INFLUENCE AND CONTRIBUTION OF CHINA IN SOUTH ASIA

This paper mainly examines the influence and contribution of China in South Asia. After the declaration of the ‘Belt Road Initiative’ (BRI), China has driven the strong advancement of infrastructure programmes in the countries of South Asia. Despite China have made a successful condition all through the Indian Ocean Region, pragmatist researchers contend that Beijing's goals are to use this infrastructure to make abroad bases; compromise the influence of India, and expand Chinese influence by challenging the order of the region. At the point when seen in a moderate way, the activity makes open doors for infrastructure advancements, supports multilateral development, and address the disappointment that current worldwide and local organizations might not be able to survive. By choosing perspective to see China's aims, the influences in South Asia can evaluate how to tackle these projects and either support or challenge China.

FOREIGN POLICY OF JAPAN

In post war era, Japan emerged as a pacifist country. The constitution of Japan restrained from developing armed forces for offensive but permitted only for defensive purpose. Thus, Japan raised Self Defense Force. This posture greatly contributed in its emergence as world economic power. In post-cold war period, Japan appeared with advanced step in its foreign policy and sent its forces abroad as a part of UN Peace Keeping Force abroad. It little questioned the objective of creating SDF. 9/11 incidents changed the global politics. Japanese citizens also fall prey to it. Japan joined coalition on War on Terror and helped to fight against terrorism. In post 9/11, Japan has improved its relations with China despite territorial dispute. However, it plays its role in global political, economic, cultural and strategic areas.

THE ENGLISH READING HABITS OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AT DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, CHINA

The study is set to know, analyze, and finally realize the reading habits of the students at Dalian University of Technology (DUT), specifically the English language (L2). The study aims to find out the reading habits of the students. Five-point Likert scale questionnaire was made to investigate the participants’ general attitudes towards reading and their reading preferences. 12000 questionnaires were distributed out of which 641 were returned after being filled in. The data collected through the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 20 program. It is made out of the conducted survey that the students at DUT have healthy reading habits and their attitude towards reading is positive. Moreover, it is made out that the reading habits of the students have a remarkable impact on their academic performances. The research in the end has made some suggestions and recommendations to foster reading habits and attitudes among university students for better language proficiency.

CORRELATION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS MOTIVES AND THE PERSONAL WISH OR FAMILY PRESSURE AS REASON OF VEILING AMONG MALAYSIAN MUSLIM UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

This paper is part of the broader research to investigate Malaysian university student’s veiling pattern and their motives to adopt and using veiling. This paper particularly focuses on relationship between religious motives and the personal wish or family pressure as the reason of using veiling articles among Malaysian Muslim University students. The data were collected through survey method with the help of a closed ended questionnaire from 335 female (Muslim and non-Muslim) university students of University Malaysia Perlis. After processing of Data 255 cases of veiling Muslim university students were included in this research paper. The research tool for this research study comprises of three broader main scales to assess the practice of veiling due to religious motives, personal wish, and family pressure among these students. The data were analyzed to identify the relationship between religious motives behind veiling and the choice made by the student’s personal wish for veiling or due to their family pressure to veil by applying Pearson correlation. The results show a statistically significant positive relationship between religious motives and the personal wish of veiling among Malaysian Muslim university students.

SUBSTANTIALIZING AND IMPLEMENTING HUMAN SECURITY IN THE CONTEXT OF FOREIGN POLICY

The presentation of ‘human security’ notion in 1990s signified transformation of international relations from nation-centred international system to people-centred international system. This concept not only redefined the term security, but altered the perceptions of both objects and subjects of threat as well. This development in the discourse of ‘security’ and the logic of linkage between national-interests and human-interests convinced states to reconsider and reframe their security policy. This article describes the notion of human security as a crux to chain the people across the world owing to the recognition of identical security challenges and responses. The concept of human security brought states closer and infused the sense of collaboration and cooperation to mitigate the threats to the security of human being. Methodologically, this paper presents qualitative and analytical study applying secondary data. This study presents the period 1995-2003 as a historical tenure regarding development of human security approach in the foreign policy of Japan. This research analyses how the Japanese governments under the leadership of some people-friendly Prime Ministers advocated the concept of human security and promoted it as a vital determinant of the foreign policy of Japan.

PAKISTAN’S MAGNITUDE FOR CHINA: A NARRATIVE OF GEO-STRATEGIC BARGAIN

This paper attempts to analyse the geo-strategic magnitude of Pakistan for China. Including other factors, the geographical position of Pakistan plays an important role in the formulation of their mutual ties. Sino-Indian conflict further enhanced Pak-China relationship mainly reflecting their reciprocal interests. In addition to geo-political ties, economic benefits attracted Chinese attention to maintain a friendly relationship with Pakistan by signing bilateral trade agreement during early 1960s. Similarly, Pakistan provided a naval base to China, which decreased the influence of USA and India in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Central Asian States. However, due to the world third deepest seaport (Gwadar Port), Pakistan became more valuable to China. Moreover, launching of China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2014 has greatly enhanced the geographical importance of Pakistan for the whole region including China. The scope of present study provides a realization to the fact that significance of Pakistan for Chinese interest is beyond the common thinking. This article tries to pin point the current scenario with increasing significance of Pakistan for China.

PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNING AND PHENOMENOLOGY APPROACH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

This paper is based on literature review discuss the philosophical underpinning like epistemology and ontological frameworks of theoretical and philosophical perspectives. These are usually known and referred as paradigm in the field of research, that we simply identify them as a worldview or a set of assumptions about how things work. Paradigms are comprehensive framework of the beliefs, experiences and beliefs of numerous theories and research practices, which are extensively used in the research process. Basic questions like epistemology tries to answer that what is true or what does distinguish the authentic knowledge from the false and (inadequate) knowledge. This gives birth to basic questions that what is truth, and what counts the knowledge? What is the relationship amongst researcher and what is the already known? How do we come to know? Whereas ontology is oriented the nature of social realism and the things which exist, such as settings of their reality of relationships amongst the objects. The paper argues that phenomenological approach or strategy of inquiry is one of the best approaches in the qualitative research study.

BATTLE FOR SUPERMACY IN ASIA PACIFIC

Asia Pacific region is one of the prominent region for the global powers due to its strategic importance as the major trading routes. Japan, India, Australia, China, and South Korea and ASEAN holds the prominent position in the region. The researchers in the article discussed about the competition between the Washington and its allies with the growing power/influence of Beijing in the region. Beijing’s influence not only confined to the east of Asia but it stretched further in west under the BRI and CPEC projects as well as also with recent agreement with Tehran. The researchers have discussed the importance of China in the region as a major competitor and a balancer to the Washington power. The region is now one of the major centres of the battle for supremacy between the two major competitors Washington and Beijing. The researchers have discussed the policies carried by both the power centres in the region to gain the superiority in the region.

HOW DEMOCRACY AFFECTS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN MUSLIM MAJORITY COUNTRIES

For understanding how democracy affects religious freedom in Muslim majority countries, Indonesia and Pakistan are the best case studies because they are top two countries in terms of the Muslim population and the both have experienced democratic and dictatorial regimes. In liberal philosophy ‘liberty’ and ‘equality’, which includes the religious liberty and equality are considered fundamental political values that define the core principles of liberal democracy. Therefore, it could be hypothesized that the religious minorities in Indonesia and Pakistan should have experienced more religious freedom during the democratic phases. This paper explains how a regime type (democracy) affects the religious freedom of minorities in Muslim majority countries. Does the personality of the ruler and his political vision matter as well? How the religious groups and religious parties exploit majoritarian principles of democracy to put hurdles in religious freedom?

PEACE PROCESS IN KOREAN PENINSULA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

The peace process in the Korean Peninsula is one of the pivotal issues for international security. The burgeoning nuclear programme of North Korea, relief in sanctions and the presence of US forces are the daunting challenges for the peace and strategic stability in the Korean Peninsula. For that purpose, different measures, ranging from diplomatic efforts to global sanctions, have been taken. The reinitiating of the peace process in 2017, which involved the intra-Korean negotiations and Trump-Kim Summits have given a positive yet fragile signal. However, the peace process involves various steps, compromises, and flexibilities. For the peace process, the normalisation of relations between North Korea and the US is of colossal significance. The confidence-building measures need to be adopted by both sides. This paper aims at highlighting the issues and evaluating the possible outcomes of the peace process in the Korean Peninsula.