Search results

In this article, I examine the state-supported "modernization" (xiandaihua) of Confucianism in China and argue that behind this revival is an intention to institutionalize Confucianism in order to consolidate the leadership and ideological control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, while the CCP-led government has pragmatically adopted Confucianism to maintain the current power structure, there is no evidence that Confucianism will become the theoretical heart of the party. Confucianism has not acquired, nor will it acquire, a political position equal to Marxism. Many Chinese intellectuals have confirmed this tendency. (Asian Perspect/GIGA)

This research focuses on two trends in the field of Confucian studies, namely, the politicisation and de-politicisation of Confucianism in contemporary China. Four intellectuals-Yu Dan, Jiang Qing, Kang Xiaoguang and Liu Qiliang-are selected as the representative intellectuals of these two trends. Under the increasingly firm control from the CCP government, the connection between these two trends indicates that they both have the same potential effect: by producing the knowledge or the "truth" demanded by power, the cultural leadership of the CCP government is thus consolidated and the current regime is stabilised. The "knowledge" created by the intellectuals is designed to support the exercise of power and to provide a better environment for the exercise of that power. In return, the "knowledge" or the "truth" produced by the intellectuals makes the intellectuals themselves become a component of the power networks and part of the power chain. (Issues Stud/GIGA)

The revival of Confucianism in the first decade of the twenty-first century is a political phenomenon that cannot be ignored with regard to its social influence and the particular meaning it has brought to China. However, so far, there has not been much academic research into the political reasons for this revival at a deeper level. Based on the 228 articles published in the People's Daily in the years between 2000 and 2009, a content analysis is conducted on how Confucianism was represented in this authoritative official medium. The examination of the role that Confucianism plays in the construction of the socialist 'advanced culture' provides a clear lens to observe the role of Confucianism in the Chinese political ideology, which is still rooted and based on Marxism-Leninism. This research is aimed at clarifying how Confucianism was pragmatically promoted by the government of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with the purpose of securing its cultural leadership. This state-led promotion reveals the vulnerability of the political status of Confucianism in contemporary China and its unsecured future. (J Contemp China/GIGA)

Given the massive scale of internal migration in China, access to health services and other health issues not only matter to rural-urban migrants but also have important implications to broad public health concerns. Based on a case study of a particular migrant enclave in Beijing, the study investigates issues concerning environmental health risks of migrants, their health seeking behaviours, and the constraints they encountered in accessing health services with respect to the social strata among migrants. It is argued that the main obstacles to accessing health services are not only the shortage of financial resources among rural-urban migrants, but lie in the institutional blind spot regarding health security provision, rural-urban dualism and a unique household registration system in China. Implications for policy changes are also discussed. (J Contemp China/GIGA)

Silicone materials are widely used, from daily life to the military industry. With the advancement of science and technology and the increasing demands of industry, the requirement for high-performance precise structural silicone materials has increased. Therefore, the most important aspect in this field is finding a breakthrough in the synthetic methods. In this review, the latest research developments in controllable morphological structure and composite structure optimized synthesis of silicone materials using the Piers–Rubinsztajn (PR) reaction are summarized. The advantages of the PR reaction compared with traditional synthetic routes to silicone materials are presented. The highly controllable spatial structure of silicone materials and the structural combination of biomass or inorganic materials with silicone materials results in an improvement in performance or function. The morphological control of more complex silicone materials and the synthesis of non-traditional silicone materials with composite structures through the PR reaction will be the main research directions for the development of silicone materials in the future.