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Pandemics always create dreadful effects not only on human life but also drastically influence businesses and industries. Historical evidence has apparently indicated that the outbreak of Spanish flu, SARS, MERS, and Ebola viruses, all created radical impacts on businesses around the globe, leaving behind the economic structures into miseries and deprivations. Similar is the case of COVID-19 outbreak which instigated from China and dispersed all over the globe. In Pakistan, the first case was reported in March 2020 and since then the government has relentlessly tried to impose lockdown and social distancing in order to avert the harm. It has been substantiated that the public isolations and lockdowns have not only yielded negative impacts on the economy but also on different forms of business and employment. Therefore, this study is aimed to analyze potential impacts of COVID-19 on different forms of industries in Pakistan through gathering the public opinion as the source of data. The study is one of the preliminary studies therefore it is based on descriptive design in order to show perceived impact of outbreak of virus. Results indicated that the pandemic is harmful and affecting most of the business in negative manner however there are some businesses which are burgeoning on opportunities emerged from the pandemic and attaining growth due to the spread of the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is very significant project owing to its development in Pakistan and China. It is evident that this project is promoting sustainable development in both countries in many ways. The objective of this research paper is to study about the sustainability of CPEC in adopting the environment related initiatives. It has been argued that CPEC is a difference maker in terms of improving infrastructure, protecting environment and boosting of the trade between Beijing and Islamabad. That is why, both nations have adopted multi-dimensional initiatives to save the environment. However, there is need to improve this process. Still there are many environmental challenges to this significant project. Considering the development under this project both Pakistan and China aspire to engage in clean energy cooperation to ensure sustainable environment. Both countries need to formulate guidelines and protocols for a green investment project roadmap to address the challenges of sustainable environment which are still missing at the policy level. By employing qualitative methods based on research material from secondary sources, this research aims to study the initiatives taken by Pakistan to make CPEC an ecofriendly and environmentally sustainable project. This is evident that CPEC project experience moderate but short term environment challenges due major infrastructure reforms. Furthermore, these environmental challenges are stern and can create hindrance in economic development for Pakistan and China if certain environmental regulations could not be adopted. This paper recommends that both states needs to adopt concrete, composite, bilateral environmental cooperation for the sustainability of CPEC project for durable time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US National Security Strategy of 2022 introduced a relatively new concept of Integrated Deterrence (ID) that will likely impact security discourse amongst global rivals such as the US, China, and Russia while affecting the strategic thinking of relatively smaller powers like India, Pakistan, and others. With an expanded scope and objectives, ID aims to build and integrate the entire spectrum of capabilities of the US, its allies, and partners against the perceived threat from China and possibly Russia. Resultantly, the paper focuses on implications of ID for security and strategic stability in South Asia. India, being a major strategic partner with the will to play a significant role in the US-led China containment strategy, is likely to be a major beneficiary of the new US posture of ID. With enhanced and integrated military capabilities, India is likely to adopt a more hostile posture towards its neighbours, especially Pakistan, thus forcing the latter to develop options in the form of 'Integrated Response', to help maintain strategic stability in the region without indulging in an arms race, and by maintaining neutrality in the evolving US-China great power competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese mammoth investment projects abroad, and especially those under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) umbrella, are receiving heavy scrutiny in academic and policy circles. However, there is insufficient empirical evidence to evaluate their impact. This paper employs a difference- in-differences approach and a pair of new datasets on government spending and economic activity compiled by the World Bank to examine the local impacts of the Chinese-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan. It finds that the 2013 announcement of CPEC was accompanied by a disproportionate increase in government spending in CPEC districts. However, in the six years after it was first announced, CPEC has not directly contributed a significant increase in economic activity in the districts along its path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a mega-project of primarily infrastructure-related loans and investments in Pakistan. Recently, the official discourse has increasingly shifted to the agricultural sector. For the region of Gilgit-Baltistan bordering China, academic and policy debates highlight the potential boost of fruit exports to China as the most promising opportunity to be leveraged through the CPEC. This paper scrutinizes these promises from a locally grounded perspective, investigating potential benefits and risks for local farmers. To make sense of the complex interplay between external and local actors, interests, markets and (infra)structures, the paper follows an assemblage-inspired approach to map out local trajectories. Contrary to the CPEC narrative, agricultural exports from Gilgit-Baltistan recently came to a halt, due to increasing trade barriers and seemingly competing agricultural developments in neighboring Xinjiang, China. Moreover, the economically most promising local crop for export to China, namely cherries, does not seem too promising for the majority of small farmers. There are other commodities with export potential, but overall, prospects appear to be limited. There is a need for a deeper engagement with the inherent complexities of CPEC trajectories, particularly in regards to local farming contexts in Pakistan and relevant developments in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the socio-economic and geopolitical outcomes associated with infrastructure development across multiple scales. Starting from the premise that planetary socio-technical transformations in this vein have distinctly national drivers, we focus on the urban agency of Chinese-led investment. The paper explores how different forms of infrastructural development generated by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) affects transformations in the political and material fabric of cities and their host regions. We approach BRI-related infrastructural practice through three interconnected optics – discourse, instruments, and politics – so as to interrogate the articulation of projects linked to the BRI within the material site of the urban. Based on theorisations of infrastructure from an urban perspective and a critical review of literature on the BRI itself, we develop three illustrative case studies at different spatial scales and within different geographic contexts – in Pakistan, Central Europe and the UK. To examine the cases as well as their embeddedness in broader debates on the topic, we use a systematic review methodology relying on a wide variety of sources. We offer comparative and relational perspectives on the manner in which these relatively diverse cases demonstrate China's role as a global urban actor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a novel statistical approach for analyzing the daily coronavirus case and fatality statistics. The survival discretization method was used to generate a two-parameter discrete distribution. The resulting distribution is referred to as the "Discrete Marshall–Olkin Length Biased Exponential (DMOLBE) distribution". Because of the varied forms of its probability mass and failure rate functions, the DMOLBE distribution is adaptable. We calculated the mean and variance, skewness, kurtosis, dispersion index, hazard and survival functions, and second failure rate function for the suggested distribution. The DI index demonstrates that the proposed model can represent both over-dispersed and under-dispersed data sets. We estimated the parameters of the DMOLBE distribution. The behavior of ML estimates is checked via a comprehensive simulation study. The behavior of Bayesian estimates is checked by generating 10,000 iterations of Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques, plotting the trace, and checking the proposed distribution. From simulation studies, it was observed that the bias and mean square error decreased with an increase in sample size. To show the importance and flexibility of DMOLBE distribution using two data sets about deaths due to coronavirus in China and Pakistan are analyzed. The DMOLBE distribution provides a better fit than some important discrete models namely the discrete Burr-XII, discrete Bilal, discrete Burr-Hatke, discrete Rayleigh distribution, and Poisson distributions. We conclude that the new proposed distribution works well in analyzing these data sets. The data sets used in the paper was collected from 2020 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review paper assesses the enormous promises and challenges faced by China-Pakistan Economic Corridor [CPEC] since its inception. CPEC not only serves as an economic game-changer but also questions the current social dynamics; hence the paper critically assesses the implications of the mega project from a cultural standpoint. Firstly, the study highlights the diverse nature of the economic ideologies practiced in China and Pakistan and their infiltration in the social fabric thereby creating a distinct mind-set. Secondly, the study examines the perceived challenges between the two countries that encompass cultural differences, language barriers and gaps in technological advancement. Thirdly, a multipronged approach is adopted to hoist a model of cultural framework to revisit the current issues and envisage a positive outcome of the economic venture. Lastly, the intervention of the think tanks for mitigating is discussed to address the potential conflict among people of the two countries arising due to closer contact on daily basis than previously envisioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and ergonomic risk factors are very common in bakery workers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to (1) assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among bakers because they use automated machines or traditional baking, and (2) to determine the strategies to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in bakers. METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted from the beginning to February 4, 2022, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Mesh keywords and phrases were used to execute the search strategy. Information on MSDs and ergonomic risk factors in bakery workers was collected. Two reviewers worked independently on study selection, data extraction, and paper quality ranking. RESULTS: This study identified 14 papers from seven countries. Although the prevalence of MSDs in bakery workers has been studied, only a handful of them have been studied ergonomic risk factors, and the findings have been very limited. The association between different risk factors and MSDs seemed significant compared to many other occupational diseases. The traditional bread-baking system and lack of mechanization may increase the risk of MSDs in bakery workers. CONCLUSION: WRMSDs for bakery workers have been less studied than other occupational diseases. Our systematic review found several significant relations between the factors influencing the prevalence of MSDs. This study also showed the comparison of traditional and modern cooking systems with diseases of the upper limbs, shoulders, and back pain as possible fields for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about a package of infrastructure investment, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This paper uses a range of theoretical perspectives (buttressed by historical and contemporary evidence) to think about the likely impact of CPEC on economic (especially industrial) growth in Pakistan. The theory includes crowding in of private by public investment, social savings, spillovers and the leading sector, and industrial policy. Theory points to some likely growth promoting effects of CPEC, on corporate logistics, shorter transport routes to China, and greater local production of cement. The impact of CPEC is unlikely to be transformative. There is little evidence that CPEC has improved corporate logistics in Pakistan. CPEC may reduce physical distances for overland trade with China but trade is likely to remain seaborne. CPEC construction activity has generated positive spillovers in local construction employment and cement production but no spillovers in either bitumen or steel production. Pakistan lacks a capable state and commitment to an industrial policy that historically have proved important in leveraging transport infrastructure into domestic industrialisation. The most important reason is that Pakistan is a middle-income country and CPEC is too small to create more than modest economic growth benefits for Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant corridor under the "Belt and Road Initiative" is announced by the government of China for numerous transport and energy projects. China focuses greatly on the sustainability of these projects, in accordance with Green Investment Principles. For this, environmental, social, governance, and technological considerations are taken into account. This paper offers a novel assessment of the impact of green sustainability under BRI and the current emission scenario in Pakistan. The question that needs to be addressed here is whether the projects under Belt and Road Initiative are as environment friendly as they claim. In the first phase of this study, we review theories establishing evidence based on existing literature to determine the influence of Belt and Road on economic development. In the next phase, we use Environment Kuznets Curve and apply estimates from Johansson's Cointegration Test to quantify the present environmental scenario of Pakistan and probable environmental risk portrayed by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This paper helps in determining the relationship between carbon emission and three major variables including energy consumption, economic growth, and foreign direct investment (FDI). Cointegration analysis is applied on time series data comprising of a 40 years' period from 1979 to 2019. The paper finds that (i) the belt and road corridors could substantially improve trade, foreign investment, and living conditions for citizens in participating countries; (ii) moreover, this study confirms the presence of one cointegrated equation suggesting the presence of a long term relationship between the CO2 and independent variables and a short run association running from EnC to CO2. The study also proposes a Green BRI Model which formulates a body that devises environmental performance standards, reviews procedures, and ensures that they get implemented on all CPEC projects. The Belt and Road Initiative increases emissions among participating countries. China and corridor economies need to adopt strict policy reforms that increase transparency, expand trade, improve debt sustainability, and mitigate environmental, social, and corruption risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research paper is to emphasize the importance of curriculum alignment with CPEC.The research paper is based secondary data i.e., research papers, reports. The results show that curriculum alignment is utmost importance for the success of the mega project. Further empirical research studies are required to confirm the importance of curriculum refinement according to CPEC requirements. Federal and provincial governments along with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan should chalk out relevant and viable strategies and policies. This paper is focused on the importance of curriculum alignment of universities and vocational centers with CPEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Digital Silk Road provides Beijing with a potent instrument to disrupt undersea cables and gain an advantage in the Indo-Pacific. Submarine fiber-optic cables are critical infrastructure yet vulnerable to sabotage. This paper examines how the planned Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) cable from China could become a new flashpoint in the Western Indian Ocean. The cable has strategic implications, allowing China to project power and leverage its technological edge. Its landing sites in Pakistan and Djibouti would anchor Chinese naval assets in key chokepoints. The civil-military fusion strategy also facilitates surveillance and espionage via the cables. To counter such threats, India and allies must secure submarine cables through monitoring, contingency planning, and multilateral cooperation. Investing in alternative "democratic digital networks" can also mitigate China's ambitions. Ultimately, submarine cables are emerging as a domain of geopolitical competition requiring policies that safeguard their resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Pakistan has embarked on a strategic realignment, prioritizing geoeconomics as a central pillar of its foreign policy. In this study, the core question that is addressed is whether geo-economic turn in Pakistan's foreign policy has led to greater interdependence or enhanced economic, political, and strategic power for Pakistan? The analysis delves into the various dimensions of Pakistan's geo-economic turn, including its efforts to foster regional connectivity, engage in the economic diplomacy, and attract foreign investment. It also examines the nation's evolving relationships with key regional players, such as China, India, Afghanistan, and Central Asian states. Through the study of documents related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and interviews conducted by policymakers and researchers, different dimensions of geo-economics are explored in this paper. A comprehensive review of economic indicators and strategic partnerships helped us to analyze the extent to which Pakistan's geo-economic approach has yielded positive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a cornerstone of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It aims to enhance regional trade and economic expansion in Pakistan. We adopted systematic review approach to investigate the agricultural trade narrative of the CPEC and identify future research avenues. Our study uses the Web of Sciences and Scopus database to extract the relevant literature. We executed the search query for 2013–2023. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement to identify the literature. The final analysis includes only 14 articles. We found that the literature mainly focuses on three topics, Gwadar port, road infrastructure, and agricultural complementarity and competitiveness. The review reveals the significant potential of CPEC on the agricultural trade of Pakistan. Based on the review, we point to avenues that could be considered in future research work to fully exploit the potential of CPEC in the agriculture sector of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China‐Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) increased trade between China and Pakistan, however, it also swelled Pakistan trade deficit with China. The empirical findings of this paper suggest that CPFTA positively contribute to Pakistan exports to China and her imports from China but the increase in Pakistan imports was far greater than Pakistan exports after CPFTA. Resultantly, Pakistan's trade deficit with China increased and Pakistan's growth hampered. Constant market share analysis suggests that a better understanding of the Chinese market, efficient utilization of tariff lines and focus on products of the comparative edge are important for Pakistan to benefit from CPFTA. Otherwise, CPFTA is counterproductive for Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pak-China relations have been exemplary in the contemporary international politics. Both States have been maintaining strong ties in terms of diplomatic and military cooperation. However, the close economic cooperation has added a new dimension in the Pak-China all weather partnership. Over the years, China and Pakistan strategic cooperation has evolved at unprecedented level. In the year 2013, the Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the construction of One Belt One Road (OBOR) that aims to connect China with West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia and Middle East. It is a bitter fact that, since 9/11 Pakistan has suffered in socio-political and especially in economic dimension. The regional security environment and rise of extremism and terrorism has resulted into the hampering economic development. Therefore, the CPEC project will prove to be game changer and when completed it will have deep impact on economic development of Pakistan in future. The CPEC provides an opportunity for Pakistan to stabilize its society and reshape its positive image at international level from fragile State to emerging economy in the South Asian region. The rise of China in economic sphere has been jealously seen by other developed countries while for Pakistan it has been a blessing factor. Thus, PakChina strategic partnership entered into the new phase of economic cooperation that will certainly change the dynamics of the regional politics. This paper aims to discuss the multiple dimensions of CPEC its importance for Pakistan and China along with its internal and external challenges. Moreover, economic and security perspectives will be focused in detail. To fully understand the role of CPEC as driving force of economic prosperity, this paper discusses its potential as a game changer for both China and Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plays an important role in China's 'Belt & Road Initiative'. It is also one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Considering that decentralized disaster governance has been gaining much attention in the world, this paper systematically analyzes the disaster management system in the CPEC region. Specifically, it compares the national, provincial, municipal and community-level institutional mechanisms for disaster management in China and Pakistan, and then closely examines the current trends of decentralized disaster governance based on a recent round of semi-structured and open-ended interviews in Xinjiang, China and Pakistan. Issues and gaps of decentralized disaster governance were drawn out from the experiences of participation among related stakeholders. We found that although the decentralization of the disaster management system has been the main trend in both China and Pakistan, national and provincial disaster management agencies still play a key role in the disaster relief work. Therefore, the centralization and decentralization of disaster management are not contradictory, but the more disaster governance shifts towards decentralization, the more urgent the consolidation of multi-level (vertical) and broader (horizontal) collaboration becomes. Based on this analysis, we aim to provide insights, lessons and recommendations for the way forward for strengthening disaster management in CPEC. In particular, we summarize different but integrated approaches towards effective disaster risk coping strategies and regional cooperation on disaster management in CPEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper posits that the conventional arms trade between China and Pakistan is the most durable aspect of their relationship since the mid‐1960s. It carries out a succinct review of the relations to identify changes in key areas compared to continuity in the arms trade. The paper then looks into China's key motives as a supplier and Pakistan's as a recipient while focusing on political, economic, and technological factors; conversely, it excluded geopolitical reasons. This paper found that a mutuality of interests supports this arms trade. In return for its arms exports to Pakistan, China gained access to Western defense technology, earned revenue, and gained entry into the Islamic world. In addition, Pakistan proved itself as a marketer and testing ground of Chinese weapons. Islamabad initially approached Beijing to make up for the disruption caused by abrupt US sanctions but soon found China the trustiest supplier that also transferred technology, granted licenses for local production, trained engineers, and assisted in building defense industries to gain autarky. Both countries have become irreplaceable allies. The trajectory, marked by joint productions, joint military exercises, and advancement in China's weapon systems, coupled with congruence on regional security issues, indicates further strengthening of this arms trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revolution in the means of communication has made a profound impact on the conduct of public diplomacy worldwide. Communication is now seen as an important component of public diplomacy to ascertain how governments interact with foreign publics in pursuit of their objectives. Countries fully recognize that new media and technologies are crucial to present their stories to the global audience. As an emerging power, China has been proactively expanding its presence in the global communication landscape. China has pronounced 'Going Global' strategy, which is supported by the internationalization of Chinese media and ubiquitous presence at the social media platforms. China's international communication strategy has been aimed at increasing cultural soft power to influence foreign publics. This paper is an attempt to understand China's communication strategy in the public diplomacy sphere with particular reference to the US. The major influence behind China's communication strategy is twofold; first is to dispel negative connotations attached with the rise of China or 'China Threat', and secondly, to improve relations with the US through public diplomacy. For Pakistan, public diplomacy and external communication have been a neglected area of research. A comprehensive public diplomacy strategy and effective external communication approach could be instrumental for Pakistan to improve its image among the foreign audience and present a positive image of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been visualized by political scientists as a structural change in the balance of power of the world. The corridor has far-reaching economic and geopolitical impacts on Southwest Asian countries in general and Pakistan in particular. CPEC, being a transnational project, may face challenges in geographic as well as human terrain during its implementation phase. It would involve extra ordinary engineering resources to execute, massive funds to realize, and political acumen to manage social elements of Southwest Asian countries. This paper, therefore, explores China's evolving relationship with the international system to achieve accelerated infrastructure development and boosted socio-economic growth through regional integration and liberal institutionalism. It is a multilateral strategy that will help Pakistan realize its true potential in the economic and strategic domains. It also endeavors to find linkages between China's multilateralism with regional integration under the framework of CPEC based on liberal values of connectivity. [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]

In order to analysing the oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import and consumption changing trends, the Occurrence Period (OP), Growth Period (GP) and Maturation Period (MP) of oil and LNG import and consumption in China, and studying how the oil and LNG import and consumption changing trends influence the development of China-Pakistan oil and LNG transportation corridor (CPOLTC), in this paper we apply a Growth Curve Model (GCM) based approach to solve the problems mentioned above. First, the Chinese oil and LNG import and consumption changing trends are analysed by applying the GCM. The results show that oil and LNG consumption and import belong to the GP because of the fast industrialization and urbanization development, so the oil and LNG import and consumption demand will increase fast; Then, the External Dependence (ED) is applied to describe the oil and LNG consumption dependence degree in China, the results show that import will remain high ED value, especially for the oil import (over 70%), which means the security of the energy supply chain still remains the central idea of Chin's energy policies. Finally, the challenges and key issues of CPOLTC is analysed. Challenges are: domestic political struggles and institutional defects in Pakistan make the CPOLTC projects lacking of implementation, security along the corridor, influence and competition from external forces, impacts of western project culture, the comprehensive projects establishment ability in Pakistan, etc. The key issues are: Value Engineering (VE) researches for projects, Chinese element such as project construction, management, standards and specifications, assessment of the projects' life cycle and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xi Jinping is one of the strongest presidents Socialist China ever has seen. He revolutionized the country's foreign policy soon after he ascended to the President's Office. He revised China's foreign policy towards South Asia including Pakistan. During the 20th century, China adopted a principled policy of non-intervention in the internal affairs of Pakistan. However, Jinping's rise brought an end to the said policy. This research paper focuses on exploring and analyzing the changes brought by Xi Jinping in the Foreign Policy of China towards Pakistan along with the pros and cons related to the changed foreign policy approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan occupies an elevated role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and hosts its so-called flagship project, the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Existing literature has often interpreted this project from a geopolitical perspective, as a vehicle through which a rising China projects influence on a peripheral country and advances its own centrality in international affairs. While such motivations certainly played a major role in getting the project off the ground, they are not the sole determinant of its design, or the heated controversies it triggered within Pakistan. This paper seeks to capture both dimensions by analysing the development of CPEC, and the handling of the conflicts it sparked, through a lens of overlapping centre–periphery relations: one between China and Pakistan at the international level, and one between Islamabad and peripheral regions and groups within the country. I argue that this model best captures the pivotal position and resulting agency of national governments in shaping local BRI implementations. It also shows how the BRI is not a straight case of Chinese influence radiating outwards; rather, contestation by local actors in turn forces adaptations in Chinese foreign and security policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines how Pakistan and China established the deep strategic ties in changing world dynamics, in which both states are fulfilling their interests. The objective of this paper is examining what is the outlook of this region of Asia, in which the global powers have already taken interests in the past and present, how Pakistan with the help of China can build the structure of geopolitical environment that can provide a plan for future endeavors, prosperity and counter the insecurity, posed by many factors. Pakistan has been an important partner for China in the South Asia in the past 70 years, and now turned into a geopolitical partnership which desires to create an environment for regional connectivity while fulfilling China’s desire to build a road under Belt and Road Initiative to cover the markets of connected regions, Pakistan is the key player for China’s big dream as it possesses the natural route and resources that have been attractive and significant for China. CPEC is the project of Geo-strategic relevance and providing opportunities for Pakistan. To reshape the structure, challenges have posed a threat but both states are determined to fulfill the task for mutual benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the ionospheric responses to the February and April 2023 geomagnetic storms using Total Electron Content (TEC) derived from the 10 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations at the transition of low to mid-latitudes (Approx. 20 ∼ 30°N) across different longitudes in the American and Asian sectors. Significant variations in both sectors were recorded during the recovery phase and were mainly attributed to the Prompt Penetration Electric Field (PPEF), Disturbance Dynamo Electric Field (DDEF) and the thermospheric neutral composition changes as O/N 2 depletion. Similarly, the American and Asian sectors showed TEC enhancements, primarily attributed to the PPEF, during the main phase of the April storm. The negative TEC variations during the recovery phase were observed due to the DDEF and changes in O/N 2. In the Asian sector, positive and negative variations were recorded over Pakistan and China, respectively, during the main phase of the April storm. These variations resulted in high and low concentrations of the O/N 2 ratio due to Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CPEC, a massive economic project under BRI, focuses on the socioeconomic and political dividends in Gilgit Baltistan. It is expected to create more than half a million jobs by creating Special Economic Zones in Gilgit, imparting a boom to the tourism industry and enlarging the scope of e-commerce. Hydropower development, technical expertise, and human resources--resulting from CPEC projects--are also likely to transform the socioeconomic dynamics of the region. This paper argues that the success of CPEC--considering the importance of connectivity for local markets--is likely to transform the region's socio-economic dynamics that will help promote economic and social inclusion of the people, mitigating their sense of deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study exemplifies authentic leadership (AL) and relates it to project success (PS) with the mediating variables of organizational learning (OL) and organizational innovation (OL). None of the existing studies on AL and PS have worked on the mediation of OL and OI on these factors. So far, this paper tries to fill gap between these factors. Design/methodology/approach: The study is done by testing the hypothesis by utilizing the approach of deduction. The tool of data collection utilized is a survey. The methods of data collection involved qualitative techniques as primary approaches of investigation. The study population involves multinational and national companies/organizations working directly or indirectly for CPEC projects. A total of 295 questionnaires were used to gather data from top-level and middle–level management from private or government sector companies working individually or collaboratively on CPEC projects. Out of 295 questionnaires, 35 were rejected for being incomplete, and 260 were further analyzed for research purposes. SPSS and AMOS-21 statistical packages were used for analysis or correlation among variables. Findings: This study claims the positive impact of AL on PS while the OI and OL play a mediating role. Practical implications: This study will add significant literature related to project management. These outcomes gave data on the primary systems of project management that are utilized in the projects or in various organizations to assess the accomplishment of the project with AL, OL and OI. Originality/value: It has gained popularity in the world of management researchers due to its uniqueness and desirability. This study of AL and PS has been comprehensively deliberate to find the variables that affect them. The idea is to analyze the possible effects of OL and innovation on authentic leaders and the overall PS in the China–Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to characterize the global scientific production on environmental management at the global level in the Scopus and Web of Science, between the months of January 2020 to March 2022. A retrospective descriptive bibliometric analysis was carried out. 1133 documents from the Web of database were analyzed. Science and 1687 from Scopus, drawn from 565 and 771 sources respectively. Regarding the number of authors, Scopus presents 6067 and Web of Science, 4043. The rate of collaboration between authors is slightly lower in Web of Science (3.82) compared to 3.95 from Scopus. The most cited article is "Green innovation and environmental performance: The role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management ", the author with the most papers on the subject is Yi Zhang, IOP Conference Series: Earth And Environmental magazine Science stands out as the medium with the largest number of publications related to environmental management, the type of scientific document that stands out the most is the original article, as for the country with the largest number of publications on environmental management, China stands out. With regard to collaboration between countries, China and Pakistan stand out in the case of Web of Science and China and the United States in the case of Scopus. It is concluded that, in recent years, scientific production on environmental management has shown an accelerated increase motivated by the dramatic changes generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a survey and interviews of Pakistani University students and teachers regarding the prospective inclusion of Chinese literature courses in English Studies in particular and University programmes in general. Before a discussion of the results of the survey and the interviews, the paper offers a discussion on some of the curricular, pedagogical, and political ramifications of this possible inclusion. The study reveals that an overwhelming number of students do not know anything about Chinese literature, but have a strong interest in reading it, consider that such a step would diversify the curriculum, offer economic dividends, and shatter stereotypes about China. This research also identified that the comparative literary paradigm would be most suitable for such a literary engagement, and the local perspectives must not be ignored as such an occlusion might pave the way for another form of cultural imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure has played an agential role in the securitisation of everyday life in the Karakoram high mountains of north Pakistan. Geopolitics bear heavily on this region where Pakistan shares borders with China, with whom it has aligned its foreign and security policy, and with India, with whom Pakistan remains embroiled in a long‐standing territorial dispute. Consequently, in the Karakoram, geopolitical anxieties have reflected inwards onto local populations through both security infrastructure and securitised infrastructure. In this postcolony frontier space, statecraft also frequently bypasses normative legal and administrative structures; such exceptions to normative law and administration have antecedents in colonial statecraft on the territorial margins of empire. This paper also argues that long cycles of military rule have allowed the military to acquire and project technocratic expertise, become custodians of state‐led development, and recently, to assume guardianship of, and to enter into joint financing with China on, construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital revolution changes the perception of the economy and business. The emergence of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) poses a large impact on established business models of manufacturing companies. As an important economic partner of China in South Asia, Pakistan plays an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative. This paper based on the three models: trade specialization coefficient (TSC) index, revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index, and trade complementarity (TC) index, analyzes the competitiveness and complementarity of Chinese Fruit and Vegetable (F&V) trade between China and Pakistan. The results showed that China-Pakistan had their own comparative advantages in F&V export, and there was a big difference in the types of F&V, and the competitiveness of F&V export between them was weak. The import and export structure of F&V between China and Pakistan is consistent, and there is strong trade complementarity. Therefore, it is suggested that China-Xinjiang and Pakistan should establish an import and export cooperation mechanism for F&V and export F&V with strong complementarity to each other. We should build a well-connected logistics network, which relies on the geographical advantages of Xinjiang, and comprehensively upgrade the level and quality of agricultural cooperation with Pakistan to enhance the agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan. At the same time, China-Pakistan should strengthen cooperation in agricultural technology, trade, and equipment so as to achieve win-win results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, Gwadar has always been mentioned as a small insignificant fishing town. Very little was known about its history and potential to the outside world. However, at the turn of the 21st century Gwadar became the focus of attention globally. The development of a deep seaport with China's assistance and prospects of connecting China and Central Asia through Pakistan to the North Arabian Sea has brought this small, insignificant fishing town to international recognition. But history reveals that this region has always played a vital role since primeval times due to its geostrategic and geographical location. From Alexander's retreat to Pakistan's reclaiming Gwadar, it has always reminded its significance at different times in diverse manners. This paper aims to bring into light the historical journey of Gwadar, which usually remained unknown or were either considered trivial by historians. Gwadar became an important chapter in the Belt and Road initiative proposed by the Chinese president. It will link China, South Asia, Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Europe through a network of land and sea routes and ports will contribute significantly to the progress and prosperity of Gwadar in Pakistan, China and the entire region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The listing of Masood Azhar as a UN-designated terrorist is essentially a series of events, but this paper has brought them under the format of a single case study. Masood Azhar, and others like him, was the answer that Pakistan had reached to succeed where decades of conventional wars had failed. China's entry into this equation made the situation even more complex. China made common cause with Pakistan regarding Kashmir against India. It was, as a result, complicit in Pakistan's Kashmir terrorism strategy. India, on multiple occasions, had attempted to get Masood Azhar listed under the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) but failed to do so due to opposition from China. This case best illustrates the close and often complex relationship that China has with Pakistan. However, this seemingly irrational strategy of both Pakistan and China is based on sound tactical knowledge. The Realist Theory and Rational Choice Theory of International Relations are used to illustrate this. By using these theories, this paper attempts to declutter the often obscure motives of China and Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the energy mix of China's overseas electricity investments across Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) recipient countries. We focus on Indonesia and Pakistan. Our research is based on both newly gathered project-level data and in-depth interviews with stakeholders of Chinese-backed power plants in Indonesia and Pakistan. We examine (1) why Chinese actors are involved in renewable power generation in Pakistan and not in Indonesia, and (2) why Chinese-backed coal-fired projects in Pakistan are cleaner than in Indonesia. We argue that variations along the three dimensions – scope, governance regime, and issue linkage – lead to different energy mixes in Chinese-invested power plants across BRI countries. This framework specifies how supply and demand factors interact across multiple levels regarding the formulation and implementation of China's overseas electricity projects. Our findings shed new light on the environmental implications of BRI projects and the dynamics of renewable energy development in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic and social development, the state of the environment and a propensity for disasters are closely intertwined. Therefore, environmental policy integration (EPI) across development and disaster management (DM) policies and plans is important. Pakistan as a country is highly vulnerable to climate-induced environmental changes and associated disasters. In this paper, the extent to which its national environment and climate change policy, disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy as well as disaster management (DM) plans are aligned is established, based on a review of government documents and expert opinions. In this context, a particular emphasis is put on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that led the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Plan (CPEC; 2017–2030). While environmental assessment (EA) is currently not conducted for any DM policies and plans, DM and EA are well integrated into provincial environmental protection acts, in national as well as most provincial DM plans. It is concluded that a regulatory framework to guide EPI in DM for BRI and CPEC projects is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With China's continuous rise and growing external commercial, strategic, and political endeavours, questions have arisen about the motivation, timing, and locale of China's outreaching strategies. This research analyzes China's overseas port investments through a comparative study of Greece and Pakistan, two important partners of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Adopting the neoclassical realist framework and drawing on expert interviews, official statistics, and policy documents, this paper reveals how China's economic security objectives in combination with changing geopolitical structures led to its external port investments. This research contributes to the studies on rising powers and geopolitics by showing how China as a rising power capitalizes on geopolitical opportunities created by the changing interests of dominant powers to expand its presence in strategically important regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's grand idea of economic connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has changed international politics. It comprises two parts: land corridors known as belt, and maritime corridors known as maritime Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road (MSR) is like a jugular vein for global flows. With the potential increase in trade volume across the world, there would be certain implications especially regarding geopolitics of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), and without security of MSRI, land corridors would not be successful. This paper aims at discussing the geopolitics of MSRI passing through the IOR and its significance for the BRI, as well as emerging challenges, particularly for CPEC which is the pilot project of the BRI. The research is exploratory yet qualitative, and is based on primary and secondary data. Economic connectivity through establishing systemic infrastructure will not only decrease travel time and distances, but costs too will see a reduction leaving a positive impact on value chains, and global flows will flourish positively. On other hand, increase in trade volume across the IOR will cause certain challenges which are evaluated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National interest is considered as the top priority for the survival of any country. With the changing paradigms at regional and international level, Pakistan's national position is facing ever-changing scenario of its dynamic nature. The regional and international powers, (especially China) with their mega projects have created ripples in the region, thus changing the paradigms internationally. CPEC is among one of the paradigms, which is a Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) that involves Chinese investments of over 46 billion dollars in various sectors including; Gwadar Port, energy projects, infrastructure development, and industrial cooperation. CPEC has been rightly titled a "game changer" in terms of its promise to transform regional connectivity through shared economic development. The paper highlights various existing as well as upcoming challenges, and presents a comprehensive solution to move forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, environment and consumer interactions are rapidly changing due to digital technologies and digital media marketing. The introduction of new digital technologies and the complexity it has brought about has led to a change in the old marketing paradigm. Traditional consumer dynamics have evolved drastically with innovative ways to interact, communicate and connect with consumers supported by digital technologies. With the progression of new age digital marketing mediums communication practices have transformed and consumers have become empowered, which has led to a shift in the balance of power towards consumers. Consumer empowerment is considered as an integrated factor which promotes adoption of digital media as it allows a consumer to communicate and share views with others. With the increased user-generated content available online, there has been a shift of power from practitioners to consumers and as such it is an important factor in the adoption of digital media. This paper applied a semi-systematic comparative literature review about the elements of digital media that lead to consumer empowerment in the context of Pakistan, and compared them with China, South Korea, and Mexico, which are the highest spending countries in digital advertising in 2021. It was found that in comparison with China and South Korea, Pakistani and Mexican brands and organizations were not well equipped to meet the multifaceted challenges of digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan's vital geopolitical position is an advantage for this South Asian nation. It is located at the apex of the Arabian Peninsula. Thus, the People's Republic of China has setup the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with a futuristic strategy to gain long-term benefits. This planning is not random at all. It is a cohesive plan to revitalize the financial system of its long-standing collaborator and ally through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is currently the talk of the town. The present study analyzes how Pakistan's conventional economic outlook can be transformed through the CPEC. While harnessing the power of Pakistan as a 'trade route', the CPEC has the potential to reshape transport & security options, increase the cost-effectiveness of goods, and widen the scope for new and existing businesses. it will develop a networking coherence among agricultural & industrial hubs and connect special economic zones (SEZs) with the rest of the country and beyond. This paper evaluates the CPEC's fiscal footprint on Pakistan's economy and examines the correlation between overcoming economic shortcomings and increasing future gains through a cause-and-effect relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a valid insight into consumers' minds while considering word of mouth (WOM), brand image and uniqueness as independent variables while considering the tourism industry as the primary stakeholder. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts qualitative research methods and data collected from 1,033 respondents using convenience sampling methodology. The data are collected from different tourists spots in China and Pakistan. The PROCESS macro was utilized in this study using SPSS version 25.0 to inspect the impacts by using Model 4 and the conditional effects indirectly by utilizing Model 14. Findings: Customer's intimacy, search for novel and unexplored destinations highlight WOM interactions and perceived service value. Service value, interactional justice and professional attitude of hotel management mediated all the given relationships significantly. The brand image does not mediate any significant associations. Perceived service value and brand image predict customer's loyalty, and WOM is the direct measure of their intentions, and these variables are market trend indicators. A tourist's response toward different destinations is described in this study with comparative analysis of Chinese and Pakistani tourists. The study results showed a significantly positive relationship between hotel management professional behavior, customer's loyalty, customer's intimacy and WOM. Research limitations/implications: The recruited population might not be represented as the broader and larger visitor population, resulting in restricting establishing tactics. Moreover, this study's results provide significant insight into a tourism industry, hence providing a chance to manage customer loyalty better. Social, managerial and theoretical implications: This study contributes significantly to the body of knowledge and provides remarkable insight from the managerial perspective. Interactional justice results in significant value for hotel management directors and top management, front desk staff and operatives and front level employees and managers. Consumer sensitivity of fairness in interpersonal dealings calls for behavioral changes in frontline employees, especially those directly dealing with hotel visitors. Hotel staff and management should formulate a system to deal with the demands and needs of visitors. It should describe the rights and obligations of visitors and ensure that each customer is treated equally and with respect. Customers should be motivated to read the survey questionnaires kept in their rooms and offer their views on the services provided. This strategy might increase the customers' sense of empowerment and leading to notions of fairness in individual encounters. Originality/value: This study provides an insight into the customer's minds while considering essential variables that include WOM, brand image, perceived service value and uniqueness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]