This paper studies the causes and consequences of political centralization and fragmentation in China and Europe. We argue that the severe and unidirectional threat of external invasion fostered political centralization in China while Europe faced a wider variety of smaller external threats and...

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that China’s rapid economic development has come at a significant environmental cost. Pollution problems are now a source of serious public concern, at times even social unrest. The government has responded with an ambitious reform program that...

This study attempts a first causal examination of the role of state capacity in China's economic performance. Effective state capacity connotes not just ability to extract tax from citizens but also the ability to convert taxes into public investment. Equally importantly, these capacities must...

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar infrastructure investment project, is heralded as a game changer for Pakistan's economy. It is part of the major development initiative led by China, known as ‘One Belt, One Road' (OBOR), connecting Asia with Europe, the Middle...

This study examines the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of state censorship on knowledge production, focusing on the largest book-banning campaign in Chinese history, initiated during the compilation of the 'Siku Quanshu' (Complete Library in Four Sections) between 1772 and 1783....

Eric Jones has found that excessive taxes were detrimental for pre-modern China's economic growth whereas moderate taxes were conducive for Europe's economic growth. This paper provides a political-economic answer to the question why these two tax systems came about. Taxation is only feasible...

This is an assessment of China and U.S. litigation against each other in the WTO from 2001 through 2010. It discloses the active and aggressive nature of litigation between these two countries. It indicates an almost flawless continuation of Bush era policies by the Obama administration. If...

This paper examines China's recent movement in negotiating and signing regional trade agreements (RTAs) in the context of the regionalism versus multilateralism debate in international trade law, focusing on the China-Hong Kong Closer Economic Arrangement (CEPA) and the proposed China-ASEAN Free...

This paper attempts to partially answer the question of how leadership matters in a Flat World (Friedman, 2006) based upon the experiences of a comprehensive six-month American cultural immersion program at Millersville University in Pennsylvania begun in 1996. The paper examines the social...