The Open United Front


Book Description




Managing Transitions


Book Description

Managing Transitions examines the history and roles of China's minor parties and groups (MPG's) in the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) united front between the 1930's and 1990's using Antonio Gramsci's principles for the winning and maintaining of hegemony. Gramsci advocated a "war of position," the building of political alliances to isolate existing state powers and win consent for revolutionary rule and transform society. Economic reform is now creating new socio-economic groups and the CCP is adjusting the united front and the MPGs to co-opt their representatives and deliberately forestall the evolution of an autonomous civil society and middle class which could challenge CCP rule. This has resulted in a new and expanding role for the united front, the MPGs and organisations representing the new interest groups.




China's New United Front Work in Hong Kong


Book Description

This book explores the dynamics of China’s new united front work in Hong Kong. Mainland Chinese penetrative politics can be seen in the activities of local pro-Beijing political parties, clans and neighborhood associations, labor unions, women and media organizations, district federations, and some religious groups. However, united front work in the educational and youth sectors of civil society has encountered strong resistance because many Hong Kong people are post-materialistic and uphold their core values of human rights, the rule of law and transparency. China’s new united front work in Hong Kong has been influenced by its domestic turn toward “hard” authoritarianism, making Beijing see Hong Kong’s democratic activists and radicals as political enemies. Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” is drifting toward “one country, two mixed systems” with some degree of convergence. Yet, Taiwan and some foreign countries have seen China’s united front work as politically destabilizing and penetrative. This book will be of use to scholars, journalists, and observers in other countries seeking to reckon with Chinese influence.




Underground Front


Book Description

Underground Front is a pioneering examination of the role that the Chinese Communist Party has played in Hong Kong since the creation of the party in 1921, through to the present day. The second edition goes into greater depth on the party’s view on “one country, two systems”, “patriotism”, and “elections”. The introduction has been extensively revised and the concluding chapter has been completely rewritten in order to give a thorough account of the post-1997 governance and political system in Hong Kong, and where challenges lie. Christine Loh endeavours to keep the data and the materials up to date and to include the discussion of some recent events in Hong Kong. The appendices on the key targets of the party’s united front activities also make the book an especially useful read for all who are interested in Hong Kong history and politics, and the history of modern China. ‘Although the author calls herself an “outsider”, this book provides such a distinctly incisive analysis that even an “insider” will pale by comparison. Christine Loh’s exposition of the Communist Party’s co-optation and persuasion is particularly revealing for anyone not versed in communist-speak. A must-read for anyone who cares for Hong Kong—simply because the Communist Party in Hong Kong is a heavyweight player in shaping our future.’ —Ching Cheong ‘Authoritative, thoroughly researched and lucidly written, Christine Loh’s work must be read by everyone who wants to make sense of the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda in Hong Kong. This book is remarkable for its fair-mindedness in evaluating the party’s record. She provides an absorbing account of its leaders’ hard-headed pragmatism in tolerating this outpost of colonial and capitalism during the Cold War and the Cultural Revolution. Her analysis of the party’s involvement in contemporary Hong Kong is an impressive contribution to our understanding of Beijing’s expanding involvement in Hong Kong affairs. The author has achieved a notable breakthrough with this fascinating study of a political organisation whose role and influence in Hong Kong have hitherto been shrouded in secrecy.’ —Leo Goodstadt




The United Front


Book Description

The book concerns the Soviet effort during the 1920s to make contact with - and if possible revolutionize - the European labour movement, by first establishing a special relationship with the British Trades Union Congress. The ultimate failure of that effort, after the collapse of the general strike in 1926, inspired Trotsky to try one last time to oust Stalin, a confrontation that led to utter collapse of the Trotskyite opposition in 1927-28. The author suggests the failure of this particular 'united front' effort was a major factor in the sectarianism and isolationism of the Communist movement from 1928 to 1934, and thus had a significant affect on the rise of the Nazi party in Germany.







The United Front


Book Description

An excellent collection of speeches and articles by the General Secretary of the Communist International, Georgi Dimitrov, on the United Front and the fight against fascism and war. This selection of Dimitrov's speeches and articles is essential to understanding the United Front policy of the Communist International and the true character of fascism. This book is essential in modern times with the growth in many countries of the militant forces of fascism and fascist rhetoric. A must read for all those truly interested in the final defeat of fascism.




Singapore


Book Description

In 2015, Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence. This book covers the complex historical forces and circumstances that shaped this nation. It tells of Britain's imperial visions and schemes, and of how their failure cast a shadow on the story of Singapore's incorporation into the Federation of Malaysia and expulsion from it.




Toward the United Front


Book Description

This book offers, for the first time in English, the proceedings and decisions of the last congress of the Communist International held in Lenin’s lifetime. With an analytic introduction, detailed footnotes, 500 biographic notes, glossary, chronology, and index.




People's Wars in China, Malaya, and Vietnam


Book Description

People’s Wars in China, Malaya, and Vietnam explains why some insurgencies collapse after a military defeat while under other circumstances insurgents are able to maintain influence, rebuild strength, and ultimately defeat the government. The author argues that ultimate victory in civil wars rests on the size of the coalition of social groups established by each side during the conflict. When insurgents establish broad social coalitions (relative to the incumbent), their movement will persist even when military defeats lead to loss of control of territory because they enjoy the support of the civilian population and civilians will not defect to the incumbent. By contrast, when insurgents establish narrow coalitions, civilian compliance is solely a product of coercion. Where insurgents implement such governing strategies, battlefield defeats translate into political defeats and bring about a collapse of the insurgency because civilians defect to the incumbent. The empirical chapters of the book consist of six case studies of the most consequential insurgencies of the 20th century including that led by the Chinese Communist Party from 1927 to 1949, the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960), and the Vietnam War (1960–1975). People’s Wars breaks new ground in systematically analyzing and comparing these three canonical cases of insurgency. The case studies of China and Malaya make use of Chinese-language archival sources, many of which have never before been used and provide an unprecedented level of detail into the workings of successful and unsuccessful insurgencies. The book adopts an interdisciplinary approach and will be of interest to both political scientists and historians.




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