This book examines how the interaction between political and economic factors under Doi Moi has shaped Vietnam’s China policy and bilateral relations since the late 1980s. After providing a historical background, the book examines the conflicting effects that Doi Moi has generated on bilateral relations. It demonstrates that Vietnam’s economic considerations following the adoption of Doi Moi contributed decidedly to the Sino-Vietnamese normalization in 1991 as well as the continuous improvements in bilateral ties ever since. At the same time, Vietnam’s economic activities in the South China Sea and China’s responses have intensified bilateral rivalry and put their ties under considerable strains. The book goes on to argue that Doi Moi has indeed brought Vietnam newfound opportunities to develop a multi-level omni-directional hedging strategy against China. Finally, the book concludes by looking at the prospects of democratization in both countries and assessing the future trajectory of their relations under such circumstances. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date survey of Vietnam’s relations with China over the past thirty years, the book is a useful reference source for academics, policymakers, students, and anyone interested in contemporary Vietnam foreign policy in general and Vietnam–China relations in particular.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the Day comes a luminous meditation on the act of forgetting and the power of memory. In post-Arthurian Britain, the wars that once raged between the Saxons and the Britons have finally ceased. Axl and Beatrice, an elderly British couple, set off to visit their son, whom they haven't seen in years. And, because a strange mist has caused mass amnesia throughout the land, they can scarcely remember anything about him. As they are joined on their journey by a Saxon warrior, his orphan charge, and an illustrious knight, Axl and Beatrice slowly begin to remember the dark and troubled past they all share. By turns savage, suspenseful, and intensely moving, The Buried Giant is a luminous meditation on the act of forgetting and the power of memory.

Where do you run when a world is out to get you? AIs, Forged beings, superheroes, angels, and worlds that change in the blink of an eye—here is a richly imagined tale of ordinary redemption in an extraordinary world from one of the most provocative writers working today. . . . Francine is a young runaway looking to find a definition of love she can trust. In Sankhara, she finds a palace where rooms are made of bone, flowers, and the hearts of heroes. She finds a scientist mapping the territory of the human mind. She finds a boyfriend. And she finds Eros itself—incarnated in the androgynously irresistible form of Jalaeka. But not everyone is in love with the god of love. Unity, for one, wants to assimilate Jalaeka along with every other soul in the universe. And contrary to what everyone always believes, love alone can’t save the day. It will take something both more and less powerful than the human heart to save the worlds upon worlds at risk when gods collide. “For Robson, world-building is a literary device like any other, useful for exposing buried fears and desires to the light of day, no matter how strange the sun.”—New York Times Book Review

'Funny, touching and visually stunning, this really is a book to treasure.' Daily Mail A GIANT story of belonging and friendship from David Litchfield, author of the Waterstones Illustrated Book Prize 2016 winner The Bear and the Piano. "He has hands the size of tables," Grandad said, "legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats. Do you know who I mean?" "Yes," sighed Billy. "The Secret Giant. But he's not real!" Billy doesn't believe his Grandad when he tells him there's a giant living in his town, doing good deeds for everyone. He knows that a giant is too big to keep himself hidden. And why would he WANT to keep himself a secret? But as time goes on, Billy learns that some secrets are too BIG to stay secret for long... This delightful heartfelt story of belonging and friendship teaches the importance of tolerance and acceptance to young children.

Life Will Never Be The Same For Siddharth When He Starts Living Next Door To Alise. Nine-Year-Old Siddharth Is The Despair Of His Parents. He Does Not Want To Run Around Or Climb Trees, And He Is Terrified Of Ants. Siddharth Prefers Books To Friends And Is The Target Of His Teacher S Gimlet Eyes In School Because He Asks Too Many Questions. Then One Day, When He Is Sent Out To The Garden To Try And Play, He Finally Makes A Friend The Fast-Talking, Quick-Thinking, Ultra-Intelligent Baby Elephant, Alise. Together The Two Friends Set Out On A Series Of Exploits. From The Day Alise Decides To Go To School Wearing A Checked Tablecloth And Ends Up Causing Mayhem To The Night They Attend A Party And Get Into Such Trouble That They Run Away To The Forest, There Is Never A Dull Moment In Siddarth S Life. But The Friends Don T Stop At Just Having Fun. The Bearded Bandit Has Spread Terror Among The Elephants In The Forest And Someone Has To Stop Him . . . A Rollicking Story Of Friendship And Bravery, Living Next Door To Alise Will Have You Laughing Out Loud And Waiting For A Friend Like Alise To Move In Next Door! Age Group Of Target Audience: 10+

After the end of the Cold War, it seemed as if Southeast Asia would remain a geopolitically stable region within the American-led order for the foreseeable future. In the last two decades, however, the re-emergence of China as a major great power has called into question the geopolitical future of the region and raised the specter of renewed great power competition. As the eminent China scholar David Shambaugh explains in Where Great Powers Meet, the United States and China are engaged in a broad-gauged and global competition for power. While this competition ranges across the entire world, it is centered in Asia. In this book, Shambaugh focuses on the critical sub-region of Southeast Asia. The United States and China constantly vie for position and influence across this enormously significant area--and the outcome of this contest will do much to determine whether Asia leaves the American orbit after seven decades and falls into a new Chinese sphere of influence. Just as importantly, to the extent that there is a global "power transition" occurring from the US to China, the fate of Southeast Asia will be a good indicator. Presently, both powers bring important assets to bear in their competition. The United States continues to possess a depth and breadth of security ties, soft power, and direct investment across the region that empirically outweigh China's. For its part, China has more diplomatic influence, much greater trade, and geographic proximity. In assessing the likelihood of a regional power transition, Shambaugh examines how ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and its member states maneuver and the degree to which they align with one or the other power.

A silent leviathan deals daily death to the inhabitants of a typical American city... A man sees visions of his next incarnation as a crustacean... A lovelorn junk collector seeks a time traveler's assistance in a matter of the heart... A strange visitor from another planet, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, is found by people less promising than a pair of kindly Kansan farmers... ...take a taste of the latest from an award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy and horror.