Gungwu Wang

The reemergence of China as a political force has triggered sharp reassessments of its future role in the Asia-Pacific region. There has been much hyperbole about China's economic power, especially if it is linked with the entrepreneurial talents of the ubiquitous Chinese spread around the globe. Some countries have been encouraged to sound warning bells about China's future ambitions to dominate the region. All this is not surprising, even understandable. But the danger of exaggeration to the point where efforts to predict what China and the Chinese will do become merely alarmist, and the predictions become self-fulfilling, has to be guarded against. There is no easy remedy for deep-seated suspicion and hostility leading to persistent attempts to mislead and provoke. The recent financial crisis in East Asia has aggravated some worst-case scenarios and these may bring additional worries to the region's plans for ultimate recovery. The three essays in this volume focus on some areas where myths and prejudices have long survived. They offer different perspectives and suggest alternative ways to approach certain problems of understanding China's relations with Southeast Asia.

Humans have been on the move for millennia. They have done so slowly as well as quickly, sometimes involuntarily, sometimes transported by force, often relocated at great cost in lives, but they have always moved. Over the centuries, improved transportation has eased the movement, even in the face of man-made or natural obstacles. But in modern times, migration has accelerated and its reach has become truly global. Whether it is Turkish gastarbeiter in Germany, Japanese Nisei in Seattle, Filipinos in Kuwait, or Haitians in Brooklyn, the costs and benefits of human mobility on such a wide and rapid scale are hotly debated. Global History and Migrations, the second volume of the Global History Series, explores the historical background of this issue by focusing on recent history, a time when human movements have been at their most dynamic. This book provides a rich, cross-cultural foundation for a more enlightened understanding of migration and its role in the unfolding shape of global history.