Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations
Practices of representation are productive in that they make international life intelligble. As representational practices, orthodox diplomatic discourses reduce the heterological 'nature' of diplomatic activity to a single, monological reading. Although historical evidence suggests that d...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
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2009
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/91124 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/4417 |
| _version_ | 1826117045503131648 |
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| author | Desker, Barry |
| author2 | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies |
| author_facet | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Desker, Barry |
| author_sort | Desker, Barry |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Practices of representation are productive in that they make international life intelligble. As representational practices, orthodox diplomatic discourses reduce the heterological 'nature' of diplomatic activity to a single, monological reading. Although historical evidence suggests that diplomatic activities are ambiguous and pardoxical, orthodox discourse, however, explains modern diplomacy as continuous, teleological and guided by common sense - a claim contested here less on grounds of falsity than of crass reductionism. This domestication predisposition is characteristic of many academic and policybased rendations of Asia-Pacific diplomacy, especially the 'nongovernmental diplomacy' genre. Diplomatic discourse never quite realizes its absolutist aim in that tension exists between (1) its representational capabilities and (2) the speed and transparency of late-modern diplomatic activities. Following Der Derian's genealogical reading of diplomacy, it is argued that keen attention to the contradictions and distortions of Asia-Pacific diplomacy reveals the significant extent to which discontinuity matters to our understanding of modern diplomacy. Specially, it is argued that Asia-Pacific diplomacy is indebted to forces of 'anti-diplomacy' and 'neo'diplomacy' that paradoxically threaten its purposes. Several examples of anti- and neo-diplomacy that define aims contrary to the traditional teleology of Asia-Pacific diplomacy - activities which the voices of diplomatic orthodoxy seek incessantly to domesticate - are highlighted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T04:21:20Z |
| format | Working Paper |
| id | ntu-10356/91124 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T04:21:20Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/911242020-11-01T08:43:28Z Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations Desker, Barry S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science::Political institutions::Asia Practices of representation are productive in that they make international life intelligble. As representational practices, orthodox diplomatic discourses reduce the heterological 'nature' of diplomatic activity to a single, monological reading. Although historical evidence suggests that diplomatic activities are ambiguous and pardoxical, orthodox discourse, however, explains modern diplomacy as continuous, teleological and guided by common sense - a claim contested here less on grounds of falsity than of crass reductionism. This domestication predisposition is characteristic of many academic and policybased rendations of Asia-Pacific diplomacy, especially the 'nongovernmental diplomacy' genre. Diplomatic discourse never quite realizes its absolutist aim in that tension exists between (1) its representational capabilities and (2) the speed and transparency of late-modern diplomatic activities. Following Der Derian's genealogical reading of diplomacy, it is argued that keen attention to the contradictions and distortions of Asia-Pacific diplomacy reveals the significant extent to which discontinuity matters to our understanding of modern diplomacy. Specially, it is argued that Asia-Pacific diplomacy is indebted to forces of 'anti-diplomacy' and 'neo'diplomacy' that paradoxically threaten its purposes. Several examples of anti- and neo-diplomacy that define aims contrary to the traditional teleology of Asia-Pacific diplomacy - activities which the voices of diplomatic orthodoxy seek incessantly to domesticate - are highlighted. 2009-02-05T09:32:37Z 2019-12-06T18:00:10Z 2009-02-05T09:32:37Z 2019-12-06T18:00:10Z 2001 2001 Working Paper Desker, B. (2001). Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations. (RSIS Working Paper, No. 18). Singapore: Nanyang Technological University. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/91124 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/4417 RSIS Working papers ; 018/01 Nanyang Technological University 26 p. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science::Political institutions::Asia Desker, Barry Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations |
| title | Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations |
| title_full | Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations |
| title_fullStr | Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations |
| title_short | Asian developing countries and the next round of WTO negotiations |
| title_sort | asian developing countries and the next round of wto negotiations |
| topic | DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science::Political institutions::Asia |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/91124 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/4417 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deskerbarry asiandevelopingcountriesandthenextroundofwtonegotiations |