian Stability In Singapore Tells Us

Recent regime change literatures compellingly assert that linkage to the West has been a significant factor in democratisation where the organisational capacity of authoritarian incumbents has overwhelmingly weakened pro-democracy forces. Detailed case studies confirming these findings have not included Singapore although high levels of linkage to the West suggest that democratisation should have taken place there. This qualitative case study fills the empirical and theoretical gap by explaining why linkage has so far failed to raise the cost of authoritarianism for Singapore's government. By eschewing the current structural approach, which conceptualises linkage as mere channels of external pressure or influence, this analysis treats each dimension of linkage as arenas of political interaction where external democratising pressure or influence are generated, mediated or precluded. This agency-centred approach exposes the politics of linkage and thereby enables us to explain why linkage to the West does not always have the expected impact on regime change. These findings open up the research agenda of regime change studies by pointing the way forward for future studies of otherwise inexplicable cases where high linkage has not led to democratisation

Review of Rethinking Asia’s Economic Miracle: The Political Economy of War, Prosperity and Crisis

The article reviews the book Rethinking Asia’s Economic Miracle: The Political Economy of War, Prosperity and Crisis by Richard Stubbs

End-of-Life management of wind turbines, PV modules and Lithium-Ion batteries: Current practices and closing the circular economy gap

Renewable energy generation and increased electrification are pivotal to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. Consequently, global deployment of wind turbines, PV modules and electric vehicles has soared, and the trend is expected to continue. These technologies have only recently started reaching the end of their design lives, and rapid escalation of end-of-life (EoL) waste volumes are projected. This study responds to the imminent waste issue by researching current EoL management practices, initiatives and regulations of these three technologies in Canada and globally. Through extensive literature review and communications with select experts in the EoL field, it also seeks to identify factors that impede current EoL management efforts to close the circular economy gap and those that can support the overall sustainability of deploying these technologies. The EoL management of these technologies is in the early stages and many innovative initiatives are being explored and developed. There are currently few proven business cases, and barriers to the EoL strategies’ profitability and effectiveness include insufficient waste feedstock, inadequate collection infrastructure and second-life markets, and uncertainty about the assets’ remaining useful life. Designing for circularity, collaboration between supply chain stakeholders, circular business models and technology-specific regulations that incorporate extended producer responsibility, second-life targets and circular solutions can help progress the technologies toward improved sustainability. The research found that EoL management is a complex but necessary undertaking that needs to consider multiple, often conflicting factors. Additionally, the technologies and their EoL management practices are dynamic and fast-changing. Hence this study's findings are best viewed as compelling evidence of the increasing need for robust EoL management and a demonstration of potential solutions rather than absolute conclusions