{"title":"David M. Lampton","description":"\u003cp\u003eDavid M. Lampton offers incisive analysis of political systems and international relations, with a particular focus on China’s role in global affairs. His work combines rigorous research with clarity, making complex geopolitical dynamics accessible to a broad readership.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect thoughtful explorations of power, diplomacy, and strategic challenges in contemporary politics. Titles like \u003cem\u003eRivers of Iron\u003c\/em\u003e reflect Lampton’s deep engagement with the forces shaping today’s world, making his books essential for anyone interested in current affairs.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"rivers-of-iron-by-cheng-chwee-kuik-9780520372993","title":"Rivers of Iron","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat China’s infamous railway initiative can teach us about global dominance.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled what would come to be known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—a global development strategy involving infrastructure projects and associated financing throughout the world, including Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. While the Chinese government has framed the plan as one promoting transnational connectivity, critics and security experts see it as part of a larger strategy to achieve global dominance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRivers of Iron\u003c\/em\u003e examines one aspect of President Xi Jinping’s “New Era”: China’s effort to create an intercountry railway system connecting China and its seven Southeast Asian neighbours (Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). This book illuminates the political strengths and weaknesses of the plan, as well as the capacity of the impacted countries to resist, shape, and even take advantage of China’s wide-reaching actions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUsing frameworks from the fields of international relations and comparative politics, the authors of \u003cem\u003eRivers of Iron\u003c\/em\u003e seek to explain how domestic politics in these eight Asian nations shaped their varying external responses and behaviours. How does China wield power using infrastructure? Do smaller states have agency? How should we understand the role of infrastructure in broader development? Does industrial policy work? And crucially, how should competing global powers respond?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471466283244,"sku":"9780520372993","price":71.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780520372993-rivers-of-iron.jpg?v=1775244533"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/david-m-lampton.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}