EQ3- What spheres of influence are contested by superpowers and what are the implications of this? Flashcards
what kind of tensions can arise from countries attempting to acquire natural resources when their ownership is disputed?
- invasion and conquest of another country’s territory which is rare
- claiming offshore, undersea resources by extending a country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which is common
what is an exclusive economic zone?
an area that extends 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast, and includes all resources in and under the sea. In some circumstances its size can be extended.
what is an example of tensions caused based on EEZ’s
Arctic oil and gas resources
hug oil and gas reserves may exist under the Arctic Ocean.
this area is beyond the EEZ of Canada, USA, Russia and Denmark
however these countries have claimed EEZ extensions which are disputed by others.
since 2007, military patrols and activity has increased in the arctic as each country is willing to defend its claims.
what kind of Human Resources (regarding new inventions and technology) are key elements of power?
- new military technology used for defence or attack
- inventions and new products that could bring riches
what is meant by intellectual property (IP)
included trademark, copyright, and patent protection and a system of royalty payments for the rights to use IP development by someone else
what is counterfeiting?
copying someone else’s trademarked, branded designs- such as expensive handbags, jeans or mobile phones
what is an example of a country how exploit counterfeit goods? and how
China
- counterfeit sales account for 5-8% of china’s GDP
- Chinese car companies have copied the design of BMW’s, Mercedes and iPhones are widely counterfeited with there being over 22 fake apple stores across the country
what are some consequences of counterfeiting?
- TNC’s may limit investments into China if they fear IP theft
- total losses worldwide are probably US$400-600 billion annually
- trade deals with countries such as china are made much harder by its failure to tackle IP theft
- counterfeit goods are often unsafe, putting users at risk
what is a sphere of influence?
an area of territory, beyond a country’s national borders, over which it feels it should have power but without having any formal authority there.
what is an example of an overlapping sphere of influence?
East China Sea
strained relations between North Korea (Chinese ally) and South Korea (US ally). As N Korea become a nuclear power, China sees S Korea and Japan as economic competitors. All countries have ongoing dispute over islands in the sea.
give examples of how China are exploiting parts of Africa
- copper ore in Zambia
- crude oil in Angola, Sudan, Chad
- Coltan (used to make phones) from the Democratic republic of Congo
what are some opportunities for Africa with Chinese investment?
- Chinese mines and factories bring jobs and raise incomes and GDP
- China has invested huge sums in HEP, railways, ports and roads.
- trade worth $200billion in 2016 (a huge sum for a developing nation)
what are some challenges for Africa with china’s investments
- many jobs are actually done by Chinese migrant labour ho number over a million
- mining and oil exploitation risks cause deforestation, oil spills and water pollution
- Cheap Chinese imported goods have undercut some local African producers, especially of textiles
what is meant by interdependence
when one country or region relies, to a large degree, o another to ensure its economic prosperity
what is an example of interdependence?
China and Africa
china depends on Africa for raw materials and Africa relies on investment from China
