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Research background: In order to examine market uncertainty, the paper depicts broad patterns of risk and systematic exposure to global equity market shocks for the major South Asian and Chinese equity markets, as well as for specific assets (gold and Bitcoin). Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic correlation among the major South Asian equity markets (India and Pakistan), the Chinese equity markets, the MSCI developed markets, Bitcoin, and gold markets. Methods: While applying the GARCH-Vine-Copula model and the TVP-VAR Connectedness approach, major patterns of dependency and interconnectedness between these markets are investigated. Findings & value added: We find that risk shocks from developed equity markets are critical in these dynamic links. A net return spillover from Bitcoin to the Chinese and Pakistani stock markets throughout the sample period is reported. Interestingly, gold can be applied to hedge and diversify positions in China and major South Asian markets, particularly following the COVID-19 outbreak. Our paper presents three main original add valued: (1) This paper adds global factors to the targeted study of risk transmission among South Asian and Chinese stock markets for the first time. (2)The assets of Bitcoin and gold were added to the study of risk transmission among South Asian and Chinese stock markets for the first time, enabling the research in this paper to observe the non-linear link among the South Asian and Chinese stock markets with them. (3) Our research adds to these lines of inquiry by giving empirical evidence on how COVID-19 altered the dependent structure and return spillover dynamics of Bitcoin, gold and South Asian and Chinese stock markets for the first time. Our results have critical implications for investors and policymakers to effectively understand the nature of market forces and develop risk-averse strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a development plan proposed by China that aims to build a new platform for international cooperation and create new drivers of shared development. South Asia is a key area in the Belt and Road Initiative, including eight countries. As the BRI implemented, China's trade with South Asia has been gradually strengthened. This paper explores the influencing factors of China-South Asia trade under the background of the BRI by using Gravity Model of Trade. The results show that economic growth in China and South Asia, increase of savings rate and improvement of industrialization in South Asia has a significant positive effect on China-South Asia trade. While the development gap between China and South Asia has negative effect on China-South Asia trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cobras (Naja Laurenti, 1768) are a group of well-known highly venomous snakes, which cause numerous cases of snakebites every year, especially in South Asia and Southern China. Taxonomic framework is essential for the medical treatment of snake bites and accurate antivenin development. However, the taxonomy of Asian cobras is still puzzling, especially for the widespread species Monocled Cobra (N. kaouthia Lesson, 1831). This study provided new materials and understanding for the taxonomy of this species by combining mitochondrial phylogenetic analysis and morphological comparisons based on samples from a vast area in Asia. The results showed that the Chinese population of N. kaouthia represents a new species. This study also provided new data for N. atra and designated a neotype for it. Furthermore, the subspecies N. naja polyocellata was resurrected and recognized as a full species, N. polyocellatacomb. nov., and the subspecies N. sumatrana miolepis was also resurrected. This study highlighted the necessity to evaluate the effectiveness of cobra antivenin based on a comprehensive taxonomic framework. Taxonomic frameworks for medically important species such as cobras (genus Naja Laurenti, 1768; Squamata, Elapidae) are essential for the medical treatment of snake bites and accurate antivenin development. In this paper, we described the former N. kaouthia populations recorded from China as a new species and designated a neotype for N. atra-based morphological and mitochondrial phylogenetic analysis. The new species N. fuxisp. nov. was morphologically diagnosed from N. kaouthia by (1) regular single narrow crossband present on the middle and posterior parts of the dorsum (3–15, 7.9 ± 2.7, n = 32) and the dorsal surface of the tail (1–6, 4.2 ± 1.1, n = 32) of both adults and juveniles, buff-colored with dark fringes on both edges, vs. South Asian populations (n = 39) and Southeast Asian populations (n = 35) without cross bands, with irregular cross bands or multiple light-colored crossbands pairs, or densely woven lines; (2) small scales between the posterior chin shields, usually three (40%) or two (37%), rarely four (13%), or one (10%) (n = 30) vs. mostly one (81%) and rarely two (19%) (n = 28); (3) ventrals 179–205 (195.4 ± 6.7, n = 33) vs. South Asian populations 179–199 (188.7 ± 5.9, n = 12); Southeast Asian populations 168–186 (177.8 ± 4.9, n = 18). Phylogenetically, the new species forms an independent sister clade to the clade including N. atra, N. kaouthia, N. oxiana and N. sagittifera. Furthermore, the subspecies N. naja polyocellata should be resurrected and recognized as a full species, N. polyocellatacomb. nov., and the subspecies N. sumatrana miolepis should be resurrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economy has made significant strides in the past three decades. As a direct result of China's "one belt, one road" (OBOR) initiative, the country's rate of industrialization and urbanization is currently the fastest in the entire world. This rapid development is largely dependent on the enormous amounts of energy currently being consumed and forms the foundation of the world's high levels of carbon emissions. It is generally agreed that the production of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, is the primary contributor to the current state of climate change. In this paper, a CO2 emission prediction model based on Bi-LSTM is constructed. In order to conduct empirical tests on the model, this study uses data from South Asian countries and China from 2001 to 2020. China's CO2 emissions from 2022 to 2030 were predicted along with those of other countries in order to study the combined effects of the scientific and technological progress, industrial structures, and energy structure factors affecting CO2 emissions. When compared with the LSTM and GRU methods, the Bi-LSTM model's results produced lower MAE, MSE, and MAPE values, indicating that it performs better. According to the findings, carbon emissions represent a significant problem that will become much worse in the future due to China and India's high emissions, particularly in the next 10 years, if the government does not implement policies that help reduce those emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 onset has questioned the proclaimed notions of Globalization such as shared prosperity and security across the board. The ongoing pandemic once again calls for collective action in men and material terms rather than erecting technology barriers and doubting the intentions of each other. This paper aims to address the following inter-related queries: What is the nature of China's health-based assistance to the South Asian states for mitigating the COVID-19 risks? How and why do the United States and India remain skeptical of Chinese anti COVID- 19 Vaccine efforts? And how do other South Asian states perceive Chinese contributions to deal with the ongoing Pandemic? And, finally what lessons can be learned from this divergent debate centered on: Chinese Vaccine Diplomacy? Comparison and contrast of the available information is employed as an analytical technique to determine the nature of skepticism surrounding the Chinese vaccination campaign in South Asia. Consulting data on three various accounts assisted to conclude the findings of this research paper. The findings of this study establish that Western and Indian skepticism, directed against Chinese health diplomacy in South Asia is motivated by their geopolitical contestations with China. In nutshell, the paper's main thrust is to stress the essential value of mutual cooperation in dealing with the Pandemic like COVID-19. There is a need to embrace the concept of 'holistic security' in the highly interconnected world of today and tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belt and Road Initiative is China's global infrastructure program. This long-term investment strategy is aimed at improving regional cooperation, increased trade and economic integration by linking Asia with Europe and Africa through maritime and land networks. South Asia is vital for Belt and Road Initiative of China. China views South Asia as a priority zone because its geostrategic location will contribute a lot in the preferment of the BRI. This research intends to highlight the geo-strategic and geo-economic implications of BRI on security and economy of South Asian states. This study is carried out using qualitative research methodology. Data was collected through primary and secondary sources including books, journals, research papers, articles and videos of seminars and conferences on the concerned topic and interviews of experts of BRI and CPEC were also conducted. According to the research, BRI is the manifestation of Mackinder's heartland theory. BRI fortifies intra-state transport connectivity, improves international connectivity, will help to ease power shortages and facilitate economic modernization and industrialization in South Asia. The findings of this research show that China is expanding its diplomatic influence through its economic presence in South Asia causing serious challenges to India's power in the region and USA's status of global hegemon. Along with the opportunities of BRI, there are a number of risks of political instability, poor law and order situation, corruption, terrorism and extremism in South Asia, hindering the smooth functioning of BRI projects. Also there is a fear of Chinese debt trap and loss of sovereignty in South Asian states making them reluctant to fully permit the execution of Chinese led projects on their land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on monthly rainfall station data from the National Climate Prediction Center of China Meteorological Administration, reanalysis monthly data from NCEP/NCAR including the monthly mean and long-term mean values for geopotential height, winds of multi-levels, NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) monthly Sea Surface Temperature (ERSSTV5), the causes of anomalous excessive precipitation in 2021/2022 winter over South China (SC) are investigated by Liang-Kleeman information flow, composite and wave flux methods. The results show that the winter precipitation over SC in 2021/2022 DJF is far more than normal, and the associated circulation patterns are obviously different from those induced by traditional La Niña, especially in the Atlantic and East Asia areas south to Lake Baikal. In 2021/2022 DJF, the Tibet Plateau (TP) exists anomalous cyclone with strong ascending motion, which directly affects the circulation patterns in Eastern China and thus the precipitation in SC. It is a significant causal relationship for the earlier season velocity potential at 850 hPa (related to the anomalous SST) over the tropical Atlantic to later DJF anomalous vertical motions over TP. Especially when the anomalies in tropical Atlantic leads one month before, the relationship is closest. The anomalies of the tropical Atlantic can stimulate the Rossby wave train which propagates downstream, corresponding to the abnormal cyclonic circulation over TP. In the early autumn to winter of 2021/2022, the 850 hPa potential velocity anomalies in the tropical Atlantic were significant with positive phase. The Rossby wave train excited by the potential velocity anomalies and then propagated along the great circle path and global jet stream (GJT) over South Asia (SA), formed an anomalous cyclonic with ascending motion over TP and lead more precipitation over SC in winter of 2021/2022. Winter rainfall, usually accompanying with lower temperature, will bring severely bad influence on traffic, power supply, communication, agriculture and people's lives. The results of this paper can provide a reference for further understanding the causes and mechanism of DJF rainfall over SC. • The winter precipitation over SC in 2021/2022 DJF is extremely more than normal, and the associated circulation patterns are obviously different from those induced by La Niña, especially in the Atlantic and East Asia areas south to Lake Baikal. • Strong ascending motion over TP(Tibet Plateau) affects the circulation patterns directly in eastern China and lead to the excessive precipitation in SC during 2021/2022 DJF. • The anomalies over the tropical Atlantic can stimulate the Rossby wave train and propagate downstream, and the Rossby wave trains allow energy to propagate to TP area with wave flux convergent, contributing certainly to the anomaly cyclone circulation there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oligocene marked the beginning of the present 'icehouse' epoch and witnessed the development and evolution of the Asian monsoon system (AMS). In this paper, the early Oligocene Ningming flora of Guangxi, southern China, is analysed to investigate the AMS based on climate proxies derived from Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP). CLAMP results suggest that the prevailing climate experienced by the Ningming flora was humid subtropical with hot summers and warm winters. Although the record of precipitation seasonality is muted, it is about half as strong as that seen today in monsoon climates of South China, indicating a very weak monsoonal signal. Despite suggesting weak rainfall seasonality, the position of the Ningming flora in physiognomic space indicates that leaves exhibit monsoon-adapted morphologies, comparable to today's vegetation exposed to the Indonesia–Australia monsoon (I-AM) and the transitional monsoon area (influenced by the East Asia monsoon, South Asia monsoon and I-AM). Leaf architectural signatures reveal that the Ningming flora grew under a humid subtropical climate with subtle monsoon signatures. Although it is difficult to distinguish the different domains of the Asian monsoon under such a subtle monsoon influence, based on leaf signatures from southern Asia, it can be inferred that the Ningming Basin during the early Oligocene was exposed to a climate regime similar to that today influenced by the I-AM. In addition, the moist enthalpy method was applied to quantitatively reconstruct the paleoelevation of the Ningming Basin. This approach suggests a paleoelevation estimate of ~1.24–1.35 ± 0.52 km for the early Oligocene, suggesting that a drop in paleoelevation of the Ningming Basin took place after the early Oligocene (Rupelian). The CLAMP results suggest that the early Oligocene Ningming area was at a mid-altitude and experienced a humid subtropical climate with subtle monsoon signatures. • Leaves from the early Oligocene Ningming Basin were subjected to a CLAMP analysis. • The prevailing paleoclimate was humid subtropical with hot summers and warm winters. • Leaf physiognomic spectra shows an adaptation to monsoon climates. • The paleoclimate is similar to a climate regime today influenced by the I-AM. • The early Oligocene Ningming Basin was likely at a height of ~ 1.24–1.35 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]