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A Study of Quality Management of Official Statistics in China (Research Series on the Chinese Dream and China’s Development Path)
by Wuyi ZengThis book focuses on how to improve the quality management of official statistics in China. Official statistics help to build an overview of China’s social and economic development and play an important role in policymaking for government as well as in decision-making for enterprises. Because of the great value in reference, the quality of official statistics also constitutes the concern from the public. This book summarizes three levels for understanding the concept of the quality of official statistics and analyzes possible affections from social and economic environment, political and management perspectives. Government statistical data is an important information reflecting China’s economic and social development, an important tool for Party committees at all levels, governments, enterprises and the public to understand and grasp China’s economic operation and social development, an important basis for Party committees and governments at all levels to conduct economic and social management and decision-making and an important reference for enterprises and the public to make decisions on production, operation, investment and consumption. Therefore, the government, enterprises and the public at all levels are demanding more and more government statistics. Accordingly, the quality of government statistical data is becoming more and more important, because it concerns the objectivity and accuracy of government statistical data, the scientificity of economic and social management, the decision-making of Party committees, the correctness of production, operation, investment and consumption decisions of enterprises and the public. Therefore, the quality of government statistical data is extremely important, which is not only the focus of social concern, but also the core issue of government statistics.
Towards the Local Government’s Integrated Accountability Framework: A Critical Lesson from Socio-Environmental Issues in Indonesia
by Habib Muhammad ShahibThis book shows the growing phenomenon and the broad impact of socio-environmental conflicts in the grassroots communities—farmers, fishermen and urban poor—in Indonesia, as the effects of government’s development strategies based on neoliberal and New Public Management (NPM) views without a clear accountability system or socio-environmental accountability practices and reports are becoming apparent. Inspired by the emancipatory socio-environmental accounting discourse, which focuses on the socio-local context in developing alternative models of accountability based on local views and people's aspirations, this book uses research methodology based on the principles put forth by Indonesian national hero and critical scholar Tan Malaka to develop a framework of integrated accountability for the local government. This book fills the present gap in English publications that analyse the intents and outcomes of the public management reforms in Indonesia with regard to socio-environmental issues, as a basis for further research at the international level as well as policymaking in Indonesia. As the Indonesian government has recently undertaken key structural and accounting reforms in the public sector, this book is a timely and valuable read for graduate students, researchers,- and policymakers.
Ethics and Sustainability in Accounting and Finance, Volume III (Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Governance & Fraud: Theory and Application)
by Kıymet Tunca ÇalıyurtThis book continues the discussion on recent developments relating to ethical and sustainable issues in accounting and finance from the book , Volumes I and II, looking into topics such as the importance of good governance in accounting, tax, auditing and fraud examination, ethics, sustainability, environmental issues and new technologies and their effects on accounting and finance, focusing in particular on environmental and sustainability reporting in the oil and gas and banking sectors. The book also considers the growing importance of audit quality in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Communication and Libertarianism
by Pavel Slutskiy"This is an outstanding contribution to both libertarian political philosophy and communication theory. It is far and away the most comprehensive work on communication issues in libertarian theory ever published. The author has integrated successfully the libertarian insights of Mises, Rothbard, Block, Kinsella and others with the philosophy of language as developed by Austin, Searle and Grice. He has done so in a unique and unprecedented way. The book would appeal to students and scholars interested in libertarian theory and more generally, to philosophers and political scientists interested in high-level scholarship.” - David Gordon, libertarian philosopher and intellectual historian, Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Recovering Civility during COVID-19
by Matteo Bonotti Steven T. ZechThis Open Access book examines many of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic through the distinctive lens of civility. The idea of civility appears often in both public and academic debates, and a polarized political climate frequently leads to allegations of uncivil speech and behaviour. Norms of civility are always contested, even more so in moments of crisis such as a global pandemic. A focus on civility provides crucial insight and guidance on how to navigate the social and political challenges resulting from COVID-19. Furthermore, it offers a framework through which citizens and policymakers can better understand the causes and consequences of incivility, and devise ways to recover civility in our social and political lives.
Archives, Accountability, and Democracy in the Digital Age (SpringerBriefs in Political Science)
by Keiji FujiyoshiThis book is the first attempt to introduce the current status of archival practices in Japan as well as the basic views of the populace on making records accessible to English readers. In general, Japan has not paid sufficient attention to keeping and utilizing records except in the field of historical research. This book thus examines Japanese attitudes about history, records management, information acts, the status of archivists of the constitution, and genealogical research practices and a description of archives. Consequently, such investigations clarify how both private and public archives function or fail to do so in those spheres of Japanese society. In addition, this book presents the efforts in wartime record keeping in Australia, which is significantly different from how the Japanese deal with such records. This book therefore provides a clear and concrete picture of the status of current archival practices in Japan and the thinking that underlies them. On the basis of such examinations, this book enables readers to understand to what extent and how the past affects the present through archives, to recognize the importance of archives, and to respect the past in order to maintain and develop perspectives in people’s lives.
Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views on Eco-civilization Construction
by Jiahua Pan Shiji Gao Qingrui Li Jinnan Wang Dekai Wu Chengliang HuangThis book discusses and studies the basic course of ecological civilization construction in the 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China and summarizes the experience and lessons. It contains 75 articles from 75 top experts and government officials in the field of ecological civilization policy-making and basic theory research in China, including Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, ecological culture, green industry economy, environmental quality, legal system, ecological security and so on, so as to provide reference for understanding and studying the progress of ecological environment protection since the founding of China.
Strengthening Regional Trade Integration in South Asia: A SAARC Perspective
by Owais Hasan KhanThis book brings forth the philosophical, conceptual and practical contours of the trade regionalism provisions under the GATT/WTO. It analyses SAARC as the regional integration organisation of South Asia along with identifying major challenges and bottlenecks faced by it in the process of achieving regional integration. It presents ways and methods through which SAARC can be made a more effective regional organisation. The book predominantly focuses on trade regionalism. However, other areas of integration which have impacts on the trade regionalism are also examined like social and political integrations etc. The book takes off from the premise that trade regionalism under SAARC has failed and has been marred by political and security concerns among its member nations. It has failed to achieve its objective on all the three counts, which are promoting peace, development and economic cooperation. However, with the developing countries as members, SAARC has great potential for trade integration. Certain structural, normative and organisation alteration along with favourable ideation can still make SAARC achieve its full potential. The book also deals with the comparative analysis of SAARC regional integration with the regional integration under European Union and ASEAN. Regarding comparative regionalism, the discussion has been confined only to the EU and ASEAN. The EU has been chosen because it is comparatively established as one of the most successful regional organisations in the contemporary world. Whereas, ASEAN has been chosen because of its similarity to the SAARC’s economy, society and political structure. The analysis presented in the book is from the perspectives of international law and international relations’ theories and practise. This book thus is of particular relevance to the students, researchers, academicians, policymakers and practitioners of international trade law, international relations and South Asian studies.
The Law of Carriage of Goods by Sea
by Arun KasiThis book, written in three parts, covers the basics of the international trade, financing and the legal framework related to the law of carriage of goods by sea, elaborates on bills of lading in depth and sea waybills and ship’s delivery orders in brief and charterparties in depth. While the book is based on the English law, cases and materials from other jurisdictions, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, India, the USA, and Australia are brought in to provide an international perspective. The practical analyses, commentary and critiques of cases would be a useful guide for practitioners in developing case arguments. Although written with practitioners, academicians and students in mind, the book will also serve as a useful guide for sea carriers, freight forwarders, international traders, financiers, etc. as the complex subject is presented in reader-friendly and easy to grasp manner.
New Approaches to CSR, Sustainability and Accountability, Volume II (Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Governance & Fraud: Theory and Application)
by Kıymet Tunca ÇalıyurtThis book continues the discussion on the challenges that organizations face in order to implement sustainability, ethics, and effective corporate governance, all of which are important elements of “standing out” from other companies. Examining the background of the New European Consensus on development with the new guiding motto ‘Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future,’ the authors explore how this new legislation on sustainability issues around the world is forcing companies to deal directly with sustainability issues.The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, is the international community’s response to global challenges and trends in connection with sustainable development. With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core, the 2030 Agenda is a transformative political framework designed to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development globally. It balances the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, including the key issues of governance and peaceful and inclusive societies, and recognizes the essential interlinkages between its goals and targets, i.e., that they must be implemented as a whole and not selectively. The respective chapters in this volume raise a number of questions regarding corporate social responsibility, ethics, and corporate governance in the face of new technology, and new approaches to climate change and sustainability reporting.
Indian Agriculture Under the Shadows of WTO and FTAs: Issues and Concerns (India Studies in Business and Economics)
by Rajan Sudesh Ratna Sachin Kumar Sharma Radika Kumar Adeet DobhalThis book examines the various issues and concerns faced by Indian agriculture under the obligations of WTO and the Free Trade Agreements. While the issues discussed pertain mainly to India, the lessons can also be derived for many other similarly placed developing countries. The book delves into various aspects of Indian agricultural trade and evaluates the domestic policies and regulations of government while also looking at external factors like WTO, free trade agreements and non-tariff barriers. Chapters of this book have been contributed by eminent agricultural economists, lawyers and social scientists providing the perspective from their sector. This book highlights the challenges and opportunities for agriculture sector under the rapidly growing regional trade agreements and results of negotiations under the WTO. It also provides critical insights into the ongoing fisheries subsidies negotiations at the WTO and issues relating to non-tariff measures. The findings have broad implications for developing countries in general and India in particular. This book will greatly benefit trade negotiators, policymakers, civil society, farmer groups, researchers, students, and academics interested in issues related to the WTO, FTAs, tariff and non-tariff barriers and other allied issues concerning Indian agriculture. The techniques used in analytical part will mostly benefit the researchers as they can not only use these techniques and methodologies for their future research, but to also carry the research forward. The book is useful for many educational institutes which teach international trade, agricultural economics, and WTO and FTAs studies.
Data Governance and Compliance: Evolving to Our Current High Stakes Environment
by Rupa MahantiThis book sets the stage of the evolution of corporate governance, laws and regulations, other forms of governance, and the interaction between data governance and other corporate governance sub-disciplines. Given the continuously evolving and complex regulatory landscape and the growing number of laws and regulations, compliance is a widely discussed issue in the field of data. This book considers the cost of non-compliance bringing in examples from different industries of instances in which companies failed to comply with rules, regulations, and other legal obligations, and goes on to explain how data governance helps in avoiding such pitfalls.The first in a three-volume series on data governance, this book does not assume any prior or specialist knowledge in data governance and will be highly beneficial for IT, management and law students, academics, information management and business professionals, and researchers to enhance their knowledge and get guidance in managing their own data governance projects from a governance and compliance perspective.
Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: State Practice of China and Japan (Kobe University Monograph Series in Social Science Research)
by Dai Tamada Keyuan ZouThis book analyses he implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the light of state practices of China and Japan. The special character of the book can be found in its structure of comparative analysis of the practices of China and Japan in each part. The focus is on historical aspects (Part I), implementation of the UNCLOS (Part II), navigation (Part III), mid-ocean archipelagos (Part IV), the marine environment (Part V), and dispute settlement (Part VI). By taking this approach, the book elucidates a variety of aspects of history, difficulties, problems, and controversies arising from the implementation of the UNCLOS by the two nations. Furthermore, contributors from China and Japan tend to show different perspectives on the UNCLOS, which, by clarifying the need for further debate, are expected to contribute to the continuing cooperation between the academics of the two states.
High-level Political Appointments in the Philippines: Patronage, Emotion and Democracy
by Rupert HodderThis book questions the belief that patronage explains poor governance and weak organizations. Its focus is on high-level political appointees in the Philippines, but its implications for development processes and policy are far-reaching. Patronage stimulates the emergence of democracy and welfare, and constitutes formal organizations. So intimately connected is it with the health of democracy and effective organizations that attempts to eradicate patronage only harm social, organizational and democratic life. In developed societies this has meant a growing Puritanism interspersed with bouts of corruption and moral panic; and, as they seek to maintain effective organizations and vibrant democracies, a mounting desire to project their own anxieties and imperfections onto developing countries.
From Sources to Solution: Proceedings of the International Conference on Environmental Forensics 2013
by A. Z. Aris T.H. Tengku Ismail R. Harun A. M. Abdullah M. Y. IshakFeaturing the theme, From Sources to Solution, this book is based on the research papers presented during the International Conference on Environmental Forensics 2013. It covers multi-disciplinary areas of environmental forensics featuring major themes: characterization, assessment, and monitoring; new approach, rapid assessment, and analytical techniques; pollution control technology; environmental health risk assessment; and policy, governance and management. It present information for researchers from the science and social sciences disciplines and contribute to the advancement of Environmental Forensics. It also aims at evaluating the environmental damages as the result of indiscriminating discharge of toxic environmental pollutants.
Embedding New Technologies into Society: A Regulatory, Ethical and Societal Perspective
by Diana M. Bowman Elen Stokes Arie RipThe embedding of any new technologies in society is challenging. The evolving state of the scientific art, often-unquantifiable risks and ill-defined developmental trajectories have the potential to hinder innovation and/or the commercial success of a technology. The are, however, a number of tools that can now be utilized by stakeholders to bridge the chasm that exists between the science and innovation dimensions on the one hand, and the societal dimensions on the other. This edited volume will draw together leading researchers from the domains of law, philosophy, political science, public administration and the natural sciences in order to demonstrate how tools such as, for example, constructive technology assessment, regulatory governance and societal scenarios, may be employed by stakeholders to assist in successfully embedding new technologies into society. This volume will focus primarily on the embedding of two emergent and emerging technologies: nanotechnologies and synthetic biology. Government, industry and the epistemic community continue to struggle with how best to balance the promised benefits of an emerging technology with concerns about its potential impacts. There is a growing body of literature that has examined these challenges from various cultural, scientific and jurisdictional dimensions. There is, however, much work that still needs to be done; this includes articulating the successes and failures of attempts to the societal embedding of technologies and their associated products. This edited volume is significant and timely, as unlike other books currently on the market, it shall draw from real work experiences and experiments designed anticipate the societal embedding of emerging technologies. This empirical work shall be supported by robust theoretical underpinnings.
Core Competencies of a Veterinary Graduate
by Subhash Verma Yashpal Singh Malik Geetanjali Singh Prasenjit Dhar Amit Kumar SinglaThis book is an essential guide for veterinarians, veterinary faculty and policymakers for understanding the core competencies of a fresh veterinarian. The book briefly covers competencies in preclinical, paraclinical, and clinical subjects including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, veterinary jurisprudence, animal management & welfare including nutrition and breeding, infectious and non-infectious diseases, disease epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment, prevention, control and zoonoses, surgical and other clinical interventions. The book further includes other competencies, including biologicals, anti-mortem, and post-mortem inspection, certifications, applied one health aspects, review and analysis of scientific evidence, international trade and regulations, and organization of veterinary services. It also highlights the importance of effective communication, interpersonal skills, record keeping and management of a small veterinary hospital, health informatics, etc. The book breakdowns the must-have competencies of a global veterinarian into different topics and subtopics for easy comprehension and further learning. It enables the professional standard-setting & regulatory bodies and academicians in improved curricula designing and implementation and more importantly tries to bring uniformity in day one veterinary graduates’ competencies globally, enhancing the movement and employability of veterinarians across the world.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector in Shanghai: Ambition, Capacity and Reality
by Diego TodaroThis book examines how Shanghai aims to improve public service provision by accelerating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector. After clarifying the technical and social factors that shape the use of AI in this area, the book delves into the AI policy environment and AI ecosystem of Shanghai to gauge the city’s capacity to implement public sector AI applications. Then it examines how this capacity translates into real-world policy initiatives through the investigation of case studies. It highlights the analytical, operational and political capabilities that determine the strengths and limitations of such initiatives in deploying AI in the public sector, and it assesses their impacts on public service provision in Shanghai. By using the findings on Shanghai to gain a deeper understanding of key topics in public sector AI research, this book also contributes new knowledge about the use of AI to improve the provision of public services.
Resolving Intergenerational Conflicts: An Approach from Philosophy, Economics, and Experiments (Advances in Japanese Business and Economics #33)
by Toshiaki HiromitsuThis book is an unprecedented consideration of the challenges of what we can do for generations yet to come. Many growing intergenerational conflicts of interest, such as climate change and fiscal sustainability, are the result of the historically new progress of increasing human power, and the resolution of those conflicts demands a new intergenerational ethic. The book offers fresh new ideas for resolving intergenerational conflicts through the exploration of an entirely new field, conceptualized in philosophy, developed in economics, and tested in experiments. In particular, this work develops the theory of intergenerational cooperation based on a new relationship of direct reciprocity between generations. From experimental results, the possibility of intergenerational cooperation through Kantian categorical imperative is shown. The book also examines the effectiveness of inviting representatives of future generations, which are called "imaginary future generations", into the deliberations for current policy decisions. The original Japanese edition of this book was awarded the 66th Nikkei Prize for Excellent Books in Economic Science. The prize was established in 1958 to contribute to the advancement of academics and knowledge in the fields of economics, management, and accounting, as well as to its general dissemination and application.
Ascending to Space: Critical Perspectives from New Zealand and other Nations (Space Law and Policy)
by Maria A. PozzaThis book explores multidisciplinary perspectives on critical issues in space from the viewpoints of New Zealand and other nations. It brings together the topics examined at the Otago Foreign Policy School 2022 by both domestic and international experts in the area of space, and includes the opening address on space policy delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This book takes a multidisciplinary approach to New Zealand’s growing space sector in conjunction with other nations’ perspectives on space. It encompasses space science, military and defence matters, space tourism and astronaut rescue, and international legal and policy frameworks, while taking into account future considerations. Readers such as academics, students, policy advisers, diplomats, government officials and others engaged in the field of space will find value in this book. It will appeal to think tanks and international institutions grappling with the complexities that are presented by the outer space domain.
Rene Girard, Law, Literature, and Cinema: The Legal Drama of the Scapegoat
by Eric M. WilsonThis book is the first monograph to critically evaluate the work of the literary scholar René Girard from the perspectives of Law and Literature and Law and Film Studies, two of the most multidisciplinary branches of critical legal theory. The central thesis is that Girard’s theory of the scapegoat mechanism provides a wholly new and original means of re-conceptualizing the nature of judicial modernity, which is the belief that modern Law constitutes an internally coherent and exclusively secular form of rationality. The book argues that it is the archaic scapegoat mechanism – the reconciliation of the community through the direction of unified violence against a single victim – that actually works best in explaining all of the outstanding issues of Law and Literature in both of its sub-forms: law-as-literature (the analysis of legal language and practice exemplified by literacy texts) and law-in-literature (the exploration of issues in legaltheory through the fictitious form of the novel). The book will provide readers with: (i) a useful introduction to the most important elements of the work of René Girard; (ii) a greater awareness of the ‘hidden’ nature of legal culture and reasoning within a post-secular age; and (iii) a new understanding of the ‘subversive’ (or ‘enlightening‘) nature of some of the most iconic works on Law in both Literature and Cinema, media which by their nature allow for the expression of truths repressed by formal legal discourse.
Lawyer Evaluation in Chinese Courtroom: A Social-Semiotic Perspective
by Liping ZhangThis book focuses on the speech style of lawyer talk in contemporary Chinese courtrooms. The topic is intriguing to readers who may wonder how lawyers compete with their opposing counterparts in an adversarial trial system in China. The legal tradition in Confucianism, which advocates harmony in interpersonal relationships, has historically guided the practice of law in China. The book analyses how lawyers manage to compete in this system. Applying the social semiotic view of language in the Hallidayian sense, specifically systemic functional linguistics and its appraisal theory, this study interprets the subjectivity of legal language by lawyers. The speech style in legal argument presentation is described as 'rational'. The exploration of the rational speech style of lawyers is a theoretical and discursive topic. It draws upon Habermasian philosophy of intersubjectivity in legal argumentation and considers the cultural and legal contexts of China as contextual constraints. The keyconstruct of lawyer evaluation is fully captured in this discussion. As a linguistic phenomenon and unit of analysis, discourse can be examined both within local clauses and in larger stretches of talk beyond clauses. Additionally, it serves as an effective means for constructing a rational speech style for lawyers. Most importantly, discourse is a discursive act that negotiates legal arguments in the dynamic speech exchanges of a court trial, which is embedded in a wider social and cultural context. The book showcases instances of lawyer talk in well-documented trials in China and offers a good opportunity for readers to gain a general understanding of courtroom discourse in the Chinese context. It introduces readers with special interests in legal language and the law to the solidarity dimension of legal language and arguments, an alternative to the confrontational or hostile lawyer talk in trials in countries with a common-law system. The analysis presented is refined and the language used is clear, concise, and objective.
Understanding the Rohingya Displacement: Security, Media, and Humanitarian Perspectives (International Perspectives on Migration)
by Kawser Ahmed Md. Rafiqul IslamThis book provides a focused and comprehensive understanding of the conflict surrounding the Rohingya displacement, using a unique peace and conflict transformation viewpoint. Divided into four sections and nineteen chapters, it covers significant themes related to the conflict. It provides an in-depth examination of its security implications, media impact, and the need for a long-term transformation strategy. The authors offer a sharp perspective on the crisis, covering a wide range of topics, including human rights abuses, geopolitics, media influence, and repatriation of the Rohingya. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the conflict, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the Rohingya displacement-related conflict. The authors advocate for a peaceful end to the conflict through repatriation, offering valuable conflict transformation tools for decision-makers in Bangladesh and around the world. This book is essential for anyone seeking a deeper understandingof the conflict's security implications and highlights original research from academics on the role of the media. It is relevant for scholars, politicians, decision-makers in the security and refugee management fields, academics studying the media, and humanitarian actors.
Human Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The South Asian Experience
by M. Ehteshamul Bari Uday ShankarThis book sheds light on the fact that the proclamation of an emergency can be a legitimate constitutional method to take prompt preventative measures in protecting the interests of the society in times of grave crises. However, the exercise of emergency powers should not undermine a nation’s commitment to democratic values, such as maintaining the rule of law and upholding fundamental human rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed grave threats to the lives and health of individuals. However, since the constitutions of South Asian nations do not permit the proclamation of an emergency on health grounds, executives of these nations were constrained to rely, among other things, on ordinary legislation to tide over the threats posed by the pandemic. Although these statutes entrust the executive with extensive emergency powers, they do not simultaneously stipulate any safeguards subjecting the exercise of such powers to a reliable system of checks and balances. Accordingly, this book critically examines the exercise of emergency powers in the South Asian nations to tide over threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a profoundly adverse impact on the human rights of individuals. Such exercise of powers was consistent with the general tendency demonstrated by succeeding generations of the executives in these nations to use emergency situations as the convenient means for imposing long-lasting limitations on the rights of individuals. Consequently, this book identifies the flaws, deficiencies, and lacunae of the legal framework in these nations, which permit the executive to assume unfettered power in the exercise of emergency measures at the expense of the liberty of individuals. Consequently, based on these findings, recommendations will be put forward for initiating reforms in these nations aimed at ensuring the maintenance of a delicate balance between the necessity to respond tograve threats and to simultaneously prevent undue intrusion on the fundamental human rights of individuals.
On the Alternative Punishment to the Death Penalty in China
by Gui HuangThis book presents a study of alternative penalties to the death penalty in China, aiming to promote theoretical exploration of death penalty reform in China as well as long-term penal reform. Currently, China is endeavouring to control the use of the death penalty and is gradually moving towards its abolition. The factors influencing the choice of the punishment option to replace the death penalty are complex and varied and include the traditional punishment culture, penalty concepts, the political system, the punishment system, public opinion and human rights, etc. Given the differences between China and developed Western democratic states, when we examine these influencing factors, we cannot ignore the culture of the punishment and the special political and legislation system in China. In this light, this work examined and analysed the factors that influence the choice of punishment option to replace the death penalty in this special political system with its clearly Chinese characteristics. Criminal policy and public opinion are two significant and typical factors involving obvious political considerations in China. The former normally reflects and carries out the will of the Government as expressed to the national management; the latter responds to the majority of citizens’ view on the current legal system and it is, to a great extent, the basis for national leadership’s running of the country. Even though life imprisonment without release (hereinafter, LWOR) has been stipulated by the Ninth Amendment for the crime of corruption, it should not be the preferable option as the alternative sanction to the death penalty because it is a kind of cruel torture and violates the constitutional principle of human rights protection. On the contrary, life imprisonment with possibility of release (hereinafter, LWPR) would be an option, but the termination mechanisms for inmates should be set out in accordance with the principle of proportional justice; aggravatedlife imprisonment can be chosen to replace the death penalty in China. In addition, there needs to be improvements made to the relevant criminal systems. By examining China's death penalty reform and long-term imprisonment reform, this book not only explains the methodology of the reform theoretically, but also pays attention to the issues of legislation and judicial practice. This book is of interest to scholars and researchers in the fields of criminal justice, penal reform issues, and crime control in China.