THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EUROPE AND Essay

THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EUROPE AND CHINA - Essay Example During the Cold War Era, China was the largest and most powerful ally of the Soviet Union and the EU was the largest and most powerful ally of the US during the Cold War Era. What makes these alliances all the more important and interesting is the fact that the US and the USSR were divided in terms of political ideologies. The US represented capitalism and the USSR represented Socialism. With the collapse of the USSR in the late 1980s, China did not take over the role of successor to the USSR in leading the charge against capitalism, but demonstrated a desire to buy into capitalism to a certain extent. That China would remain committed to its Socialist system and embrace change with the aid of capitalist powers such as the EU is an enigma. The EU’s role in the strategic partnership is also interesting. The EU represents and promotes international standards for human rights protection and is at odds with the standard of human rights protection in China. Moreover, the EU imposed an armed embargo on China in the 1980s, just after signing a trade agreement with China. Yet the EU has been able to form a strategic partnership with China that appears to have strengthened over the years. Therefore studying the political and economic features of the relationship between China and the EU provides interesting insights into the politics and economics of bilateralism and multilateralism. The current political and economic relationship between China and the EU is contained in a strategic partnership which was announced in 2003. The strategic partnership arose out of Communications by the European Council in 1998 and 2001both of which addressed the shortcomings in a purely economic relationship in the trade agreement between the two in 1985. Although some scholars have criticized the strategic partnership between the EU and China on the grounds that it is unclear, the relationship has survived for more than a decade. Both the EU and China have expressed satisfaction wi th the political and economic gains enabled by the strategic partnership. This research report collects reports in the literature that shed light on the strategic partnership and demonstrates that, despite its problems, it has provided both the EU and China with economic and political benefits. These political and economic benefits appear to offset any differences between the two: the EU’s dissatisfaction with China’s human rights standards and China’s dissatisfaction with the EU’s attempt to interfere with the internal affairs of China. Annotated Bibliography Algieri, F. (2002). â€Å"EU Economic Relations with China: An Institutionalist Perspective.† In Edmonds, R. L. (Ed.) China and Europe Since 1978: A European Perspective. The China Quarterly Special Issues, New Series, No. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Algieri’s (2002) chapter which appears in a book on China and Europe’s relationship since 1978 provides detailed insight into the various agreements between the two and communications by the European Council on the changes that took place. Algieri’s (2002) account only goes as far as the 2001 Communication by the European Council, but does provide important background information for further research into this developing relationship. Algieri (2002) makes sense of

Assess the importance of Ghandi to Indian nationalism Essay

Assess the importance of Ghandi to Indian nationalism - Essay Example Ghandi was born in October 1869 in a Hindu Modh family in Porbandar, Gujarat in India, and was given the name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi by his parents. The father named Karamchand Gandhi was a chief minister at the city of Porbandar; meaning mahatma Ghandi had a strong upbringing background around leadership, politics, and guided by the Hindu principles (Shelokhonov, 2013). The principles he learned early in life made him a mature and determined man early in age, considering that he had the chance to experience and observe the discrimination the colonialist and their associates conducted on the native people. He became motivated in his law study and understanding of varying principles of different religions he encountered with in different lands. According to Barua, â€Å"his combined brilliance, humanism, and courage with indomitable will brought a revolutionary change in the East Indian Community in South Africa and India† (n.d, p. 2). Borrowing from numerous teaching of th e different religions, and inspirations from wise political ideologies such as those of Gopal Krishna, David Thoreau, and Leo Tolstoy, he was able to organize non-violent movements, which would paralyze the then imperial governments to have their demands heeded. As a key reformist, he was named Bapu Ghandi and is today known to be the father of the Indian nation, after his successful organization and support for the non violent movements of struggle for freedom in India. Characters of Mahatma Ghandi: The persona of Ghandi is still held debatable by many, depending on religion and way of life. However, it must be admitted that he had acquired certain substantial and enabling virtues from his way of life in different environments across the world. Even though being a faithful Hindu, he drew some of his principles from the Bible, the Islamic religion, among others to shape his characters and belief for the common good of existence in the general society. His persona brought him close t o the society, especially the women whom characters and sufferings he understood in broad point of view. Effectively, he was very attracted to the virtues of different societies (Western, African, and Indian), cultures, and different genders, and hoped to unite the people together for their common good. He was a man described to be courageous and stubborn in confronting the British governments, yet humble, patient, and compassionate to others, regardless of their religion, race, and gender. The virtues of non-violence (Ahimsa) and compassion he believed in, was an acceptance of the women qualities, who had been kept out of power and dominion in political and social aspects because of their simple virtues of patience, compassion, and tenderness that was viewed as a contradiction to the roles (Anand, 2006). With such a trusted persona, Ghandi was able to pull people closer, the strong and the weak and from it, women had the opportunity to come out of their locked areas and confidently support him in Indian liberation. Anand further mentions that the very nature of his virtues (ahimsa and truth among others) made the people liberation movement open to all; his plans and politics also comprised most trusted feminine virtues, allowing men and women to take part in the non-violent wars (2006). Ghandi’