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The paper is realised in order to demonstrate the EU multilevel integration's hypothesis across the Danube EU Member States. The analysis is focused on four important economic indicators (GDP, unemployment, inflation and government gross debt) and covers 2012-2021. The analysis follows three steps: comparative analysis, regression analysis and forecasting analysis, as well. The Danube Member States were grouped on three integration levels, according to the French President's opinion. The paper succeeds in demonstrating that the Member States grouping on different integration levels is not a scientific approach. It is only a political decision able to support the leadership of the greater Member States' economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UF MBR can treat eucalyptus P&P wastewater for potential water reuse. • Fluorescent EEM can track changes of organic substances and foulants in MBR system. • MBR foulants can be identified using fluorescence regional integration. • Irreversible foulant in the MBR comprised of mainly protein-like substances. • Concentration of proteins in foulants significantly correlated to fouling potential. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an alternative technology to achieve high quality effluent for water reuse for eucalyptus pulp and paper (P&P) industries, but membrane fouling is still a challenging factor that restricts its application. This study aims to investigate characteristics of reversible and irreversible fouling of the submerged polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) MBR for treating eucalyptus P&P wastewater. Six batches of MBR experiments with different mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations were performed. The membrane cleaning protocol included three-steps: backwashing with DI water and subsequently NaOH solution, and then soaking with NaOCl solution, for which achieved 54.6 ± 11 %, 76.6 ± 10 % and 97.8 ± 2 % of flux recovery, respectively. Formation of a cake layer comprised of organic substance and soluble microbial products (SMPs), mostly polysaccharides and proteins, was the main contributor to flux decline of the MBR. Concentration of proteins in the irreversible foulant was found to be positively correlated with degree of membrane fouling. Using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) analysis revealed that, during MBR treatment, protein-like substances in the permeate water significantly decreased, simultaneously with the increase in relative proportions of humic-like and fulvic-like substances. Further analysis on the irreversible foulants showed that protein-like substances, including tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like substances, were disproportionately more important to membrane fouling than humic-like substances relative to their respective concentration in raw P&P wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of integrated transport and logistics systems for sustainable global trade. It highlights recent disruptions to global supply chains caused by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and trade wars, which have led to the need for supply chain reconfiguration and increased resilience. The article also emphasizes the role of decarbonization and digitalization in shaping the functions and roles of international transportation and logistics. It presents three research papers that explore various challenges and opportunities in transport and logistics integration, including inland terminal location selection, international logistics policies, and the optimization of air-rail freight transportation. The article concludes by suggesting future research directions, including the incorporation of decarbonization indicators and the use of IoT and big data for real-time modeling of greenhouse gas emissions. [Extracted from the article]

This article is an introduction to this Special Issue on Rethinking in Regional Integration in Africa which is based on a collaborative research project, implemented by African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), the leading economic capacity building institution in Africa, and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). This project is very timely given the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which came into force on 01 January 2021. In this introduction, we first provide a brief background on regional integration in Africa. We next describe the AERC project and the process of selection of the papers and then provide a quick summary of the ten published papers and their contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of countries have launched their central bank digital currencies (CBDC) in recent years, but the economic impacts of CBDC adoption are underexplored. To empirically assess how CBDC adoption influences regional economic integration, this paper investigates the Greater Bay Area, where China carried out one of its first digital renminbi pilot programs. The Greater Bay Area provides a good example because the growing acceptance of digital renminbi in the area can potentially mitigate transaction costs and risks due to the exchange rate volatility of the Chinese renminbi, Hong Kong dollar, and Macao pataca. CBDC adoption can lead to greater real and financial integrations by facilitating cross-border trade in goods and services. This paper evaluates deviations from uncovered interest rate parity, purchasing power parity, and real interest rate parity across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao based on monthly interest rate and price data from January 2016 to December 2022. The time series have mean values near zero, which validate the parity conditions and indicate high degrees of financial, real, and economic integrations. The Markov regime-switching regression model identifies three regimes: (1) pre-Covid, (2) post-Covid, and (3) post-CBDC. The Covid-19 outbreak brought lower integration and stability, but the launch of the CBDC restored some of the pre-Covid integration and stability. Regimes 1 and 2 are persistent, and transitions from Regime 3 back to Regime 1 are probable. Hence, this study finds evidence that CBDC adoption improves regional economic integration in the short and long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the stakeholder theory challenged the neoclassical shareholder theory, it was a step forward in the theoretical and practical debate about the role and responsibility of businesses in society and how wide the responsibility is. Today, neither of these theories go far enough to explain the responsibilities of businesses in society and neither do corporate social responsibility nor corporate sustainability given the complexity of the business environment in which companies operate and how far they are going, or how far they are pushed, to respond to grand challenges or the opportunities they may entail. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical exploration and a critical appraisal of the need for a paradigm shift from shareholders and stakeholders to future successors. This is grounded in a discussion about corporate social responsibility/corporate sustainability, and the relevance of environmental constraints, multilateral sustainability policies and pathways, and needs and requirements of corporate future successors that are important for businesses that want to prosper in the long-term. The findings suggest that forward-looking supranational political and economic unions, intergovernmental organizations, regional and local governments, and leading businesses have moved ahead of theory towards including intra- and intergenerational interests and the natural environment into their policies, regulations, and strategies. In doing so, they even go so far as to grant personhood to the natural environment, thereby recognizing the importance of the natural environment for their own and the prosperity of present and future generations who will be future successors of businesses. Consequently, the implication of the paper is to suggest a new theoretical lens which has a much wider scope than shareholder and stakeholder theories currently do, and a strategic roadmap, emphasizing the importance of future successors for corporate responsibility and successful business operations in the long-term and pinpoint ways forward in doing so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional integration plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic advancement of various global regions and is closely linked with the expansion of construction land. This expansion is a major contributor to urban carbon emissions. Utilizing a geographical regression discontinuity design (GRDD), this paper estimates the impact of urban construction land expansion on carbon emissions and explores the underlying mechanisms within the regional integration process of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. The findings reveal that urban construction land expansion significantly influences carbon emissions, displaying an inverted "U"-shaped pattern. Furthermore, this expansion affects carbon emissions through the transformation of industrial structures, shifts in consumption patterns, and enhancements in scientific and technological investments. Our findings span the performance of the Yangtze River Delta from its early development stages to a relatively mature phase. This paper also partially reveals how the Yangtze River Delta, with both megacities and large- to medium-sized cities, manages urban construction land expansion during the integration process and strives for low-carbon emissions reduction. These results can provide green growth recommendations that balance socio-economic development, low-carbon emissions, and social equity not only for other urban agglomerations in China but also for similar regions in other developing countries by altering construction land utilization patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a strong relationship between regional integration and economic performance. This paper investigates the impact of regional integration on macroeconomic indicators in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – a trade block created by the former Soviet republics in 2014. This study compares two types of regional collaboration strategies: first, unilateral trade liberalization with the one-sided opening of market access that does not imply any mutual concessions, and second, reciprocal regional liberalization evaluated as the degree of regional economic integration between the countries. We apply a random effect panel data analysis with the dataset over 25 years since 1995 covering five countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia). We find that, under the current stage, the EAEU positively affects trade flows, negatively affects the level of employment, and has no impact on other economic performance indicators. We also conclude that despite the declared level of economic integration – customs union – Eurasian block functions mainly as a free trade area facilitating mutual trade, which is different from the broader objectives that regional integration aims to achieve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-balance-sheet policies are an important but understudied phenomenon that emerged from a technical subtlety in the calculation of public debt statistics. Taking the case of an exemplary European off-balance-sheet policy, public–private partnerships (PPPs), this paper analyzes the technocratic processes that allow the emergence of such debt-neutral instruments. In the aftermath of the sovereign debt crisis, off-balance-sheet policies have become an important policy tool for Member States in the European Economic and Monetary Union, enabling them to strike a balance between the perceived 'public investment gap' and the mantra of fiscal consolidation. The case study shows how the lack of political solutions to Europe's investment-consolidation conundrum leaves it to technical experts to find workable solutions within the existing rules. The off-balance-sheet status of PPPs came under threat in 2014 but was reaffirmed through a coordinated effort by two strange bedfellows: the European Investment Bank (EIB), a promoter of PPPs, and Eurostat, the European authority responsible for public debt and deficit indicators. I argue that Eurostat and the EIB have entered into strategic cooperation to increase each other's room for manoeuvre, diffuse political pressure and avoid bureaucratic overload. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the role of technocrats and their expertise, which shape the mutual relations between fiscal constraints and financialized investment policies in the European investor states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agri-food sector stands as a fundamental pillar of the European Union's economic framework, essential for sustaining the region's population and playing a significant role in the overall economic health and stability of the EU. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of labor productivity trends in the EU's agri-food sector over the past decade, focusing on a comparative assessment between Romania and top-performing EU economies. Using data from Eurostat and national databases, we explore the dynamics of labor productivity, considering factors such as turnover, number of enterprises, and employment levels in the agri-food industry. The research reveals significant disparities in productivity growth, with countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium showing high productivity levels, while Romania, despite a notable improvement, remains below the EU average. The study underscores the importance of strategic investments and policy interventions in boosting productivity and competitiveness in the agri-food sector across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the efforts to enhance regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and how this has increased engagement between the EU and the Western Balkans.1 The regional initiatives are more present when the European Union (EU) shows little interest in the Western Balkans region. However, these efforts have yet to address all the concerns adequately and have not brought to life tangible results despite many political declarations. One of the most commented initiatives, like the Open Balkans, has caused concern in the region and caused tension between Kosovo and Albania over the past few years. The paper enlightens the challenges of regional cooperation during the last years, the contribution of this process in the integration process, and the role played by Albania. Also, the paper tries to analyze the success and failures of the "Open Balkan" initiative and the Regional Common Market. Furthermore, the paper framework examined the progress of regional cooperation initiatives and the region's attention to the European integration process. Additionally, the paper seeks to determine whether regional cooperation is a viable alternative for the region or merely an external-driven initiative and the role of the EU in promoting regional cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article explores the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) to ascertain whether it is a myth or a reality. It also examines its transparency, timeliness, and primary objectives. Against the backdrop of instability in the Middle East, mainly arising from the ongoing Gaza situation, the study assesses the regional and global implications of the IMEC, considering arguments both in favour and against the initiative. Nevertheless, the problem has a similar impact on all such ventures as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since the successful realisation is contingent upon the stable and enabling regional environment. This exploration suffers from the challenge of access to authentic sources. Given the contemporary nature of the subject matter, this study will primarily rely on secondary literature. Employing an Intergovernmentalism theoretical approach, this research delves into the dynamics of IMEC, discussing its intended objectives and challenges. The central argument contends that a meticulous analysis of the corridor's cause and effect on Pakistan's economic and geostrategic interests is imperative. The IMEC initiative exhibits the potential of a relatively cheap system, enhancing contemporary transportation infrastructure. However, the study asserts that the IMEC presents an obvious threat to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the BRI, potentially compromising Pakistan's economic and strategic interests. The paper adopts a nuanced perspective, emphasising that IMEC and BRI contrast in strategic planning and development approaches. Should the IMEC materialise according to its envisaged plan, it will yield substantial diplomatic, strategic, and economic benefits for India. The article concludes by underscoring the challenges faced by IMEC, including coordination complexities, financial constraints for some participating nations, and potential geopolitical tensions affecting corridor operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Horizons / Ekonomski Horizonti is the property of Economic Horizons and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

African development is defined by a number of meta-trends, including climate disruption, digitalisation, informalisation, regionalisation and most recently the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The paper under consideration here is informed primarily by two of these: regionalism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Africa, or at least parts of it, have been severely affected by pandemics in recent decades. At the same time deepening regionalisation allows for more coordinated and effective actions to mitigate their worst effects. However, to date, regional integration efforts have not generally delivered desired results, and in the area of Health Science Research (HSciR) specifically, which is the area of focus for this paper. This important paper considers the nature of current activities in relation to health research by regional organizations on the continent. It provides a baseline study and incipient manifesto for increased effectiveness and greater contribution in the area of HSciR on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the new development pattern, this paper explores the characteristic tendencies and intergenerational changes of consumption structure upgrade (CSU) as well as the theoretical logic and empirical paradigm affecting the domestic value chain circulation. This paper constructs a region-industry decomposition framework for domestic value chain circulation based on backward demand to explore the impact of CSU on domestic value chain circulation. The results show that: first, CSU can optimize the structure of domestic value chain circulation and strengthen inter-regional value chain linkage; second, CSU promotes domestic value chain circulation through innovation drive, resource optimization and industrial coupling; finally, the domestic value chain circulation effect caused by CSU may be constrained by market segmentation, and accelerating regional economic integration across a country can help build up the main position of domestic value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of a country's entry into the monetary union on its economic variables growth rate of real GDP as well as on GDP per capita growth for the period from 2010 to 2020. The clustering method and the ANFIS method were used in the data analysis. A total of two cluster analyses were performed. The first cluster includes countries that joined the EU in 2004 and became EZ members by 2010. The second cluster refers to those countries that joined the EU in 2004 but are not yet members of the EZ. For the first individual cluster analysis two models were analysed and for the second individual cluster three models were analysed using the ANFIS method. As expected, the results showed that GDP growth is connected with trade, inflation and gross investments in fixed capital in the observed countries, while GDP per capita is connected with unemployment, interest rates and public debt. With regard to GDP growth, the difference between countries that are in the eurozone and those that are not is not significant, which is in line with other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city cluster of the Yangtze River Delta is a highly dynamic and competitive economic region in China. The integration of the market across the 27 cities is crucial in driving economic growth in the area. This paper aims to provide policymakers with recommendations on promoting regional integration, enhancing the structure, and improving overall performance. By utilizing the benefits and resources of each community more effectively, greater economic gains can be achieved. The findings of this study can also be applied to other Chinese towns or business areas. Market integration is a necessary foundation for regional integration, as it enables the seamless movement of goods and factors throughout the region while simultaneously reducing entry barriers and supporting the creation of a unified market. Unfortunately, the "vassal economy" model has impeded the region's economic growth. The integration of regional markets is crucial for economic growth. However, it is equally important to create industrial clusters with central towns as their hubs. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is a prime example of one of six world-class city clusters demonstrating how market integration can result in high-quality economic progress. The paper's primary discoveries are threefold: firstly, there has been a progressive elevation in the level of market integration among the 27 cities within the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, characterized by increasingly intimate connections concerning trade, investment, and population mobility. Secondly, this heightened market integration exerts a catalytic impact on the real economic growth of the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, particularly concerning regional industrial restructuring, transformation, and upgrading. Finally, market integration is poised to expedite the industrial division of labor and synergistic development between the cities, thus promoting a concentration of advanced manufacturing and new industries in the central cities and furthering the development of profitable industries in the central individual cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics channel is the lifeblood to ensure that logistics serves the circulation inside and outside the region, and to realize regional economic integration, it greatly contributes to the implementation of the national unified market strategy. As the government plays an important role in the construction of logistics channels, this paper further clarifies the effect of government participation and support policies by defining the role and functions of the government in the construction of logistics channels. Based on the evolutionary game theory, the paper reveals the equilibrium conditions of logistics channel construction under the market mechanism and government guidance under the assumption of bounded rationality. We construct an evolutionary game model among participating stakeholders, then study the evolutionary stability strategy of logistics channel participation behavior using the stability theorem for the model's differential equations. In order to explore the dynamic evolution process of both parties' choices under the two modes, we investigates the influence of the initial intention, cooperative income, cost proportion, penalty coefficient and construction cost of participating enterprises on both parties' strategic decisions under the market mechanism and government guidance modes through numerical simulation. We find that: (1) under the market mechanism and government guidance modes, there is a game equilibrium in the participation behavior of logistics enterprises in the national unified market, and that the conditions for realizing the equilibrium of cooperation among stakeholders under the guidance of the government are easier to meet; (2) The initial intentions of the two players in the game along the logistics channel influence each other, and government participation can change the effects of cooperative income, the penalty coefficient and construction cost on the system game strategy, which has a positive effect on the channel construction; (3) At the same time the simulation shows that the government's promotion effect has certain limitations, and the government should provide reasonable guidance to prevent enterprises from hindering the healthy development of logistics channels. This study provides a theoretical reference for the government and logistics enterprises, especially relying on logistics channels to support the regional coordination of national unified market development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of market integration has a profound impact on regional output activities. This paper discusses the impact mechanism of market integration on regional productivity. Using China's province-level panel data from 2006 to 2019, a spatial econometric model is constructed to empirically analyse the actual impact of China's market integration process on regional productivity at this stage. The empirical study found that the spatial distribution of China's regional productivity at the current stage exhibits the agglomeration characteristics of "high in the east and low in the west". The process of market integration can not only significantly promote the productivity of the region, but also have a significant positive impact on the productivity of geographical and economic neighbouring regions. The subregional empirical results show that the marginal impact of the market integration process on productivity in different regions is heterogeneous, showing that the marginal impact on the eastern and coastal regions is stronger than that in the central and western regions. Altogether, this study provides empirical evidence of the positive impact of market integration on regional productivity in the spatial dimension, having significant implications for regional coordinated and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

t An index system is constructed to measure the integration of environmental protection and high-quality economic development in different cities in China from 2006 to 2018, and to explore its evolution and driving forces. From the three dimensions of integration foundation, integration depth and integration performance, this paper adopts AHP-Entropy combined weighting method to build the integration index. In addition, this paper comprehensively uses exponential decomposition, comparative analysis and σ convergence and divergence analysis to explore the spatio-temporal differences and dynamic mechanisms. The results show that the overall integration level of China’s cities continues to improve, of which technological progress is the core driving force, the transformation of development mode is a crucial path, and the intensity of environmental governance is the key support. The evolution and driving forces of the integration level of first-tier cities, new first-tier cities and other cities are significantly different. Promoting integration level is a critical way for resourcebased cities to break the resource curse. Urban agglomeration integration led by the growth pole can effectively improve the overall regional integration level. This paper innovates that the relationship between environmental protection and high-quality economic development is discussed from the perspective of integration, and the paths to improve the integration level of resource-based cities and urban agglomerations are identified. This paper is helpful to clarify the differences in integration levels and driving forces of different cities, and provide a reference value for the precise implementation of high-quality development and “beautiful China.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration or segmentation of regional carbon prices implies that barriers may hinder prices from adjusting efficiently and impede linkages between regional carbon markets. Past studies have found that crossregional carbon prices in China tend to diverge, indicating unbalanced regional markets and that carbon cap-and-trade policies may be insufficiently effective. China's carbon trading pilots opened in 2013. Is the integration efficient? This is the research question addressed in this study. This paper uses the carbon prices of four carbon-trading pilot regions in China (i.e. Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangdong) over the period of January 1, 2014, to March 23, 2021, to explore whether prices are correlated across three dimensions: long-term convergence, short-term correlation, and volatility transmission by adopting a vector error correction model with heterogeneous variances. And by using longer-term daily data and empirical tests that can account for the multiple-faceted correlations, this paper provides evidence showing that long-term convergence and risk transfer between the four regional carbon prices exist, which indicates significant regional integration. The results indicate that the price behavior of the Beijing pilot is efficient and that the Shanghai pilot has the lowest volatility. The paper also documents an information transfer pattern. For example, the Beijing pilot is shown to be the leading risk transfer market, whereas the Shanghai pilot is shown to be the market where most risk is transferred. Contrary to findings elsewhere, our main results demonstrate that China's carbon markets exhibit integration efficiency and no imbalance between regions. This may be because the efficiency of China's carbon markets has improved over time. The evidence also implies that if a multi-dimensional correlation has not been considered, it may underestimate the efficiency of regional carbon prices' integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional integration is aimed at promoting socioeconomic growth and development in a region through economic cooperation among the member states. The European Union (EU) was established to promote economic and political cooperation among member countries. EU's unprecedented success in regional integration offers lessons for other regions. Unlike the EU, SAARC has not been successful in achieving significant economic integration among member states. Despite its potential, SAARC has been plagued by political and economic differences among member states, especially between Pakistan and India. South Asian countries are unable to boost regional integration not only because of their political differences but also due to other sub-regional and trans-regional initiatives that run anti to the spirit of regional integration under the umbrella of SAARC. India's role towards regional integration in South Asia is considered significant being the leading nation in the region. This paper first identifies the economic and political factors that hinder regional integration in South Asia. Then, it focuses on the dynamics of successful regional integration in Europe intending to underline the lessons to be learned by the South Asian countries to boost their regional cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since Beijing has launched its grand transcontinental Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), President Xi's key foreign economic plan has ignited interest of policymakers and academia alike. This paper explores that under the BRI framework, China has invested billions of dollars in infrastructurebuilding in diverse regions across the globe, including South Asia where Beijing has expanded its footprints by implementing projects in various sectors. India, being wary of Chinese ambitions and intentions, has declined to join the venture as it has reservations over Xi's 'project of the century'. In response, India has come up with various initiatives to counter the growing role of Beijing in South Asia and beyond. Key Indian initiatives are examined aimed at rivalling China. For enhancing regional integration and connectivity, India, in partnership with Japan, has launched Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC). International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is another such venture to dwarf the Chinese BRI. In collaboration with the Group of 20 (G20), New Delhi unveiled another connectivity initiative -- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as an alternative to the BRI. The paper concludes that although India is eager to compete with China, it does not have enough resources to match China's regarding investing and implementing mega infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates intra-regional trade changes in the East African Community since its revival, as well as their revealed comparative advantage and evolution between 2001 and 2020. While most studies have examined the comparative advantage of individual EAC countries, they have not addressed how the revival of the Community impacted comparative advantage and intra-regional trade over time. As its analytical approach, the study calculates trade intensity indicators, revealed comparative advantage indices, and evaluates product categories that have lost, retained, or gained comparative advantage. The following conclusions are drawn from the study's findings: first, the revival of the Community increased intra-regional trade at first, but it soon dwindled due to non-tariff barriers. Second, product groups exported in raw form retained their comparative advantage, with Uganda having the most such product groups. Third, comparative advantage evolved, with Kenya having the greatest number of product groups gaining comparative advantage. Three policy implications emerge: first, restoring intra-regional trade to immediate post-Community levels requires significant reductions in trade barriers. Second, increasing export revenues necessitates the addition of value to agricultural products. Third, due to the dynamic nature of comparative advantage, countries must tailor policy support to product groups that lose comparative advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a small number of texts written in close proximity to World War II, Friedrich A. Hayek describes his ideal international order as a union of sovereign nation states that confers upon its members the freedoms and material benefits of a common market. An important objective of this "interstate federation" is to secure peace. Hayek also discusses two additional arguments in favor of international federalism. First, he argues that inter-jurisdictional competition within a federation protects free markets and limits the scope of discretionary economic policy. Second, he maintains that a federal structure helps to align the actions of government with the interests of voters, thus realizing the true democratic ideal. The present paper sketches the historical development of Hayek's proposal. It then describes his theoretical arguments for (international) federalism and highlights the relationship of these arguments to more recent scholarship in the fields of public finance and public choice. In closing, the paper underscores that Hayek's writings on federalism are part of his attempt to formulate a positive liberal agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores challenges and possible ways to increase the level of BIMSTEC regional integration from a socio-cultural perspective. It also investigates member states' vision of BIMSTEC and of the Bay of Bengal, especially where they intertwine and divert from one another. The paper postulates that, for BIMSTEC to transform itself into a socio-politically relevant organisation, it must also be culturally more integrated. BIMSTEC should strive to promulgate a shared narrative of regional identity based on the idea of the Bay of Bengal as an interconnected geographical and historical region. Through popular public imagination of the Bay of Bengal and coherent visions shared by its member states and, BIMSTEC will be able to situate itself into public consciousness and mobilise public support for the organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) represents a significant pivot in the economic and strategic orientations of the Indo-Pacific region, reflecting a collective endeavor to foster economic integration, sustainability, and security among its member states. This shift has profound implications for China, a main regional power with vested interests across the economic, political, and security spectrums. This paper delves into the multifaceted options available to China in response to the IPEF, analysing the strategic, economic, and diplomatic avenues Beijing might pursue to safeguard its interests and maintain its regional presence. Through a comprehensive examination of official statements, policy adjustments, and strategic engagements, the paper outlines China's nuanced approach towards the IPEF, ranging from competitive economic policies and regional partnerships to diplomatic overtures aimed at reshaping the narrative around regional cooperation and development. By dissecting these strategies, the paper sheds light on the evolving dynamics of regional power play, offering insights into how China navigates the challenges and opportunities posed by the IPEF. The analysis concludes with a discussion on the potential ramifications of China's strategies for the regional order, suggesting pathways for future research and policy considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Chengdu University (Social Science) is the property of Journal of Chengdu University (Social Science Edition) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper looks at the role of regime types and political leadership in influencing regional integration in the East African Community (EAC). Although the EAC is one of the most highly integrated Regional Economic Communities in Africa, and there are many instances where member states cooperate with decisions made at the EAC level to strengthen integration, in other instances members choose to defect from regional commitments. The study used secondary data sources to determine why this is so and employed game theory to understand the game of cooperation and defection among the players, who are the member states of the EAC. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were selected as case studies because they are the founding members of the EAC and are assumed to be most invested in deeper cooperation within the EAC. The study found that member states make conscious, calculated decisions to cooperate or defect on specific issues after gauging the costs and payouts associated with each action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the question of choice between regionalism and multilateralism in trade relations of Central Asia introduced by Pomfret (2005). Our study is motivated by a significant restoration of economic links between the former Soviet republics following Russian accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and the formation of new trade ties with Vietnam, Iran, and Serbia. Above all, there have been substantial commitments made by the three Central Asian republics of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan toward a multilateral system under the WTO rules. To this end, we apply a multi-region gravity model with interdependent trade flows using bilateral trade data of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to study the ex-ante effects of economic integration with various bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral partners. Our findings indicate the existence of considerable gains if the aforementioned economies would ascend to the EAEU in comparison to integration with China or Iran. We also document the presence of shared economic links between Tajikistan, Central Asia, and Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the EU sectoral policies, a variety of instruments are used to foster investments and to transform Europe's productive capacities. Reading beyond the traditional bureaucratic and policy silos, this paper shows how such a composite repertoire of instruments crystalised, taking advantage of two complementary historical fieldworks. Using the sociological concept of 'age', we show how a European policy for productive investments emerged, supported by specific rationales and staff, to address episodes of budgetary constraints over investment policies. We first distinguish an 'age of infrastructure' (from the 1950s), where the first EEC bureaucrats in charge of these policies – mainly lawyers and engineers – designed loans strategies to continue reconstruction efforts, targeting heavy infrastructural investments in energy or transportation. Then, we show how in the 1970s context of rising budgetary tensions, economists urged their colleagues to take advantage of the Common Market to create European champions, through grants and co-financing, and by promoting SMEs as growth drivers: this marks the 'integrative age'. Finally, from the 1990s, bureaucrats with a background in finance reoriented PI policies to overcome so-called 'markets failures' through loans, guarantees and equity, initiating an 'age of leverage' in EU public action. Here, the global access to (publicly subsidized) finance and the rise of derisking activities became a new standard. By capturing the way these successive policy ages concatenated and gave the EU Investor State its current shape, our approach accounts for both stability and change in EU policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper reports on the impact of China's Community of Shared Destiny Policy (CCSDP) on ethnicity, and the development and trade benefits in Africa, whilst proposing suggestions for improvements. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-research (desktop-based and online survey-based) approach was employed. Findings: Trade and foreign direct investment alone can account for 11.8% of changes in the peaceful coexistence of China and some selected African countries, and cause changes to the mutual prosperity of China and African nations, to the tune of 6.3%. Therefore, the activation of mutual prosperity among these nations is not necessarily trade and foreign direct investment. The CCSDP is effective and has increased economic development for ethnic groups (50%), although with some negative concerns. Research limitations/implications: Inadequate/small sample size for the study. Originality/value: Chinese investment in Africa has had a transformative impact, driving economic growth, improving infrastructure, and fostering regional integration. The share of trade between China and Africa in the continent's overall external trade has increased dramatically. Overall, the CCSDP should be kept in place, but with some modifications to improve its effectiveness and mitigate its negative effects. Finally, as China's engagement with Africa evolves, it is vital that partnerships are founded on mutual understanding, respect, and benefit, and that policies reflect the different needs and ambitions of African communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the marriage, the married couple creates among themselves rights and obligations which they must fulfill towards each other. From the moment of marriage the partners in addition to creating a family union, necessarily also form an economic union. We say this from the fact that every gift of high value, every material investment and every purchase of movable and immovable items will be considered joint if all these are earned and made during the time when the partners are in the marital union. The issue of property relations of spouses has long been present in family law theory and in legislative practice in which, considering the way in which property relations are regulated in the marital union, two models have been differentiated: the regime of the community of property of the spouses and the regime of separate, that is separate property of the spouses. The first model, represented in its pure form, is a product of the patriarchal system, because it assumes the primary role of the man in the management of the common property. In the second model, in which the property between the husband and the wife is separated, the spouses are each the owner of their own property, regardless of the fact that they brought that property to the marriage or acquired it during the duration of the marriage union, through work, with a gift, inheritance, etc. Taking into account the above-mentioned models as well as the specifics of each of them, in this paper we will bring the aspects of property rights between spouses in the legal system of the Republic of North Macedonia, from a theoretical but also a practical point of view and in European jurisdiction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a corpus of knowledge on the challenges of regional integration (RI) in Africa, and Southern Africa in particular. What emerges from this body of knowledge is that the key issues pertaining to RI are not uniformly addressed, and they are largely framed from state-centric thinking, which is mostly rooted within a Westernised worldview. This paper argues that civil society has a significant role to play in the realisation of the full potential of RI in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The authors concede that there are numerous challenges to the envisaged role of civil society. As such, they use the findings of the research for this paper to propose solutions for consideration by policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cities remain an understudied unit of analysis for understanding the motives of multinational enterprises' (MNE) foreign direct investment (FDI), with subnational locations in International Business (IB) research to date predominantly captured via the phenomenon of agglomeration. As regional integration projects, such as the European Union and to a lesser degree NAFTA, increasingly reduce the importance of national institutional environments, this paper argues regional and subnational levels become more important for studying MNE location choice. This paper aims to evaluate the explanatory contribution of regional and subnational levels of analysis to understanding MNE location choice. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative deductive bottom-up multiple-case study research design is adopted to study the city location choices and FDI motives of six automotive and six commercial banking companies. These purposefully sampled manufacturing and service MNEs have different home countries and regional orientations. Data on their foreign investments across the extended Triad of Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific were collected for the time period of 2000–2021. Findings: Findings suggest that different classes of city tend to attract specific types of FDI and that these patterns might vary across sectors and be influenced by the regional strategic orientations of MNEs. Industry-specific findings reveal the importance of related and support industries and partners in a city location for the automotive MNEs, while the commercial banks seek investment opportunities in cities that allow acquisition targets that have an attractive customer based and will improve their local market knowledge. Originality/value: The findings provide evidence in support of MNEs in manufacturing and service industries perceiving the attractiveness of three city types in different ways across the Triad regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper explores Pakistan's Afghan policy in the context of the ongoing conflict and instability in Afghanistan. The paper analyzes the challenges and predicaments that Pakistan faces in relation to its Afghan policy, including issues related to security, refugees, and economic development. The paper argues that Pakistan faces significant challenges in its Afghan policy, including the threat of terrorism, border management issues, and the potential spillover of the conflict into Pakistan. It also highlights the role of regional powers and external actors, such as China and the US, in shaping the situation in Afghanistan. The paper also examines the regional and international dynamics that impact Pakistan's Afghan policy, including the role of neighboring countries and global powers. Through this analysis, the paper proposes possible ways forward for Pakistan's Afghan policy, including the need for a comprehensive strategy that addresses security, political, and economic concerns, as well as greater engagement with regional and international stakeholders to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how the EU integration is narrated in news about asylum seekers. While extant research has examined representations of refugees in media, little attention has been paid to how the EU integration is imagined in such representations. Narration is of key importance to the ongoing EU integration and its contestation. The area of migration and asylum-seeking, in particular, generates terse conflicts between integration measures and individual member states over authority and power. As the EU attempted to coordinate a response to asylum seeking in 2015, 'media became the locus for institutional and intergovernmental clashes' (Maricut-Akbik, 2020, p.1). We demonstrate the differences and entanglements between ideological ideas in the representation of governments' and the EU's debate about the refugee distribution schema by newspapers in Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK, each differently positioned in respect to the EU and the asylum seekers. Further, we demonstrate the utility of Greimas' (1983) actantial schema to explicating ideological motivators in news narratives shaped by different state interests. We compare and tease out finer ideational points in representation of relations between governments and the EU as well as among the governments themselves and the ideological views informing these representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper would try to look at the India-China relations of cooperation within BRICS framework. A comparison of this stance with India and China in power struggle Asia would form another part of the paper. India has opened up new platforms on either side of the subcontinent such as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical Cooperation, Chabahar port project as well as joined Shanghai Cooperation Organization as its means of outreach. This has all been a part of India’s changing role in Asia. However, it must be also kept in mind that there is a China-Pakistan angle to it. A battle for power and influence has been there in the region of South Asia even before the pandemic. Now post covid19 scenario as the western world shrinks and the power fulcrum shifting towards Asia with USA pivot to Asia program as well as the geo-political tensions between USA and China coming up there is a new role for South Asia right now. The paper would like to understand these scenarios with an eye on India-China relations in a cooperative competition relationship scenario. On one side of the paper the joint role of India-China in BRICS framework would be looked at against the Indo- Pacific Asian power struggle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional cooperation represents a viable alternative to the ongoing process of globalization, in which countries can optimally respond to the changes in the external environment through regional integration, while a larger market size tends to provide better sales opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to identify common determinants of the impact of economic and trade cooperation on the convergence of the economies of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). We attempt to define a conceptual framework for cooperation between post-Soviet countries with an emphasis on their diversity. In this article, we are using the extrapolation methods that involve the estimation of the parameters of approximating dependences with the ordinary least squares method (OLS) and its modifications as well as the exponential smoothing method. The main reason for conducting this study as well as the major value-added of this paper is in its focus on the regional cooperation of the post-Soviet countries with the assessment of its role on accelerating economic growth, while the main limitation of this study is its focus on predicting the values for one year only which is subjected to the lack of more recent data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planners need to fully understand the quantity of land supply and its matching relationship with population demand, as these are prerequisites for urban greenspace planning. Most papers have focused on single cities and parks, with little attention paid to comparative analysis between multiple cities on a macro scale, ignoring the influence of spatial effects and leading to a lack of basis for regional green infrastructure planning. This paper selected 102 cities in Hunan province as case studies to comprehensively conduct empirical research using the spatial mismatch model and the geographically weighted regression method. The urban parkland in Hunan province are characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity and correlation, and the mismatch between land supply and population demand should not be ignored, with oversupply and undersupply co-existing. The urban parkland and its mismatch with population are influenced by a number of factors, and each factor has a stronger influence on the latter than the former. Different factors vary widely in the nature and intensity of their effects, and the dynamics are more complex. Economic development, financial capacity, and air quality are key factors, with the former having a negative impact and the latter having opposite (positive) effects. We suggest that when the government allocates land resources and targets for urban parks, it should formulate a differentiated allocation plan based on the supply and demand conditions of each city; besides, it should also place emphasis on regional integration and coordination and support mutual cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]