Quantitative Critique Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantitative Critique Nursing - Research Paper Example Jemmott is with the school of nursing in the University of Pennsylvania and was the lead author in overall aspects of the study including the intervention procedures and training of facilitators. John B. Jemmott III is with the University of Pennsylvania as well but under Annenberg School for Communication. J. B. Jemmott III assisted in aspects of the study concerning design, measures, and data analysis. Meanwhile, Ann O’Leary is with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta Georgia and also assisted in the development of intervention procedures and measures and the application of social cognitive theory(Jemmott, Jemmott & O'Leary, 2007, 1040). The authors’ qualifications and preparations were brief, specific, and clearly stated. It was brief because only needed information such as educational qualification is identified. Also, the authors’ preparation were not elaborated and focused only on their distinct role in research. The descriptions of au thors’ were specific as the university to where they belong was also clearly stated. The authors’ qualifications and preparations do not determine the validity and reliability of the study(Hoskins & Mariano, C., 2004, 72) but their background information is relevant to the readers as it will determine sufficiency and relevance of information presented. Title and Statement of the Purpose and Problem Background The title of the study is â€Å"Effects on Sexual Risk Behavior and STD Rate of Brief HIV/STD Prevention Interventions for African American Women in Primary Care Settings.† According to Loiselle, McGrath, Polit & Beck(2010), clarity, research problem visibility, and study population must be considered in critiquing the title of the study (p. 359). The study title presented above is clear and specific as it does not only focused on general behavior but to the specific sexual risk behavior and STD rate of brief HIV/STD prevention interventions. The title itse lf also suggests the research problem which is measuring the effects of behavioral interventions. It was also clearly noted in the title that African women in the primary care settings would be the target population for the study. The purpose of the study must be clearly stated and consistent with the background study presented (Brockopp & Tolsma, 2003, 407). The purpose of the study was clearly stated and was designed to test the efficacy of brief HIV/sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk-reduction interventions among African women in primary care settings. The study was in congruence with the background data as the background itself entails the alarming statistics of STD/HIV occurrences among African women in primary care settings and the interventions or measures addressed by the health care provider to reduce the risk of disease-occurrence. Literature Review and Conceptual Framework If one would have look for the subparts literature review and theoretical framework, one may no t able to see it directly in the study as literature reviews are integrated in various parts of the study, particularly in the background of the study.

Currant Legislation for Home Based Childcare Essay Example for Free

Currant Legislation for Home Based Childcare Essay LawI would like to provide you with the following up to date legislation impacting on home-based childcare to ensure that your children are provided with the best possible care whilst with me. Sex Discrimination Act (1975) This Act states that all children are not discriminated against on the grounds of their sex and such discrimination is eliminated. It promotes equal opportunities between children no matter of their sex. Race Relation Act (1975) Amended 2000 This Act states that all children are not discriminated against their race and ensure early years providers work towards the elimination of unlawful discrimination and promote equal opportunities between children of different racial groups. Education Act (1981) This Act became law in 1983 and tried to provide adequate safeguards, rights and duties for all those concerned with the education of children with special educational needs and to ensure these children’s rights to be integrated into the life and work of the community. It also recognised parents’ rights regarding their children’s education. Public Health (Control of Disease) Act (1984) and Health Protection Agency Act (2004) All these legislations are focused on protecting people’s health, covering notification and exclusion periods for certain infectious diseases. Exclusions for children include exclusion from schools, places of entertainment or assembly. Education Reform Act (1988) The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. Children Act (1989) This is the basis of the current child protection system in England and Wales and was introduced to consolidate and clarify previous legislation. It established the principle that a child’s welfare is paramount in any decisions made about their upbringing. It states that every effort should be made to preserve a child’s home and family links and also introduced the notion of parental responsibility. It details how local authorities and courts should act in order to protect the welfare of children. Education Act (1993) This Act is an education measure with the aim of making important changes to the education system in England and Wales. It has various chapters which give details on the responsibility for education, addressing children with special educational needs, setting out the requirements of school attendance and providing details in regard to admissions and exclusions. It also gives parents the right to ask for their child, which is under 2 years of age, to be formally assessed. Code of Practice for the identification and assessment of Children with Special Educational Needs (1994 revised 2001) This Code of Practice provides practical advice to educational settings, including Early Years settings, on carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs. Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulation (RIDDOR) (1995). Major injuries, which include fractures other than to fingers, thumbs or toes, amputation, dislocation, loss of sight (temporary or permanent) * Accidents resulting in over 3 day injure * Notifiable diseases * Dangerous occurrences * Gas incidents Food Safety amp; General Food Hygiene Regulation (1995) This Act is not currently applicable to registered childminders but acquiring a basic Food Hygiene Certificate is considered good practice. Food should be prepared and provided in a hygienic way. Safety controls are in place, maintained and reviewed. Food safety hazards are identifies by doing risk assessments and implementing appropriate solutions. Family Law Act (1996) This Act sets out guidance on safeguarding and promoting the child’s welfare. Disability Discrimination Act (1995) This Act states that it is illegal to treat disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person. Settings are required to make reasonable adjustments to prevent disabled people being discriminated. Education Act (1997) This Act incorporates all previous Acts since 1944. It recognise the rights of parents regarding their children’s education and set a time frame on the legal process for identifying and assessing a child’s needs as set out in the Code of Practice. Code of Practice for First Aid (1997) The Code of Practice sets out standard practice and guidance for trained first aiders and gives tailored advice to show different people in industry what they need to do to meet their legal responsibilities for health and safety. Human Rights Act (1998) The Act incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. Children are covered by this legislation although not specifically mentioned. Protection of Children Act (1998) The Act states that the Secretary of State shall keep a list of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with children. Data Protection Act (1998) It relates to information held about an individual. This includes medical records, social services files, facts and opinions about an individual. Anyone processing personal data must comply with the eight principles of good practice. T This Act introduced the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a statutory framework that sets the standards for learning, development and care of children in the period between child’s birth and their fifth birthday. It is designed to ensure that children receive a good start in life and build a solid foundation to prepare them for school and life. The revised EYFS is effective from September 2013. Safeguarding in Child’s Welfare (15th April 2013) This guidance sets out how organizations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and how practitioners should conduct the assessment of children.

Obesity an Escalating Problem Essay -- Health, Diseases

Recent research done by The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) showed that more than 64% of the US adult population is overweight (BMI >25 and 30) (Obesity, 2008). This result has got people afraid of what would happen in the future if people don’t change their habits. An excessive storage of fat due to lack of physical activity and high calorie intake that often leads to other diseases is known as obesity. Obesity is an escalating problem, because people consume more calories and aren’t physically active; this could result in health problems, yet people can resolve this issue by consuming a healthy diet and regularly exercising, or consulting a doctor for medication or surgery if other solutions weren’t effective. People are consuming too many calories and aren’t physically active, because of changed lifestyles and technology advancement, in the last 20 years. Both adults and children pass a lot of time watching the television, playing video games and researching or chatting on the computer. These lifestyle changes encourage sedentary behavior. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that in their study to calculate obesity across the nation. In 2010 â€Å"no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%† compared to a maximum of 15% to 19% in 15 to 20 states in 1994 (CDC, 2011). Physical inactivity and high calorie intake from processed food has made big changes to our health. Now days people don’t even cycle or walk to the grocery store, or at least walk to the nearest bus station to go to school or work. Every year people’s physical inactivity increases while our eating habit become worse. Children are also becoming obese at a very... ...artiatric surgery and gastric bypass are most effective. People can’t lose enough weight by just doing the surgery; they need to continue exercising a dieting to reach a healthy weight in one to two years. Side effects include nausea and nutrient deficiencies. Women can also have problems during pregnancy due to lack to nutrients, hence need to be more careful. Obesity can become easy to overcome if people are patient have the will power to keep going and lose weight to become healthy for themselves and the next generation. Overcoming obesity can take a lot of time depending upon a person ideal weight compared to their current weight. If people use these small tips and work their way to healthy lifestyle, the next generation will be healthier and less likely to become obese. All people need to do is work hard and give it time to reach their preferred body weight.

Lesson learned

There comes a time in everyone's life when bad things happen that we wish had never occurred. This experience, that result in being punished or even disciplined by our parents, guardian, police or even by a teachers, often leads us to learn an Important life lessons. Soon, we realize that we did something we know we should not have done. Growing up, I was always the kid who had to be punished; not because I was bad, but by doing and saying stupid things, and by keeping the wrong set of friend, who often got me Into trouble.My punishments Include, being grounded from my phone, television ,and everything else that I would consider fun. When I would get into trouble, often I was deadlines by my parent, but getting deadlines by Mrs.. White – who was my fifth grade teacher at All Mercy middle school- was very different and scary. I was slating In Mrs. White's math class, and she began to pass out our Math test scores. I was, and still, am Inefficient In my math skill. As she passed the tests back, my anxious eyes searched the bright colored room, was expecting the worst. E colorful posters were not enough to distract me from my inevitable bad grade, and the blue walls were hardly calming. The garden I received was very low. A depressing, bold looking in bright red ink, was burned at the top of the paper close to where my name was written. I got mad at myself,and I let out an exasperated sigh that Just happen to include the â€Å"F -word† . Everybody in the class, including Mrs.. White, turned toward me with looks of shock and astonishment. Mrs.. White then shouted my name and said; â€Å"Tamari, get in my office owe l† I was in shock at myself that I had lousily sighed this obscenity.I was so scare to go to Mrs.. White's office. In a angry tone of voice, she shouted again, â€Å"Tamari, in my office now! † I was so terrified to face her, because I and never heard Mrs.. White sound so angry before. She shouted one last time, â€Å"Tamari, in my office, right now! † I walked slowly, slower than a turtle, into her office. I could feel the entire class staring at me as I walked as slow as possible. Finally, when I reached Mrs.. White's office, she had me sit down in front of her desk. She said, † You know saying the F word was unacceptable. I nodded my head. That day after lunch, Mrs.. White had me apologize in front of the entire class for using foul language, and she had me sit In the naughty corner of the class by myself for four days. I was happy that Ms. While did not called my parents because I knew my punishment would have been much worse. Luckily, my parents never actually found out that I used the F word at school. That day I clearly learned that there are consequent for my actions, and I have to be more careful with the things I say.Word can get you Into trouble, but not Just In the classroom, at work, and their power to hurt others . Because word are very power, you can hurt someone feeling by sa ying the wrong thing. Be aware of using polite words also show how matured and respectful a person can be. Lesson learned By tinniest 16 important life lessons. Soon, we realize that we did something we know we should set of friend, who often got me into trouble. My punishments include, being When I would get into trouble, often I was disciplined by my parent, but getting disciplined by Mrs..White – who was my fifth grade teacher at All Mercy middle school- was very different and scary. I was sitting in Mrs. White's math class, and she began to pass out our Math test scores. I was, and still, am inefficient in my math room, I was expecting the worst. The colorful posters were not enough to distract me received was very low. A depressing, bold looking â€Å"F†, in bright red ink, was burned at astonishment. Mrs.. White then shouted my name and said; â€Å"Tamari, get in my office now I was in shock at myself that I had lousily sighed this obscenity.I was so â€Å"Tama ri, in my office now! † I was so terrified to face her, because I and never heard White's office, she had me sit down in front of her desk. She said, † You know saying sit in the naughty corner of the class by myself for four days. I was happy that Ms. White did not called my parents because I knew my punishment would have been have to be more careful with the things I say. Word can get you into trouble, but not just in the classroom, at work, and their power to hurt others . Because word are very Lesson learned There comes a time in everyone's life when bad things happen that we wish had never occurred. This experience, that result in being punished or even disciplined by our parents, guardian, police or even by a teachers, often leads us to learn an Important life lessons. Soon, we realize that we did something we know we should not have done. Growing up, I was always the kid who had to be punished; not because I was bad, but by doing and saying stupid things, and by keeping the wrong set of friend, who often got me Into trouble.My punishments Include, being grounded from my phone, television ,and everything else that I would consider fun. When I would get into trouble, often I was deadlines by my parent, but getting deadlines by Mrs.. White – who was my fifth grade teacher at All Mercy middle school- was very different and scary. I was slating In Mrs. White's math class, and she began to pass out our Math test scores. I was, and still, am Inefficient In my math skill. As she passed the tests back, my anxious eyes searched the bright colored room, was expecting the worst. E colorful posters were not enough to distract me from my inevitable bad grade, and the blue walls were hardly calming. The garden I received was very low. A depressing, bold looking in bright red ink, was burned at the top of the paper close to where my name was written. I got mad at myself,and I let out an exasperated sigh that Just happen to include the â€Å"F -word† . Everybody in the class, including Mrs.. White, turned toward me with looks of shock and astonishment. Mrs.. White then shouted my name and said; â€Å"Tamari, get in my office owe l† I was in shock at myself that I had lousily sighed this obscenity.I was so scare to go to Mrs.. White's office. In a angry tone of voice, she shouted again, â€Å"Tamari, in my office now! † I was so terrified to face her, because I and never heard Mrs.. White sound so angry before. She shouted one last time, â€Å"Tamari, in my office, right now! † I walked slowly, slower than a turtle, into her office. I could feel the entire class staring at me as I walked as slow as possible. Finally, when I reached Mrs.. White's office, she had me sit down in front of her desk. She said, † You know saying the F word was unacceptable. I nodded my head. That day after lunch, Mrs.. White had me apologize in front of the entire class for using foul language, and she had me sit In the naughty corner of the class by myself for four days. I was happy that Ms. While did not called my parents because I knew my punishment would have been much worse. Luckily, my parents never actually found out that I used the F word at school. That day I clearly learned that there are consequent for my actions, and I have to be more careful with the things I say.Word can get you Into trouble, but not Just In the classroom, at work, and their power to hurt others . Because word are very power, you can hurt someone feeling by sa ying the wrong thing. Be aware of using polite words also show how matured and respectful a person can be. Lesson learned By tinniest 16 important life lessons. Soon, we realize that we did something we know we should set of friend, who often got me into trouble. My punishments include, being When I would get into trouble, often I was disciplined by my parent, but getting disciplined by Mrs..White – who was my fifth grade teacher at All Mercy middle school- was very different and scary. I was sitting in Mrs. White's math class, and she began to pass out our Math test scores. I was, and still, am inefficient in my math room, I was expecting the worst. The colorful posters were not enough to distract me received was very low. A depressing, bold looking â€Å"F†, in bright red ink, was burned at astonishment. Mrs.. White then shouted my name and said; â€Å"Tamari, get in my office now I was in shock at myself that I had lousily sighed this obscenity.I was so â€Å"Tama ri, in my office now! † I was so terrified to face her, because I and never heard White's office, she had me sit down in front of her desk. She said, † You know saying sit in the naughty corner of the class by myself for four days. I was happy that Ms. White did not called my parents because I knew my punishment would have been have to be more careful with the things I say. Word can get you into trouble, but not just in the classroom, at work, and their power to hurt others . Because word are very

Language Teaching and Translation

LANGUAGE TEACHING AND TRANSLATION The use of translation as an inherent part of FLT was prevalent until early in the present century. The Grammar-Translation method, dominant during the first half of the century, stressed translation and grammatical analysis, and put greater emphasis on accuracy than on fluency, preferring academic erudition to communicative competence (Titone& Danesi 1985).At the turn of the century, the Grammar-Translation method gradually gave way to the Direct Method (more characteristic of ELT in Europe than in America (Rivers 1991)), which advocated maximum exposure to the target language, with no recourse either to L1 or to translation. During this period, â€Å"Translation used to be regarded as a necessary evil† (Levenston 1985a). The Direct Method made its way very prominently into the field of ELT in the east during the British Mandate (Bamberger 1958).The American behaviorist school (Skinner 1938; Watson 1913) of language teaching ushered in the Au dio-lingual Method, which concentrated on patterns and structure with an emphasis on drill and technique. The product, not the process, was important; there was to be minimal explanation of rules and no recourse to translation (Larsen-Free-man 1962). The reaction to the audio-lingual method, grounded in the Chomskian Revolution, was the Communicative Approach (Ministry of Education 1988; Savignon 1987).Communicative competence â€Å"has come to be used in language teaching contexts to refer to the ability to negotiate meaning, to successfully combine a knowledge of linguistic and sociolinguistic rules in communicative interactions†(Savignon 1987: 16). At the same time, the advance of cognitive psychology, which was also influenced by the Chomskian revolution, made an impact on ELT (Titone & Danesi 1985). The findings of cognitive psychology indicated that â€Å"deductive, or rule-based, strategies play a prominent role in language learning.Deductive teaching methods are ther efore based on the learning principles of cognitive psychology and its linguistic counterpart, transformationalism, and are generally known as cognitive-code procedures† (Titone & Danesi 1985: 110). â€Å"The role of the teacher is to recognize the importance of mental activity in learning† (Chastain 1971:92). Teachers of FLT were now called upon to address the problems of consciousness raising. (Bialystok 1986, 1988; Carrel 1989; Castillo 1991; Cohen 1986; Gerloff 1986; Hosenfeld 1978; Kern 1989; Rivers 1991; Rubin 1975; Templeton 1989; Thomas 1988; Vieira 1991; Wenden & Rubin 1987).It came to be realized that the study of translation skills might have value as a means of raising the learner's linguistic awareness with regard to his or her native as well as to the foreign language (Boersch 1986; Carton 1966, cited by Rubin 1986; Faerch ; Kasper 1986; Hosenfeld 1978; Lehmann 1986; Levenston 1985b; Loerscher 1986; Ministry of Education 1990; Naiman 1978, quoted by Levens ton 1985a; Rosenblith, stated in Ackerman 1992; Sharwood Smith 1981; Titford 1983).The contrastive analysis of the two languages, L1 and L2, which accompanies the translation process, is presumed to heighten the learner's metalinguistic awareness of both languages and to facilitate their perception as abstract language systems.

Great Tools to Check for Plagiarism and Why You Should Be Using Them

Great Tools to Check for Plagiarism and Why You Should Be Using Them The simple definition of plagiarism that you likely learned in grade school is the act of using another persons words or ideas without giving credit to that person. However, the evolving nature of plagiarism in a digital age isnt quite so simple, and involves a blurry assortment of laws that have even blurrier impact.The rise of popularity of social media and blogging is staggering. While these publication tools make the words and ideas of others easily accessible- it likewise makes them easily copied. With content marketers, researchers, and a lot of amateur aficionados of various topics (whether informed or not) adding to that content daily, the result is a sea of ideas and quotes that may or may not be original. Naturally, with the exponential growth of words and ideas floating around the Internet, the risk of plagiarism and copied content also rises. However, the surprising fact is that while much of it is intentional and black hat search engine optimization (SEO) practices, some examples of plagiarism are unintentional.Heres how it happensConsider this scenario. Youre a small business owner, youve consulted with online marketing experts, and youve learned that the most aggressive way to market is to make your website more visible through informative, useful content. So your next step is to hire someone to write online content for you in the hopes that the content will draw traffic to your business website and help build your online reputation or brand identity.After requesting several bids from an online, global community of freelance writers, you pick the one that is easiest on your budget and offers more bang for the buck. And thats when your troubles begin.It turns out that the content you believed to be original (and so you published it!) was partially plagiarized, and therefore protected under intellectual property and copyright laws. Not only do cease and desist notices demand that you take down the content immediately- they also inform you of legal fees or lawsuits that will occur because the freelancer you paid copied words and ideas from an original source without properly giving credit.Search engine resultsAs if legal troubles and wasted money werent enough to convince you to use a different strategy to help avoid the issue in the first place, then comes the blow to your original goal of giving your website a professional and visible place on the Web.According to Moz, one of the most trusted online SEO resources used by professional marketers and SEO experts, duplicate content will immediately have a negative effect on your sites search engine rankings and web traffic. Why? Popular search engines like Google consistently change their algorithms to determine a websites worthiness to be near the top of the search engine results. To do this, the search engine bots check various qualities of the site, including (among other factors) the originality of the websites content.If there is duplicate content, your site becomes less re levant in a search engine query, or even blacklisted by the search engine because of copyright infringement policies or suspected black hat practices. Basically, all the work youve put into making it more visible and easy to find on the Web will have been for nothing.Intentional plagiarism vs. unintentional plagiarismConsider the above scenarios and then consider this: even though plagiarism frequently is unintentional, the results and consequences are the same. With all the words on the Web, and vast amounts of additional text content being published daily, the chances of unintentional plagiarism increase exponentially.You may wonder how it is possible to unintentionally plagiarize someone elses work, but its easier than you might think. Take, for instance, the writer who fails to include quotation marks to denote a direct quote; or the writer who has read several articles on a topic and accidentally uses phrasing that he or she has read before, but doesnt consciously realize it is someone elses direct quote.Of course, there are common instances of intentional plagiarism, as well, especially if a writer is looking to save time and effort in the process of delivering a project. Some examples of intentional plagiarism include:Using a pre-written paper downloaded from the Internet and claiming it to be ones own.Using exact words from anothers essay or work, without giving credit to the author by using quotes or an in-text citation. This also includes cutting and pasting partial or whole phrases from another source.Submitting work that has been written by someone else and claiming it as your own.Borrowing phrasing or ideas from anothers work without giving credit to them.Fabricating a sourceOnline resources to check for plagiarismSo, with all the ways content can be easily plagiarized- both intentionally and unintentionally- how can you guard against low search engine rankings, wasted effort, a loss of credibility, and potential lawsuits over intellectual propert y?The answer is easy- and in many cases, free.CopyscapeThis free plagiarism checker allows you to check the originality of content that has already been published online, and is one of the most trusted duplicate content checkers used by individuals, academic institutions and businesses worldwide. The website is easy to navigate and has simple instructions, but offers limited free scans in the hopes that youll sign up for their premium service.Copyscapes premium service offers much broader options. For example, you can copy and paste text that hasnt been published online yet to check for originality before you publish it. You can also perform unlimited scans to check for plagiarism. As another add-on, the websites Copysentry service will perform daily or weekly scans to determine if anyone on the web is using your original content as their own.If youre more audio-visually inclined, they also provide this handy instructional video on how to use their services.Small SEO ToolsAdvertisin g itself as one of the biggest free SEO tools providers, this site offers a free plagiarism checker, along with several other useful SEO tools. A user can copy and paste any group of words (1,000 words or less), or upload a file, and the website will crawl the Internet to detect any unoriginal content that can be found elsewhere on the Web.After performing the search, youll see results below it. Any phrases that are already found on the web will be highlighted, and the website will provide links to other websites where the copied content is published.One great plus to this site is that it allows you to scan documents, copied text, or websites without registering with an email address.CopyleaksThis cloud-based plagiarism software will scan online content for plagiarism, but like Copyscape, is limited in its free services. Also, registration with an email address is required before any of its services (including the free ones) are used.As an add-on plagiarism checker tool, Copyleaks a lso allows site visitors to compare content side by side to know what has been changed, paraphrased or copied between them. A similarity rate is provided, and the best part is that you can copy and paste text, upload text files, or input a websites URL to start the comparison. Of course, Copyleaks intent is to convince you to buy service plans, which range from academic to business-based focus.

Management Change and Innovation

Management Change and Innovation Key issues in the case study There are a number of key issues that arise from the case of Nestle. One of the major issues that come up is the impact of mergers and acquisitions for large multinationals.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Management Change and Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result of its growth Nestle chose to acquire more companies in order to make an impact in its global expansion especially in foreign markets. It struck big financial deals with companies like L’Oreal and Alcon Laboratories Inc and saw acquisition of the two companies. However, not all these big deals go well and in the case of Nestlà ©, L’Oreal was largely in debt and to some extent could have contributed to its financial woes. Another issue is the diversification of the market both in terms of products and market presence. These are seen as key factors in enhancing global expansion as well as pro fits. Nestle aimed at improving its finances through diversification as well as strategic acquisitions. It therefore made its presence in the U.S market through Alcon Laboratories Inc. It also diversified its products to include cosmetics through L’Oreal and pharmaceutical and ophthalmic products I addition to the original dairy products. This diversification could work for or against the company as it requires more resources on the part of the management. Organizational change is yet another key issue observed in this case. Nestle went through radical changes between the second world war to 1990’s all through to date.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These changes have come in many faces, for example in the outlook of the companies before 1980 and change in the management of the organization as well as the continuous restructuring. More issues on organizational change will be brought up in the topics discussed below. Importance of innovation in regard to organizational change is also a key issue. Innovation in terms of technology as well as new markets cannot be overlooked. For long-term continuance of the organization innovation should be consistent with the firm’s objective. New technology and new markets should not be exclusively left be the centre stage of organizational change and growth. Changes in Nestle Nestle went through both the first-order and the second-order changes. First order change is the continuous and incremental change which may call for modifications in processes, structures or even systems; however, does not go into changing the basic strategy, core values of the organization and corporate identity. It is basically meant to sustain organizational order and continuity. Second-order change on the other hand is drastic, transformational and with far reaching implications on the core of the organiz ation. It is aimed at changing the nature of the organization and not developing it. Nestle went through the second-order change in that it carried out activities that had an effect on the nature and strategy of the organization. Although the changes may not have been aimed at changing the nature of the organization entirely, it had far reaching implications. For example; a change in the strategy of global expansion and increase in financial gains saw nestle sail through several acquisitions.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Management Change and Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These acquisitions also meant that nestle was no longer an organization that was based on dairy products. Acquisition of Alcon Laboratories Inc and the cosmetic producers L’Oreal made a move to include cosmetics, pharmaceutical and ophthalmic products as part of nestle. Acquisition as a strategy of growth can also be co nsidered as another example of second-order change. These changes effected before 1980 had far-reaching effects on Nestle and that is why they are considered as second-order change. Diversification or investment of Nestle into developing markets is another example of second-order change. Nestle diversified into developing markets not only to continue the organization but majorly increase the profits as well a change to include the organization into a cosmetic producer and supplier. This could also be traced back to when Nestle changed its strategy and started acquiring subsidiaries in foreign markets. Traditionally, Nestle used sales agents in countries that were outside its home market, but it later changed into having their presence in those foreign markets by acquiring some existing factories. Another example of second-order change evidenced in nestle is the transfer of several executive offices offshore to the U.S. this was instigated by the feeling of isolation in home offices, Switzerland and thus calling for the transfer. This move was aimed at increasing the efficiency of Nestle both in productivity and financial efficiency. The purchase of carnation in 1984 is also an example of second-order change after a number of failed acquisitions that left Nestle with many non-profitable and nonstrategic businesses. First-order change for Nestle is evidenced basically in the today’s Nestle in the period after 1990s. However, even before then Nestle sold most of its nonperforming and nonstrategic businesses.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was basically meant to keep the organization going forth despite the losses. Under the management of Brabeck-Letmathe is seen to be leaning more on the first-order change rather than second-order. This could be due to the past failures as a result of aggressive acquisition and needed for expansion. When the CEO insists on ensuring the longevity of the organization without necessarily dwelling on short-term profits then this is first order. The change according to him is also meant to be gradual and slow is evidence that nestle is going into first-order change. As a result, it has developed approaches like corporate growth and a â€Å"corporate culture† that will ensure that longevity and continuity. Incremental approach to change Incremental approach to change is arguably the most effective method of change. Brabeck-Letmathe has to some extend used incremental approach in implementing change. One of the ingredients used is identifying the strengths of the organization an d trying to come up with ways to improve. This does not only dwell in strengths but also in weaknesses, opportunities and threats and trying to work on them. Incremental approach to change is also focused and conscious. It ensures a slow injection of change and at the same time trying to maintain internal balancing. A focus on the long term goals of the organization without laying much effort on the short-term profit motives is one of the factors key to incremental approach to change. This ensures the continuity of the business without involving radical measures that could be more destructiveness to the organization. Brabeck-Letmathe has used two vital tools that steer this type of change. These are entrenching a corporate culture and mechanisms for corporate growth. This approach ensures that Nestle establishes strengths that are not easily swayed. This is made much better by the fact that the managers have been incorporated into that corporate culture. However, there are some aspe cts of Brabeck-Letmathe approach that do not concur with incremental approach to change. For instance the complete wipe out of the executives was too radical a move. However important it may be to have managers who are well entrenched in corporate culture, we cannot ignore the fact that there is a need to listen to people or employees before creating an organizational change. In addition, we cannot ignore the role of technology in incremental corporate approach. Brabeck-Letmathe appears reluctant in embracing technology which is instrumental to growth. Though he is right on not making it the central strategic pivot point of growth his reservations are uncalled for. Brabeck-Lameck does not value social preferencing as a key aspect of incremental approach. This could be a better approach in dealing with the change managers. He seems put and as already having structures that is necessary for change. Additionally, his measures are too qualitative to fit in incremental approach to change because; this approach majorly builds on measurable quantitative aspects that become its key limitation. Implications for change managers Change managers in Nestle should have acumen in coming with the approaches that can well meet the needs of nestle. One of the key issues in consideration is the need to ensure longevity and continued existence of Nestle regardless of short operating profits. Another challenge lies with the fact that Nestle is a multinational company that has over 80 factories in different countries. This calls for efficiency and increased productivity. This increased efficiency and productivity should ensure that it doesn’t use measures that are too radical that could plunge Nestle into another financial difficulty. Restructuring process is another possible source of implication for change managers. It is costly ($300 million yearly) and a slow process that requires a lot of patience. Nestle management may have reacted to the need to sustain the longevity of Nestle by identifying factors that threatened its efficiency. For instance dropping out all non-profitable acquisitions as well as concentrating efforts on one line of products, probably dairy products. Change managers should also focus on ensuring that all the 80 factories are productive to avoid a scenario where they are servicing unproductive outlets. Therefore monitoring and evaluation should be done using the yardsticks of long-term goals of the company. In the quest of bringing change and restructuring, they should be careful to avoid strategies that may eat into company’s growth in the long run, as in the case of prior acquisitions. A similar challenge could be easily brought up by overemphasis on technology at the expense of sustainable growth. It is also beneficial for the change managers to come up with restructuring strategies that are less costly Three examples of lessons from the front line of Nestle case and possible solutions Three issues come up from the fr ontline of this study case. One of the major issues is the numerous sub branches of Nestlà © and the impact of aggressive acquisitions and mergers to penetrate foreign markets. Another subject of discussion is the diversification of products as varied as chocolate, milk products, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. The third aspect is long-term performance or longevity of an organization Vis a Vis the short-term profit performance. Nestle just like many other big organizations used acquisition approach as a vehicle to global expansion and productivity. However, they did not consider the factors behind the deal or the financial position of the subsidiary company. This led to financial problems that saw its bad days kick in just like many other huge deals. Secondly, the need to diversify into many other foreign markets and with new products is likely to cause diseconomies in terms of management and finances. It is important for managers to weigh these implications and put structur es to deal with them before hand. Finally, many organizations and managers tend to overlook the long-term being and prefer high short term profits using very aggressive second-order approaches with great economic implications.

Mercury Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Mercury Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Mercury is the only metallic element that is a liquid at room temperature. This dense metal is atomic number 80 with element symbol Hg. This collection of mercury facts includes atomic data, the electron configuration, chemical and physical properties, and history of the element. Mercury Basic Facts Symbol: HgAtomic Number: 80Atomic Weight: 200.59Element Classification: Transition MetalCAS Number: 7439-97-6Mercury Periodic Table LocationGroup: 12Period: 6Block: d Mercury Electron Configuration Short Form: [Xe]4f145d106s2Long Form: 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d105s25p64f145d106s2Shell Structure: 2 8 18 32 18 2 Mercury Discovery Discovery Date: Known to the ancient Hindus and Chinese. Mercury has been found in Egyptian tombs dating to 1500 B.C.Name: Mercury derives its name from the association between the planet Mercury and its use in alchemy. The alchemical symbol for mercury was the same for the metal and the planet. The element symbol, Hg, is derived from the Latin name hydragyrum meaning water silver. Mercury Physical Data State at room temperature (300 K): LiquidAppearance: heavy silvery white metalDensity: 13.546 g/cc (20  °C)Melting Point: 234.32 K (-38.83  °C or -37.894  °F)Boiling Point: 356.62 K (356.62  °C or 629.77  °F)Critical Point: 1750 K at 172 MPaHeat of Fusion: 2.29 kJ/molHeat of Vaporization: 59.11 kJ/molMolar Heat Capacity: 27.983 J/mol ·KSpecific Heat: 0.138 J/g ·K (at 20  °C) Mercury Atomic Data Oxidation States: 2 , 1Electronegativity: 2.00Electron Affinity: not stableAtomic Radius: 1.32 Ã…Atomic Volume: 14.8 cc/molIonic Radius: 1.10 Ã… (2e) 1.27 Ã… (1e)Covalent Radius: 1.32 Ã…Van der Waals Radius: 1.55 Ã…First Ionization Energy: 1007.065 kJ/molSecond Ionization Energy: 1809.755 kJ/molThird Ionization Energy: 3299.796 kJ/mol Mercury Nuclear Data Number of isotopes: There are 7 naturally occurring isotopes of mercury..Isotopes and % abundance: 196Hg (0.15), 198Hg (9.97), 199Hg (198.968), 200Hg (23.1), 201Hg (13.18), 202Hg (29.86) and 204Hg (6.87) Mercury Crystal Data Lattice Structure: RhombohedralLattice Constant: 2.990 Ã…Debye Temperature: 100.00 K Mercury Uses Mercury is amalgamated with gold to facilitate the recovery of gold from its ores. Mercury is used to make thermometers, diffusion pumps, barometers, mercury vapor lamps, mercury switches, pesticides, batteries, dental preparations, antifouling paints, pigments, and catalysts. Many of the salts and organic mercury compounds are important. Miscellaneous Mercury Facts Mercury compounds with the 2 oxidation states are known as mercuric in older texts. Example: HgCl2 was known as mercuric chloride.Mercury compounds with the 1 oxidation state are known as mercurous in older texts. Example: Hg2Cl2 was known as mercurous chloride.Mercury is rarely found free in nature. Mercury is harvested from cinnabar (mercury(I) sulfide - HgS). It is extracted by heating the ore and collecting the mercury vapor produced.Mercury is also known by the name quicksilver.Mercury is one of the few elements that is liquid at ordinary room temperatures.Mercury and its compounds are highly poisonous. Mercury is readily absorbed across unbroken skin or though the respiratory or gatroinstestinal tract. It acts as a cumulative poison.Mercury is very volatile in air. When room temperature air (20 °C) is saturated with mercury vapor, the concentration greatly exceeds the toxic limit. The concentration, and thus the danger, increases at higher temperatures.Early alchemists believ ed all metals contained varying amounts of mercury. Mercury was used in many experiments to transmute one metal into another. Chinese alchemists believed mercury promoted health and extended life and included it with several medicines.Mercury readily forms alloys with other metals, called amalgams. The term amalgam literally means alloy of mercury in Latin.An electrical discharge will cause mercury to combine with the noble gases argon, krypton, neon, and xenon.Mercury is one of the heavy metals. Many metals have a higher density than mercury, yet are not considered to be heavy metals. This is because heavy metals are both extremely dense and highly toxic. Sources Eisler, R. (2006). Mercury hazards to living organisms. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-9212-2.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Lide, D. R., ed. (2005). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (86th ed.). Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0486-5.Norrby, L.J. (1991). Why is mercury liquid? Or, why do relativistic effects not get into chemistry textbooks?. Journal of Chemical Education. 68 (2): 110. doi:10.1021/ed068p110Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4. Return to the Periodic Table

Sociology research Paper and Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sociology research Paper and Questions - Essay Example rime, this study proposes to examine whether increasing crime can in fact be attributed to race, or whether there may be other factors that could explain the explosion in crime. People belonging to ethnic minorities had long complained of racial profiling by law enforcement personnel, which is often the cause of feelings of resentment, hurt and an increasing loss of trust in the police among members of racial minorities. But Kleinig and Risse (2007) have discussed racial profiling in the context of the September 11, attacks, and detailed the results of a study that appeared to justify the evils of racial profiling as an efficient law enforcement strategy. The reason was because it was based upon the underlying belief that members of certain groups appear to possess a greater tendency to commit crimes and police can curb crime by adopting harsher measures against members of such minority groups. Based upon the findings of this study, an argument is offered that racial profiling is attributable to pre existing racism, hence profiling only expresses that racism rather than perpetuating it. Another argument offered is that the benefits of profiling and benefits provided by Government to the minorities far outweigh the harmful effects. Huff (2007) reports on an extensive ethnographic study that was carried out among police officers to examine their attitudes towards gang related crimes, their reasons for wanting to be assigned to units fighting against gang related crimes and how gang units are managed. Although this was an exhaustive study utilizing multiple data sources, it was limited by the selection of four primarily southwestern cities with a higher incidence of Hispanics. The study found that officers feel more independent while functioning in gang units but there was also clear evidence of racial profiling against the minorities. Graham and Lowery (2007) examined the problem of racial profiling from another perspective – the working of the criminal justice

Substainable Construction Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Substainable Construction Products - Essay Example This can also assist in the restoration and enhancement of the environment (Kats et al 2003). LEED sustainable sites has the responsibility of encouraging the observance of the standards which are the best measures via strategies like using alternative transportation, efficient design for lighting of the site, developing high density sites, managing storm water among other concerns (Clevenger 2008). Many owners have also realized that there are financial advantages of selecting and maintaining sustainable sites particularly tax incentives for developing brown fields and reducing space conditioning by selecting cool roofing material. This is the finest management approach for storm water that makes use of soil, microorganism, and plants for filtering, retaining, and infiltration of storm water runoff from those sites that are developed. Bioretention is a very critical element of low impact development tactic since it is relatively simple, less costly, efficient and aesthetically attractive. Filtrexx growing Media TM is crucial for effective installation of bioretention. This product can be used on practically every site employing a range of design skills. The advantages are that it eases installation, controls pollution, durability, control runoff and establishes vegetation (Clevenger 2008). b) JM Reflective roof: TopGard 4000 This is a multi-use product 100 percent acrylic elastomeric coat used for several substrates like asphalt to be applied on roofing. The product offers an exceptional bleed-blocking characteristic that makes it especially well-suited to coat over asphalt. It has special qualities like wet bonding, elongation and tensile force. It is used as an outstanding reflective outside layer over smooth or granulated plane roofing structures on roofs. The benefits are that it is energy saving, prolongs roof life, acrylic permanence, totally adhered fitting bleed-blocking (Kibert 2008). 3) Water Efficiency LEED implements water efficiency to decrease production of waste water and enhance drinkable water whereas enhancing the home aquifer renewing. It is utilized in two options: option one - is reducing the potable water used for construction of sewage passage by half via use of water conservation fixtures or non-potable water. Or alternatively treating half of the wastewater on the site to tertiary standards: this water can be filtrated or reused on the site (Jones 2008). a) Toto ultra-low-flow water closets These types of toilets are easily cleaned. They utilize unique technology which makes it easy to clean and thus saves water. A research was conducted on their efficiency and it was found out that they bested about 46 models. They are slightly elongated for flow that clearly cleans effectively. TOTO's G max expertise guarantees efficiency, low cost, and low noise (Clevenger 2008). b) Delta 1.8-gpm sensor faucets These faucets are very efficient, they operate in hands free activation mode and they also automatically stop running to conserve water by preventing overflow. Their taps are sensor operated for this efficiency; they are able to save up to about

Teddington Tennis Club Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Teddington Tennis Club - Essay Example The form basically offers two options for the user. One, to view previous results and two, to enter results online. Initially, the user has to choose on the year of competition, then the week and finally the teams to play for that week. From here the option varies. The user can either view the results if the year selected is in the past or else can update the results for present and future games. This is done by virtually hiding all the controls present in the form until the user clicks on the appropriate buttons which are ‘View’ and ‘Update’ (the names are self-explanatory). This is done by marking a tag to all these controls and setting their visible property to ‘false’. A sample piece of code is shown below. Once these are decided, the user can select the ‘GO’ button, to view the result input boxes filled with players’ names adjacent to them. Once the user fills and clicks on ‘Save’, the data gets stored in appropriate tables. The query used to update these values is given below: The creation of the financial report detailing the players who are members for current fiscal and those who do not basically depend on the data available in the two tables namely, ‘Members’ and ‘Players’. These tables contain details regarding the players, their member ids, and their membership details. The report is created using the Report Wizard of MS Access which lists out the fields that need to be presented in the report in addition to the variables based on which the report has to be ordered. The report is generated by analyzing the value of the ‘Members’ table field column, current which mentions whether the player is a member or not. If the value for a member id is ‘Y’, the player is a member and if ‘N’, the player has to renew is membership. Based on the member ID and Player Id relationship, the player details are obtained from the player table. An example of the report that was generated for the current year is shown below.

Humans Rights - World Torture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Humans Rights - World Torture - Essay Example Nagan and Atkins (2001) inform that torture was not always a defined prohibition in international, national and regional legal regimes. On the contrary, historically, social order dictated that those who were charged with the responsibility of engineering the social order were willing to â€Å"use torture as an instrument† for exercising â€Å"effective control over others† (p. 92). Complicating matters, elements of culture, religion and ideology supported the use of torture by those in power. As a result torture was previously implicitly tolerated as necessary for promoting and safeguarding the larger interest of society. As Nagan and Atkins (2001) explain: ...the predisposition to torture requires for its efficacy that it be displaced on public enemies with a religious, cultural, or ideological mechanism of overt or tacit validation of an alleged community interest (usually public order, security, or law and order) (p. 92) At common law, torture was an established part of the legal process. It was used for the administration of oaths and proof of the truth of a matter could be established by the use of torture. The trial by ordeal stands as a manifestation of the historical support of the judicial use of torture. Langbein (2006) the use of â€Å"judicial torture† under the Roman-Cannon statutory regime which permitted â€Å"the use of physical coercion by offers of the state† for the purpose of gathering â€Å"evidence for judicial proceedings† (p. 3).... 92) At common law, torture was an established part of the legal process. It was used for the administration of oaths and proof of the truth of a matter could be established by the use of torture. The trial by ordeal stands as a manifestation of the historical support of the judicial use of torture. Langbein (2006) the use of â€Å"judicial torture† under the Roman-Cannon statutory regime which permitted â€Å"the use of physical coercion by offers of the state† for the purpose of gathering â€Å"evidence for judicial proceedings† (p. 3). State officials using torture pursuant to the truth and for maintaining the social order often rationalized the use of torture in other ways. It was largely believed that the tortured would be redeemed and thus experience some form of â€Å"moral cleansing† (Nagan and Atkins 2001, p. 92). Essentially, torture found currency with states on the basis that it was necessary for discovering the truth. The pain associated with t orture was also rationalized on the basis that it benefitted the tortured by providing â€Å"moral and spiritual† benefits (Nagan and Atkins 2001, p. 92). Waisel (2010) explains that torture was legal for â€Å"long periods of history† (p. 280). Foot (2009) identifies four primary reasons that torture was historically used as a legal instrument of social control and order. Firstly, torture was used by the state pursuant to an ideology that accepted that subhuman factions existed. For instance, Greeks and Romans believed that torture was the best method for abstracting truth from slaves. Secondly, torture was believed to be the best method for obtaining the truth. Thirdly, there was

Preschooler observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preschooler observation - Essay Example Among his fellows he was looking aggressive and a bit ailing (Berger, p.210-212). The three were standing in a row while about four or five children were motivating them to start the race. One of them count up to three and the race begun. Jacob fell to the ground and lost the race, but his reaction was very unnatural. He started crying and called himself a loser who cannot win anything. I approached him and asked why he is crying? He replied quickly that I am a loser because I didnt win the race and I never wins, furthermore, that "all my mates think I am a loser in light of the fact that I always cry. They make fun of me for my crying." I attempted to console him and let him know I did not think he was a loser. He was just assuming himself a loser on the basis of his past experiences but have no logical understanding (Berger, p. 182). I told him that his friends were playing with colorful cards while he was trying to climb rings. This made him tired while his fellows were relaxed and full of energy. Some of his friends called him to play with them, but he refused and remained crying. I tried to convince him that his friends are still eager to play with him because for them he is their friend not a loser. He was hard to convince because at the time he was relating many other things to his failure, perhaps the behavior of his parents, siblings and caregivers (Berger, p. 216). His attitude made me think about his family and I assumed that he is from a family where his parents are too busy to spend time with him and his elder siblings may tease him and discourage him in doing things. Jacob’s social and emotional behavior was influenced by his fellows at the center. His fellows won the race and this made him cry and aggressive that why he didn’t win the race. His stressed reaction showed that he never got encouragement from others, hence he strongly believed that he cannot win as he has no traits of winners. At this age group, children are open to

Humans Rights - World Torture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Humans Rights - World Torture - Essay Example Nagan and Atkins (2001) inform that torture was not always a defined prohibition in international, national and regional legal regimes. On the contrary, historically, social order dictated that those who were charged with the responsibility of engineering the social order were willing to â€Å"use torture as an instrument† for exercising â€Å"effective control over others† (p. 92). Complicating matters, elements of culture, religion and ideology supported the use of torture by those in power. As a result torture was previously implicitly tolerated as necessary for promoting and safeguarding the larger interest of society. As Nagan and Atkins (2001) explain: ...the predisposition to torture requires for its efficacy that it be displaced on public enemies with a religious, cultural, or ideological mechanism of overt or tacit validation of an alleged community interest (usually public order, security, or law and order) (p. 92) At common law, torture was an established part of the legal process. It was used for the administration of oaths and proof of the truth of a matter could be established by the use of torture. The trial by ordeal stands as a manifestation of the historical support of the judicial use of torture. Langbein (2006) the use of â€Å"judicial torture† under the Roman-Cannon statutory regime which permitted â€Å"the use of physical coercion by offers of the state† for the purpose of gathering â€Å"evidence for judicial proceedings† (p. 3).... 92) At common law, torture was an established part of the legal process. It was used for the administration of oaths and proof of the truth of a matter could be established by the use of torture. The trial by ordeal stands as a manifestation of the historical support of the judicial use of torture. Langbein (2006) the use of â€Å"judicial torture† under the Roman-Cannon statutory regime which permitted â€Å"the use of physical coercion by offers of the state† for the purpose of gathering â€Å"evidence for judicial proceedings† (p. 3). State officials using torture pursuant to the truth and for maintaining the social order often rationalized the use of torture in other ways. It was largely believed that the tortured would be redeemed and thus experience some form of â€Å"moral cleansing† (Nagan and Atkins 2001, p. 92). Essentially, torture found currency with states on the basis that it was necessary for discovering the truth. The pain associated with t orture was also rationalized on the basis that it benefitted the tortured by providing â€Å"moral and spiritual† benefits (Nagan and Atkins 2001, p. 92). Waisel (2010) explains that torture was legal for â€Å"long periods of history† (p. 280). Foot (2009) identifies four primary reasons that torture was historically used as a legal instrument of social control and order. Firstly, torture was used by the state pursuant to an ideology that accepted that subhuman factions existed. For instance, Greeks and Romans believed that torture was the best method for abstracting truth from slaves. Secondly, torture was believed to be the best method for obtaining the truth. Thirdly, there was

Tourism industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tourism industry - Essay Example It has also helped in better cultural understanding through the interchange of ideas between host and guest communities. Though mass tourism provides different economic and social benefits, it is also associated with different negative impacts on social, economic as well as environment aspects of a community. Tourism can be sustainable only if it is managed carefully (United Nations Environment Programme, 2014; Mirbabayev, n.d.). Taking into concern the various impacts of the mass tourism on environment and economy, there has been an idea of imposing taxes on mass tourism in additional to the already high taxes on various tourism requirements such as hotels, flight charges and other rentals. This idea may help in eliminating certain tourism related issues but it fails to realise the impact that it can cause to the tourism industry. In fact, tourism taxes in some countries have become an easy and a trendy fashion for governments to collect revenue from visitors in order to cover the government expenses. The tourism industry is taxed by methods of direct taxation to the tourists or units associated or involved in tourism (Gooroochurn & Sinclair, 2003; Rinaldi, n.d.). Such hikes in taxes not only force the tourists to go to other cheaper destinations but also have a serious effect on the local residents. For example, the Hawaiian Tourism industry experienced fall in tourism in 2007 owing to effects of various direct along with indirect tax hikes, which affected more than 75% of jobs in the state. The tourist shifted elsewhere taking their spending with them and the taxpayers were left with budget deficit owing to that the state economy was also weakened (Nothdurft, 2009). Similar example can be taken from fact that Caribbean Tourism was impacted negatively due the government aviation taxes in tourism (Caribbean journal, 2013) Tourism taxes are also being levied in the local level, which is creating more tax

The Weimar Republic Essay Example for Free

The Weimar Republic Essay The Weimar Republic was created in 1919 after Wilhelm II abdicated. The new government consisted of the ones who signed the Treaty of Versailles, and so nationalistic Germans thought this to be traitorous. The severe consequences given by the treaty had many Germans looking for a scapegoat to blame and the government fitted perfectly. Straight from the beginning, Weimar faced obstacles from both left and right wings. The Spartacist group on the left, lead by Liebknicht was looking to imitate a more Russian Communistic political system. They then tried to take control of Berlin, with the support of the USDP, however the military troops suppressed the revolt. Next revolt was from the right wing, and this was the Kapp Putsch, where they seized government buildings. Then Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch, with an attempt to seize the Bavarian government, which lead to another revolt being crushed, but clearly indicating that there were oppositions from both sides. The Treaty of Versailles had put Germany into financial implications, and it was starting to show that the numbers they had to repay was not a realistic one. In 1923 when a hyperinflation had developed, the currency was becoming more and more worthless: the Treaty, which was signed by the government, caused great despair, so they blamed the government for it. Then when Stresseman was appointed chancellor, he tried to get the ‘Allies’ to be more merciful and showed them how impossible the task they were given from the treaty actually was. Then the Dawes plan kicked in, which tried to keep the levels of reparations at a balanced budget, in order to prevent another situation of hyperinflation. It did help to stabilize the economy and settle inflation and it was shown in the general economic improvements, such as car sales and mass productions. More cultural improvements would follow: music, literature and theatre. Berlin even overtook Paris’ place of being the most à ¢â‚¬Ëœartistic city’ After the Great Depression occurred, the economy once again plummeted, which caused unemployment level to skyrocket. Hitler who had established himself as a leading politician at the time, preached employment and greatness, had almost ten times as many seats in the 1930 election than they did three years earlier. The German population was looking for more extreme solutions, and hundreds of demonstrations occurred against the government. This was what Hitler wanted. He had such a wide appeal and was attractive to the workers, by promising employment. A couple of years later, though, their number of votes would decline: the country was splitting into two, but both wanted to change the current government. Hindenburg passed away and Hitler appointed himself the Fuhre and the Weimar Republic was over with. To conclude, The Weimar Republic had been growing for many years, and the current circumstances did not make it any easier. It had overcome many difficulties earlier and the first signs of the republic being doomed came in the late 20’s and early 30’s when the country was starting to separate into two. To say that it was doomed from the moment it was created is irrational because it was not evident in the earlier years and only became visible later on.

Chinas String of Pearls Strategy

Chinas String of Pearls Strategy CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION String of Pearls Chinas String of Pearls strategy is the name given to a geopolitical strategy adopted by China arising as foreign oil becomes a center of gravity critical to Chinas energy needs.[1] This policy on the face of it appears to be an attempt by China to have an increased access to various ports and airfields in the South Asian region and at the same time to developing special diplomatic relations with these countries. This seems to be a strategic move as China is establishing these pearls or a series of nodes[2] of military and economic power thus enhancing its overall influence in these regions. A question posed by the String of Pearls is the uncertainty of whether Chinas growing influence is in accordance with Beijings stated policy of peaceful development, or if China one day will make a bid for regional primacy[3]. China gives the impression that it is interested in having a more powerful role to play on the global stage and thus evoking concerns in its neighbours, especially India, as being threatening. However, Chinas development of these strategic geopolitical pearls has been non-confrontational[4], with no evidence of imperial or neocolonial ambition, whatsoever. Extension of the Pearls The pearls extend[5] from the coast of mainland China through the littorals of the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean, and on to the littorals of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. However, looking at the progress that China has made in the last couple of years it may not be too erroneous to say that it is now trying to extend these pearls by making a foray into the African continent and the Central Asian regions. In light of this, it is imperative to focus on the abovementioned issue and the concerned predicament in the minds of the other world power players as to the real design and intention of China and the consequence that this might have on the energy and economic security of these nations, particularly India and the US. Emergence of Strategic Players The rise of this strategy has not only shifted focus on China and its growing energy needs but also has brought to limelight those smaller nations in which China is trying to gain foothold and develop these pearls. Nations like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and recently, countries like Sudan, Egypt Nigeria etc which are rich in energy resources, have come to play a major role in the worlds energy needs. These nations are fast becoming the centre of the worlds energy playing field and are emerging as the strategic centres around which this game of energy security will be played out in the coming future. Hence, it becomes essential for fast developing countries like India and Brazil, who need their share of this energy market, to progress ahead in order to counter Chinas strategy at the earliest. These nations need to evolve their own strategy if they do not want to be left behind because not acting at this point in time may have a huge impact on their economies in the coming future. METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem This paper seeks to study and analyse the impact of Chinas string of pearls policy on the energy security of the worlds major players in general and India in particular. Hypothesis Chinas String of Pearls policy does not have security implications for India militarily but will have definite implications on the energy security particularly that of India and US. Justification of the study China, in the past decade has influenced the behaviour of its neighbouring nation states to quite an extent. In continuing with its stated policy of economic reforms, it had to secure all the energy resources that it could in the available time frame. Although the name String of Pearls was a name coined by a minor pentagon analyst[6] but certainly it does indicate Chinas quest for securing its energy needs by occupying certain areas of influence in and around its neighbourhood. China, in recent past, has started making headway into the vast energy resources of Africa and Central Asian regions apart from the resources in Myanmar, Spratlys and Paracel islands. Hence, a detailed study is required to look into the effects that may be caused by Chinas incursions into these yet untouched and somewhat unexplored regions. The world took some time to wake up to the vast amount of energy resources that these countries had and China had a headstart in this regard over other nations in these regions. This study tries to bring out the effect that the existing pearls have on the energy security of India and other nations and examines the new pearls and their effects on the energy security of these nations. Scope This study concentrates on the specific issue of string of pearls policy and the impact of this policy on the energy security of India in particular. The study also tries to bring out the aspect of Chinas inroads into the African Countries and the Central Asian Regions as an extension of this policy. The aspects of Chinas military modernization as an offshoot of this policy have been kept out of this discussion. Operational definitions Methods of data collection Organisation of the dissertation Rising China: Implications for India by Major General (Retd) Dhruv Katoch SM, VSM, USI journal July September 2009. www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-string-of-pearls-strategy.htm www. U.S.-China Commission, 2005 Report to Congress. Rising China: Implications for India by Major General (Retd) Dhruv Katoch SM, VSM, USI journal July September 2009. www. M K Bhadrakumar, India and its troublesome Neighbours, The Hindu, 02 Nov 2009 CHAPTER II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND HOW CHINA TRANSFORMED IN THE LAST DECADE? Before we begin to discuss the String of Pearls policy in detail, lets take a look at how China has transformed itself economically in the last 10 years. China is the third largest economy in the world after the US and Japan. China has had the fastest-growing major economy for the past 30 years with an average annual GDP growth rate above 10%[7]. In 1978, after years of state control of all productive assets, the government of China embarked on a major program of economic reforms. In an effort to awaken a dormant economic giant, it encouraged the formation of rural enterprises and private businesses, liberalized foreign trade and investment, relaxed state control over some prices, and invested in industrial production and the education of its workforce. By nearly all accounts, the strategy has worked spectacularly. Chinas economy regained momentum in the early 1990s. In early 1992, China made a series of political pronouncements designed to give new impetus to and reinvigorate the process of economic reform. Along with cContinuity in the political system, but a bolder reform was announced in the economic system were announced as the a hallmarks of the 10-year development plan for the 1990s. Although capital accumulation, i.e., the growth in the countrys stock of capital assets, such as new factories, manufacturing machinery, and communications systems, was important, as so were the number of Chinese workers., a A sharp, sustained increase in productivity (that is, increased worker efficiency) was the driving force behind thise economic boom. China has really come very far in the last ten years. Chinas growth as an economy wont flow smoothly from the bottom-left to the upper-right side of the chart. But the fact remains that China will be the biggest, fastest-growing economy in the world in the twenty-first century[8]. In fact, it is interesting to note that when China began its reforms , Deng Xiaoping put military last on the list forro modernization[9]. Chinas economy is gathering momentum and gaining speed. After a period of a double -digit growth in the post-Tiananmen period of the early 1900s, the law of large numbers would have predicted that thisat kind of growth couldnt happen again. But China has defied conventional wisdom. Already one of the largest economies, China grew by at least 10 percent in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The country had $21 billion in foreign reserves in 1993; ten years later, in 2003, China was adding $200 billion or more of reserves into its coffers each year. By the end of 2006, China had more than $1 trillion in foreign currency reserves, an unprecedented amount that was growing by $50 billion each month. Chinas leaders are traveling the world negotiating long-term supply contracts with oil-producing countries. China doesnt have enough of its own energy reserves, and obtaining enough energy to fuel its economy is a very real concern. Quest for Energy South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore were dubbed Asian Tigers as they sustained rapid economic growth and industrialization from the 1960s through the 1990s. Chinas rise in the 21st century, the rise of the Asian Dragon, has the potential to surpass greatly the growth of the Asian Tigers. Since the beginning of economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping, China has averaged an annual gGross dDomestic pProduct (GDP) growth rate of 9.4 percent. Since 1978, foreign trade has grown from a fraction of a percent of the world economy, or $20.6 billion, to over 4 percent, or $851 billion in 2005. Chinas GDP is the worlds third largest at roughly 1/7th that of the United States, yet because of its population of 1.3 billion, on a per capita basis, China is ranked roughly 100th in the world and considered a low-income developing country. Many economists believe that with the latent potential of a rapidly emerging middle class, China has the potential to continue its impressive growt h for many years to come. An ever-increasing demand for energy fuels Chinas growth. Chinas Energy Needs The majority of Chinas energy requirement, 70 percent, is currently met by coal — China is the worlds largest producer and consumer of coal. Although coal will remain preeminent, oil consumption is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.8 percent for the next 10 years. In 1985, China was East Asias largest petroleum exporter; in 1993, China became a net oil importer; and in 2004, China leapfrogged Japan to become the worlds second largest oil importer. Roughly 40 percent of all new world oil demand is attributable to Chinas rising energy needs. Secure access to foreign oil resources will be necessary both for continued economic growth and, for the survival of the Chinese Communist regime because since growth is the cornerstone of Chinas domestic stability., for the survival of the Chinese Communist regime. http://en.wikipedia.org/Swiki/Economy_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China Jack Perkowski, Managing the Dragon Robyn Meredith, The Elephant and the Dragon CHAPTER III THE PEARLS AND THEIR STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE A few strategists in India and US have been using the term String of pearls to designate those areas where China is establishing its bases. These bases have been given the term pearls. Each pearl in the string is a nexus of Chinese geopolitical influence or military presence, which stretches from Hainan Island to Gwadar[10]. GWADAR, PAKISTAN Gwadar port is a small fishing village, 450 miles west of Karachi and 75 km east of Iran border , and was identified by Pakistan as a potential port location in 1964 but lacked the means to develop. It is a deep sea , warm water port situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan at the apex of Arabian sea and entrance of Persian gulf. The port facility at Gwadar is a win-win prospect for both China and Pakistan. The port at Karachi currently handles 90 percent of Pakistans sea-borne trade, but because of its proximity to India, it is extremely vulnerable to blockade. This happened during the India-Pakistan War of 1971 and was threatened again during the Kargil conflict of 1999. The port is strategically located between three important regions Oil rich Middle East, heavily populated Pakistan and the Central Asian Region. A modern port at Gwadar would enhance Pakistans strategic depth along its coastline with respect to India. For China, the strategic value of Gwadar is its 240-mile distance from the Strait of Hormuz.[11] China has funded a majority of the $1.2 billion project and provided the technical expertise of hundreds of engineers. Since construction began in 2002, China has invested four times more than Pakistan and contributed an additional $200 million towards the building of a highway to connect Gwadar with Karachi. This port accrues the following advantages for China :- It can serve as a potential Chinese Naval Anchor. It serves as an energy transport hub to carry oil from Gwadar to its western region of Xinjiang by an oil pipeline. It helps insulate the Chinese imports from interdiction in case of any major war. It benefits by having access to international trade routes. Use of rail network is also a major advantage although the access in this case may be hampered due to the difference in gauge between China , Pakistan and CAR nations. Shanghai port is approximately 16000 kms from Chinese industrial areas and sea travel adds another 2-3 months whereas Gwadar is only 2500 Kms and will work throughout the year. It also provides Beijing with a listening post from where it can monitor US, India and US-India Maritime cooperation. As Admiral (retd) Sureesh Mehta[12] said It has a serious strategic implication for India, being only 180 Nm from the exits of Strait of Hormuz, would enable Pak to take control over the world energy jugular interdiction of Indian tankers. Hambantota, SriLanka Hambantota is a rural town in the SE coast of Srilanka. As per the 2007 agreement, development of Hambantota included[13]:- Developing a container port Developing a bunkering system Establishing an oil refinery Setting up an airport and other facilities The approximate expenditure in setting up Hambantota was $1 Bn of which 85% will be financed by China over the next fifteen years. A question that comes to mind is that although there seems to be not much economic significance of this pearl to China, then why is it investing so heavily here. Possibly the following answers come to mind:- There is a potential for Navy as a Port of Call. The port can be used for refueling purposes. The port will act as a Listening post and watch tower on Indias nuclear, space and naval establishments in South India. At present, there is no military component here but Chinas involvement here would make much more sense from a military perspective. Chittagong, Bangladesh Chittagong is the largest seaport in Bangladesh. China is developing a container port facility a Chittagong[14]. However, it is important to note here that there has been no further word on this development probably because of the regime change in Bangladesh which is India friendly. Sittwe, Myanmar Among the many ventures of China in Myanmar, the following two are the most crucial:- The gas pipeline from Myanmars West Arakan state to Yunnan province. Using Sittwe Port as a sea gateway. According to the 1992 agreement, China was ready to modernize Myanmars naval facilities in return for the permission to use the Coco Islands. China undertook building a deep sea port (Kyaukpyu)[15]; road construction from Kunmig to Sittwe for which a feasibility study was done in 2005 and is also funding the road construction from Rangoon to Akyab. From 2013, Chinese oil tankers from the Middle East and Africa will be able to cross the Bay of Bengal to dock at Myanmars Sittwe and Kyaukphyu ports from where their cargo will be transported through pipelines to Yunnan. The transport time of fuel that bypasses the Malacca Strait in this way will be cut by a week. A recent article in the Outlook[16] explained the significance of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinpings Dec 09 visit to Myanmar, one of the key reasons being Chinas determination to go ahead with the construction of the parallel oil and gas pipelines from the Arakan area of Myanmar to Yunnan. He accorded a greater priority to the A rakan-Yunnan pipeline as compared to the Gwadar-Xinjiang pipeline proposed by the Pakistan Government citing the reason that the Chinese Government was more confident about the Myanmar Army taking care of the security of parallel pipelines passing through Myanmar than about the Pakistan Government for security of a pipeline passing through Pakistan. Moreover, the first stage of the pipeline connecting Xinjiang with the Central Asian Republics has been recently commissioned, thereby reducing the urgency of a Gwadar-Xinjiang pipeline. There is another added advantage of the Arakan-Yunnan pipelines over the pipeline from Gwadar. The former has a two-fold benefit it will help carrying oil brought by Chinese tankers from West Asia and Africa thereby reducing present Chinese dependence on Malacca Strait transporting the gas procured locally in Arakan by Chinese companies The pipeline from Gwadar can only be used to carry oil/gas from West Asia. Pakistan does not have any oil or gas to sell to China . As per the Indian analysts, Chinese presence may allow it to interdict regional SLOCs. On this account, Myanmar is emerging as the single largest threat to Indian strategic interests in SE Asia. Coco Islands Coco islands are a pair of strategically important islands located in the East Indian oceanOcean politically administered by Burma under Yangon division. The Great Coco Islands (102) and Small Coco Islands (51) are separated from each other by Alexandra Channel. They are separated from the Andaman by Coco Channel; Myanmar 300 km N Historically, these islands were a part of India under British rule but due to lack of close supervision, they were transferred to Myanmar. These islands were supposedly leased to the Peoples Republic of China since 1994, according to various amateur sources[17]. The government of Burma and that of the Peoples Republic of China do not comment on such manner. China has helped in carrying out the following activities here:- Establishing a SIGINT and ELINT int gathering station (supposedly 92) Oon the Great Coco Island. Building a maritime base on the little Coco Island. Development of airfield, radar dish, ae, jetty and a number of buildings. However, there are no signs of a large base here. Strategic importance of this pearl for China:- Monitoring Indian Naval activity Monitoring movement of other navies and ships esp between Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait. May be used to monitor the activities at the launch site of ISRO at Sriharikota and DRDO at Chandipur on sea. According to Indian analysts, this may pose a threat to Indian tri-service command at Port Blair (190 Nm away). If seen in toto, this completes the maritime encirclement of India. Strait of Malacca Strait of Malacca is a narrow 805km stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesian island of Sumatra. At the Philips Channel, this Strait narrows down to 2.8 km, thus becoming one of the worlds most significant choke points. Straits of Malacca and Hormuz have become crucial waterways for China. Close cooperation with Myanmar and Pakistan thus also becomes a crucial issue[18]. From economic and strategic perspectives, Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes of the world. This Strait is economically significant for China in that 50,000 vessels pass through it each year and almost 80% of Chinas oil passes through this Strait. In essence, whoever controls Malacca threatens Chinas oil supply route. China gave a statement indicating that it would use its naval might to ensure that these sea lanes remain open. In President Hu Jintaos own words[19], Malacca dilemma is the key to Chinas energy security. Hu also hinted that various powers (including US) had tried to enlarge their scope of influence in the Straits of Malacca by either controlling or trying to control navigation in the Straits of Malacca. It is interesting to note here that Indias naval base in the Andaman and Nicobar islands puts India in an advantageous position. Kra Canal Kra Canal or the Thai Canal is actually a plan for a large canal that would cut through Southern Thailand to enable improved transportation in the region. China had planned to construct this over ten years employing 30,000 workers with an estimated cost of $20-25 Bn. However, initially the plan seemed to have been dropped owing to environmental concerns but recently there have been signs of revival of this plan since there are economic benefits for China and a threat of piracy in the Strait of Malacca. The plan was tentatively approved in 2007 but Singapore and US showed their dissent for obvious reasons. Another alternative to this plan is to build a pipeline across the Isthmus to carry oil to ships waiting on the other side. South China Sea South China Sea is located south of China and Taiwan, west of Philippines, North West of Malaysia, North of Indonesia and East of Vietnam. The region has proven oil reserves 7.7 billion barrels (28 bn estimated) and its natural gas reserves are estimated at 7500 km3. A significant part of this region is the Spratly Islands where oil was discovered in 1968. It has been estimated by the Geology and Mineral Resources Ministry[20] of Peoples Republic of China that Spratly islands may have oil reserves to make them the fourth largest reserve bed in the world. Hence, there is intensification by PRC to claim these islands. Woody Islands Woody Islands are a part of the Paracel Islands occupied by PRC. This node acts as a Chinese Emergency Rescue Centre served by an artificial harbour and an airfield with a 2350m runway. The centre was occupied in 1956 and also has oil tanks, gun emplacements and ammunition storage bunkers. The islands may be used as a staging point to sp offn ops in the Spratlys. There are also reports of the existence of Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile installations on the Woody Islands. In mid 95, a new SIGINT station was established on the Rocky Island, north to Woody Island. Since it is the highest point, there is good signal interception is obviously good. Hainan Islands These 200 islands form the smallest province of PRC and are home to the PLAN strategic nuclear submarine naval harbour that is capable of hiding upto 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites. The harbour houses nuclear ballistic missile subs and is large enough to accommodate aircraft carriers. PLAN has developed Sanya Naval Base (Yulin) in Southern part to op Jin class subs (SSBNs) and Shang class subs (SSNs) (replaced Han Class). Rising China : Implications for India by Major General (Retd) Dhruv Katoch SM,VSM ,USI journal July September 2009. Source: http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2008/01/gwadar-port-has-strategic-implications.html Source: http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2008/01/gwadar-port-has-strategic-implications.html Source: http://www.marinebuzz.com/2007/11/02/china-funds-sri-lanka-hambantota-port-development-project/ Dilip Ghosh,Chinas String of Pearls encircling India , Asia Defence News Vol IV , Issue 12 , 15 Dec 2009. Dilip Ghosh,Chinas String of Pearls encircling India , Asia Defence News Vol IV , Issue 12 , 15 Dec 2009. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?263531 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Islands Amardeep Athwal, China India relations contemporary Dynamics Source: The Straits of Malacca: the Rise of China, America s Intentions and the Dilemma of the Littoral States by Mokhzani Zubir, Researcher, Centre for Maritime Security Diplomacy Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratly_Islands CHAPTER IV POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS BEHIND THIS STRATEGY Chinas development during the past decade, from its expanding economy and increased global influence to its growing military might and demand for energy, presented tremendous challenges to their leaders as they managed the turmoil of massive structural, technological, and social changes. The governing three key worries of the Chinese government have been:-elites of China had three overarching concerns:- Regime survival. Territorial integrity. Domestic stability. In the succeeding paragraphs these three concerns and their impact on the economy have been highlighted. The relation between the economy and the string of pearls strategy has also been shown. Regime Survival Regime survival was has always been and will shall remain the foremost concern of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The party leadership is It is aware that their survival depends upon the satisfaction of the Chinese people and their ability how well they are able to protect Chinese national interests. The collapse of the When Soviet Union collapsed and the end of the Cold War ended, Communism was exposed deduced as a communism as a bankrupt ideology with a flawed economic system[21]. To avoid the same fate as had befallen the erstwhile USSR, the Chinese adopted a socialist market economy. Although a lot of economic and social reforms have taken place but , in the middle of it the CCP has maintained a strict authoritarian control. The CCP is aware of the fact that as long as the economy is thriving the populace willl be satisfied and hence there would not be a serious threat to the current regime. Territorial Integrity China has in the recent past adopted a strategy of befriending its neighbours with the notable exceptions being India and Taiwan and in the process has met with considerable success too. Although certain contentious issues still remain with the countries such as Japan over some disputed islands but more or less China has successfully demilitarized its land borders in the nNorthern and the cCentral aAsia. On the central Central asian Asian front, China has become more influential under the support of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whose member states consist of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, along with the observer members of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Mongolia. It is slowly but surely laying to rest the dispute over Tibet although in a more subtle way. The only spanner in the wheel that remains is its relations and territorial disputes with India which are not showing any signs of fast progress. However, the relations with India have been more of a sine curve with statements against one another coming from both sides. India has more or less recognized Chinas claims to Tibet and China has reciprocated by recognizing Indias claim to the Himalayan state of Sikkim. Even with respect to Taiwan, Chinese policy attempts to balance the stick of diplomatic and military pressure with the carrot of mutually beneficial cross-strait economic ties. With the last elections in Taiwan throwing some startling results in favour of cChina, the day is not far off when it will come into some sort of agreement with Taiwan also. What has made China want to have good relations with its immediate neighbours . neighbours. The one thing that comes to mind is economy. It seems that the ever increasing demands of increased economic development are the driving forces behind Chinas improved relations with her neighbors. Domestic Stability Again successful economic development is perceived as key to Chinas third area of strategic concern, domestic stability. CCP is focused inward, and primarily domestic politics drive Chinas foreign and economic policies. Changes to the economic system and the decision to embrace globalization are causing major shifts in Chinese society[22]. The Chinese government is aware that although it is moving towards becoming an economically prosperous nation but everything is not in order inside their house. ThHere are large disparities between the economy of the people who are living in the coastal cities such as Shanghai and the people who are living in the interior less developed regions which have not seen the effects of the information revolution. Due to this class distinction due as a result of theto economic stratification, the government is wary and knows that if there are anti government demonstrations they cannot be repressed as was done earlier, the famous example being of the Tianan men Square crackdown of June 1989. Thus to address this issue the regime is aware that it needs to bring economic parity to its provinces such as Yunnan and Xinjiang. In meeting this challenge, the government must foster economic prosperity to satisfy the demands and expectations of the Chinese people. Link with Energy All these three abovementioned factors, as have been shown in the preceding paragraphs, are inescapably linked with the economic prosperity of China. The government iof China is aware that the greatest strength of cChina as also its greatest vulnerability is the its economy and hence it has based its national policy and strategy on economyaround this key factor. For its economy to continue thriving, as is with the case of all nations, China knows that it has to rely upon continued and sustained import of energy. Since energy provides the foundation of the economy, Chinas economic policy depends on the success of its energy policy. As the energy resources available within the country are quite limited and cannot ascribe to the full economy; hence it China, therefore, has to rely in a big way on the external sources of energy and raw materials. To import these energy resources and raw materials, it has to have a good and effective transportation system both on land and at sea is required. The three major problems that were faced by China in importing energy via land based routes were that firstly, most of the energy rich nations are either not connected by land; secondly, it would take a major effort and would not be cost effective to connect them with land and thirdly, even if these nations were connected, their links pass through other natio ns which may be a risk keeping in mind the fluid world order and changing equations. Hence, it was important that the Sea Lines Of Communications , which were importing the major chunk of energy be secured . Securing Sea Lines of Communications for energy and raw materials supports Chinas energy policy and is the principal motivation behind the String of Pearls. This is how and why the String of Pearls relates to Chinas Grand National Strategy. Protection of SLOCs The question that arises here is that from whowhom is the protection is required, if at all.? Whom does China fear? Over 70 percent of the total oil imports of China come from either the Middle East or the African countries majority of which is transported through sea and this will remain so for the foreseeable future. Hence, China has a long-term commitment to these supply sources due to which it has been trying to build up better relations with these countries whether that comes as monetary help or in some other form. For eg, Saudi Arabia is Chinas largest crude oil supplier, and the Saudi national oil company, Aramco, is a 25 percent investor in Chinas String of Pearls Strategy Chinas String of Pearls Strategy CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION String of Pearls Chinas String of Pearls strategy is the name given to a geopolitical strategy adopted by China arising as foreign oil becomes a center of gravity critical to Chinas energy needs.[1] This policy on the face of it appears to be an attempt by China to have an increased access to various ports and airfields in the South Asian region and at the same time to developing special diplomatic relations with these countries. This seems to be a strategic move as China is establishing these pearls or a series of nodes[2] of military and economic power thus enhancing its overall influence in these regions. A question posed by the String of Pearls is the uncertainty of whether Chinas growing influence is in accordance with Beijings stated policy of peaceful development, or if China one day will make a bid for regional primacy[3]. China gives the impression that it is interested in having a more powerful role to play on the global stage and thus evoking concerns in its neighbours, especially India, as being threatening. However, Chinas development of these strategic geopolitical pearls has been non-confrontational[4], with no evidence of imperial or neocolonial ambition, whatsoever. Extension of the Pearls The pearls extend[5] from the coast of mainland China through the littorals of the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean, and on to the littorals of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. However, looking at the progress that China has made in the last couple of years it may not be too erroneous to say that it is now trying to extend these pearls by making a foray into the African continent and the Central Asian regions. In light of this, it is imperative to focus on the abovementioned issue and the concerned predicament in the minds of the other world power players as to the real design and intention of China and the consequence that this might have on the energy and economic security of these nations, particularly India and the US. Emergence of Strategic Players The rise of this strategy has not only shifted focus on China and its growing energy needs but also has brought to limelight those smaller nations in which China is trying to gain foothold and develop these pearls. Nations like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and recently, countries like Sudan, Egypt Nigeria etc which are rich in energy resources, have come to play a major role in the worlds energy needs. These nations are fast becoming the centre of the worlds energy playing field and are emerging as the strategic centres around which this game of energy security will be played out in the coming future. Hence, it becomes essential for fast developing countries like India and Brazil, who need their share of this energy market, to progress ahead in order to counter Chinas strategy at the earliest. These nations need to evolve their own strategy if they do not want to be left behind because not acting at this point in time may have a huge impact on their economies in the coming future. METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem This paper seeks to study and analyse the impact of Chinas string of pearls policy on the energy security of the worlds major players in general and India in particular. Hypothesis Chinas String of Pearls policy does not have security implications for India militarily but will have definite implications on the energy security particularly that of India and US. Justification of the study China, in the past decade has influenced the behaviour of its neighbouring nation states to quite an extent. In continuing with its stated policy of economic reforms, it had to secure all the energy resources that it could in the available time frame. Although the name String of Pearls was a name coined by a minor pentagon analyst[6] but certainly it does indicate Chinas quest for securing its energy needs by occupying certain areas of influence in and around its neighbourhood. China, in recent past, has started making headway into the vast energy resources of Africa and Central Asian regions apart from the resources in Myanmar, Spratlys and Paracel islands. Hence, a detailed study is required to look into the effects that may be caused by Chinas incursions into these yet untouched and somewhat unexplored regions. The world took some time to wake up to the vast amount of energy resources that these countries had and China had a headstart in this regard over other nations in these regions. This study tries to bring out the effect that the existing pearls have on the energy security of India and other nations and examines the new pearls and their effects on the energy security of these nations. Scope This study concentrates on the specific issue of string of pearls policy and the impact of this policy on the energy security of India in particular. The study also tries to bring out the aspect of Chinas inroads into the African Countries and the Central Asian Regions as an extension of this policy. The aspects of Chinas military modernization as an offshoot of this policy have been kept out of this discussion. Operational definitions Methods of data collection Organisation of the dissertation Rising China: Implications for India by Major General (Retd) Dhruv Katoch SM, VSM, USI journal July September 2009. www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-string-of-pearls-strategy.htm www. U.S.-China Commission, 2005 Report to Congress. Rising China: Implications for India by Major General (Retd) Dhruv Katoch SM, VSM, USI journal July September 2009. www. M K Bhadrakumar, India and its troublesome Neighbours, The Hindu, 02 Nov 2009 CHAPTER II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND HOW CHINA TRANSFORMED IN THE LAST DECADE? Before we begin to discuss the String of Pearls policy in detail, lets take a look at how China has transformed itself economically in the last 10 years. China is the third largest economy in the world after the US and Japan. China has had the fastest-growing major economy for the past 30 years with an average annual GDP growth rate above 10%[7]. In 1978, after years of state control of all productive assets, the government of China embarked on a major program of economic reforms. In an effort to awaken a dormant economic giant, it encouraged the formation of rural enterprises and private businesses, liberalized foreign trade and investment, relaxed state control over some prices, and invested in industrial production and the education of its workforce. By nearly all accounts, the strategy has worked spectacularly. Chinas economy regained momentum in the early 1990s. In early 1992, China made a series of political pronouncements designed to give new impetus to and reinvigorate the process of economic reform. Along with cContinuity in the political system, but a bolder reform was announced in the economic system were announced as the a hallmarks of the 10-year development plan for the 1990s. Although capital accumulation, i.e., the growth in the countrys stock of capital assets, such as new factories, manufacturing machinery, and communications systems, was important, as so were the number of Chinese workers., a A sharp, sustained increase in productivity (that is, increased worker efficiency) was the driving force behind thise economic boom. China has really come very far in the last ten years. Chinas growth as an economy wont flow smoothly from the bottom-left to the upper-right side of the chart. But the fact remains that China will be the biggest, fastest-growing economy in the world in the twenty-first century[8]. In fact, it is interesting to note that when China began its reforms , Deng Xiaoping put military last on the list forro modernization[9]. Chinas economy is gathering momentum and gaining speed. After a period of a double -digit growth in the post-Tiananmen period of the early 1900s, the law of large numbers would have predicted that thisat kind of growth couldnt happen again. But China has defied conventional wisdom. Already one of the largest economies, China grew by at least 10 percent in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The country had $21 billion in foreign reserves in 1993; ten years later, in 2003, China was adding $200 billion or more of reserves into its coffers each year. By the end of 2006, China had more than $1 trillion in foreign currency reserves, an unprecedented amount that was growing by $50 billion each month. Chinas leaders are traveling the world negotiating long-term supply contracts with oil-producing countries. China doesnt have enough of its own energy reserves, and obtaining enough energy to fuel its economy is a very real concern. Quest for Energy South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore were dubbed Asian Tigers as they sustained rapid economic growth and industrialization from the 1960s through the 1990s. Chinas rise in the 21st century, the rise of the Asian Dragon, has the potential to surpass greatly the growth of the Asian Tigers. Since the beginning of economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping, China has averaged an annual gGross dDomestic pProduct (GDP) growth rate of 9.4 percent. Since 1978, foreign trade has grown from a fraction of a percent of the world economy, or $20.6 billion, to over 4 percent, or $851 billion in 2005. Chinas GDP is the worlds third largest at roughly 1/7th that of the United States, yet because of its population of 1.3 billion, on a per capita basis, China is ranked roughly 100th in the world and considered a low-income developing country. Many economists believe that with the latent potential of a rapidly emerging middle class, China has the potential to continue its impressive growt h for many years to come. An ever-increasing demand for energy fuels Chinas growth. Chinas Energy Needs The majority of Chinas energy requirement, 70 percent, is currently met by coal — China is the worlds largest producer and consumer of coal. Although coal will remain preeminent, oil consumption is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.8 percent for the next 10 years. In 1985, China was East Asias largest petroleum exporter; in 1993, China became a net oil importer; and in 2004, China leapfrogged Japan to become the worlds second largest oil importer. Roughly 40 percent of all new world oil demand is attributable to Chinas rising energy needs. Secure access to foreign oil resources will be necessary both for continued economic growth and, for the survival of the Chinese Communist regime because since growth is the cornerstone of Chinas domestic stability., for the survival of the Chinese Communist regime. http://en.wikipedia.org/Swiki/Economy_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China Jack Perkowski, Managing the Dragon Robyn Meredith, The Elephant and the Dragon CHAPTER III THE PEARLS AND THEIR STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE A few strategists in India and US have been using the term String of pearls to designate those areas where China is establishing its bases. These bases have been given the term pearls. Each pearl in the string is a nexus of Chinese geopolitical influence or military presence, which stretches from Hainan Island to Gwadar[10]. GWADAR, PAKISTAN Gwadar port is a small fishing village, 450 miles west of Karachi and 75 km east of Iran border , and was identified by Pakistan as a potential port location in 1964 but lacked the means to develop. It is a deep sea , warm water port situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan at the apex of Arabian sea and entrance of Persian gulf. The port facility at Gwadar is a win-win prospect for both China and Pakistan. The port at Karachi currently handles 90 percent of Pakistans sea-borne trade, but because of its proximity to India, it is extremely vulnerable to blockade. This happened during the India-Pakistan War of 1971 and was threatened again during the Kargil conflict of 1999. The port is strategically located between three important regions Oil rich Middle East, heavily populated Pakistan and the Central Asian Region. A modern port at Gwadar would enhance Pakistans strategic depth along its coastline with respect to India. For China, the strategic value of Gwadar is its 240-mile distance from the Strait of Hormuz.[11] China has funded a majority of the $1.2 billion project and provided the technical expertise of hundreds of engineers. Since construction began in 2002, China has invested four times more than Pakistan and contributed an additional $200 million towards the building of a highway to connect Gwadar with Karachi. This port accrues the following advantages for China :- It can serve as a potential Chinese Naval Anchor. It serves as an energy transport hub to carry oil from Gwadar to its western region of Xinjiang by an oil pipeline. It helps insulate the Chinese imports from interdiction in case of any major war. It benefits by having access to international trade routes. Use of rail network is also a major advantage although the access in this case may be hampered due to the difference in gauge between China , Pakistan and CAR nations. Shanghai port is approximately 16000 kms from Chinese industrial areas and sea travel adds another 2-3 months whereas Gwadar is only 2500 Kms and will work throughout the year. It also provides Beijing with a listening post from where it can monitor US, India and US-India Maritime cooperation. As Admiral (retd) Sureesh Mehta[12] said It has a serious strategic implication for India, being only 180 Nm from the exits of Strait of Hormuz, would enable Pak to take control over the world energy jugular interdiction of Indian tankers. Hambantota, SriLanka Hambantota is a rural town in the SE coast of Srilanka. As per the 2007 agreement, development of Hambantota included[13]:- Developing a container port Developing a bunkering system Establishing an oil refinery Setting up an airport and other facilities The approximate expenditure in setting up Hambantota was $1 Bn of which 85% will be financed by China over the next fifteen years. A question that comes to mind is that although there seems to be not much economic significance of this pearl to China, then why is it investing so heavily here. Possibly the following answers come to mind:- There is a potential for Navy as a Port of Call. The port can be used for refueling purposes. The port will act as a Listening post and watch tower on Indias nuclear, space and naval establishments in South India. At present, there is no military component here but Chinas involvement here would make much more sense from a military perspective. Chittagong, Bangladesh Chittagong is the largest seaport in Bangladesh. China is developing a container port facility a Chittagong[14]. However, it is important to note here that there has been no further word on this development probably because of the regime change in Bangladesh which is India friendly. Sittwe, Myanmar Among the many ventures of China in Myanmar, the following two are the most crucial:- The gas pipeline from Myanmars West Arakan state to Yunnan province. Using Sittwe Port as a sea gateway. According to the 1992 agreement, China was ready to modernize Myanmars naval facilities in return for the permission to use the Coco Islands. China undertook building a deep sea port (Kyaukpyu)[15]; road construction from Kunmig to Sittwe for which a feasibility study was done in 2005 and is also funding the road construction from Rangoon to Akyab. From 2013, Chinese oil tankers from the Middle East and Africa will be able to cross the Bay of Bengal to dock at Myanmars Sittwe and Kyaukphyu ports from where their cargo will be transported through pipelines to Yunnan. The transport time of fuel that bypasses the Malacca Strait in this way will be cut by a week. A recent article in the Outlook[16] explained the significance of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinpings Dec 09 visit to Myanmar, one of the key reasons being Chinas determination to go ahead with the construction of the parallel oil and gas pipelines from the Arakan area of Myanmar to Yunnan. He accorded a greater priority to the A rakan-Yunnan pipeline as compared to the Gwadar-Xinjiang pipeline proposed by the Pakistan Government citing the reason that the Chinese Government was more confident about the Myanmar Army taking care of the security of parallel pipelines passing through Myanmar than about the Pakistan Government for security of a pipeline passing through Pakistan. Moreover, the first stage of the pipeline connecting Xinjiang with the Central Asian Republics has been recently commissioned, thereby reducing the urgency of a Gwadar-Xinjiang pipeline. There is another added advantage of the Arakan-Yunnan pipelines over the pipeline from Gwadar. The former has a two-fold benefit it will help carrying oil brought by Chinese tankers from West Asia and Africa thereby reducing present Chinese dependence on Malacca Strait transporting the gas procured locally in Arakan by Chinese companies The pipeline from Gwadar can only be used to carry oil/gas from West Asia. Pakistan does not have any oil or gas to sell to China . As per the Indian analysts, Chinese presence may allow it to interdict regional SLOCs. On this account, Myanmar is emerging as the single largest threat to Indian strategic interests in SE Asia. Coco Islands Coco islands are a pair of strategically important islands located in the East Indian oceanOcean politically administered by Burma under Yangon division. The Great Coco Islands (102) and Small Coco Islands (51) are separated from each other by Alexandra Channel. They are separated from the Andaman by Coco Channel; Myanmar 300 km N Historically, these islands were a part of India under British rule but due to lack of close supervision, they were transferred to Myanmar. These islands were supposedly leased to the Peoples Republic of China since 1994, according to various amateur sources[17]. The government of Burma and that of the Peoples Republic of China do not comment on such manner. China has helped in carrying out the following activities here:- Establishing a SIGINT and ELINT int gathering station (supposedly 92) Oon the Great Coco Island. Building a maritime base on the little Coco Island. Development of airfield, radar dish, ae, jetty and a number of buildings. However, there are no signs of a large base here. Strategic importance of this pearl for China:- Monitoring Indian Naval activity Monitoring movement of other navies and ships esp between Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait. May be used to monitor the activities at the launch site of ISRO at Sriharikota and DRDO at Chandipur on sea. According to Indian analysts, this may pose a threat to Indian tri-service command at Port Blair (190 Nm away). If seen in toto, this completes the maritime encirclement of India. Strait of Malacca Strait of Malacca is a narrow 805km stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesian island of Sumatra. At the Philips Channel, this Strait narrows down to 2.8 km, thus becoming one of the worlds most significant choke points. Straits of Malacca and Hormuz have become crucial waterways for China. Close cooperation with Myanmar and Pakistan thus also becomes a crucial issue[18]. From economic and strategic perspectives, Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes of the world. This Strait is economically significant for China in that 50,000 vessels pass through it each year and almost 80% of Chinas oil passes through this Strait. In essence, whoever controls Malacca threatens Chinas oil supply route. China gave a statement indicating that it would use its naval might to ensure that these sea lanes remain open. In President Hu Jintaos own words[19], Malacca dilemma is the key to Chinas energy security. Hu also hinted that various powers (including US) had tried to enlarge their scope of influence in the Straits of Malacca by either controlling or trying to control navigation in the Straits of Malacca. It is interesting to note here that Indias naval base in the Andaman and Nicobar islands puts India in an advantageous position. Kra Canal Kra Canal or the Thai Canal is actually a plan for a large canal that would cut through Southern Thailand to enable improved transportation in the region. China had planned to construct this over ten years employing 30,000 workers with an estimated cost of $20-25 Bn. However, initially the plan seemed to have been dropped owing to environmental concerns but recently there have been signs of revival of this plan since there are economic benefits for China and a threat of piracy in the Strait of Malacca. The plan was tentatively approved in 2007 but Singapore and US showed their dissent for obvious reasons. Another alternative to this plan is to build a pipeline across the Isthmus to carry oil to ships waiting on the other side. South China Sea South China Sea is located south of China and Taiwan, west of Philippines, North West of Malaysia, North of Indonesia and East of Vietnam. The region has proven oil reserves 7.7 billion barrels (28 bn estimated) and its natural gas reserves are estimated at 7500 km3. A significant part of this region is the Spratly Islands where oil was discovered in 1968. It has been estimated by the Geology and Mineral Resources Ministry[20] of Peoples Republic of China that Spratly islands may have oil reserves to make them the fourth largest reserve bed in the world. Hence, there is intensification by PRC to claim these islands. Woody Islands Woody Islands are a part of the Paracel Islands occupied by PRC. This node acts as a Chinese Emergency Rescue Centre served by an artificial harbour and an airfield with a 2350m runway. The centre was occupied in 1956 and also has oil tanks, gun emplacements and ammunition storage bunkers. The islands may be used as a staging point to sp offn ops in the Spratlys. There are also reports of the existence of Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile installations on the Woody Islands. In mid 95, a new SIGINT station was established on the Rocky Island, north to Woody Island. Since it is the highest point, there is good signal interception is obviously good. Hainan Islands These 200 islands form the smallest province of PRC and are home to the PLAN strategic nuclear submarine naval harbour that is capable of hiding upto 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites. The harbour houses nuclear ballistic missile subs and is large enough to accommodate aircraft carriers. PLAN has developed Sanya Naval Base (Yulin) in Southern part to op Jin class subs (SSBNs) and Shang class subs (SSNs) (replaced Han Class). Rising China : Implications for India by Major General (Retd) Dhruv Katoch SM,VSM ,USI journal July September 2009. Source: http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2008/01/gwadar-port-has-strategic-implications.html Source: http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2008/01/gwadar-port-has-strategic-implications.html Source: http://www.marinebuzz.com/2007/11/02/china-funds-sri-lanka-hambantota-port-development-project/ Dilip Ghosh,Chinas String of Pearls encircling India , Asia Defence News Vol IV , Issue 12 , 15 Dec 2009. Dilip Ghosh,Chinas String of Pearls encircling India , Asia Defence News Vol IV , Issue 12 , 15 Dec 2009. Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?263531 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Islands Amardeep Athwal, China India relations contemporary Dynamics Source: The Straits of Malacca: the Rise of China, America s Intentions and the Dilemma of the Littoral States by Mokhzani Zubir, Researcher, Centre for Maritime Security Diplomacy Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratly_Islands CHAPTER IV POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS BEHIND THIS STRATEGY Chinas development during the past decade, from its expanding economy and increased global influence to its growing military might and demand for energy, presented tremendous challenges to their leaders as they managed the turmoil of massive structural, technological, and social changes. The governing three key worries of the Chinese government have been:-elites of China had three overarching concerns:- Regime survival. Territorial integrity. Domestic stability. In the succeeding paragraphs these three concerns and their impact on the economy have been highlighted. The relation between the economy and the string of pearls strategy has also been shown. Regime Survival Regime survival was has always been and will shall remain the foremost concern of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The party leadership is It is aware that their survival depends upon the satisfaction of the Chinese people and their ability how well they are able to protect Chinese national interests. The collapse of the When Soviet Union collapsed and the end of the Cold War ended, Communism was exposed deduced as a communism as a bankrupt ideology with a flawed economic system[21]. To avoid the same fate as had befallen the erstwhile USSR, the Chinese adopted a socialist market economy. Although a lot of economic and social reforms have taken place but , in the middle of it the CCP has maintained a strict authoritarian control. The CCP is aware of the fact that as long as the economy is thriving the populace willl be satisfied and hence there would not be a serious threat to the current regime. Territorial Integrity China has in the recent past adopted a strategy of befriending its neighbours with the notable exceptions being India and Taiwan and in the process has met with considerable success too. Although certain contentious issues still remain with the countries such as Japan over some disputed islands but more or less China has successfully demilitarized its land borders in the nNorthern and the cCentral aAsia. On the central Central asian Asian front, China has become more influential under the support of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whose member states consist of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, along with the observer members of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Mongolia. It is slowly but surely laying to rest the dispute over Tibet although in a more subtle way. The only spanner in the wheel that remains is its relations and territorial disputes with India which are not showing any signs of fast progress. However, the relations with India have been more of a sine curve with statements against one another coming from both sides. India has more or less recognized Chinas claims to Tibet and China has reciprocated by recognizing Indias claim to the Himalayan state of Sikkim. Even with respect to Taiwan, Chinese policy attempts to balance the stick of diplomatic and military pressure with the carrot of mutually beneficial cross-strait economic ties. With the last elections in Taiwan throwing some startling results in favour of cChina, the day is not far off when it will come into some sort of agreement with Taiwan also. What has made China want to have good relations with its immediate neighbours . neighbours. The one thing that comes to mind is economy. It seems that the ever increasing demands of increased economic development are the driving forces behind Chinas improved relations with her neighbors. Domestic Stability Again successful economic development is perceived as key to Chinas third area of strategic concern, domestic stability. CCP is focused inward, and primarily domestic politics drive Chinas foreign and economic policies. Changes to the economic system and the decision to embrace globalization are causing major shifts in Chinese society[22]. The Chinese government is aware that although it is moving towards becoming an economically prosperous nation but everything is not in order inside their house. ThHere are large disparities between the economy of the people who are living in the coastal cities such as Shanghai and the people who are living in the interior less developed regions which have not seen the effects of the information revolution. Due to this class distinction due as a result of theto economic stratification, the government is wary and knows that if there are anti government demonstrations they cannot be repressed as was done earlier, the famous example being of the Tianan men Square crackdown of June 1989. Thus to address this issue the regime is aware that it needs to bring economic parity to its provinces such as Yunnan and Xinjiang. In meeting this challenge, the government must foster economic prosperity to satisfy the demands and expectations of the Chinese people. Link with Energy All these three abovementioned factors, as have been shown in the preceding paragraphs, are inescapably linked with the economic prosperity of China. The government iof China is aware that the greatest strength of cChina as also its greatest vulnerability is the its economy and hence it has based its national policy and strategy on economyaround this key factor. For its economy to continue thriving, as is with the case of all nations, China knows that it has to rely upon continued and sustained import of energy. Since energy provides the foundation of the economy, Chinas economic policy depends on the success of its energy policy. As the energy resources available within the country are quite limited and cannot ascribe to the full economy; hence it China, therefore, has to rely in a big way on the external sources of energy and raw materials. To import these energy resources and raw materials, it has to have a good and effective transportation system both on land and at sea is required. The three major problems that were faced by China in importing energy via land based routes were that firstly, most of the energy rich nations are either not connected by land; secondly, it would take a major effort and would not be cost effective to connect them with land and thirdly, even if these nations were connected, their links pass through other natio ns which may be a risk keeping in mind the fluid world order and changing equations. Hence, it was important that the Sea Lines Of Communications , which were importing the major chunk of energy be secured . Securing Sea Lines of Communications for energy and raw materials supports Chinas energy policy and is the principal motivation behind the String of Pearls. This is how and why the String of Pearls relates to Chinas Grand National Strategy. Protection of SLOCs The question that arises here is that from whowhom is the protection is required, if at all.? Whom does China fear? Over 70 percent of the total oil imports of China come from either the Middle East or the African countries majority of which is transported through sea and this will remain so for the foreseeable future. Hence, China has a long-term commitment to these supply sources due to which it has been trying to build up better relations with these countries whether that comes as monetary help or in some other form. For eg, Saudi Arabia is Chinas largest crude oil supplier, and the Saudi national oil company, Aramco, is a 25 percent investor in