Academic literature on the topic 'Foreign partnerships'

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence of the People‘s Republic of China (PRC) as an economic superpower has become one of the most significant developments in world affairs in recent times. As the PRC has grown in economic significance, it seeks to translate this to all areas of its relationship with the rest of the world. Africa and African countries are a region where the PRC‘s involvement and engagement has elicits major consternation, especially from Western countries. However, this region, relative to its geographic and population size, natural endowments, and engagement with other regions andWestern countries in particular, remains insignificant in the PRC‘s external relations. South Africa enjoys very good diplomatic relations with the PRC, disproportionate to its significance with regard to the PRC‘s quest for resource that fuels its phenomenal economic resurgence. South Africa and the PRC‘s relationship has, within a decade, grown in depth and complexity that supersedes despite major asymmetries between them. South Africa is the first developing and African country with which the PRC established a comprehensive strategic partnership. While the concept of a ‗strategic partnership‘ remains unclear in international relations, it conveys a relationship of significance and stature that supplements ordinary bilateral relationships, although the latter are better defined and binding than the former. Clearly, the Chinese government attaches great importance to its relationship with South Africa. The advent of democracy and a thriving pluralistic socio-economic and cultural society that is admired despite the challenges it faces, makes South Africa an exemplar and desirable partner. South Africa‘s international stature and role in the international system, matches the PRC‘s objectives in this regard, making South Africa a good foil for PRC. However, this study contends that there are reasons that are beyond the well-worn natural resource extraction and diplomacy arguments that make South Africa attractive to the PRC. It uses asymmetry theory of international relations to explore and elucidate this. It explores what underpins, motivates and accounts for the rapid progression of this relationship and the implications this may have on their relationship in the future This thesis uses Womack‘s (2001, 2003, 2003a, 2006, 2006a, 2010) terminology and methodology to look at how South Africa and the PRC concentrate on areas of complementarity and cooperation and seek and foster mutual understanding and appreciation of each other‘s societies and histories. The thesis explore how they work to actively convert hostility to friendship and adroitly manage the relationship to prevent it drifting from friendship to hostility, as well as using what Womack calls routinization, neutralization and diplomatic ritual, in managing their partnership. From the perspective of asymmetry theory, the PRC and South Africa are complementary. South Africa is the largest; most sophisticated, developed and diversified economy in Africa and the developing world. It possesses or has access to technical and managerial knowhow that the PRC would have difficulty accessing elsewhere. South Africa remains a strategic maritime and naval route for the PRC‘s trade and accesses to key resources on the African continent and elsewhere. The study finds that asymmetry theory is useful in understanding how South Africa and the PRC manage their relationship. Asymmetry theory provides a framework to analyse the motivations and dynamic interactions that drive the progression of their diplomatic relations. The findings of the thesis imply a diplomatic relationship between South Africa and the PRC that is based on more than just the PRC‘s need for resources and diplomatic support in the international system.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onlangse toetrede van die VolksRepubliek van China (VRC) tot die geledere van die ekonomiese supermoondhede het een van die mees beduidende verwikkelinge in wêreldaangeleenthede geword. Soos die VRC ekonomies belangriker geword het, is gepoog om hierdie sukses te herhaal op ander terreine van die land se buitelandse betrekkinge met die res van die wêreld. Afrika en Afrika lande is ‗n streek waar die VRC se betrokkenheid en verbindnisse groot konsternasie ontlok het, veral vanaf Westerse lande. Maar hierdie streek, relatief tot sy geografiese en demografiese grootte, natuurlike hulpbronne en betrokkenheid by ander streke en veral Westerse lande, bly onbeduidend in die VRC se buitelandse betrekkinge. Die aandag wat Suid Afrika van die VRC geniet is disproporsioneel in vergelyking met die belang van die VRC se soeke na hulpbronne om haar fenomenale ekonomiese groei te stook. Die verhoudinge tussen Suid-Afrika en die VRC het in die bestek van ‗n dekade gegroei in diepte en kompleksiteit wat als oorskadu ten spyte van groot ongelykhede tussen hulle. Suid- Afrika is die eerste ontwikkelende land met wie die VRC ‗n omvattende strategiese vennootskap gesluit het. Terwyl die konsep van ‗n ‗strategiese vennootskap‘ onduidelik bly in internasionale betrekkinge, vergestalt dit betrekinge van beduidenis en statuur wat gewone bilatirale betrekkinge aanvul, alhoewel laasgenoemde beter gedefinieer en bindend is as eersgenoemde. Dit is duidelik dat die Chinese regering groot belang heg aan betrekkinge met Suid-Afrika Die oorgang na demokrasie en ‗n florerende plurale sosio-ekonomiese kulturele samelewing wat bewonder word ten spyte van die uitdagings wat dit in die gesig staar, maak van Suid- Afrika ‗n navolgingswaardige en wenslike vennoot. Suid-Afrika se internasionale statuur en rol in die internasionale stelsel pas die VRC se doelwitte in hierdie opsig en maak van Suid- Afrika ‗n goeie skerm floret vir die VRC. Maar, hierdie tesis betoog dat daar ook ander redes is buiten die wel bekende natuurlike hulpbron onttrekking en diplomatieke argumente wat Suid-Afrika vir die VRC aantreklik sou maak. Womack se ongelykheidsteorie in internasionale betrekkinge word gebruik om dit te ondersoek en toe te lig. Ongelykheidsteorie is nog nie voorheen in studies oor hierdie betrekkinge gebruik nie. Hierdie tesis verskaf dus ‗n belangrike alternatiewe metode om hierdie betrekkinge te bestudeer. Die tesis ondersoek Suid-Afrika en die VRC se betrekkinge na aanleiding van Womack (2001, 2003, 2003a, 2006, 2006a, 2010) se terminologie en metodologie en fokus op gebiede waar die twee lande mekaar komplimenteer en kan saamwerk; wedersydse verstaan van, en waardering vir, mekaar se mense en geskiedenisse kan koester; om aktief vyandigheid te omskep in vriendskap en om verhoudings so bedrewe te bestuur dat vriendskap nie in vyhandigheid verander nie; en om ook wat Womack roetiene, neutraliteit en diplomatieke ritueel noem te gebruik in die bestuur van hul vennootskap. Deur die lens van ongelykheidsteorie kyk die tesis na wat die vinnige progressie wat hierdie betrekkinge onderskraag, motiveer en verklaar. Vanuit die perspektief van ongelykheidsteorie vind die VRC Suid-Afrika komplimenterend. Dit is die grootste, mees gesofistikeerde, ontwikkelde en gediversifiseerde ekonomie in Afrika en die ontwikkelende wêreld. Dit besit of het toegang tot tegniese en bestuurskennis wat die VRC moeilik elders toegang toe sou kon kry. Suid-Afrika bly ‗n strategiese maritime en vloot roete vir VRC handel en toegang tot sleutel hulpbronne op die Afrika kontinent en elders. Een van die bevindings van die studie is dat ongelykheidsteorie ‗n nuttige metode is om die bestuur van die verhouding tussen Suid-Afrika en die VRC te verstaan. Dit verskaf ‗n raamwerk vir die analise van die motiverings en dinamiese interaksies wat die vordering van hul diplomatieke betrekkinge bepaal. Die bevindings van die tesis impliseer dat die diplomatieke betrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en die VRC nie net op die VRC se behoefte aan bronne en diplomatieke steun in die internasionale stelsel gebaseer is nie.

This thesis examines the newly-adopted mechanism of bilateral ‘strategic partnerships’ as a tool of diplomacy within the broader context of Japanese grand strategy. It posits that these new forms of security alignment have become an integral part of Japan’s ‘external mobilisation’ aimed at addressing the ‘increasingly severe security environment’ with which the country is now confronted with. It takes an inter-disciplinary approach drawing on Organisational Theories to supplement existing International Relations (IR) approaches, which are deemed insufficient for fully capturing and comprehending the nature, purpose, and dynamics of this novel form of alignment. In creating a new conceptual model of ‘strategic partnerships’ on these bases, it then applies it as an analytical framework to two important and contrasting cases study dyads – Japan-Australia and Japan-South Korea – to test the explanatory power of the model and reveal deeper insights into key empirical examples of Tokyo’s strategic-partnering policy. It concludes that the model significantly advances our understanding of these relationships, as well as demonstrating how they form part of a wider strategic context within which Japanese grand strategy must be conducted.

During recent years the sharing economy has had an increased impact on the modern business climate, and the level of engagement among researchers has increased. The sharing economy is changing the way individuals perceive business and challenges traditional business models. Sharing economy firms are implementing innovative business approaches to face the dynamic business climate. Its peer-to-peer sharing philosophy is fighting against the increasing hyper-consumption we are facing. Previous scholars have discussed how traditional firms can gain market shares and internationalize through M&amp;As and strategic partnerships. However, the research on how M&amp;As and partnerships can be implemented among sharing economy firms is minimal. Also, the empirical studies regarding this field are inadequate. Accordingly, examining this research gap in practice and gaining a deeper understanding of the subject is highly relevant. This thesis aims to shed light on the motives behind sharing economy firms internationalizing, mainly through mergers and acquisitions or strategic partnerships, involving at least one sharing platform in the process. To accomplish the intentions of this study, a qualitative research approach has been conducted, with a diverse group of respondents from different parts of the world and operating in various areas within the sharing economy. Moreover, the empirical data has been collected through conducting findings from four semi-structured interviews. The outcome of this research implies that the motives for sharing economy firms to internationalize using M&amp;As or strategic partnerships are beneficial regarding the sharing economy characteristics. For instance, the paper highlights how sharing economy firms have a comfortable path internationalizing into foreign markets but can struggle to gain platform user activity in the early stages in new markets. Therefore, are M&amp;As and strategic partnerships strategic tools for sharing economy firms to acquire an already existing customer base or have strategic alliances that can ease cultural barriers and such when entering foreign markets.

The purpose of this study was to investigate a class-to-class online English-Portuguese "Teletandem” program that was conceived, negotiated, and implemented cross-collaboratively between the foreign language instructors and language resource center (LRC) staff at two large state universities—one in the United States and the other in Brazil. Ten English language students in Brazil were paired with 10 Portuguese language students in the U.S. for a 10-week Skype®-based tandem language exchange (TLE) project that was jointly delivered online across an international university partnership. A qualitative case study design was used to examine the attitudes, perceptions, views, and behaviors of the teachers, students, and LRC staff who participated in the project. The objective of the study was to shed light on the factors that facilitated and hindered teletandem design, implementation and sustainability. Participant feedback was interpreted and contextualized by the researcher to provide rich descriptions of how Teletandem was optimized and how it impacted student learning. The findings suggest that Teletandem is an innovative, low-cost, high-impact language learning activity with vast pedagogical implications. As a lab supplement to traditional instruction, it enabled students at both sites to accelerate L2 development through authentic immersion and practice while making social connections with native speakers abroad. In addition, the results showed that—for many students—Teletandem heightened intercultural awareness, boosted confidence in the L2, and strengthened fluency skills while rendering a transformational learning experience.

La transparence, la semi-transparence, la translucidité ou encore la personnalité fiscale sont autant d’images fiscales formant le paradigme français de la fiscalité internationale des sociétés de personnes, en ce sens que ces images sont mobilisées pour poser et répondre aux problématiques relatives à l’imposition française du revenu réalisé sous la forme d’une société de personnes en situation d’extranéité. Par ce recours aux images fiscales, la conception française de la fiscalité internationale des sociétés de personnes distingue les sociétés de personnes de droit français de celles de droit étranger. D’une part, les sociétés de personnes de droit français, réputées semi-transparentes et disposant d’une personnalité fiscale distincte de leurs associés, sont considérées comme les sujets d’une imposition pourtant assumée par leurs associés. Sur ce fondement, ces sociétés sont qualifiées de résident au sens des conventions visant à éliminer les doubles impositions. Les règles conventionnelles de territorialité sont alors appliquées au niveau de la société et non à celui de leurs associés. D’autre part, le droit fiscal français accepte de recevoir la transparence fiscale des sociétés de personnes étrangère pour appliquer les conventions fiscales à leurs associés. Il en résulte une conception française de la fiscalité internationale des sociétés de personnes difficilement compréhensible, non seulement au regard de celle pratiquée par les droits étrangers, mais également au regard du droit interne. En se détachant du recours constant aux images fiscales pour se concentrer sur une étude des textes français, britannique et américain, la conception française de la fiscalité internationale des sociétés de personnes peut être écartée. Par cette étude critique des images fiscales, l’altérité véhiculée par les images fiscales entre les sociétés de personnes de droit français et les partnerships de droits anglais, écossais et américain peut être dépassée au profit d’une unité (Partie 1). Celle-ci renverse les fondements de la conception française de la fiscalité internationale des sociétés de personnes et offre alors la perspective de son renouvellement (Partie 2)<br>Transparency, semi-transparency, translucency or fiscal personality are tax images used as a paradigm in the French conception of partnerships in international tax law, in that those images are used to think and resolve the issues raised by the taxation, in France, of international partnerships. Based on those images, the French conception of international taxation of partnership distinguishes between local partnerships and foreign partnerships. On the one hand, local partnerships are said to be semi-transparent or translucent and to have a fiscal personality distinct from their partners. Thusly, local partnerships are construed as the subject of a tax that is yet paid by the partners. Consequently, local partnerships are qualified as resident for the purpose of the bilateral conventions and the foreign partners cannot claim the application of the treaty. On the other hand, the recognition of the transparency of foreign partnerships is accepted in French tax law so the partners may claim the stipulations of the bilateral convention. This conception of international taxation of partnerships, founded on a dual approach of partnerships, is isolated from the taxation known in others countries and lacks coherence in the view of the French tax law. With a critical study of tax images in the light of the British law and the American law, this conception may be challenged. The comparison between French partnerships and British and American partnerships permits to overcome the otherness suggested by the resort of tax images, and to demonstrate instead the unity among those entities (Part 1). Once it has been ascertained, this unity challenges the foundation of the French conception of international taxation of partnership and allows the prospect of its renewal (Part 2)

Life of an Eastern Patnership is longer than usually it is presented. Mainly many authors are starting with the first Eastern Partnership summit In Prague on May 7, 2009. On that summit a Joint Declaration concerning Eastern Partnership was adopted.

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate how Sweden’s bilateral economic relationship with South Africa has evolved between the years 1985-2018, from a Swedish perspective. The study has four research questions. The first question focuses on how Swedish policies toward South Africa has evolved over time, which is followed by two questions on how these changes has impacted trade and non-trade economic activity between the countries. The last question binds the study together with a discussion of the balance of Swedish priorities between humanitarian goals and domestic self-interests during this period. The existing literature is mainly focused on the economic relationship leading up to the fall of apartheid in 1994, and there is not much written on the subject since then. This study aims to contribute to the field by connecting the apartheid-era literature to the development of the post-apartheid bilateral economic relationship.  The study is based on a cross analysis of complementary data sources and methods to capture the complexity of the bilateral economic relationship between the two countries. The main bulk of data is derived through semi-structured interviews with representatives from the Swedish government, the civil society, and researchers with experience of this bilateral relationship. This is complemented with a content analysis of Swedish policy documents and illustrative quantitative data. The thesis is built on an analytical framework based on Embeddedness theory and a conceptualisation of Economic- and Soft Power, which highlights the interconnectedness between social, political, and economic relationships.