Artykuł jest poświęcony reinterpretacji oraz adaptacji krótkich japońskich form poetyckich tanka (określanych mianem waka) jako formuł magicznych. Analiza obejmuje Moto yori chiri ni majiwaru..., pseudoklasyczny utwór przypisywany Izumi Shikibu (976–1031) (a także Ono no Komachi, poetce tworzącej w IX wieku) oraz Naniwazu ni saku ya..., wiersz z antologii Kokin wakashū [Zbiór poezji japońskiej dawnej i współczesnej]. Te dobrze ugruntowane w literaturze przykłady mają za zadanie zilustrować, w jaki sposób poezję wtórnie wykorzystywano do osiągania nadnaturalnych celów. Skupiono się w szczególności na jej związku z kobiecą fizjologią – zaadaptowaniu wierszy jako formuł magicznych mających na celu manipulowanie cyklem menstruacyjnym oraz ochronę przed nieczystością spowodowaną krwią. Artykuł pokazuje, że poezja waka zachowała tę funkcję dzięki talizmanom (gofu) dla kobiet, jednocześnie rzucając światło na związki waka z buddyzmem oraz rytualną czystością.

W Japonii 1 kwietnia 2022 r. wszedł w życie zmieniony kodeks cywilny. W myśl jego przepisów wiek pełnoletności obniżono z 20 do 18 lat. Młodzi Japończycy w wieku 18 lat i starsi będą teraz mogli dokonywać własnych wyborów życiowych i podejmować decyzje w różnych sytuacjach społecznych. Jednocześnie dotyczą ich także obowiązki dorosłych. Różne badania opinii publicznej wskazują jednak na powszechny brak konkretnego zrozumienia praw i obowiązków przez Japończyków. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badania znaczenia terminu 成年 seinen („wiek pełnoletności”) poprzez porównanie przypadku Francji na podstawie francuskiego kodeksu cywilnego, aby rzucić światło na prawne i potoczne znaczenie terminu „osiągnięcie pełnoletności”.

Artykuł dotyczy tematyki prawa chińskiego okresu cesarstwa w ujęciu badań Ks. Prof. Antoniego Kościa SVD. Analizie poddano filozoficzne podstawy prawa chińskiego głównie z punktu widzenia konfucjanizmu i legizmu. W celu ukazania specyfiki prawa chińskiego przedstawiono również zarys założeń innych szkół filozoficzno-religijnych. Przedmiotem rozważań są zachowane kodyfikacje prawne, system organów władzy państwowej, podatki i struktura hierarchii społecznej oraz poszczególne gałęzie prawa. Artykuł ma na celu ukazanie odmienności ewoluującego na przestrzeni poszczególnych dynastii systemu prawa Chin. Podjęto próbę odpowiedzi na pytanie: jakie podstawy filozofii Chin w największym stopniu wpłynęły na prawo chińskie. Główną metodą badawczą jest metoda analizy historycznej i dogmatycznoprawna.

Celem artykułu jest omówienie niematerialnych i materialnych elementów dziedzictwa związanych z konfucjanizmem w Korei Północnej. Autor stawia tezę, że istnieje dychotomia między oficjalnym dyskursem, przywiązaniem przywódców Korei Północnej do wartości konfucjańskich a polityką wobec konfucjańskiego dziedzictwa istniejącego w Korei Północnej. Badania opierają się w dużej mierze na dokumentach północnokoreańskich. Odpowiedź na postawiony problem badawczy pozwoli określić, jakie jest miejsce konfucjanizmu w oficjalnym dyskursie i dziedzictwie kultury Korei Północnej. Autor odpowiada na pytanie, dlaczego materialne dziedzictwo konfucjańskie jest narzędziem polityki kulturowej Korei Północnej.

W artykule zaprezentowano działalność Centrum Studiów Azji Wschodniej, które zostało założone na Uniwersytecie Gdańskim w 2007 r. CSAW UG od momentu powołania, najpierw pod kierownictwem prof. Ewy Oziewicz (2007–2011), a następnie prof. Kamila Zeidlera (od października 2011 r.), prowadzi działalność naukową, wydawniczą i kulturalną, która jest poświęcona krajom Azji Wschodniej. Celem CSAW UG jest koordynowanie zadań skupionych wokół tych państw na Uniwersytecie Gdańskim. Centrum utrzymuje kontakt z instytucjami edukacyjnymi i badawczymi w Azji Wschodniej oraz promuje kraje tego regionu w Polsce. Swoją działalność podejmuje samodzielnie lub we współpracy z innymi instytucjami z Polski i zagranicy, głównie uczelniami, ambasadami i organizacjami rządowymi, wydawnictwami i przedsiębiorstwami związanymi z krajami Azji Wschodniej. W artykule przedstawiono również, jak szerokie pole współpracy Centrum zapewnia naukowcom, studentom, ale także dyplomatom, dziennikarzom, artystom i osobom zajmującym się kulturą, zarówno w Azji Wschodniej, jak i w Polsce.

Dotychczas w literaturze przedmiotu, a w szczególności w naukach prawnych, brakowało badań, które w sposób szeroki objęłyby problematykę korzystania z gier elektronicznych i mediów społecznościowych przez małoletnich. W artykule postawiono tezę, że współczesne ustawodawstwa powinny wprowadzać odpowiednie mechanizmy prawne przeciwdziałające negatywnym skutkom nieprawidłowego korzystania z gier elektronicznych i mediów społecznościowych przez małoletnich. W pierwszej części artykułu zarysowany został problem badawczy, w tym negatywne skutki nieprawidłowego korzystania ze wskazanych wytworów technologii przez małoletnich, a także przytoczono obszerne dane statystyczne na ten temat. W drugiej części wskazano możliwe działania polityczne i legislacyjne oraz regulacje prawne, które zmierzają do zapewnienia odpowiedniej ochrony małoletnim w kontekście opisanych zagrożeń. Ze względu na nasilony stopień ingerencji ustawodawczej uwaga została poświęcona w znacznej mierze porządkom prawnym regionu Azji Wschodniej, a w szczególności Korei Południowej. Na ostatnią część artykułu złożyła się szczegółowa analiza koreańskiego unormowania ograniczającego dostęp do gier przez małoletnich, z wyróżnieniem regulacji Shutdown Law (셧다운제), która to funkcjonowała przez ponad 10 lat, do 2021 r. Podjęte tu rozważania umożliwiły dostrzeżenie całościowego kontekstu, wieloaspektowości omawianych zagadnień oraz analizę doświadczeń i rozwiązań prawnych wyróżniających się prawodawstw.

Uprawnienia do stanowienia praw dotyczących ochrony dziedzictwa kultury w Indiach są podzielone między parlament i stanowe ciała ustawodawcze na mocy Konstytucji Indii. Chociaż Indie mają wiele obiektów historycznych, pomników i tradycji kulturowych, twórcy Konstytucji Indii położyli większy nacisk na ochronę mniejszości, ich praw kulturowych i języków. W rezultacie istnieją pewne prawa podstawowe, które gwarantują ochronę osobom mającym „odmienny język, pismo lub kulturę”, dając im prawo do ich zachowania. Istnieją również podstawowe obowiązki, zgodnie z którymi każdy obywatel musi m.in. dbać o bogate dziedzictwo kultury Indii i chronić je. Archeologiczny aspekt indyjskiego dziedzictwa kultury wywodzi się od Brytyjczyków. Pierwsze prawa dotyczące ochrony dziedzictwa były kolonialne, a niektóre z nich nadal obowiązują. Prawa ustanowione w niepodległych Indiach również zawierają te same podstawy. Jeśli chodzi o egzekwowanie przepisów, Indie dobrze sobie radzą, odzyskując swoje zabytki, które zostały skradzione i przemycone za granicę. Niemniej jednak mniej popularne elementy dziedzictwa kultury nadal cierpią z powodu opieszałości zarówno wykonawczej, jak i publicznej. Sądy w Indiach aktywnie chronią zabytki. Jednocześnie potrzebna jest większa świadomość społeczeństwa, a także pewne zmiany w polityce, ponieważ Indie chcą zostać światowym liderem w turystyce do 2047 r.

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza prawa własności intelektualnej w Japonii pod kątem współczesnych wyzwań i trendów rozwoju, z uwzględnieniem przede wszystkim prawa autorskiego. Wśród zagadnień prawa własności intelektualnej te związane z prawem autorskim mają szczególne znaczenie, głównie ze względu na szybki rozwój nowych technologii i zagadnień związanych ze sztuczną inteligencją. W związku z tym, w odpowiedzi na transformację cyfrową mogą być potrzebne nowe strategie w zakresie własności intelektualnej, a także nowe rozwiązania prawne. W artykule omówiono również wyjątek TDM w japońskim prawie autorskim oraz wybrane orzeczenia sądowe

W artykule przybliżono wyjątkowe zarówno w stosunku do standardów zachodnich, jak i standardów krajów postkolonialnych podejście Japonii do niematerialnego dziedzictwa kultury, szczególnie w kontekście gwarantowanego prawnie systemu ochrony oraz historycznego i współczesnego znaczenia tego dziedzictwa dla społeczeństwa. Poczynając od wprowadzenia po raz pierwszy kategorii niematerialnego dziedzictwa kultury w ustawie o ochronie dóbr kultury z 1950 r. aż po obowiązującą obecnie nowelizację z 2004 r., niematerialne dziedzictwo podlega coraz szerszej i bardziej efektywnej ochronie. Składa się na nią zarówno wsparcie finansowe ze strony państwa, jak i edukacja społeczeństwa, promocja i kultywowanie tradycji. Wszystkie te działania zapobiegają odejściu w niepamięć klasycznym umiejętnościom i dziedzinom sztuki. System ochrony w Japonii dzieli niematerialne dziedzictwo na wiele kategorii, które podkreślają zróżnicowany charakter dziedzin, w jakich przejawia się lokalna kultura i które mają zapewnione adekwatne środki prawne, odpowiadające ich szczególnym potrzebom. Starania podejmowane w celu zachowania niematerialnego dziedzictwa kultury i dbałość o nie były podyktowane potrzebą zrekonstruowania tożsamości narodowej po przegranej II wojnie światowej oraz zabezpieczenia folkloru przed postępującą globalizacją i westernizacją, obecnie zaś stanowią przejaw rosnącego zainteresowania różnorodnością kulturową.

W ciągu ostatniej dekady pogłębiała się dychotomia japońskiego rynku pracy między „odporną” formą zatrudnienia regularnego a wysoce elastyczną, ale wrażliwą formą zatrudnienia nieregularnego. Zjawisko to, w połączeniu z wciąż aktualnymi doświadczeniami kryzysu związanego z pandemią COVID-19 oraz nieustannie dokonującą się zmianą otoczenia powodowaną rosnącym postępem technologicznym, nasuwa pytanie o trwałość tradycyjnych japońskich praktyk zatrudnienia na całe życie. W artykule poddano analizie środowisko pracy w Japonii za pomocą modelu „odporności” rynku pracy, rozszerzonego o czynnik kulturowy, który pozwala na pełniejsze zrozumienie japońskiego systemu zatrudnienia. Zdaniem autorki ostatnie koncepcje co do zmiany organizacji zatrudnienia w Japonii oraz coraz głośniej i częściej podnoszona konieczność tych zmian mogą przyczynić się do długo oczekiwanej transformacji.

Idee konfucjańskiego patriarchatu zajmowały chińskie umysły od tysięcy lat. W epoce Qing podległość kobiet pogłębiła się przez rozpowszechnione praktyki krępowania stóp, prostytucję, konkubinat, dzieciobójstwo dziewczynek oraz wywieraną na wdowy presję społeczną, by pozostawały wierne zmarłym mężom. Jednocześnie kobiety okresu Qing nie tylko wypełniały zasady konfucjańskie, ale także, poprzez codzienne praktyki, przekształcały konfucjańskie nauczanie tak, aby wzmocnić swoją pozycję w domowych wnętrzach, tworząc osobiste znaczące światy. W tym czasie rodził się także chiński feminizm zapoczątkowany przez działania ruchu reformistycznego i szkoły przykościelne. Kwestie roli i miejsca chińskich kobiet oraz ich zmagania życiowe były szeroko badane z perspektywy różnych dyscyplin, jednak niewiele badań zajmuje się zagadnieniem chińskich kobiet w literaturze. Poprzez analizę wierszy zebranych przez Guido Amadeo Vitale w Chinese Folklore: Pekinese Rhymes [Chiński folklor: Pekińskie wersy], które w licznych scenach przedstawiają życie, zachowania oraz przykłady traktowania kobiet w późnym okresie Qing, w artykule ukazano, że pomimo ciągłej dominacji zasad Trzech Posłuszeństw i Czterech Cnót w życiu kobiet można zaobserwować zmiany będące pierwszymi krokami do postępu.

Dekada obejmująca pokryzysowe lata 2009–2019 była korzystna dla chińskich banków pod względem budowania ich międzynarodowej pozycji. Nie dotknęły ich problemy z płynnością w takim stopniu, jak banki amerykańskie i europejskie. Głównym celem artykułu jest analiza miar wielkości i poziomu wskaźników rentowności chińskich globalnych banków ważnych systemowo (GSIBs) na tle banków amerykańskich. Analiza została przeprowadzona na tle koncepcji wyjaśniających wagę wielkości banku jako jednego z czynników przewagi konkurencyjnej i konkurencyjności banków. Badania dowiodły, że największe banki chińskie przewyższają banki amerykańskie pod względem zarówno aktywów, jak i uzyskiwanych miar rentowności, co wskazuje na trwałe zmiany w zakresie dominacji chińskich banków w międzynarodowym systemie finansowym.

Artykuł stanowi podsumowanie wykładu wygłoszonego podczas konferencji „O prawie japońskim”, zorganizowanej przez prof. Kamila Zeidlera na Wydziale Prawa i Administracji Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego w czerwcu 2019 r. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie problematyki
prawa prywatnego międzynarodowego w Japonii na tle prawno-porównawczym, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem zagadnień dotyczących wyboru prawa właściwego. W pierwszej części omówiono tło historyczne rozwoju prawa prywatnego międzynarodowego w Japonii
i Polsce, w dalszej części zaś przepisy dotyczące wyboru prawa właściwego w obu systemach prawnych. W konkluzji zwrócono uwagę, że polska ustawa – Prawo prywatne międzynarodowe w rozdziale 10 zawiera przepisy szczegółowe dotyczące praw własności intelektualnej, podczas gdy w prawie japońskim nadal brakuje takich regulacji.

Prowadzenie badań prawno-porównawczych wymaga nie tylko profesjonalnych kompetencji dotyczących znajomości języków obcych, lecz również opanowania metod prowadzenia takich badań, przede wszystkim zaś pobytów na stażach zagranicznych i licznych dyskusji
z ekspertami z różnych państw. Nie można bowiem podejmować tego rodzaju badań wyłącznie na podstawie, nawet najbardziej uważnie zebranych, zagranicznych źródeł i literatury normatywnej. Niewidoczna, jak również nieznana ani niekwestionowana, niewidzialna konstytucja stanowi poważne wyzwanie dla modelu konstytucyjnego, interpretacji konstytucji i jej zmiany. Ta perspektywa, która nie może być pominięta, pozostawia badaczowi możliwość stawiania pytań o charakter prawa wyższego rzędu, granice kodyfikacji, jak również
niezbędne i wystarczające warunki dla konstytucjonalizmu – kluczowe kwestie dotyczące pełnych badań w prawie konstytucyjnym porównawczym.
Azja Południowo-Wschodnia jest bardzo interesującym regionem dla badaczy systemów konstytucyjnych, chociaż nieco nieodkrytym przez polskich naukowców zajmujących się tą gałęzią prawa. Region jest zróżnicowany pod względem etnicznym, religijnym, kulturowym,
ekonomicznym i ma bardzo bogatą historię. Czynniki te, wraz z doświadczeniem okresu kolonialnego, sprawiają, że państwa Azji Południowo-Wschodniej są bardzo interesującym, a jednocześnie niezwykle trudnym obszarem badawczym. Przykłady unikalności regulacji
i instrumentów konstytucyjnych wprowadzone w państwach ASEAN, które zostały wskazane w artykule, uzasadniają tezę o potrzebie prowadzenia dalszych badań w tym regionie, a skutki ich stosowania nie mogą zostać odrzucone a piori.

• Suki Kim, Pozdrowienia z Korei. Uczyłam dzieci północnokoreańskich elit, przeł. A. Sobolewska, Znak. Literatura Nowa, Kraków 2015, ss. 336 (Barbara Richert)
• Marcin Jacoby, Sztuka perswazji w starożytnych Chinach: opowiastka alegoryczna w okresie Walczących Państw (453–221 r. p.n.e.), Wydawnictwo Akademickie Dialog, Warszawa 2018, ss. 222 (Magdalena Łągiewska)
• Bryan B. Barber, Japan’s Relations With Muslim Asia, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham 2020, ss. 261 (Kamil Pietrasik)

The development of wind energy in China

Over the past 20 years, China has gone from being a country taking its first steps in wind energy to the position of a global leader in the field. The purpose of this article is to describe the factors that have determined the success of China’s renewable energy policy. The descriptive method, comparative analysis, and a case study were used to verify hypotheses. The results of the analysis showed that the success of China’s policy in the wind-energy sector was determined by such factors as prioritizing renewable energy in economic policy, setting specific goals for this policy, building entire business ecosystems in wind energy, ensuring a wide stream of financing, and constant introduction of innovations thanks to investments in R&D and human capital.

Competitiveness and practical activities of Chinese producers of electric cars on the European market

Competition in the automotive market is generally known and described. This market is dominated by the large players who have been operating for a long time. Environmental protection is directly linked to natural resources and means that competition is moving towards electrical vehicles. This new sector seeks a competitive  advantage to succeed on the market.

The aim of this article is to assess the chances of Chinese electric car manufacturers on the European market. In order to achieve this goal the method of analysis and synthesis in the field of competitiveness and competitive advantage was used. The case study method was also used to refer to the practice of Chinese car  producers in China and Europe. The data gathered leads to the conclusion that Chinese manufacturers are well aware of how to build up competitiveness in Europe. They know how to gain and maintain areas of competitive advantage. Purchase of a stake in European producers or some other kind of cooperation with them means  that the presence of Chinese electric vehicle producers on the European market is becoming substantial. After years of learning, the time of expansion has arrived, which, as collected data show, has every chance of being successful.

The aim of the paper is to present the process of evolving of the constitutionalism in People’s Republic of China. The first, introductory part briefly provides the content of the Chinese Constitution. The second part discusses the latest amendments to the Constitution and its significance. The third part is dedicated to the case study regarding application of the constitutional provisions and the mechanism of reviewing them. In the fourth paragraph, the possible future steps in development of constitutionalism was indicated. The last paragraph is dedicated to the summary

The People’s Republic of China is a very big and diverse country with huge urban and rural populations. Providing such a number of people with even a basic healthcare coverage is challenging at the best of circumstances. This, combined with several thousand years of traditional medical practices, and a radical transformation the  country has been undergoing for the last forty years creates a varied regulatory landscape. In this article, the author presents selected regulations concerning Chinese medical practitioners and a brief history of medicine in China. It begins by presenting the historical background of medicine in China – from the ancient to modern  times. The historical part is followed by an overview of selected contemporary regulations on medical practitioners in the People’s Republic of China such as practitioners’ licensing, the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine, professional and tort liability of doctors. In this article, the author also presents the huge and resurgent influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine: its own separate Law, a path to full medical licence for TCM practitioners and the state placing it as a part of the larger health-care system.

A brief history of the Mao Zedong cult – selected elements of the creation of the political legend of the Great Helmsman

The People’s Republic of China, which has been under a communist regime for over 60 years and is ruled by one party, evokes many different opinions among Western observers. The heritage of Mao Zedong, who is considered the father of modern China, is also a topic of those discussions. There is no doubt that Mao Zedong is  still recognized as a high-profile figure and an outstanding strategist by the Chinese. His biggest success is considered to be the unification of the country, which for years was an arena of competition among Western powers, rivalry among regional commanders and civil wars. Over the years, he systematically built up his image by hard work and dedication. Mao Zedong’s period of leadership goes in parallel with the cult that has been created around him.
This article describes selected events from political life that have a particular impact on the creation of Mao Zedong’s political legend in China during his period of rule. Different stages are analyzed that shaped the image of Mao - from a communist underground activist in China and outstanding military strategist to the ideologist of  aoism, an important political player, and the Father of the Nation.

Zhang Yimou – independent director or supporter of the state? One artist’s metamorphosis in a communist country

This article describes how different attitudes towards reality develop as a result of living under a communist regime that undergoes dynamic economic and social transformation. The main focus is placed on Zhang Yimou, the renowned Chinese director, whose life and work seem to reflect on-going changes in a unique way,  showing a pattern closely correlated with the political and social situation in China. The author describes how two major revolutions, the Cultural Revolution and the following economic transformation of China, shaped the life of Zhang and influenced his work. When analyzed in depth, his movies form cycles which coincide with the rapidly changing social and political circumstances. Three such cycles are described: an independent movie-making stage, developing around the early stages of economic transformation and the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989; an intermediate stage related to the development of a new, semi-capitalist society in the nineties; and finally, a commercial stage related to the great economic boom of the first decade of the twenty-first century.

The Japanese Combined Fleet in the Second Battle of Guadalcanal, November 14–15, 1942

The purpose of the article is to present the clash of the night of November 14–15, 1942, which has gone down in the history of maritime warfare as the Second Battle of Guadalcanal. It was the result of the efforts of Japan and the United States to solve the complex strategic situation on the Solomon Islands archipelago. It was  also the effect of a highpoint in the campaign, which finally ended in the defeat of the Japanese Empire. During the battle, the ills of the Japanese command system, officers’ indecision, and technological backwardness came to light. One of the elements that contributed to the American victory was air control provided by planes taking off from Henderson Field airfield. Thanks to efficient command, US Navy ships with the help of aviation inflicted considerable losses within the Japanese ranks. As a result, the Second Battle of Guadalcanal ended in the total defeat of the Empire, whose situation in the Solomon Islands deteriorated subsequently.

Human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

This article is an attempt to show the problem of the violation of human rights in the communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, based on the example of forced labour camps functioning there. North Korea is a country in which there is no political opposition, as all forms of disobedience to the existing dictatorship are  severely punished. The regime uses terror in the form of capital punishment or labour camps to maintain control over society. These camps markedly resemble the concentration camps that existed in Europe during the Second World War. The methods used there are crimes against humanity. Torture, human experiments and complete disregard for human life occur there on level that is very similar to methods employed by the Nazis in their death camps. Public opinion has long tried not to perceive the problem and to maintain a wall of silence. However on the international stage, this wall is beginning to crumble. More and more voices can be heard calling for international intervention and prosecution of perpetrators for responsibility for crimes before a competent international body.

Vietnam has embarked on the open market economy under socialist orientation since the amendment of the 1980 Constitution in 1992 due to the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The introduction of Doimoi (renovation) in 1986 is considered as a turning point of Vietnam. Doimoi required government to change its role in order to meet the growing demands. It is the same as the case of China, ‘the transitional to market economy required a new form of government and style of regulation. Vietnamese Government could not carry out both economic and public administrative functions as used to be in the period of centrally planned economy. It other words,  the role of government in transition has changed from government-controlled to government-steered in the market-based system. As the centrally planned economy created the ‘applicationapproval’ administrative system, therefore, it was essential to reform administrative system in order to respond to the changes of economic  regime. In addition, global integration also requires Vietnam to reform public sector to achieve development targets. ‘Institutional reform, human resources development, recourse mobilization and financial management, and innovation and information technology capacity building’ are essential reforms to integrate into the global  economy and achieve the MDGs.

Banks have very diverse structures of funding, which has not changed significantly over the years. Forms of funding used by modern banks include: capital, deposits and wholesale funding. Deposits, especially retail ones constitute the main source of bank funding. Banks’ customers invest their money in the form of deposits usually in order to receive interest. What also attracts customers to deposits is the security of investment. Banks deposits come with a very low default risk, since they are usually protected under deposit guarantee schemes.

However it should be noted that not all banks can offer deposits characterised by the above-mentioned features. In the 1970s, an alternative banking system emerged in which financial instruments, including deposits, are structured in a different, unique way. A distinctive feature of Islamic banks is the obligation to conduct operations in accordance with the principles of sharia, which is the religious law of Muslims. The basic sharia principle applied by Islamic financial institutions is the prohibition of usury (arab. riba), which is understood as any sort of increase over the principal amount. The prohibition of riba has huge implications on operations conducted by Islamic banks since none of them can be based on interest. This also applies to deposits. It should be noted that Islamic scholars are generally of the opinion that saving is desirable, or even necessary, for the economic and social development of Muslim societies. However, mobilisation of savings in the Islamic banking system is much more challenging than in the conventional one. Deposits cannot be based on interest rate since this is contrary to sharia, but they still should bring certain profits so as to promote savings. The main purpose of the article is to characterise Islamic banks’ deposit funding and to compare the scope of usage of deposits in Islamic and conventional banks via the example of Malaysia. In the study qualitative, as well as quantitative research methods have been employed.

The challenges to protect the rights of indigenous peoples in West Papua

The purpose of the article is to present the political, legal and economic challenges which are facing the authorities of the Republic of Indonesia in the province of Papua and West Papua.

An armed conflict is going on in this area between successive Indonesian governments and Papuan nationalists, which involves demands regarding the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. Since 2001, a law on special autonomy has been in force in both provinces, which grants a number of rights to the inhabitants of this territory. However, Papuan nationalists say that this law is not implemented. The Indonesian authorities disagree with this opinion. The article presents both of these positions, as well as specific actions of the Indonesian government to improve the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, which the author assumes are the result of pressure from the international community.

Between theory and practice: Directions of Indonesia’s foreign policy in the twenty-first century and its status in international relations from the perspective of the middle power concept

The aim of this paper is to provide a description and an analysis of Indonesian foreign policy in the twenty-first century as a middle power in international relations. While middle powers are a relevant part of scholarly discourse in the study of international relations, there is considerable confusion as to how to define such states.  Because of that, the role theory in international relations has been adopted in an analysis of the foreign policy of Indonesia, which is one of the most dynamically developing states in the world. According to this approach, the six main roles of Indonesia in contemporary international relations can be outlined: its role as a regional  leader in Southeast Asia, as a promoter of democracy, as a voice of developing states, as a ‘stabiliser’ within the international system, as a “good international citizen,” and as a state supporting multilateral processes. Those roles can be realized on three levels: the subregional, the regional, and the global.

THE PROBLEM OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE JAPANESE SCHOOL AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

From the 19th century, Japanese society was built on the myth of its homogeneity, a myth that was perpetuated by the educational system. Japanese education was designed to standardize citizens and develop a sense of collectivity in them. Reforms carried out at the end of the 19th Century and after World War II (in the years 1945–1950) were largely aimed at shaping this collective sense of unity among the Japanese. It is no secret that, both in the 19th century and the period immediately following the end of the war, education – especially at higher than compulsory levels – was intended for a selected, narrow group of people. With the spread of the new education model, new problems emerged that had not been noticed so far (due to limited access to education). One of them was the phenomenon of discrimination, which began to be conceptualized in the 1950s and 1960s. This article is devoted to the Japanese view of this phenomenon. It shows how the discussion on new problems affecting the Japanese school system took place. In the background of all disputes among members of educational authorities and numerous non-governmental organizations, the problem of discrimination against minority groups living in the Japan, until the end of the 20th century, never (or almost never) appeared. The focus was on strengthening, on the one hand, the moral education of students, and on the other, on preserving and consolidating the myth of the homogeneity of Japanese society. At the same time, the essay provides an introduction to reflection on the phenomenon of discrimination in Japanese schools. 

Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo is an ongoing comic book series devoted to the adventures of Usagi Miyamoto. The eponymous character is a rabbit ronin that wanders the Japanese archipelago. Despite its seeming simplicity, the Usagi Yojimbo series is a true trove of information about Edo period Japan. This article presents different ways in which readers are able to acquire knowledge about Japan from reading Usagi Yojimbo. It focuses on several aspects of the series that present elements of Japanese culture, history, and language. The article also discusses the visual aspects of Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo comics that have an effect on readers’ perception of the presented content and influence their learning about Japanese culture. 

The modern kimono might look similar to its historical predecessor, but it has, in fact, gone through a vast array of changes. When Japan opened up to Western culture during the Meiji period, the need to distinguish the ‘ours’ from the ‘foreign’ started a process that turned the kimono into the easily recognizable symbol of ‘Japaneseness’ that it is today. Because of its long history and cultural significance, the importance of this traditional item of dress cannot be understated. Several centuries-old forms of craftsmanship are tied nowadays to its continued existence. In this article, I delve into some of the kimono’s rich history and the changes it went through both as a piece of clothing and an important element of contemporary Japan’s cultural heritage. I also address some of the criticism that has been directed at it through the ages, as well as speculate about its plausible future as a fashion item. 

In ancient Japanese beliefs there was no specific concept of the underworld even though those beliefs were based on a cult of ancestors. The land of the dead, anoyo, had no specific location. It was not situated underground, nor in heaven – it was somewhere close to the world of the living, so that the spirits of the ancestors could watch over their relatives. More information about the Land of the Dead appears in the chronicles of Kojiki and Nihogi describing the death of the goddess Izanami and her departure to Yomi. A more extensive image of the underworld, especially a vision of hell with multiple levels, appeared on the Japanese Islands with the arrival of Buddhism. This article analyses different visions of the underworld that have developed in Japanese beliefs throughout history. Both Shintoist and Buddhist beliefs are discussed, as well as myths and legends about deities, demons and creatures related to death and the Land of the Dead. 

The well-known Polish author of historical novels Teodor Parnicki (1908–1988), when he was still a student at the University of Lwów, made his debut in 1929 with the novel Trzy minuty po trzeciej… (Three Minutes Past Three…), which he described as “exotic-sensational.” Its action takes place at the end of the 1920s in contemporary Manchuria and in central China. Parnicki was born in Berlin and spent his childhood in Russia. At twelve, he fled Russia and the Bolshevik Revolution for Harbin in Manchuria. Here he completed his education at the Polish gimnazjum (high school) and received a grant enabling him to study in Poland. The topic of this article is the historical background to the events Parnicki describes. It notes the fact that the motif of the mistaken abduction of the two central figures by a Japanese secret society, with its subsequent twists and turns of action involving the recovery of documents compromising to the Japanese authorities of North Korea/Manchuria from the hands of Soviet intelligence, was based on Parnicki’s thorough acquaintance with the historical background of these events. It was concretely based on a knowledge, drawn from the independent press of Harbin at that time, of the operations of Japanese secret societies. Barely a few years later, this activity went far beyond the areas in which the action of this debut novel takes place.

The ancient peoples of China considered crimson, blue-green, yellow, white and back to be the five primary colours that gave rise to the universe and Earth. Then, according to the theory of the Five Elements that make up the universe, i.e. Earth (土 – tu), Wood (木 – mu), Fire (火 – huo), Water (水 – shui) and Metal (金 – jin), five directions were set: East, South, West, North and Centre, to which specific colour combinations were assigned. The colours implied a number of diverse cultural concepts associated with, e.g. the role of power, philosophical theories, rituals and beliefs. Gradually a new colour system came into being and became an important value in traditional Chinese culture. This article looks at the meaning of white (白 – bai) and black (黑 – hei).

The purpose of the article is to present the origin and history of auspicious Chinese New Year pictures, as well as to describe them. The importance of the nianhua within Chinese culture is also analyzed. The main focus of this study is the traditional auspicious Chinese New Year pictures made by woodcut printing and created before the 1930s, when modern printing technology was invented. The topic of the article is not limited to Chinese New Year pictures. In fact, it is broader and deeper than it seems. Each nianhua is but an introduction to another aspect of Chinese art and culture. The auspicious nianhua are the expression of the magical–mythological perception of the world connected to Chinese auspicious culture 吉祥文化 nianhuawénhuà. The article is divided in two sections. In the first section, the origin and history of nianhua are presented and discussed. The second section contains an analysis of the symbolic nianhua, which are connected with Chinese auspicious culture. These are well-developed pictures from the period when the art of creating nianhua was flourishing. These kinds of pictures may be a key to understanding the desires, wishes, and worldview of the Chinese people. 

This article aims to present the basic characteristics and political function of the centralized planning of film themes in PRC cinema in the so-called “seventeen years” period (1949–1966), with particular attention being paid to attempts made by filmmakers to break through this system by coming up with two distinct film genres: the thriller and the positive comedy. The author explains why the political relaxation of the Hundred Flowers Campaign in 1956 made such bold explorations possible and why they were aborted when the ideology of class struggle was raised again on the CCP political agenda in the late 1950s and again in the early 1960s. The article also examines the contribution made to Chinese cinema by filmmakers engaged in genre innovation attempts in the 1960s. 

This article provides an analysis of the Indian cultural impact on Daoism that occurred through the spread of Buddhist religion and philosophy to China. With the exception of adherents of early Neo-Daoist philosophy, the paper emphasizes the rising popularity of religious escapism and anti-individualism among the Chinese, which contributed significantly to the destruction of original Daoist social and political thought. The author demonstrates that philosophical Daoism should not be understood as truly similar to any form of Buddhism, since Indian and Chinese cultures were fundamentally different (there was no unitary Eastern Wisdom at all). The main thesis of the article is that the influence of Indian Buddhism (especially during the early medieval period) gradually turned Daoism into an organized religion. As a result of Daoism’s being seen through the lens of Indian spirituality, many people still mistakenly consider Daoist thought to be predominantly transcendental, metaphysical, submissive, and apolitical.

Konwencja Rady Europy o przestępczości przeciwko dobrom kultury (konwencja z Nikozji) została  przyjęta 3 maja 2017 r. Bezpośrednią przyczyną jej opracowania stały się wzmożone zniszczenia na Bliskim Wschodzie i nielegalny handel dobrami kultury, szczególnie pochodzącymi z tego obszaru geograficznego, jednak należy przypomnieć o potrzebie rozbudowania środków międzynarodowej współpracy w zwalczaniu podobnych zjawisk dotykających również dobra kultury z Dalekiego Wchodu. Losy rzeźby Wojownika z Koh Ker opisane w niniejszym artykule stanowią przykład nielegalnego wywozu i handlu kambodżańskimi dobrami kultury. Warto zaznaczyć, że wiele podobnych obiektów nadal nie zostało zidentyfikowanych i może być dopuszczonych do obrotu. Pomimo niezadowalających efektów ratyfikacji wszystkich głównych aktów prawa międzynarodowego w zakresie ochrony dóbr kultury przez Kambodżę należy zwrócić uwagę na nowe możliwości w tym obszarze. Konwencja z Nikozji stanowi istotny element walki z przestępstwami przeciwko dziedzictwu. Jest otwarta również dla państw nieczłonkowskich, jak chociażby Japonia, której przedstawiciele uczestniczyli w opracowaniu dokumentu, zatem przystąpienie do niej powinno zostać rozważone przez pozostałe kraje z regionu. 

1. Projekt badawczy „Polska wieś na Syberii – Wierszyna. Między mitem a rzeczywistością”, Wierszyna, 4–27 września 2018 r. (Patrycja Laskowska)  

2. The Asia-Pacific Moot Court competition, Singapore, 1–3 March 2019 (Karolína Menšíková)

3. Dzień japoński na Wydziale Prawa i Administracji Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego, Gdańsk, 5 czerwca 2019 r. (Kamil Zeidler)

Kazimierz Grochowski and the Guanyin Goddess; from reportage to expert assessment

This article is an attempt to sum up the results of many years of interest in the scholarly activity in the Far East of the engineer Kazimierz Grochowski. For thirty years (1906–1937), he carried out geological, archaeological, and ethnographic research in Eastern Siberia, Barga and Manchuria. He was also principal of my high-school in Harbin, where I was born and spent my childhood and youth. He was co-founder of the international Manchuria Research Society and of the museum with its rich range of collections that is now the state Museum of Heilonjiang Province. Here he transferred most of the objects from his excavations, including silver Roman coins (beginning from the rule of the Emperor Hadrian [117–138 AD]). They were discovered by Grochowski on an escarpment in the centre of today’s Harbin, where – he believed – there had been a ford over the river and an inn for merchants. By 1928, Grochowski was convinced that Harbin was located at a spot through which the trade route ran linking the Roman East with Korea and Japan. Today this has been confirmed by the existence of the so-called Grassland Silk Roads leading from Datong inter alia through Harbin to the East and to the lands on the Pacific. I began with an adventurous piece of reportage for a magazine for young readers. This quickly took me onto the track of Grochowski’s forgotten manuscript journals in  the National Library in Warsaw. On the basis of these, I wrote two books about engineer Grochowski. Currently, I am ending this research with an expert assessment of the statue of the Guanyin Goddess excavated by Grochowski. My judgment indicates that it comes from the eleventh century, from the period in these parts of the rule of the non-Chinese Liao dynasty.

Colour connotations in Chinese culture: blue, green and purple

Ancient peoples of China considered crimson, blue-green, yellow, white and back to be the five primary colours that gave rise to the universe and Earth. Then, according to the theory of the Five Elements that make up the universe, i.e. Earth (土 – tu), Wood (木 – mu), Fire (火 – huo), Water (水 – shui) and Metal (金 – jin), five directions were set: East,  South, West, North and Centre, to which specific colour combinations were assigned. The colours implied a number of diverse cultural concepts associated with, e.g. the role of power, philosophical theories, rituals and beliefs. Gradually a new colour system came into being and became an important value in traditional Chinese culture. This article  looks at the meaning of blue (蓝 – lan), green (绿 – lu) and purple (紫色 – zise).

Confucian bioethics as a response to the challenges of modern medicine

The dynamic development of biology, medicine and technology is one of the main reasons behind ethical reflection on interference in the natural processes of life, which has led to the emergence of a new interdisciplinary field – bioethics. This approach combines scientific knowledge and ethical values, and indicates the need to reconcile the achievements of science and humanistic values, as determinants for mutual relations between science and ethics. The originality of Chinese culture inspires us to appreciate Confucian philosophy, which is a cultural repository of knowledge about human life, personal relations and connections between human beings and nature. In this text, I describe some basic problems of bioethics, e.g. euthanasia, suicide, abortion, and the death penalty, from the perspective of Confucian and Western bioethics. Confucius’s ethical thought is based on five regulations: humaneness (ren), righteousness (yi), ritual (li), wisdom (zhi), and faithfulness (xin), which determine the boundaries of human activity. These ideas underlie the cultural richness of modern Chinese bioethics and they can successfully inspire European bioethics; therefore they promote mutual understanding between East and West. 

Chinese constitutionalism – the recent amendments to the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China

The article presents the latest amendments to the PRC Constitution and their meaning in a wider context. In the first and second part of the article, the content of the PRC Constitution as worded before the amendment from March 2018 is presented. The third part focuses on the amendments introduced on 11 March 2018. The last part summarizes the most significant changes and points out the meaning of the changes for the Chinese legal system.

Cross-border e-commerce along the Digital Silk Road

Electronic commerce has been developing along with the advancement of the Internet and technology. There have been numerous successes and failures among e-businesses, and one of the main reasons for either scenario is shown to be consumer satisfaction. Data shows that one of the major factors influencing customer experience is related to logistics. Along with the globalization of trade, cross-border e-commerce has brought new challenges that need to be overcome in order to meet the higher requirements of “digital consumers.” In spite of challenges, global e-commerce nowadays plays an essential role in promoting the development of both economy and industries, including logistics. Recently, global electronic commerce was included in the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, in particular with the Digital Silk Road, which emerged as a result of the initiative merging with the digital economy. This paper aims to explain what the Digital Silk Road refers to and what its relation is with international e-trade. Moreover, it presents an analysis of how the Digital Silk Road supports global e-trade and how cross-border e-commerce influences the Road. This paper forms part of a more thorough study of the role of international electronic commerce in facilitating trade along the Digital Silk Road.

The transfer market in China – legal and social aspects

In this paper, legal and social aspects of the football transfer market in China are described. Nowadays, a football revolution is taking place in China amid governmental projects intended to improve the state of football in the country. Chinese football clubs have challenged the richest European teams on the transfer market. Football transfers made within recent years have sparked a reaction from the Chinese Football Association, which – in response to those actions – introduced a series of reforms aimed at stopping the practice. In this paper, the legal aspects of the Chinese transfer market are listed, in particular those in the recent period that resulted in a reaction from the Chinese Football Association. It is also emphasised that the actions taken by the Chinese clubs on the transfer market constitute only a fraction of the Chinese football revolution, by also showing other fields in which the country is developing. The situation on the Chinese transfer market has deeply influenced the world football stage and has also significantly contributed to the rise of the Chinese football leagues.

The second wave of Chinese immigration to the United States of America

Chinese immigrants are the third-largest, foreign-born group in the United States. This article aims to investigate the second wave of Chinese immigration to the United States, which started in 1882 when the US Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. Since the beginning of their immigration to the USA, the Chinese struggled with the reluctance of white American society and US officials toward them. America had many reservations against foreigners from China crossing their borders. Behind this ideology lay mainly a lack of knowledge about Chinese language, traditions and culture; moreover, the outer appearance of the Chinese made them easily recognizable, which led to  prejudice. Chinese immigrants were perceived as sojourners not willing to settle in America permanently, which increased that aversion. For about 60 years – for that is how long the second wave lasted – the American government looked for any solution to keep the Chinese away from its borders, starting with the Chinese Exclusion Act, through its amendments broadening that legislation, up to when it built the immigration center on Angel Island, where the Chinese were interrogated and checked for bacteria and illnesses, and whether they were to be given the right to enter the country. The second wave ended in 1943 after president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Magnusson Bill which repealed the discriminatory laws against the Chinese. The migration policy imposed on the Chinese is believed to have been the only one in the US that prevented migration and naturalization on the basis of race.

The new face of erhu at a time of the interpenetration of the cultures of East and West: The arrangement of “My Favourite Things” by Jia Peng Fang

My Favorite Things is a song composed by the well-known Broadway duet of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein in 1959. It became a one of most well-known jazz songs of the twentieth century. Its popularity has even spread to Asia in the twenty-first century. Lots of famous musicians like to arrange this piece of music for a variety of instruments.
This article focus on analyses of jazz standards arranged for erhu performed by the erhu master Jia Peng Fang. Following Confucius’s saying that music comes from the heart, the article shows cultural influences in modern times. How are music cultures of the world evolving in a homogenized world?

PA Polish scholar of the Ainu People – Bronisław Piłsudski (1866–1918): On the hundredth anniversary of death

Bronisław Piłsudski, the elder brother of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, made a long-term home in Sakhalin, where he conducted research on the local population for nearly two decades. He became famous as an advocate of protecting the rights of the aborigines, who fought an unequal battle with the dominant cultures surrounding them from the south and the north. During his research, Piłsudski recorded the unique rites of the disappearing Ainu culture. This article is devoted to a profile of this Polish pioneer of ethnographic and oriental studies.

Hashima Island’s recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site – proof of the recognition of Japanese industry and technology.

Hashima Island, also called Gukanjima (Battleship Island), is now known as an abandoned coal mining site. It lies close to the coast of Nagasaki city, in southern Japan. It has been uninhabited since 1974. The Mitsubishi company populated Hashima Island by bringing in workers for coal mining. To provide them with homes, large concrete housing estates were built from the island’s mined minerals and in line with new sustainable technologies.

The reason why people decided to live in such an inaccessible and unfriendly place was purely economic – because of the available carbon resources. At the time, the island was the most populated place in the world – over 5,000 inhabitants lived there – and it was deserted overnight. Today no sign of people or even animals can be found there. Over the decades that followed, Hashima was left alone. The island has been eroded by forces of nature, and the abandoned buildings have disintegrated. This has formed an atmosphere of desolation and eeriness. At its peak, the island drove the industrialisation of modern Japan. The inclusion of the island in the UNESCO World Heritage list and increased media attention have revived the history of Hashima, consequently amplifying its contribution to the industrial and cultural heritage of Japan and the whole world. This article presents the rise and fall of the island as a coal mine and its shift towards its industrial heritage, a UNESCO heritage, which was paid for by the exile and forced labour of people.

The Japanese Combined Fleet in the first naval battle of Guadalcanal, November 12–13, 1942

The aim of this article is to present events that took place near Guadalcanal Island during the battle that broke out overnight between November 12 and 13, 1942. During this battle, two forces of the US Navy and the Japanese Combined Fleet clashed. Many dramatic events took place that had a clear influence on its course. The first part presents  strategic preparations of the two sides and forces. The second part of the article discusses the course of the overnight clash. The third part discusses the losses on both sides. The result of the clash of November 12–13, 1942, was a tactical victory for Japan, which once again defeated the Americans in an overnight artillery battle. However, strategic victory belonged to the United States as they managed to frustrate all measures and plans of the Combined Fleet.

Shanghai Summer School on Chinese Political & Legal Culture, East China University of Political Science and Law, Szanghaj, 18 czerwca – 13 lipca 2018 r. (Aleksandra Szydzik)

Delegacja Polskiego Związku Karate Tradycyjnego na 1st International Okinawa Karate Tournament, Okinawa, 28 lipca – 10 sierpnia 2018 r. (Tomasz Konieczny)

VI Międzynarodowa Konferencja Akademicka „Spotkanie Polonistyk Trzech Krajów. Chiny – Korea – Japonia”, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Global Campus, Yongin, 30 października – 2 listopada 2018 r. (Joanna Kamień, Kamil Zeidler)

Colour connotations in Chinese culture: Red and Yellow

On Chinese-Polish lexicography

On Chinese-Polish lexicography

The first wave of Chinese immigration to the United States of America

The success of Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Woodcutters” in mainland China – Spectators’ reaction and official reviews

Copyrights in the People’s Republic of China

New development perspectives in Russian-Chinese economic relations

Contemporary dreadful ghost tales. Urban legends from Taiwan and Hong Kong

Benyovszky’s travels along the coast of East Asia in the light of the latest findings (the Bonin Islands, Japan, Liuqiu Islands, China, Macau)

Friendship Dolls – when dolls became messengers

Japanese inspirations for the development of local self-governance in Poland

Japanese Navy participation in the Battle of Cape Esperance on 11th–12th October 1942

An attempt to understand interpersonal relation and types of honorification in South Korea

• Otwarcie i działalność Centrum Języka i Kultury Chińskiej Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Uniwersytet Śląski, 12 stycznia 2018 r. (Agnieszka Tambor) 209
• Trzecia edycja Symbiosis Law School, Pune – International Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition (Międzynarodowy Konkurs Orzecznictwa Karnego), 23–25 marca 2018 r. (Dawid Marko)  212
• Konferencja naukowa Kung fu/wushu – tradycja, nauka, sport, wychowanie, Instytut Konfucjusza przy Uniwersytecie Gdańskim, Gdańsk, 12 kwietnia 2018 r. (Wojciech Bizon, Krzysztof Brzozowski, Ewa Ciembroniewicz, Dariusz Muraszko, Piotr Rekowski, Michał Samcik, Wu Lan, Piotr Ziemba) 215
• Działalność Centrum Studiów Azji Wschodniej UG w roku 2017 (Kamil Zeidler)   220

Karate is changing, because the cultural background and motivation of the people practising it is changing. Two major trends dominate the development of karate: the preservation of orthodox teaching and that of continuous modifications. In particular the representatives of the strictly Japanese schools and organisations, opt to keep the spirit of Budo alive through karate.
Because karate is a part of Budo, we are dealing here with the case of the educational system, in which the values of Budo are used for the proper development of the student. This involves a long-term teaching and raising him by a normative system and daily discipline of physical exercise, or rather psychophysical. Karate, in its various forms, brings numerous educational values. However, a teacher chooses a student basing on their personality. Only a good teacher is able to properly use karate to positively influence the character and personality of a student. The master’s own example is especially important. And it is usually a long process. Karate, traditionally understood, teaches traditional values, and is recommendable as the educational system.
In general, the activities of most organisations and individuals-enthusiasts serve very well for the development of physical culture and the formation of pro-social attitudes of the young. So karate is used even in social rehabilitation. However, in the case of schools focused on competitive sports or extremely commercialized, pedagogical application would be potentially harmful.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces as the guarantee of the state security: Land and Air Self-Defense Forces

The situation in the South-East Asia is unstable. The growing military power of China and its assertive expansion policy in the Pacific Ocean, with the attempt of unilateral appropriation of the entire South China Sea as well as recent events connected with the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, enforce certain changes in Japan safety strategy.
Necessity to oppose growing ambitions of Beijing and the North Korea unpredictable action are, at present, one of the most important challenges for Japan and its allies. Deterrence is closely connected with ability to stopping effectively hostile ambition to gain supremacy in the region. Having new generation equipment and armament, which surpass abilities of the potential aggressor, is one of the factors providing balance. The military conflict threat also provoked the need to raise the level of military cooperation with the major Japan ally – United States. In response to China military forces activity and defiance of the North Korea, exercises of the naval forces and air force were intensified. Changes in the region also influence military forces modernization programs and change of using Japan Self-Defense Forces. Japan begins developing and building its military capability in order to restore its military position in the region.

Light from the East. On “Eseje nie całkiem polskie” [Not Entirely Polish Essays] by Tokimasa Sekiguchi

The article discusses thoroughly the book “Eseje nie całkiem polskie” [Not Entirely Polish Essays] by Tokimasa Sekiguchi, a professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. In his book, the author focuses on the issue of transculturality. The book consists of three parts. The first is mostly about historical and literary contexts. Sekiguchi writes about different aspects of works by Herbert, Miłosz and Szymborska. The second part is actually one essay entitled “Asia Does Not Exist”. Two issues are worthy of attention in this part. On the one hand, we can see Sekiguchi as a precursor of Postcolonial Studies; on the other, we see quite an original take on problems known from such classic works like “Orientalism” by E.W. Said. The third part of Sekiguchi’s book has a slightly different character. The essays here are more personal, and some of them could be read as a semi-literary works. A very thorough study of the essays leads the author of the article to the conclusion that the pivotal aspect of Sekiguchi’s work is a change of perspective: while Sekiguchi looks at Poland’s internal affairs from the outside, he has a lot to say to us, Poles and to other nations as well.

The development of the Asian art market and its fundamental relationship with the European (and American) markets may foster improvements in preventing illicit trade of cultural goods and help establish the scope of international regulations. In time, it may be confronted with more and more regulations and bodies. Looted art databases (including only patched information) and published auction catalogues, offer a partial ground for exploration. On the other hand, adding more layers to enforcement might not be as sufficient as improving the execution of existing laws by investing in more resources. The manifold issue of Asian art on the European market gives grounds for further exploration. A deep revision of regulations governing the market and the strive for uniformity is not the only aspect present in the literature, however the lack of common practices proves to be the main embers in the context of cross-boundary trade (especially in reference to the secrecy jurisdictions). In the case of relatively new markets, such as the Polish art market, the shortage of art experts in Asian art appraisal and valuation is an additional limit causing concerns in the provenance research related to that kind of goods. In fact, it drives owners to search for reliable opinion abroad and, therefore, expose their collections of dubious nature to export control, which, in the end, might cause the owner to conceal an unverified object. Despite specific guidance on taxation in relation to importing antiques, the very question of identification and classification of a given object poses difficulties without a verified source of information. It is, therefore, prerequisite to develop studies as well as establish a network of certified experts in this subject matter.

Shamanism in Japan

Japanese shamanism is a constantly evolving field of research, despite the fact that its roots still remain mysterious. One of the most common theories states that its nature is secondary, it might be related to tungusic or altai people, spread to Korea, Hokkaido and Ryūkyū Islands, then mixed with Polynesian and Melanesian beliefs, and with time became part of today’s Japanese Buddhism and shintō traditions. The article describes the characteristics of Japanese shamanism: it’s cosmology, silhouette of a shaman, most important myths and practices and also it’s important relation to Japanese theatre.
Shamans act like a bridge between humans, deities and otherworld, and they’re the only living people capable of coming in contact with the dead. In Japan there are two kinds of shaman: female priestess miko and Buddhist ascetic monk yamabushi. Japanese shamanism is one of the rarer examples of female-focused type. They believed only a woman could control the spiritual force. Miko is responsible for performing spirit possessions and fortunetelling. Yamabushi on the other hand was living deep in the mountains and by undergoing a strict training was able to enter trance state. He was close to local people who sought advice from him in many important everyday decisions, as well as regarding special events.
There are also other groups performing shamanistic practices, but they’re considered less authentic, mostly because they don’t have the abilities to experience ecstatic vision or to enter trance state. Among those are, for example: blind mediums itako, kitsunetsukai (fox or snake owners) and onmyōji (in and yo fortunetellers). In the article the Authors attempt to construct an alternative definition of a shaman – because the strictly narrow definition doesn’t seem to reflect the complexity of beliefs found in Japanese culture. Nowadays shamanism is popular among many Japanese new religions and sects, and also had its impact on pop culture, which furthers the impression of how important this subject matter is for Japan.

Characteristics of the Chinese civil law: Selected aspects

Chinese legal system changes dynamically. The conception of the “socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics”, introduced in 2014, confirms such theory. According to this idea, some legislative works in civil law were undertaken. The aim of the article is to present the historical aspects of this branch of law, its development in the Middle Kingdom and indicate as well the actual binding regulations of the civil law. The article seeks to provide an analysis of the general rules of the civil law which contains the first part of the new civil code. There are also mentioned some aspects of the marriage and property law in China.

I recognize that the foreign enterprise dealing with Chinese partner not willing to act and conduct business half blind, should beyond the law(s) in the books, search for and acknowledge with Chinese culture, customs, entrenched practices, try to make sure the contract he or she wants to be enforceable and effective, be executed and chopped by Chinese partner, with the stipulated genuine estimation of liquidated damages and mutual understanding of wrongdoing or err when performing contract and be ready and willing to negotiate contract not only before its signature but most importantly upon its execution and thereafter.

On Chinese searching for roots literature

In Chinese culture, the idea of “searching for roots” has being created from the beginning of 80’s in 19th century. Along with that, the trend of searching for roots has appeared in the literature. This article will present the genesis of that trend, its main topics and most important authors. That exceptional phenomenon in Chinese literature will be shown from social-historical point of view.

The vision of People’s Republic of China in the works of Tadeusz Różewicz “Sen kwiatu, serce smoka” [Dream of a flower, heart of a dragon], “Dwa skoki i już Pekin” [Two leaps and yet Beijing], “Przelot” [Overflight] i “W drodze” [On the way]

Tadeusz Różewicz, a 20th-century Polish poet, travelled to China in 1958. He wrote several prosaic texts about this travel and about his impression of China: “Sen kwiatu, serce smoka”, “Dwa skoki i już Pekin”, “Przelot” and “W drodze”. He sees stewardesses as actresses in a kind of theatre, he thinks about the psychical condition of a humans on the board of a plane. He writes about European and Chinese part of Shanghai’s identity, about Chinese characters’ meaning, about Chinese people and their Four Pests Campaign. An important part is the description of a Four Pests Exhibition. The poet sees China as a different world and he knows that many facts have been hidden.

The success of Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Wycinka” [Woodcutters] in mainland China: The analysis of the phenomenon based on the organizers’ reports

The research purpose was to examine the success of the Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances presented in mainland China. The content of the study was divided into two separate articles. In the first article “The success of Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Wycinka” [Woodcutters] in mainland China – analysis of the phenomenon based on the organizers’ report”, the main source of research is the interview with Marcin Jacoby, who at that time was the manager of the Asia Project in the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which is a prime mover of Polish contemporary theatre display in China. Lupa’s performances in China were displayed in Hong Kong at first, but at that time did not achieve any success. While the Chinese people were used to theatre involved in social issues, sated with a constructive image of the world and the place of the individual within society, Polish theatre plays encountered all-encompassing misapprehension. As Polish organisers often mentioned in media, the base for the breakthrough was a collaboration with the director of the newly-created Tianjin Grand Theatre, who invited Kristian Lupa with his “Persona: Marilyn” to continental China for the first time, while at the same time taking care of very good promotion and media coverage. In the first article, all “back room” activities that could contribute to success of  Lupa’s performances in China were included. An unveiling of these arrangements can help the reader understand what constitutes a success of polish modern theatre in China.

The culture of Chinese color: The symbolism of red

The article is devoted to the importance of red in the lives of Chinese people. The history of red symbolism and the emotions that this color evokes are analyzed. Attention was paid to the political aspects associated with the spread of red in the life of Chinese society. In addition to the political aspect, it is also a popular custom. For the Chinese, red is the most important of all colors, accompanies the Chinese during important events and celebrations such as the wedding or the Spring Festival. Red comes in many different shades, but typical Chinese red is cinnabar.

Jin in kung fu – physical basics

Traditional wushu and the way of its teaching is full of mythological issues. Because of that the training process is not always clear enough. That is the bad marketing for Chinese martial arts these days. The proper systematization and standards of teaching are of key importance. Many schools concentrate on teaching forms (mainly for sport competition) without understanding of movements and their application. Traditional martial arts training consists of a few elements, namely: forms practice, application, qigong, hardening, and the most important sparrings. All these features combined with understanding of biomechanics and at least basics of physics give a comprehensive knowledge of what kung fu/wushu is. Nowadays, literature explanations should be passed to students together with scientific interpretation. For example, developing of high momentum punches resembles strikes of a thunder or adopting some stances is like rooting. The article touches the basics of physics of jin which is one of the most common elements in traditional wushu. All fundamental physical quantities such as: momentum, kinetic energy and velocity are explained. Additionally, the last one for punches was studied since it is a component of mentioned above.

• Marcin Jacoby, Chiny bez makijażu, Wydawnictwo Muza, Warszawa 2016, ss. 448
  (Magdalena Łągiewska)
• Du Jing, Amber Coloured Gdansk, China Book Press 2016, ss. 607
  (Monika Paliszewska-Mojsiuk)

Wyjazd studyjny Adventure Club Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego do Japonii,Tokio – Kyoto,
21–29 czerwca 2017 r.
(Joanna Chmarzewska, Kuba Jakubczyk, Andrzej Michalski)

The Han Chinese funeral ceremonies and burial manners

The theme of this paper is death and its ethnographic image. The presented data shows the results of long-term regional fieldworks and analysis of the collected data about the burial, cemeteries and post-mortem ritual in China (among the Han Chinese). I discussed the beliefs about ancestors, the soul and the afterlife, which are hidden deep in the minds of the Chinese people. The research aims at analyzing the symbolism and actions related to the death of the Han Chinese living in the southeastern regions of China. In this paper, I discuss the double funeral custom. First, the temporary hiding of bodies in the grave for a few years and later collecting the bones, cleaning them and re-burying. After 1949 as a result of top-down imposed by the government cremation, formerly cherished beliefs and customs had to be transformed. Nowadays, cremation is first, then the temporary burial, and putting an urn with ashes into the grave becomes a form of a proper burial.

Geostrategy of Xi Jinping: from low profile to global assertiveness

People’s Republic of China (PRC), especially after 2010, partially in response to its unprecedented growth, and partially as the answer to the global crisis of 2008, has recently started to change its internal model of development (crucial, but not in focus of this study), as well as its external strategy, which is the center of research here, and which in the form of One Belt, One Road (OBOR) vision is already a classical geostrategic case. The current leadership of the fifth generation with Xi Jinping as paramount leader has a blueprint: 1. To create a middle class until 2021, 2. Of peaceful reunification with Taiwan; 3. Of the “great rejuvenation of Chinese nation” until October 2049. If successfully implemented, this strategy will definitely change not only China, but also the global landscape. This study is trying to explain what really has happened recently in PRC, why it has happened, and what is the meaning of those strategic changes in the Chinese leadership’s approach both to PRC itself, and to the global arena.

China Heads West: “One Belt, One Road” Initiative

With the fall of the Soviet Union, the economic landscape of central Eurasia fell into disconnected shards. However as soon as the Soviet Union disintegrated, the countries of Central Asia and especially the Caucasus started considering new strategies to reconnect. An inspiration was quickly taken from history – from the “Silk Road”. During the days of the “Silk Road” countries of Central Asia acted as land bridges that connected China with those countries in Europe to strengthen trade. Ancient cities like Aleppo, Baghdad and Xi’an became major transshipment and manufacturing hubs. Now, Eurasia stretches from the west of Europe to the eastcoast of China, making it a huge market with 60 countries covering 60% of the world’s population, 30% of GDP and 75% of the world’s energy sources.

The development of the Chinese economy in the period of real socialism: an analysis of basic macroeconomic indicators

China, after years of an international isolation, begins to play a more extensive role in the world. It becomes the main world player in every branch of a single nation’s activity, starting from economy through military to social and culture areas. One of the probes of the international rebirth of this great nation is its diplomatic relations  with Vatican. The reason diplomatic relations with the state of Vatican were for some time out of discussion was the Chinese ideology. After it was abandoned, it appeared there are only two issues implicating those relations: Vatican’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan and the Chinese Catholic Church’s wish to remain independent from the Pope.
The last few years show the meaningful change of the Chinese and Vatican’s approach to the problem: it appears that the, so called, border issues are defined. Vatican expects China to acknowledge the Pope as the head of the universal Church, whereas Vatican is supposed to revise its diplomatic relations with Taiwan – Vatican is now the only state in Europe to maintain the diplomatic links with Taiwan. In the research, the author has traced back the tangled relationship between the Holy See and the Middle Kingdom starting with the first footprints of Christianity in China to the current situation, when the significant thaw in bilateral relations takes place. Concluding, the article shows the signs of the real reestablishing of diplomatic relations between those two very specific states.

Religious diplomacy: China and Vatican (now and then)

China, after years of an international isolation, begins to play a more extensive role in the world. It becomes the main world player in every branch of a single nation’s activity, starting from economy through military to social and culture areas. One of the probes of the international rebirth of this great nation is its diplomatic relations with Vatican. The reason diplomatic relations with the state of Vatican were for some time out of discussion was the Chinese ideology. After it was abandoned, it appeared there are only two issues implicating those relations: Vatican’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan and the Chinese Catholic Church’s wish to remain independent from the Pope.
The last few years show the meaningful change of the Chinese and Vatican’s approach to the problem: it appears that the, so called, border issues are defined. Vatican expects China to acknowledge the Pope as the head of the universal Church, whereas Vatican is supposed to revise its diplomatic relations with Taiwan – Vatican is now the only state in Europe to maintain the diplomatic links with Taiwan. In the research, the author has traced back the tangled relationship between the Holy See and the Middle Kingdom starting with the first footprints of Christianity in China to the current situation, when the significant thaw in bilateral relations takes place. Concluding, the article shows the signs of the real reestablishing of diplomatic relations between those two very specific states.

The ombudsman in Macau

An ombudsman is a very important institution which protects citizen’s rights and freedoms. The appropriate actions taken by this person guarantees the human rights’ protection and contributes to the strengthening of the legal authority. An ombudsman in Macau (Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China) functions within the framework of the Commission Against Corruption. This institution receives complaints against the central government bodies. The article presents some cases examined by the ombudsman. The analysis of the above-mentioned examples presented in the ombudsman’s report lead to the conclusion that this institution fulfils more significant legal functions. There are still some challenges behind this authority. Especially, the civil and political rights should be guaranteed. It is indispensable to undertake further activities in order to update such fundamental principles as the equal and universal suffrage and the freedom of speech.

Issues in teaching Chinese characters and strategies for foreign learners outside the Chinese character culture circle

Learning Chinese is far from an easy task and acquiring Chinese characters is probably the greatest challenge. Many foreign students outside the Chinese Character Culture Circle, beginners in particular, give up learning Chinese characters because of the ideographic system. This system embraces phonology, glyphs and semantic meaning, which are completely different from alphabetic writing. What makes things worse is that TCCF has been ignored for a long time in TCFL. TCFL started to develop in China in the early 1950s, and that involved teaching some simple characters including strokes, the order of strokes and structural analysis. There were no independent character textbooks for foreigners. The content concentrating on teaching characters did not play a leading role in materials for teaching Chinese. Furthermore, most teachers paid little attention to, or neglected character teaching and training, due to the lack of linguistic knowledge.

Shaolin kung fu/wushu: a treasure of the Chinese Nation

The history of Chinese martial arts is both turbulent and interesting as the history of China itself. They played a crucial role during turning points on many occasions. This treasure of national importance almost vanished due to the events of the Cultural Revolution. The article presents a shortened history of the traditional Shaolin kung fu. The role of Bodhidharma – an Indiam Buddhist who settled in a temple is also explained. Additionally, there is an attempt of explaining the terminology, precisely kung fu or wushu, what is correct? Also the characteristics of Shaolin martial arts are given. All is concluded with the description of imitative boxing and its technical principles. Namely, they are the Five Animals style including the crane, tiger, leopard, snake and dragon, mantis, monkey and others. A very peculiar example of this kind of styles is the drunken one. This technique is explained in details. When dealing with traditional wushu one must be aware of the fact that it is an endless and hard way of self-improvement and development. And the final success is not only connected with sport achievements.

The Japan Self-Defense Forces as the guarantee of safety: the Navy and the Border Guard

During the Cold War, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces didn’t play an important role in the region. The situation has changed along with the fall of the USSR, increasing the political-military activity of the PRC and an unpredictable policy of the DPRK. The current situation in Southeast Asia is unstable. The greatest  threat to the sovereignty of Japan is the aggressive actions of the People’s Republic of China, North Korea and Russia. China, conducting a very military strategy, still stakes a claim to the Senkaku Islands in order to impose dominance upon neighboring countries – it is a considerable risk for that area. Another military threat to Japan is the unpredictable North Korea, which has powers and means, including ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads able to strike the whole Japanese territory. The Russian Federation which is staking a claim to the Kuril Islands, still remains a threat to Japan. The changes in the region influenced the changes of the Maritime  Self-Defense Forces and the armament policy. Among others, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces increased its action and started to cooperate actively in the interest of peace in the world.

Transformation of the family model and the situation of elderly people in Japan at the beginning of the 21st century

The changes that took place in post-war Japan created a new family model. Pre-war Japanese families had generational character. The stem family structure incorporated a support network for elder people in households where at least three generations lived in a single house. Young people looked after parents after their retirement. It was strictly connected with the vision of the Japanese social welfare system (or with the lack of it). In the post-war period all fields of Japanese life were radically changed. The fast industrialization and the move of rural population to the cities, caused the change of the model of the family, from generational to nuclear. The progressing atomization of families influences the situation of the elderly. They are left without the care of children and government, and forced to form a new outlook on life after their retirement. However enjoying life after retirement is not yet a lifestyle appreciated by Japanese. Many man find it difficult to manage free time after their retirement. The unaccustomed fulltime presence of husbands at home often has a negative impact on family life. The martial stress, economic and health problems are causes by the Retired Husband Syndrome (RHS).

Koreans have existed as a single united ethnic group for more than 2000 years. Following the terrible division of Korea (after the end of the Korean War, 1950–1953), some North Koreans have managed to flee for the following reasons: political, religious and economic. Why? This is due to the fact that both Koreas emerged through different ideological and economical models. Regarding South Korea, this country has evolved into a capitalist industrial society being open to foreign countries. On the contrary, North Korea has remained a very closed society centered completely on the leader of this country: Kim Il Sung (and then his son: Kim Jong Il). North Korean people cannot leave their country without any permits. If they are caught abroad without this permission, they are then treated as “traitors” and are very often incarcerated in re-education camps. An increasing number of North Korean defectors4 and their difficulties to settle in South Korea has created a new flow of migration for North Koreans. An augmenting number of these people are moving to other countries and other parts of the world. A relatively small number of North Koreans in China have managed to reach South Korea, Japan, or the United States via other countries in the region, including Mongolia and Thailand. Why a relatively small number? Because it’s estimated that 200 thousand of North Koreans are still illegally living in China, trying to reach their final (South Korea or another country) destination. South Korea accepts all North Koreans as citizens under its constitution. As of 2012, South Korea has admitted more than 22,000 North Koreans, Japan has accepted more than 100, and the US have accepted a few dozen so far. Canada, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and a few other European countries have granted refugee status to several hundreds of North Koreans in recent years. Concerning EEC, some are living in Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic.

Abortion law in South Korea: between tradition and democratization

The issue of legal regulation of abortion is one of the main challenges facing modern law. The bioethical problem of abortion has led to the emergence of many legal solutions in the world. Although in South Korea, since 1953, the termination of pregnancy is prohibited, the problem of illegal abortion still occurs. On 22 September 2016, the South Korean Ministry of Health proposed a project to change the legal status, tightening the penalty for terminating pregnancy, also specifying this act as an unethical medical act. The social reaction to the announced regulation of the law was a spontaneous protest – the equivalent of the Polish Black Protest. The Seoul protest took place on October 19, 2016, when hundreds of women went out into the streets of Seoul demonstrating their opposition. The purpose of this paper is to try to answer the question of how the proposed reform of the abortion law improves the social attitudes towards abortion law and the emergence of the “black protest” in South Korea.

For a long time, one of the main problems in modern Russia has been the decline in population of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD).
Despite the fact that the Far Eastern Federal District is the largest federal district of the Russian Federation (its area is 6,169,329 square kilometers, accounting for 36.08% of the area of the whole country), it’s also the most poorly populated federal district of the country (a population of 1,946,969 people, that is only 1.2 people per square kilometer). What makes it the most sparsely populated federal district. However, the socio-economic changes of the 1990s have significantly changed the dynamics, directions and scope of migration flows in the far East, and most importantly – the motivation of migratory behavior. Natural losses of demographic potential was amplified by the significant outflow of the population, which not only reduced the level of the population, but have significantly reduced the share of the region in the total population of Russia (1989 to 5.4% in 1997 to 5% in 2007 to 4.6%).

Chi Liu, Sto niekonwencjonalnych strategii. Zasady sztuki wojennej, komentarzami opatrzył R.D. Sawyer, tłum. A. Romanek, Wydawnictwo Helion, Gliwice 2009, ss. 362 (Krzysztof Gebler)

International Cultural Exchange School, East China University of Political Science and Law, 29 lutego – 1 lipca 2016 r., 9 września 2016 r. – 1 stycznia 2017 r. (Monika Godecka, Natalia Ordon)

2. edycja konferencji „Dzień Azji i Pacyfiku” w Sejmie RP, Warszawa, 5 października 2016 r. (Magdalena Łągiewska)

2. Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa „The Educational Value of Traditional Karate-do”, Centrum Japońskich Sportów i Sztuk Walki, Dojo Stara Wieś, 13 października 2016 r. (Joanna Kamień)

Pobyt naukowy na China Youth University of Political Science w Pekinie, 15 października – 12 listopada 2016 r. (Anna Dobaczewska)

Międzynarodowa Konferencja „Painting and History”, Chinese Academy of Art, Hangzhou, 4–5 stycznia 2017 r. (Aleksander Świeszewski)

Działalność Centrum Studiów Azji Wschodniej Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego w latach 2012–2016 (Kamil Zeidler)

He Bin, Chūgoku tōnan chihō no minzokushiteki kenkyū. Kanzoku no sōgi, shigosaishi to bochi (Badania etnograficzne południowo-wschodnich Chin. Ceremonie pogrzebowe, obrzędy pośmiertne oraz cmentarze wśród Chińczyków Han), Duan Press, Tokyo 2013, ss. 309 (Jacek Splisgart)

Tomasz Kamiński, Sypiając ze smokiem. Polityka Unii Europejskiej wobec Chin, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, Łódź 2015, ss. 194 (Magdalena Łągiewska)

Pobyt badawczy na TMU w ramach realizacji grantu „The issue of formation of modern Japanese Multicultural Society. The case study of children from the international families from Kantō and Kansai regions” przyznanego przez The Japan Foundation, wrzesień 2015 – marzec 2016 (Jacek Splisgart)

International Conference on Law, Patent, and Technology (ICLPT 2016), Bangkok, 19th–21st January 2016 (Krzysztof Czub)

Wizyta Przewodniczącego Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej Xi Jinpinga w Polsce, Warszawa, 19–20 czerwca 2016 r. (Marta Dargas)

Pobyt studyjny w Japonii w ramach stypendium MIRAI Program 2016 Summer Group, 8–15 września 2016 r. (Luiza Kliczkowska)

Obchody Dnia Instytutu Konfucjusza na Uniwersytecie Gdańskim, Gdańsk, 4 października 2016 r. (Magdalena Łągiewska)

W stosunkach międzynarodowych idee mają znaczenie w funkcjonowaniu systemu międzynarodowego jako punkt odniesienia, uzasadnienia i legitymizacji aktywności aktorów. Kryzys dominującej pozycji Zachodu przejawia się m.in. w upowszechnianiu narracji aktorów niezachodnich dotyczącej zmian ładu międzynarodowego w XXI wieku. Ich wyrazem jest idea „sprawiedliwego porządku międzynarodowego”, do której nawiązują państwa rozwijające się, a szczególnie mocarstwa wschodzące. Celem artykułu jest przybliżenie chińskiej interpretacji idei sprawiedliwości w kontekście zmiany ładu międzynarodowego oraz możliwości i wyzwań stojących przed Państwem Środka w dążeniu do jej implementacji. Chińska Republika Ludowa, która osiągnęła status drugiej gospodarki świata, dąży do umocnienia swojej pozycji międzynarodowej i poszukuje adekwatnych uzasadnień dla tego procesu.

Królestwo Joseon, założone pod koniec XIV wieku przez monarchów z dynastii Yi, było głęboko skonfucjanizowane, co znalazło odzwierciedlenie w przyjętym modelu społeczeństwa, administracji i prawa. Chiny miały znaczący wpływ na kształtowanie się instytucji politycznych w królestwie Joseon oraz pozostały źródłem dominującej ideologii, nawet jeśli w pewnym stopniu nastąpiła jej indygenizacja.  Przybliżając podstawowe informacje na temat konfucjanizmu, królestwa Joseon oraz myśli prawniczej w reprezentatywnym okresie (1392–1485), autor skupił się na czterech głównych zagadnieniach: wprowadzeniu konfucjanizmu do Korei; powodach, z jakich władcy Joseon opierali się na konfucjanizmie; wpływie światopoglądu konfucjańskiego na myśl prawną oraz skutkach przyjęcia konfucjanizmu jako najważniejszej ideologii państwa koreańskiego.
Konfucjanizm dotarł do Korei z Chin ze względu na bliskość geograficzną oraz wpływy kulturowe i został przyjęty jako atrakcyjna myśl polityczna. Władcy Joseon wykorzystywali założenia konfucjanizmu w celu uzasadnienia zmian dynastii i zaakceptowali go jako filozofię dla nowego modelu społecznego. System normatywny w Joseon był wzorowany głównie na chińskim prawie i pomógł zachować nową ideologię narodową.
Ocena, czy wpływy konfucjanizmu na prawo koreańskie powinny być oceniane pozytywnie, czy negatywnie, jest niejednoznaczna. Dla współczesnych ludzi Zachodu nierówności społeczne i prawne, brak wolności oraz autorytaryzm mogą się wydawać sprzeczne z zasadą rządów prawa, jednak okres wczesnego królestwa Joseon był czasem ogromnego rozwoju kultury, był koreańskim „złotym wiekiem”, oferującym stabilny porządek społeczny i harmonię

Jan Rowiński, Wojciech Jakóbiec, System konstytucyjny i przedstawicielski Specjalnego Administracyjnego Regionu ChRL Makau, Wydawnictwo Sejmowe, Warszawa 2012, ss. 76 (Magdalena Łągiewska)

Willy Wo-Lap Lam, Chinese Politics in the Era of Xi Jinping. Renaissance, Reform, or Retrogression?, Routledge, New York–London 2015, ss. 323 (Bogdan Góralczyk)

Xi Jinping, Innowacyjne Chiny, Wydawnictwo Kto Jest Kim, Warszawa 2015, ss. 437 (Marta Dargas)

Ogólnopolskie Studenckie Warsztaty Sinologiczne „Sinowarsztaty”, Gdańsk, 15–17 kwietnia 2016 r. (Maria M. Sztuka, Magdalena Orłowska, Marcin Damek)

Działalność Centrum Studiów Azji Wschodniej Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego w 2015 r. (Kamil Zeidler)

Aleksandra Kajdańska, Edward Kajdański, Jedwab. Szlakami dżonek i karawan, Książka i Wiedza, Warszawa 2007, ss. 528 (Monika Miazek-Męczyńska)

Edward Kajdański, Wspomnienia z mojej Atlantydy, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 2013, ss. 530 (Bogdan Góralczyk)

Uroczyste odsłonięcie tablicy informacyjnej przy Rondzie Polonii Mandżurskiej, Szczecin, 6 marca 2015 r. (Eleonora Jakubiak-Adamczyk, Elżbieta Sikorska)

Promocja tomiku Huang Lihaia pt. Kto biegnie jeszcze szybciej niż błyskawica i otwarcie wystawy rzeźb Xiao Tiana, Uniwersytet Gdański, 5 maja 2015 r. (Joanna Kamień)

VIII konferencja naukowa zorganizowana przez Euroseas, Wiedeń, 11–14 sierpnia 2015 r. (Anna Michalak)

Belt and Road Countries Project na Szanghajskim Uniwersytecie Studiów Międzynarodowych, 10 lipca – 8 sierpnia 2015 r. (Magdalena Łągiewska)

Wręczenie Odznaki Honorowej „Bene Merito” Edwardowi Kajdańskiemu, Gdańsk, 4 września 2015 r. (Joanna Kamień)

W artykule przedstawiono historię kształtowania się chińskich zwyczajów, będących obowiązującymi zasadami we współczesnym społeczeństwie chińskim. Przybliżono historię i zasady funkcjonowania systemu li, który stał się niepisanym prawem zakorzenionym w świadomości mieszkańców Państwa Środka. Omówiono najważniejsze rytuały z czasów chińskich dynastii. Kontekst historyczny kształtowania się poszczególnych zwyczajów pozwala lepiej zrozumieć współczesnych Chińczyków. Na przykładzie sposobu wyrażania uczuć ukazano wpływ historycznych rytuałów na współczesność.

RECENZJE

• Comparative Constitutional Law in Asia, red. R. Dixon, T. Ginsburg, Edward Edgar Publishing Limited, Northampton 2014, ss. 353 (Anna Michalak)

• Huang Lihai, Kto biega jeszcze szybciej niż błyskawica, przeł. Wu Lan,Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego–Flower City Publishing House, Gdańsk–Kanton 2015, ss. 222 (Tomasz Snarski)

SPRAWOZDANIA

• Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa „Co-habitations and power dynamics: Land, Exchange, Governance. Timor-Leste in context”, Lizbona, 19–24 stycznia 2015 r. (Anna Michalak)

• Chiński Nowy Rok – Rok Kozy – na Uniwersytecie Gdańskim, Gdańsk, 24 lutego 2015 r. (Magdalena Łągiewska)

• Działalność Centrum Studiów Azji Wschodniej Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego w 2014 r. (Kamil Zeidler)