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The Armenian mediaeval culture is a treasure of ornaments. Sacral architecture, stone and wood carvings, decorations on paper and fabric, all contain planar periodic patterns. For the first time we classify the available ornaments according to their symmetry properties with the tools of mathematical group theory. We determine the unit cells of patterns, axes of rotation, mirror and glide reflections, all symmetry operations that preserve the pattern invariant. The results show that of seventeen crystallographic plane groups, four do not exist. Other symmetry groups are represented in a more or less balanced distribution with a dominance of fourfold symmetry. The distribution of the symmetry groups can be used to rigorously compare different cultural groups. Armenia, with its geographical location along the Silk Road, was inspired by different cultures and served as a source of inspiration for many cultures. The mathematical analysis of ornaments is an objective measure to follow such interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paramount interest of China in Afghanistan seems to ensure peace and stability in the region. Beijing's soft power approach towards Afghanistan through its neutral stance and minimum involvement in domestic politics within Afghanistan proved to be an advantage in cementing China's role in Afghanistan as a credible mediator. China extends its influence in the region through the Belt and Road Initiative, where the importance of CPEC is interlinked with the development of China's western sector. China aims to harness the Afghan territory for its transit routes because Afghanistan bridges the connectivity gap between Central Asia and West Asia. This paper highlights that the current interests of China in Afghanistan are multiple. China is utilizing all the soft power elements to promote and expand the areas of activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to South Asia because stability in Afghanistan cannot be achieved solely. Understanding Regional Security Complex Theory and Soft Power can encapsulate China's engagement in Afghanistan. It has made a considerable effort by highlighting regional complexities on various multilateral fronts like China-Pakistan-Afghanistan, China-Russia-Afghanistan, and China-Russia-Pakistan-Iran. This study develops an analytical framework of South Asian security from the regional point of view and analyses external powers' role in the transition of regional security complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature offers a theoretical framework exemplifying the inherent tensions between "becoming Chinese" and "remaining global" in the evolution of the international status of Hong Kong. Adopting this framework, this paper examines the global position of Hong Kong's higher education through an investigation of universities' participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative and Greater Bay Area development plan. Specifically, drawing on data from interviews about universities' engagement with the two Chinese grand strategies, the paper discusses university leaders and academics' experience and perception of Hong Kong's global status against a policy context that foregrounds a deeper integration with the Chinese national development. This discussion offers a theoretical dialogue that reveals different but overlapping scenarios for the future of Hong Kong's higher education and sheds light on the link between the changing geopolitical contexts and international higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the proposal of the Belt and Road initiative in March 2015, the Chinese government has continued to increase its investment in transportation infrastructure construction in West African countries. To realize the scientific decision-making process for large-scale investment, this paper establishes a shipping network design–infrastructure investment joint optimization model. The abovementioned model aims to find the minimum generalized transportation cost in the study area and jointly optimizes the construction scheme of the regional inland transportation network (i.e., railway network), the expansion scheme of the port (i.e., container port) throughput capacity, and the operation scheme of the shipping network (i.e., container shipping network) given a limited budget. Based on the framework of the active set algorithm, an algorithm that can explore the local optimal solution of the abovementioned model is designed. Taking China–West Africa transportation as the research object, numerical experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the model and algorithm. Two types of sensitivity analyses for different investment scales and origin-destination demand are designed. The results show that the proposed model and algorithm can effectively solve the abovementioned problem and can provide decision-making support for the Chinese government in formulating reasonable investment schemes for West Africa. This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled, 'Shipping network design–infrastructure investment joint optimization model' presented at the 3rd International Conference of the Yangtze River Research and Innovation Belt, Ningbo, China; 5–7 November 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening of the 'Belt and Road (B&R)' initiative (BRI), the trends of manufacturing relocation and diffusion along the B&R has accelerated. This paper first collects bilateral trade data of 16 categories of major commodities among 55 countries along the B&R for 2017. Second, according to current and future transportation accessibility, this paper constructs two types of topological networks among countries along the B&R from the perspectives of both competitive and complementary trade. Percolation theory is adopted to analyze the manufacturing diffusion trends and bottleneck links among the two types of topological trade networks, which provides a new perspective through which to study manufacturing relocation and diffusion patterns. The results show that (1) based on current transportation accessibility, main industries percolate and agglomerate among countries with rapid economic development along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and that (2) the improvement in the China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) postpones diffusion trends and improves the relocation potential of Silk Road Economic Belt regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Changthang region is a part of the high altitude Tibetan plateau. In eastern Ladakh, the Changthang stretches approximately 1,600 kilometers east into Tibet. The region is rich in wildlife and home to vast species of flora and fauna and scenic lakes attracting mainly international tourists and recently saw a huge inflow of mass domestic tourism. The Changthang region shot to limelight in India recently due to the yearlong border standoff in the Galwan valley and Pangong Lake. However, the region is located on a historically important trade route for travelers, pilgrims and traders on their way to Tibet. This centuries old trade route came to an end by 1950's with the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the subsequent India-China war in 1962. The paper presents a critical analysis of the potential revival of the centuries old trade route for pilgrim tourism and trade fostering cross-border cooperation between India and China. The paper considers the possibility of re-opening the Kailash-Mansarover route through the Leh-Demchok route which will in turn contribute to the sustainable development of the Changthang region. The study encapsulates the potential of developing cross-border tourism which could bring numerous benefits to the border regions of the Changthang in India and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research article is to examine responses of the European countries on the Chinese project, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its impact on shaping EU policies. The BRI intends to foster trade and financial relations between Europe and the Middle Kingdom1 by incorporating a network of economic hubs and commerce-friendly infrastructure. It supports setting up of ports, highways, railways, airports, transit zones and energy pipelines to bring interconnection between Asia, Africa Europe and Eurasia. The magnificent Initiative would have financial, security, and geo-political consequences for each one of those nations engaged with it and even beyond. Chinese specialists guarantee that this project will be useful for every interested country, and some anticipated that it would help in thriving European economy in the long term. This paper highlighted that there is a space for European states to choose better options in this emerging scenario. Moreover, experts on the European Union and its member states' policies are calculating the benefits and challenges carried by the BRI and expected to see the Union to utilize all their bargaining capability to get better agreements with China at the negotiation table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the GDP constant 2010 US$ from the World Bank, this paper uses the instantaneous quasi-correlation coefficient to measure the business cycle synchronization linkages among 53 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) economies from 2000 to 2019, and empirically studies the topological characteristics of the Business Cycle Synchronization Network (BCSN) with the help of complex network analysis method. The main conclusions are as follows: First, the BCSN density and efficiency of BRI economies are still low, and it presents a topological feature of "small world". Second, the individual characteristics of the economies in the network are obviously different. Among them, China's relative influence is significantly increased, but its betweenness centrality level is still low. Third, since the inception of BRI, the topological characteristics of BCSN of BRI economies have undergone great changes, and their topological evolution has gradually reflected the characteristic of self-stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proposal of "One Belt One Road" initiative, more and more technology-driven enterprises in China are going abroad for foreign direct investment (FDI). But at the same time, due to the special geographical location of the countries along the "Belt and Road," the turbulent geopolitical pattern, weak economic growth, and constant conflicts between religious civilizations, all these will make Chinese technology-driven enterprises' investment in the countries along the "Belt and Road" face a nonnegligible risk. Thus, how to correctly assess and reasonably prevent OFDI risk has become urgent task for enterprises. This paper takes 20 countries along the "Belt and Road" as the research object and combines the characteristics of technology-oriented enterprises to determine the risk assessment indicators at all levels from four aspects: politics and policy, economy and finance, society and culture, and technological risks. Using fuzzy cluster analysis, the countries along the "Belt and Road" are classified into four groups: low, medium-low, medium-high, and high risks and corresponding countermeasures are proposed. Technology-oriented enterprises should raise their political risk awareness, comprehensively assess the economic and financial environment of host countries before making FDIs, implement "localized" operation and management, and pay attention to the protection of intellectual property rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New modes of analysis are required to account for current developments in international cultural politics. To that end, this paper introduces the concept of geocultural diplomacy. It seeks to move beyond current debates about cultural diplomacy, which foreground the nation-state and suffer from narrowly conceived definitions of culture. The concept of the geocultural is offered to explore new developments in world affairs that demand more critical attention.The paper focuses on the example of the Silk Road, which, through its Belt and Road Initiative, China now proclaims to be 'reviving' for the twenty-first century. Three themes – narrative, materiality, values – critically consider how geocultural forms can emerge and stabilize as contexts across which complex, multi-actor diplomatic and cooperative structures form. Through this lens, we begin to see China's desire to build regional alliances combines internationalist values of peace, harmony and openness with strategic national interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: In recent decades, services in international trade have been growing steadily in importance, and there has been strong growth in China's trade in services as a result of the 'opening up' policy. China has become the European Union's second biggest trading partner in services with the European Union (EU), being China's largest trading partner. The EU is one of the addressees of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, which creates opportunities and threads to the European Internal Market in services. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature and fulfil the research gap on the position of China in intra-EU trade in services. Methods: We identified the most important types of services offered by China to purchasers from the EU countries. By using the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) and trade balance (LFI) indices, we classified the Chinese exports to the EU Internal Market by types of services and by their trade position. Findings & value added: We found out that China might be perceived as a strong competitor for intra-EU trade in selected services, especially those concerning low-end service tasks, that use relatively low-skilled labour and are less knowledge- and capital-intensive. However, China's attitude is changing towards more sophisticated services for example R&D. It creates a need for a new approach to the EU economic policies (in terms of both protectionism and interventionism) in trade relations in services with China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This purpose of this paper is to explore China's choice to focus early Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Africa outreach on Eastern Africa. The BRI specifically seeks to achieve ten economic and policy objectives, as outlined in the two launch speeches of 2013. In terms of realising these, the economic development and digitisation levels, that progress of the demographic transition, and the important security context of the sub-region, logically make East Africa relatively important to BRI in continental context. Kenya specifically is important in being an African frontier therein, and, also, because it shares a few important borders with landlocked countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda, alongside a strategic coast and ports. From this lens, as well the fact that in the Ming Dynasty Chinese fleets reached what is modern-day Kenya, China's early BRI outreach to Africa having had a historical precedent in initially focusing on Eastern Africa, might be usefully understood. Design/methodology/approach: To realise that aim a comprehensive survey of related literature and policy documents, in Chinese, English and Swahili, was undertaken and relevant data compiled and analysed. Findings: To the best of the authors' knowledge, first, this paper is the first to argue that the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa may build on abstract long-run logic in terms of economics, demographic change and security. This provides a contrary perspective to the pre-existing established "debt trap diplomacy" and no consistent logic narratives. Second, it is the first to offer a synthesised analysis of the BRI in Africa, East Africa specifically, looking across economic, demographic and security angles. Research limitations/implications: The paper is a synthesis of development and regional economics literature that forges some prospective rationales only. It is not an empirical research paper drawing very specific and definitive conclusions. Practical implications: Amid widespread geo-economic tensions and uncertainty, around the Belt and Road Initiative in particular, this paper offers a new economic development-oriented logic for the choice of an important node of the China's Belt and Road Initiative, that of East Africa, Kenya especially. This may impact existing related narratives and policy responses. Social implications: Equivalently to the above this may then have an impact on the ground in East Africa and beyond. Originality/value: The first such or even close to synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign trade and technological innovation are major driving forces for the development of the Belt and Road Initiative. This paper investigates the green development of 32 countries along the Belt and Road during the period of 2010–2018, and uses the Data Envelopment Analysis method to measure the green development level of countries along the Belt and Road. Based on the dynamic panel model, the system generalized method of moments is used to estimate the impact of foreign trade and technological innovation on green development. The results indicate that most of countries along the Belt and Road are in inefficient green development, and that there is still much room for improvement. Meanwhile, foreign trade and technological innovation can significantly contribute to green development of countries along the Belt and Road. Further research has found that there is a threshold effect on the impact of technological innovation on green development of countries along the Belt and Road. Therefore, it is suggested that policymakers should promote green development of countries along the Belt and Road by strengthening their trade flows, improving innovation efficiency, changing the way of urbanization and optimizing their health care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of China's bilateral currency swap agreements (BSAs) on bilateral direct investments (BDIs). We treat signing China's BSAs as a quasi-natural experiment and employ the gravity model with a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method to explore the relationship between signing China's BSAs and BDIs. Our empirical results suggest that signing China's BSAs and increasing their value can effectively boost BDIs. The findings remain robust after utilizing the propensity score matching DID (PSM-DID) method, the instrumental variable method, adding additional explanatory variables, and eliminating interference from critical events. In addition, we find that the impact of China's BSAs on BDIs varies significantly depending on partner country features, such as level of development, whether to sign the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), trade relations with China, and the degree of capital account openness. Moreover, the governance quality in the host country has a positive moderating effect on the impact of China's BSAs on the country's FDI. Our study has vital policy implications for governments worldwide that have signed China's BSAs and those that want to promote BDIs by signing China's BSAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to investigate the influence of political relations on the depth of BRI financial cooperation. This research first theoretically explains the unique impact of political relations on the development of financial cooperation using a network evolutionary gaming analysis. Then through the Generalized Least Square (GLS) and Propensity Score Method (PSM) model, this paper empirically shows that political relations can influence the establishment of financial cooperation after accounting for the possible endogenous effect. In addition, the countries more politically intimate with China than the U.S. are more likely to form financial cooperation with China. The results are robust with respect to the choice of different models, including Heckman two-steps method of treatment effects model, and long term OLS model. This study provides insights for the future of the multi-currency international monetary system, as a contrast to the U.S. dollar dominated international monetary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial interaction model is an effective way to explore the geographical disparities inherent in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by simulating spatial flows. The traditional gravity model implies the hypothesis of equilibrium points without any reference to when or how to achieve it. In this paper, a dynamic gravity model was established based on the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) theory to estimate and monitor the interconnection intensity and dynamic characters of bilateral relations. In order to detect the determinants of interconnection intensity, a Geodetector method was applied to identify and evaluate the determinants of spatial networks in five dimensions. The empirical study clearly demonstrates a heterogeneous and non-circular spatial structure. The main driving forces of spatial-temporal evolution are foreign direct investment, tourism and railway infrastructure construction, while determinants in different sub-regions show obvious spatial differentiation. Southeast Asian countries are typically multi-island area where aviation infrastructure plays a more important role. North and Central Asian countries regard oil as a pillar industry where power and port facilities have a greater impact on the interconnection. While Western Asian countries are mostly influenced by the railway infrastructure, Eastern European countries already have relatively robust infrastructure where tariff policies provide a greater impetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China is enhancing its policy-making activities through the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI), also the contribution of its foreign policy think tanks' has become more prominent and their policy influence deserves a meticulous scrutiny. Starting out from a theoretic paradigm of "field of power" and an analytical framework of the "policy-making pendulum between horizontal and vertical fragmentation", this paper is a case-study of comparing the "Central-Level" China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) with the "Provincial-Level" Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS) by analyzing the impact of their influences on shaping China's BRI policy-making. Thus, this case-study focuses on CIIS and SIIS relevant meetings to evaluate their connections with the four "sub-fields" (politics, business, academia and media) of China's "field of power", particularly their relations with national political leadership and policy-makers. This paper reveals that, while CIIS enjoys more advantages and is more closely connected to some key parts of the central-level policy-makers than SIIS, the links between SIIS with central ministries are still more intimate than its contacts with provincial policy-makers. This case-study also reveals that China's political power and resources committed to BRI-related policy-making are largely concentrated within the central and top leadership, which might be further strengthened by the latest round of reorganization within China's Communist Party central leadership and state institutions in March 2018. Further, the links between CIIS and SIIS with business, academia and media are varied, and all this deserves more detailed scholarly attention and future analysis of the key policy influence mechanism of Chinese foreign policy think tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The logistics industry is a basic and strategic industry that supports the development o f national economy and society. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the logistics efficiency of 22 cities in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces in China, and to grasp the problems and constraints and present policy proposals to promote the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. In this paper, five input indexes and four output indexes were selected and the data from 2016 to 2018 were analyzed through DEA method. According to the analysis, the logistics efficiency of Guangxi and Yunnan provinces is not bad overall, but the development of each region is not balanced and the level of logistics efficiency is quite different. And it is found that each city needs to further improve the level of scale because the input and production structure of logistics resources is unreasonable. The limitation of this study is that it is difficult to generalize the analysis results because only the data over the past three years have been analyzed. It is necessary to comprehensively implement longitudinal and transverse analyses by extending the future analysis period over a long period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an experiment in collective writing conducted in Autumn 2019 at the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University. The experiment involves 12 international masters' students reading the course based on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), their professor Michael Peters, visiting professor Petar Jandrić, and a mix of senior Chinese and Western scholars. To successfully complete the course, the students were required to produce a 3000-word paper of publishable quality. As part of this writing process we decided to engage in the experiment of collective writing where we aimed to produce a single paper consisting of the abstracts. This collective paper was developed in 7 steps. (1) Students submitted their 250-word abstracts. (2) Students were introduced into the methodology of collective writing, and 2 student-editors – Ogunniran Moses Oladele and Benjamin Green – volunteered to work on the paper. (3) Michael Peters wrote the introduction. (4) Abstracts were expanded to 500 words and integrated into a single document. (5) Petar Jandrić began to edit the paper and write a conclusion. (6) Students presented their abstracts in the class, where Michael Peters and Petar Jandrić provided direct feedback. (6) Revised abstracts were again integrated into a single document by student editors, and proofread / copy-edited in several exchanges with the instructors (7) The paper was subject to the process of open review, and the reviewer's comments were included in the paper. Resulting from months of collective work, the final paper provides a wide range of views ad perspectives to the question of education as a part of the BRI initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Visnyk of Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series "Geology-Geography-Ecology" is the property of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University 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.)

Under the background of the Belt and Road Initiative, this paper constructs a measurement equation for China's exports to the five Central Asian countries based on the gravity model of international trade for the purpose of forecasting China's future export growth potential. This paper selects China's GDP, trading partners' GDP, geographical distance, borders, railway freight volume, population growth rate and WTO as explanatory variables, based on what we construct multiple measurement equations. We use panel data from 2010 to 2017 to perform multiple regression analysis under the random effects model. We find that the model using China's GDP, trading partners' GDP, geographical distance, and borders as explanatory variables has a higher degree of fitness and each key explanatory variable is significant. Basing on the obtained measurement equation and the World Bank's forecast of the economic growth of various countries, we forecast that China's exports to the five Central Asian countries can maintain stable growth in the short term. By 2022, China's total exports to the five Central Asian countries will reach 2,353,510.82 million USD which will be 1.09 times that of 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's borderlands have received increased investment and policy attention since Beijing formally launched the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. This special issue, comprised of four research articles and a photo essay, is designed to provide a timely intervention into the growing literature seeking to situate and assess this important policy campaign. Drawing on extended ethnographic fieldwork in China's southwestern, northwestern, and northern borderlands, the contributing authors analyze recent borderland transformations against the backdrop of the BRI. However, by shifting the analytical focus to prioritize voices and events in borderlands, the papers de-center Beijing-centric discourse on the BRI, and provide urgent reminders of region-specific geographies and histories. Taken together, the papers underscore the persistent social complexity of borderland situations, revealing intricate processes of resistance, adaptation, and muddling through, while highlighting continuities and ruptures associated with the present moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of regional integration becomes indispensable for peace at state, regional and international level. This paper aims to highlight Pakistan and China's cooperation in achieving regional integration and their steps towards a new phase of geo-economic relations. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will have considerable implications not only for China and Pakistan but also for Central Asia Republics (CARs). CPEC is part of China's advancement planning of One Belt One Road (OBOR,) which intends to link it with South Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa via land and sea. CPEC is prone to steer a large economic activity in Pakistan and at the same time, its spill-over effects will have positive impact on CARs. CPEC comes in high times when Pakistan gets membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and signs energy projects such as Central Asia-South Asia (CASA-1000) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan Pakistan India gas Pipeline (TAPI). Hence the paper raises the questions; why CARs are taking interests in ongoing regional integration projects of China and Pakistan? How will Pakistan act as a bridge in connecting CARs with other regions? The paper endeavors to prove that CPEC is an important project for CARs, eventually it will steer regional peace and harmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the large fluctuation of import and export volume and many influencing factors, it is difficult for the general prediction algorithm to obtain more accurate prediction results. To solve this problem, a trade forecasting method based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) optimization hybrid Relevance Vector Machine (RVM) model is proposed. The method firstly finds out the indexes that affect the import and export trade and extracts the principal factors of the indexes as the input data of the model through principal component analysis. Then, based on the single-kernel RVM model training with multiple different kernel functions, the multikernel weighting method was used to construct the hybrid kernel RVM model according to the prediction error of the single-kernel RVM model. Finally, the parameters of the hybrid kernel model were optimized by PSO to improve the prediction accuracy. Close trade will strengthen the dependence between countries, and under this premise, it becomes particularly important to study the frequency of trade between countries. In this paper, the countries along the Belt and Road are classified by the method of high-order directed graph clustering, and the trade transactions between the countries are represented by a small network subgraph. Then, the 65 trading countries are classified by cutting graph and K-means clustering method, and the classification results are obtained by running relevant codes in MATLAB. The results are represented by the lattice graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of internationalization, China has put forward the strategy of "one belt and one road"; this puts forward higher requirements for the cultivation of internationalized and compound talents for English majors in China. However, through the investigation of the present situation of College Students' oral English teaching and their oral competence, it is found that college students' oral English competence and intercultural communication competence are generally low. The teaching concept is backward, the teaching mode is outdated, there are few opportunities for oral practice, and there is a lack of real communication environment. The level of teachers needs to be improved. The purpose of this paper was to design oral English teaching based on embedded microprocessor, aiming at the empirical research on the cultivation of College Students' intercultural communicative competence. This paper puts forward a teaching experiment scheme, which is guided by processor-based teaching method and guided by cultural teaching skills. Teaching skills refer to the stable and complex teaching behavior system formed by teachers using the existing teaching theoretical knowledge and practice. It includes both skills based on teaching theory and experience in practical use. In order to improve students' intercultural communicative competence through oral class and to verify the applicability of processor-based approach in oral English class of College English to improve students' intercultural communicative competence, this paper conducts a one-semester teaching experiment. Processor-based teaching method and traditional teaching method are used in the experiment. Through these two teaching methods, the standard deviations of test scores are 3.2 and 3.0, respectively. Embedded has become the most common application method for the intelligentization of electronic systems. In addition to setting up separate courses, embedded systems are the most widely used means in many practical aspects involved, such as course design, graduation design, graduate thesis, and other topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Research in Economics is the property of Journal of Research in Economics 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.)

Soft power is commonly presented as an alternative or a complement to harder forms of power, such as military and economic might. However, while it is safer to say that soft power does not depend on military capabilities, it is not as straightforward to separate soft power from its economic counterpart. Juxtaposing various soft power rankings with a country's economic assets may reveal how soft power relies on economic resources. Moreover, when closely scrutinised, it is possible to appreciate how dynamics of attraction are also closely intertwined with economic gains. In an increasingly connected world, soft power could prove to be instrumental in achieving economic success. Economic effects are expected to be more consistent, observable, and attainable when compared to political ones, such as spreading democracy. Far from arguing that soft power is unable to assist in achieving political goals in the long term, this paper aims instead to highlight how a narrow culture-centred analysis of soft power greatly limits the understanding of this power in the real world, and results in the underestimation of its value and impact. China's quest to connect the world through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a topical case through which to further explore the soft–economic power nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Railroad Economic Belt (REB, yilu yidai) was initiated by the China Railway Corporation to support the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The goal of REB is to enhance interconnectivity and deepen the BRI's infiltration through the export of 'China Standards' (zhongguo biaozhun) in railway development. This paper focuses on China's export of the 'China Standard' in highspeed rail and the further integration of Eurasia through the China Railway Express (zhong'ou banlie). It examines their implications on the global highspeed rail market and global logistics governance, respectively. Indeed, China can become a rule-maker in some functional domains of global governance. This paper argues that the expansion of Chinese standards has been done through a 'top-level design' approach. Chinese economic statecraft focused on strengthening policy guidance and power concentration at the central level. Standards that are competing in nature face daunting challenges as they have receive backlashes from international competitors. On the other hand, those that are complementary have been much more receptive to international actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory article is interested in how transnational foreign policy ideas are shaped and institutionalised. One such idea that has re-emerged more prominently since the early 2000s is that of the 'Indo-Pacific' that covers the geoeconomic landscape of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The question is whether such a concept can exist beyond white papers and the current environment of US–China competition. In order to understand how transnational concepts become embedded and promoted, the example of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – not only as the perceived anti-thesis to the Indo-Pacific but also as a relatively successful concept in Africa–China ties – will be examined. While there is no strict formula for the success of foreign policy ideas that go on to become institutionalised, it is of interest to understand the elements and contexts that bring about concept durability beyond their initial formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weaponization of racialized imagery has been a common feature of geopolitical contestation in contemporary history. The paper critically examines the historical genesis of Sinophobic narratives, which have been common features of the big power geopolitical contestation in the Pacific. The globalization of capitalism in the nineteenth century and the West's attempts to penetrate the Chinese market and exploitation of its resources led to tension, skirmishes and wars. The myth of racial European superiority and corresponding inferiority of the Chinese was weaponized as an ideological justification for colonial domination, exploitation of cheap labour and appropriation of China's resources and wealth. In recent years, the Sinophobic paranoia has been exacerbated by China's Belt and Road initiative, a strategy at global economic and technological supremacy to counter the West's dominance. This competition for global hegemony is played out in various parts of the world and the Pacific included. The paper critically discusses various historical factors associated with Sinophobia in the context of the USA, France and Australia and how these have influenced these countries' contemporary approaches to Chinese expansionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission reduction under the Belt and Road Initiative has great significance on China's goal of carbon peak. To better promote carbon emission reduction, based on the background of the Belt and Road Initiative, this paper analyzes the collaborative carbon emission reduction through investment between Chinese enterprises and local enterprises in developing countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. Considering the efforts of enterprises in carbon reduction, low-carbon infrastructure investment, and promotion of low-carbon products, this paper constructs a differential game model of collaborative carbon reduction cooperation between Chinese enterprises and local enterprises in developing countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. By horizontally comparing Nash non-cooperative mode, Stackelberg master-slave mode, and cooperative mode, the results shows that Chinese enterprises can encourage local enterprises in developing countries along the Belt and Road Initiative to coordinate carbon emission reduction through subsidies, which is Stackelberg master-slave mode. Under the cooperative mode, with the maximum carbon emission reduction efforts of both parties, the total benefit of carbon emission reduction reaches the optimal Pareto equilibrium. In addition, this paper also discusses the influence of related factors on the benefits of carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nPlain Language SummaryThe Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has evolved from its ambitious beginning into a framework focused on high-quality development (HQD), emphasizing environmental sustainability and people-centered development. This study examines to what extent these new directives are implemented in the context of China’s overseas economic zones (OEZs), employing a multi-actor-influence model to analyze the complex interactions and challenges inherent in these projects. Focusing on the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone (VSDZ) in Laos, our analysis identifies three primary institutional challenges: fragmentation between the central and local governments in China, structural constraints imposed on Chinese businesses, and inadequate cooperation between Chinese and host country actors. These challenges underscore the complexities of translating Beijing’s top-down policy into effective action on the ground. The paper concludes with a discussion of the broader implications of these findings for the BRI’s future development.This study examines Beijing’s recent strategic shift in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) towards high-quality development (HQD), focusing on sustainable environmental practices and enhancing local livelihoods. Our policy analysis confirms Beijing’s commitment to these goals. However, challenges arise due to the BRI’s decentralized implementation and the varied influences of multiple actors from both China and the host countries. We explore these challenges through a detailed case study of the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone (VSDZ) in Laos, identifying three key issues: fragmentation between Chinese central and local governments, constraints on Chinese businesses, and inadequate cooperation between Chinese and host country actors.Our study contributes in three significant ways. First, it adds to the discussion of Beijing’s transition towards HQD and the BRI’s global influence through a review of Chinese policies and an analytical model elucidating the realities of BRI implementation. Second, it theorizes that outcomes of BRI projects are shaped more by local circumstances and stakeholder actions than by policies alone. Finally, it suggests potential measures to help realize HQD within the BRI framework in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen regional connectivity so as to embrace a brighter future together. Since the Initiative was put forward, it has brought many challenges to China's English education policy. By employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Word2Vec, this study analyzes the evolution of topics and challenges in China's English education policy under the Belt and Road Initiative. The results indicate that after the initiative, the policy focus has changed. English education has shifted from testing abilities to cultivating students' intercultural communication skills in order to meet the needs with countries alongside the "Belt and Road". Moreover, teaching strategies that were examination-oriented have also changed to emphasizing teaching methods and feedback. The focus and teaching strategies have also undergone great changes. China's English education policy has shifted from focusing on improving students' writing skills, English proficiency, and creativity to conducting in-depth research and addressing specific issues, including challenges in linguistics, media influence, educational institutions and programs, online courses, attitudes and self-efficacy, use of multiple languages and globalization, teaching issues, and curriculum design. These findings shed light on how the Belt and Road Initiative changed China's English education policy and provide further directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a bridge for international trade, maritime transportation security is crucial to the global economy. Southeast Asian waters have become a high-incidence area of global piracy attacks due to geographic location and complex security situations, posing a great threat to the development of the Maritime Silk Road. In this study, the factors affecting the risk of pirate attacks are analyzed in depth by using the Global Ship Piracy Attacks Report from the IMO Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) database (i.e., 2013–2022) in conjunction with a Bayesian Network (BN) model, and the Expectation Maximization algorithm is used to train the model parameters. The results show that piracy behaviors and the ship's risk are the key factors affecting the risk of pirate attacks, and suggestions are made to reduce the risk of pirate attacks. This study develops a theoretical basis for preventing and controlling the risk of pirate attacks on ships, which helps maintain the safety of ship operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China has significantly increased trade in countries along the Belt and Road (B&R). Since most of these countries are developing and emerging economies, the pressure to reduce carbon emissions poses a leading challenge for them. Carbon productivity has become a key indicator for assessing the degree of low-carbon development, as it can link economic development with CO2 emission reduction. However, few studies have investigated how international trade affects carbon productivity. Based on panel data from 43 countries along the B&R during 2001–2019, this paper uses a system GMM model to explore the impact of international trade on carbon productivity. Then, we divide the 43 countries in the sample into two groups according to their income levels to compare the different effects of international trade on carbon productivity. The results show that, first, the carbon productivity of the examined B&R countries has an overall increasing trend, and there is a significant heterogeneity of carbon productivity among countries with different income levels. Second, the effects of international trade, export, and import on carbon productivity are all significantly positive, and export's effect is higher than import. In the high-income group, carbon productivity is more likely to be improved by trade than in the middle (low)-income group. Third, economic development level, urbanization, and energy productivity are positively associated with carbon productivity, while CO2 per capita and government size inhibit carbon productivity improvement. Insight into the impact of international trade on carbon productivity provides theoretical support for B&R countries to better leverage foreign trade activities to achieve a green economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first comprehensive research to examine the effect of circular economy on environment employing two environmental degradation indicators (CO2 emissions, ecological footprint) and one environmental quality indicator (load capacity factor) for 57 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries during 2000–2019. The effect of other variables such as renewable energy, industrialization, and globalization was also controlled. The study applied the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag method (CS-ARDL), the augmented mean group (AMG), and common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG) methods as a robustness checks. The empirical findings reveal that circular economy and renewable energy have pro-environmental effects by decreasing carbon emissions and ecological footprint and increasing the load capacity factor in BRI countries. However, industrialization and globalization have detrimental effects on the environment. The result of causality shows a bidirectional causality between renewable energy, circular economy, industrialization, and three environmental indicators, but the relationship of globalization with CO2 emissions and the load capacity factor is unidirectional and with the ecological footprint is bidirectional. All the results are confirmed by the robustness tests. The study suggests policy implications for the BRI government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is poised to profoundly reshape the regional geographical landscape. While existing communication studies on BRI have focused on the official and media narratives to frame the initiative, the overall orientation of the topic in academic circles is not well understood. By conducting a bibliometric literature review, this paper addresses this gap by answering the research question: How is the BRI reflected in the academic literature? In the review, we divide all academic studies on BRI into four cohorts (studies from scholars based in China, in Quad countries, in the rest of the world, and cross-collaborating scholars) and use structural topic model to understand the themes and trends on BRI scholarship from scholars from these regions. Our results show that scholars in different cohorts understand BRI differently, specifically, with China-based scholars projecting ideas of development, growth and sustainability, while Quad-based scholars mostly focus on the geopolitical impact, security implications and debt sustainability of BRI. The findings also show a divergence between popular narratives on BRI and academic research on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Part of UN sustainable development goal 9 is upgrading production capabilities. • Increasing economic complexity is a key driver for sustainable economic growth. • Sequential model selection used for robust generalised method of moments estimation. • Chinese FDI evidently shows a positive impact on host countries' economic complexity. • Global policy makers should deepen their relationships with the belt and road. Upgrading the production capabilities in all countries is a target of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 9. Increasing economic complexity, that is, a country's ability to manufacture more sophisticated products and thus moving up the value chain, is a key driver for sustainable economic growth. This paper investigates whether Chinese Belt and Road investments have impacted the economic complexity of host countries — a topic not addressed in the literature to date, using a sequential generalised method of moments model selection approach. The research focuses on the countries whose economic complexities are below that of China. Our empirical results show significant positive effects of Chinese investments on such host countries' economic complexities. The inflows of Chinese investments have thus supported the upgrading of production capabilities in these countries. This is encouraging, especially for the Global South countries, to intensify their interactions with the Belt and Road initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. 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.)

Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. 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.)

When studying an unfamiliar system, we first look for the symmetry that the system has so that we can make many predictions about the possible properties of the system. The symmetry in transport network security needs to maintain a stable state and maintain a constant state of transport network security. With the development of China–Europe freight trains, the transport between Asia and Europe has gradually formed the Belt and Road (B&R) land–sea transport network. In order to analyze the cascading failure mechanism of the B&R land–sea transport network, a network cascading failure model is constructed. Then, the quantitative analysis of the connectivity indicators of the land–sea transport network is conducted from the node attack strategy, and it is compared with the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) shipping network. Finally, the robustness of the land–sea transport network under emergencies is analyzed. From the results of deliberate attacks, the attack threshold of the B&R land–sea transport network is the same as that of the MSR shipping network, and the maximum number of attacks is slightly less than that of the MSR shipping network. The Russia–Ukraine conflict has a minimal impact on the robustness of cascading failure in the land–sea transport network. The Red Sea crisis may have a significant impact on the robustness of cascading failure in the land–sea transport network. The research results can provide suggestions for improving the robustness of the B&R land–sea transport network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores China's growing political and economic influence in Madagascar. Despite its small population and weak indicators, Madagascar's strategic location and natural resources make it important geopolitically. China has taken advantage of Madagascar's vulnerabilities and the lack of attention from other major powers to establish a political foothold on the island. The article examines China's loans and aid programs, as well as its increasing involvement in Madagascar's maritime sector. While China's involvement has brought development and infrastructure projects, there have also been concerns about the influx of Chinese goods and environmental issues. China's focus on economic impact rather than political and economic reforms, as well as its involvement in port projects and oil exploration, further solidify its presence in Madagascar. However, China's activities, such as illegal fishing and the illegal trade of rosewood, have raised concerns. China's engagement in Madagascar is part of its broader strategy to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean region. [Extracted from the article]

This paper evaluates the general equilibrium trade and welfare effects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). We estimate the partial trade effect of the BRI using the synthetic control method. By feeding the implied trade cost reduction into counterfactual equations, we simulate the general equilibrium trade and welfare effects of the BRI based on the structural gravity model. We find that the BRI has greatly increased China's and BRI members' trade and welfare, with little impact on non‐BRI members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After Anwar Ibrahim assumed office in November 2022, Malaysia's China policy, including its stance towards the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was again thrust into the limelight. This paper analyses Malaysia's responses towards BRI since 2013 and argues that the "shift" is not to abandon its cooperation or adjust its overall foreign policy with China, but to cater for two sets of domestic considerations – the need for development and inter-elite competition, and eventual regime legitimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Strategic & Social Research is the property of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Social Science Institute 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.)

The following material proposes an analysis of the dynamics of the People's Republic of China worldwide in recent years. Chinese civilization is marked by its inventions that contributed to the development of mankind: compass, gunpowder, paper, printing, silk, seismograph, compass, wheelbarrow. Lao Tzu introduced the idea of living in harmony, and Confucius emphasized ethical values for a harmonious society. China is a very large country with a fairly large population. These elements could portray China as a great power, but on the other hand they may also pose challenges that the Chinese authorities must manage. Among the solutions to solve domestic challenges would be attracting certain resources from abroad, as well as Beijing's credibility worldwide. How is it possible to materialize such solutions? Through the Belt and Road Initiative megaprojects. At first glance things seem to center on the economic and cultural side. In reality, the issues are much deeper. China, through its East Asian civilization, has to go through negotiations with nations with different cultures and, implicitly, strategic narratives that prevent the conclusion of contracts in building joint projects. Most likely, Beijing will eventually succeed in achieving its global goals and reaping the benefits, especially due to the soft power strategies it wields. Was ancient isolation a factor why China did not engage in tactics at the opposite pole as other international actors have historically displayed themselves? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses China's foreign language education policies (FLEPs) from ancient China to the present, examining their origin, development, reform, present situation, and future direction. The analysis offers detailed insights into the background, content, and impact of crucial FLEPs in China at different times. The study highlights the role of English as a lingua franca in communication between China and the rest of the world and the consequent focus of China's FLEPs on English. However, with the advent of the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R), attention has gradually shifted towards foreign language education (FLE) in other languages. The main focal point of this study is on the reform and adjustment of China's FLEPs to meet the new situation, opportunities, and challenges along with the B&R's implementation, aiming at offering theoretical and practical references for improving FLEPs in China and the Belt and Road nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines China-Zambia bilateral relations from a historical perspective. In particular, it looks at how these relations have been changing in emphasis from the pre-independence era to the present and the factors associated with these changes. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data. Secondary data were mainly collected from government reports, while qualitative data were collected from some key informants using in-depth interviews. The discussion and analysis is informed by the pentagonal analytical framework. The findings demonstrate that bilateral relations been the two countries have been changing but only in emphasis; from the pre-independence period, which was characterized by support for the liberation of Zambia, through the provision of development aid immediately afterward, and now to the current focus on trade and investment, which is more economic in orientation. It has also been frequently argued that the contracting process for loans should be more transparent so that it is inclusive and not just left to the executive arm of government without involving the national assembly. In order for Zambia to benefit from this engagement the country needs good leadership, but this has been lacking until recently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on Laos's engagement with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), this article examines the role and limits of host-county agency toward foreign-backed infrastructure connectivity cooperation. Based on fieldwork observations, semi-structured interviews, and scholarly literature, this paper finds that Laos's agency toward the BRI has been mixed and uneven, with both active and passive elements. That is, while Laos actively initiated cooperation with China on the Vientiane-Boten railway and other projects, during the negotiation and implementation phases it was at times passive and acquiescent. While the Lao government has attempted to shape the processes, it is unclear how successful these attempts have been. Although the Lao authorities have pursued pragmatic planning in order to benefit more fully from ventures with China, it is too early to determine actual progress. We argue that such patterns of agency result from internal and external dynamics. Internally, while Lao elites' performance legitimation has been the main driver motivating the small state's embrace of the BRI, its capacity to gather feedback, act responsively, and correct its course of cooperation has been limited by its one-party political system and near absence of societal agency. Externally, a lack of alternative infrastructure partner has further constrained Laos's developmental options. Looking ahead, external partners have an important role to play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine what factors played a determining role in creating new and dynamic bilateral relationships between the "sixteen" smaller European states and China, particularly the Republic of Serbia. Our research will notably examine the expressed capacity of the local actors in Serbia and their main drivers to accept and support China's initiatives. A new chapter in cooperation with the People's Republic of China (PRC) resulted from the one-sided PRC initiative. Vulnerable to the consequences of the global economic crises and neglected by Brussels, member states among the "sixteen" were attracted to China's promise of market access for their products and investment. The Balkan states, severely affected by the civil war in the 1990s and the dismemberment of Yugoslavia, were in an even grimmer condition and even further from substantial developmental assistance from Brussels. The domestic economic and somewhat political drivers were the main ones that existed with all the local agents and their willingness to engage. In the case of Serbia, there were also powerful peace and security issues. Additional drivers come from international relations, and major power rivalries became increasingly apparent with the rise of project numbers and values and China's growing political clout over the included countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]