Abstract
China’s political decision to accept foreign humanitarian aid and workers during the Sichuan Earthquake was occasioned by its greater political and economic capacity and national confidence. The Chinese government was confident in its political and economic capacities; the country had seen economic development owing to the reforms and open policies that had taken place since 1978, and the consolidation of the party-state system and improved political legitimacy. At the same time, Beijing was concerned about the possibility that some anti-regime forces might take advantage of the foreign presence during chaotic disaster situations. This political logic revolves around the issue of sovereignty and has important implications for human security in disaster situations.
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Paik, W. (2019). Sovereignty Issues in a Humanitarian Emergency: The 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. In: Hernandez, C., Kim, E., Mine, Y., Xiao, R. (eds) Human Security and Cross-Border Cooperation in East Asia. Security, Development and Human Rights in East Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95240-6_3
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