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This study quantified the regional damages resulting from temperature and sea level changes using the Regional Integrated of Climate and Economy (RICE) model, as well as the effects of enabling and disabling the climate impact module on future emission pathways. Results highlight varied damages depending on regional economic development and locations. Specifically, China and Africa could suffer the most serious comprehensive damages caused by temperature change and sea level rise, followed by India, other developing Asian countries (OthAsia), and other high-income countries (OHI). The comprehensive damage fractions for China and Africa are projected to be 15.1% and 12.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2195, with corresponding cumulative damages of 124.0 trillion and 87.3 trillion United States dollars (USD) from 2005 to 2195, respectively. Meanwhile, the comprehensive damage fractions in Japan, Eurasia, and Russia are smaller and projected to be lower than 5.6% of GDP in 2195, with cumulative damages of 6.8 trillion, 4.2 trillion, and 3.3 trillion USD, respectively. Additionally, coastal regions like Africa, the European Union (EU), and OHI show comparable damages for sea level rise and temperature change. In China, however, sea level-induced damages are projected to exceed those from temperature changes. Moreover, this study indicates that switching the damage modules on or off affects the regional and global emission trajectories, but the magnitude is relatively small. By 2195, global emissions under the experiments with all of the damage modules switched off, only the sea level damage module switched on, and only the temperature damage module switched on, were 3.5%, 2.3% and 1.2% higher than those with all of the damage modules switched on, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on visual analysis of the China Pictorial magazine in two historical periods (Mao and post-Mao), this article identifies six key themes of representing Africa in Chinese state media and finds a parallel between China's representation of Africa, Sino-African relations, and the shifting geopolitics. Different from Western stereotypes about Africa, China Pictorial constructs a romanticized image of Africa, which is interpreted through the concept of the "socialist gaze." Empirically, this article explains and historicizes how China Pictorial constructs meanings about Africa through its visual representational systems, shedding new light on China–Africa relations and the increasingly active South–South media flows. Theoretically, this article expands our understanding of media representation beyond the "colonial gaze." While the "socialist gaze" may function as a counter-representation to the "colonial gaze," it can also create new differences and stereotypes, thus enhancing power asymmetry between China and Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on panel data from 2000 to 2021 covering African 52 countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and utilizing a system generalized method of moments with instrumental variables, the study finds that China's financing has played a positive role in both export and import intensities of African countries with China. However, the impacts of different financing types on trade intensities vary by different country groups and periods. First, Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has a much bigger impact on both export intensity and import intensity, and aid has a much bigger impact on export intensity in resource-rich African countries than other countries. Second, Chinese OFDI has a much bigger impact on export intensity and aid has a much bigger impact on both export and import intensities in low-income African countries than other countries. Third, the regression results from different periods indicate that Chinese financing has enhanced the bidirectional trade relations between China and Africa since BRI launch. The study is conducive to the exploration of multinational corporations and foreign aid's role in trade relations and will help African countries use Chinese capital to promote bilateral cooperation and get rid of poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of the China‐African economic relationship has received much attention among the scholars. Africa and China have experienced cooperation in the areas of foreign direct investment, cross‐border trade, and foreign aids. While this economic relationship has been viewed to contribute to the development of African nations, some scholars are of the opinion that it is a new practice in imperialism. Surprisingly, none of these scholars has examined the environmental effect of Chinese foreign direct investment (CFDI) in African regions. On this note, this study investigates how Chinese foreign direct investment (CFDI) has altered environmental conditions in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). The study uses the pooled mean group panel estimation procedure to control for short‐run heterogeneity and long‐run homogeneity in the absence of cross‐sectional dependence for the period 2003–2020, focusing on 22 countries in the region that have seen a substantial increase in foreign investment from China. CFDI is shown to decrease CO2 emissions in the long term, lending credence to the pollution halo hypothesis. Furthermore, short‐term averages show that CFDI increases CO2 emissions, lending credence to the pollution haven hypothesis. However, the short‐term results showed substantial variation on how CFDI affects CO2 emissions. The research shows that short‐term CFDI is associated with reduction in CO2 emissions in Burundi and Rwanda but increases them in the Congo Republic, Gabon, and South Africa. Some policy suggestions based on the results are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between South Africa and China has not reached its full potential but has gathered great impetus and simultaneously stirred up controversy. Two important issues that have arisen concerning this relationship are whether the engagements between the two countries are mutually beneficial or asymmetrically favour one country over the other. This paper interrogates South Africa-China relations between 2009 and 2019, an epoch in which the relationship between the two nations became convoluted as much for what it entailed as for what it excluded. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants, and the information that was gathered was supplemented with a review of the literature within the context of the relationship. We found that South Africa-China relations go beyond the issues of minerals and other related natural resources. We also found that while there are elements of asymmetry in this relationship in economic terms, this asymmetry is somewhat exaggerated. We, therefore, recommend that regardless of this exaggeration, South Africa must place itself in a position to define terms of engagement with China and put in place measures to demarcate such perceived asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political settlement analysis (PSA) has become a common approach scholars use to study socioeconomic differences among African countries. However, less attention has been given to how political settlement influences how African countries interact with their foreign counterparts. In this article, we illustrate the impact of political settlement on foreign policy by analyzing Ethiopia's interactions with China. As one of China's closest economic partners in Africa, Ethiopia, with its long-standing ethnic cleavages and political instability in the last few years, represents an ideal case for this topic. We find that the evolving political settlement in Ethiopia has greatly influenced the official engagements between the two countries. Over time, various Chinese actors have also developed a more nuanced understanding of the political dynamics of Ethiopia and the associated risks of investing in the country. Our study contributes to an emerging literature that emphasizes the power of local agencies in influencing China–Africa relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between Africa and the developed world has been a subject of much discussion over the years. Recently, however, there has been a lot of controversy around China's activities in Africa. Several criticisms have arisen alleging the exploitation of Africa by China. This study set out to examine China's activities on the African continent with a focus on Ghana and Ethiopia to clearly reveal the various sides of the argument and put them into perspective. The study also sought to establish whether a new scramble is occurring in Africa, with neocolonialist strategies. The study relied on the realist theory to understand China's intentions regarding its activities on the continent and on neocolonialism to explore any incidence of a new scramble. Secondary sources were employed to collect data for analysis. The study found that although some of the activities of China on the continent were questionable, they have been partially beneficial to the continent. Africa is not as vulnerable as perceived but has the capacity to leverage some of its resources to foster its development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on China's rising population outflows and the theory of everyday geopolitics, this study discusses how the daily international encounters of emerging Chinese immigrants (re-)write international relations. The study was conducted through fieldwork with new Chinese immigrants in Zimbabwe and reveals two findings. First, Zimbabwean political elites have been knitting a geopolitical discourse through the well-known nationalism and patriotic histories between China and Zimbabwe constructing 'successful and mutually beneficial' Zimbabwe-China relations. However, this elite geopolitical discourse has been facing great challenges among ordinary people in post-2000 Zimbabwe due to the influx of Chinese immigrants. Second,the new Chinese immigrant have been becoming key players in (re-)narrating Zimbabwe-China relations for their unbalanced trade relations with locals, inappropriate behaviours, their precarities, and investment in local public services. This migrant group not only incurs a Sino-phobia sentiment in post-2000 Zimbabwe, but also contributes to the maintaining of the public opinion on the Chinese presence here, articulating a complex and diverse set of geopolitical discourse. This study provides persuasive evidence that everyday practice has a stronger role in knitting together geopolitical discourse than traditional narratives and provides insights for transnational geopolitics to examine heterogeneity, complexity, and diversity of the geopolitical players in more details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This work explores China's African public relations and image‐building effort, focusing on Nigeria. Thus, the paper's purpose is twofold: first, to investigate whether China's conduct of public diplomacy through its soft power resource—development assistance—has effectively shaped positive Nigerian public perception of China, and second, to determine the media's role in advancing China's public diplomacy in Nigeria. Specifically, it explores the interaction of economic development assistance, media, and public relations. I do this by comparing China's foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nigeria (2010–2019) with the public's perception of the FDI's influence on the Nigerian economy (2016 and 2020) and the media's role in shaping public support toward the investments. Utilizing a range of datasets, I find that Chinese economic investment alone is insufficient to substantially shape positive Nigerian public perception of China. Within a framework of mediated public diplomacy, I demonstrate that the Chinese image‐building effort in Nigeria would likely enhance when the country links economic investments with public relations to make the investments more visible through effective media representation. Related Articles: Ayhan, Kadir Jun, and Nancy Snow. 2021. "Introduction to the Special Issue—Global Korea Scholarship: Empirical Evaluation of a Non‐Western Scholarship Program from a Public Diplomacy Perspective." Politics & Policy 49(6): 1282–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12440. Hodzi, Obert, and John H. S. Åberg. 2020. "Introduction to the Special Issue: Strategic Deployment of the China Model in Africa." Politics & Policy 48(5): 804–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12378. Huijgh, Ellen. 2017. "Indonesia's 'Intermestic' Public Diplomacy: Features and Future." Politics & Policy 45(5): 762–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12221. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illicit financial flows have been an issue of great concern over the past decades due to the challenge they present for economic development in Africa. Illicit financial flows undermine the productivity and growth of African economies as countries lose foreign exchange and tax revenues. Countries lose financial resources needed for development programs, hence undermining social service delivery and retarding poverty reduction. To effectively combat illicit financial flows, it is imperative to examine their determinants. This study seeks to examine the determinants of illicit capital movement in the China‐Africa trade through the mechanisms of trade misinvoicing over the period 1990–2019. The IMF's Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) database is used to estimate trade misinvoicing. Estimates using mirror trade data indicate that both exports of Africa to China and imports from China to Africa are mainly underinvoiced. The net effect shows that trade misinvoicing in the China‐Africa trade results in net illicit capital outflow for about 44% of countries in Africa. The results from panel data regressions indicate that tax evasion is one of the major factors behind misinvoicing in China‐Africa trade. In addition, corruption control is found to reduce export underinvoicing, while political stability reduces both export overinvoicing and import overinvoicing. Export misinvoicing increases with the presence of natural resources in the exporting country. Other factors associated with trade misinvoicing in China‐Africa trade include openness to trade, current account deficit, and real exchange rate. The study suggests ways to reduce trade misinvoicing in China‐Africa trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the literature on carry trade by investigating the dynamic correlation and the dependence structure between the US-dollar carry trade and equity markets in the (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)) economies during sample observations that include regular and crisis periods. Furthermore, the nonlinear Granger causality test based on the feed-forward neural networks (FFNN) model assesses how global volatility predicts the dynamic correlation between the US-dollar carry trade and equity markets in BRICS. The paper finds the dynamic correlations between carry trade and equity markets in BRICS are more pronounced during most global crises. Moreover, the results of the symmetrised Joe Clayton (SJC) copula model showed that the lower tail dependence between the two series is higher during the various crises. Furthermore, the results of the empirical analysis show that global volatility predicts the dynamic correlations between carry trade and equity markets in BRICS only during crises. Asset managers and investors can benefit from this paper's findings regarding portfolio diversification, risk management, asset allocation, and hedging when dealing with equity assets and carry trades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An average of eight snowfall events occur each year in the eastern Lesotho Highlands. These snowfall events are typically associated with cut-off low (CoLs) systems and mid-latitude cyclones. However, the moisture sources of the snowfall are unclassified and unclear. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, an air mass back trajectory model, has been used to evaluate moisture source waters locally in southern Africa and internationally in China and Europe. This study uses HYSPLIT to determine the source moisture of snow in Lesotho. A list of all 82 snowfall events in Lesotho spanning 2017 to 2022 was compiled using the Snow Report SA Instagram page, including the date and location of snowfall. A 72-hour back trajectory for each snowfall event was initiated for both Afriski and the whole of Lesotho. This amounts to models of moisture source trajectories for 28 and 82 snowfall days, respectively. These air mass pathways are classified according to their frequency per snowfall event, per month in the snow season, per year and for the full period. From this, associated moisture source regions and dominant air mass trajectories were identified. This study reports that the air mass trajectories associated with Afriski and Lesotho as a whole are very similar. The most common pathway of air mass trajectories transporting snow-bearing moisture to Lesotho was an inland trajectory from the northern regions of southern Africa. This pathway makes up 16.6% of all trajectories reported and is associated with the Angola Low, the Congo Air Boundary and the St. Helena High Pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes fractional integration and cointegration techniques to investigate the stochastic properties of the bilateral linkages between the Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) of eight developed economies, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US and five emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, for the time period from 15th January 2010 to 15th July 2019. The univariate results support fractional integration with mean reverting behaviour, with many of the series displaying orders of integration in the interval (0, 1), which connotes that shocks to consumer sentiment have significant long-lasting though reverting effects. From the covariate results and testing for cointegration, we found evidence of cointegration for Australia versus Italy, and France versus Italy. For the BRICS, the only evidence of fractional cointegration is found between Russia and India. Some policy implications of the results obtained are also mentioned at the end of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BRICS, the 15-year-old alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has emerged as an important actor on the global political and economic stage, not least by expanding its membership to include middle-power states Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early 2024. Much like the countries of the G7 and the EU, BRICS members are among the major players in international agri-food markets. BRICS and the G7 have accounted for around one-seventh of each other's agricultural exports in the past decade. However, excessive protectionism and mounting sanctions as well as ideology-driven de-risking strategies are a high-risk venture that could ultimately lead to isolationism and the formation of blocs. Food insecurity is growing, primarily at the expense of poorer people in the Global South. Against this background, it seems advisable to balance geopolitical and geoeconomic interests by turning away from confrontational Stone Age politics and towards more cooperative approaches, such as more diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economic engagement with Africa has expanded significantly in recent years. While some scholars highlight the engagement as critical for sustainable development in Africa, others argue that the rules of engagement tend to favor China and encourage unequal economic exchange. This article weighs into the discussion on unequal economic exchange. It uses international trade data from 1995 to 2015 to estimate the amount of unequal economic exchange in China's trade with Africa. The estimate is based on a simple method that applies an exchange rate deviation factor to the trade flows between China and Africa, and further adjusts for the difference in labor productivity between the two trading regions. Results show significant unrecorded transfers of value from Africa to China, amounting to 2.5% of the total gross domestic product of African countries during the sample period. The article suggests several policy strategies to improve Chinese engagement with Africa and reinforce the continent's progress towards sustainable development. In addition, the article provides a theoretical and empirical framework that can be useful for analyzing Africa's trade engagement, not only with China, but with other regions of the world as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the many areas of Sino-African cooperation, digital technology is fast gaining prominence. This is because of advancements in digital technology in computing, internet expansion, big data analytics, and automation that are driving wholesale socio-economic transformation on a global scale. The incorporation of new digital technologies is driving economic growth, introducing new security dynamics, and transforming global trade. This paper takes stock of digital cooperation between China and Africa in the last two decades. It zooms in on specific areas of cooperation, such as digital infrastructure, digital content, and digital skills development, which have had a significant impact on the continent's digital economy. However, Africa needs to be more proactive and tread with caution in its digital cooperation with China to avoid digital colonialism. Digital technology is not value-neutral. African countries must ensure that the technology they import from China aligns with African values and interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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South Africa possesses extremely rich renewable energy resources, including solar energy and wind energy, in spite of this, South Africa traditionally relies on coal as its primary energy source. Recently, South Africa confronted with severe electricity shortage. With pressure of power shortage and the transition to low- carbon energy, South Africa has been actively promoting the development of renewable energy, aiming to diversify its energy structure. China, as the world's leading country in the development and utilization of renewable energy, has long been committed to helping South Africa achieve renewable energy development. This article reviews the cooperation progress between China and South Africa in renewable energy, and provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges currently faced by both sides. To address such challenges, it is suggested to strengthen the design of top-level cooperation mechanisms, create diverse collaboration platforms, prioritize the exchange and collaboration of scientific talents. This paper aims to provide a typical reference for deepening renewable energy cooperation between China and South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Scramble for Africa' has historically been a concept used to describe the plunder of Africa by colonial powers, their subsequent economic capture of African resources, their political control and their racial domination of Africans. But, in recent times, many writers have pointed to Chinese 'Scramble for Africa'. Of these depictions, The Economist 's has been both categorical and relentless. But is the set of relationships between China and African countries imperial? Does it amount to a Chinese 'Scramble for Africa'? If so, what can be done; if not, why not? Neither content nor institutional analyses of 27 stories, sampled from 132 issues of The Economist from 2019 to 2021, show conclusive evidence that the relationship between China and Africa is imperial. Evidence of African indebtedness to China, Chinese opaque resource transactions in Africa, and the controlling effect of China's Belt and Road Initiative typically emphasised by The Economist is serious. But it does not amount to economic plunder, political control, military destabilisation or racial domination. The Economist 's characterisation of China–Africa relations reflects wider processes of Westernisation. Its features include the use of mainstream economic analysis, (mis)representation of the Global South to maintain Western hegemony and inhibiting Southern struggle to break the Western chokehold on global development. As an elite newspaper, The Economist 's 'frame analysis' not only presents news, but also produces views that caricature Global South agendas, especially those that threaten Western liberalism and imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance and resilience are widely used to characterize ecosystem drought stability. Tradeoff between resistance and resilience have been reported, but its long‐term trends remain uncertain at global scale. Based on remotely sensed vegetation indices, we assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of drought resistance and resilience. Result revealed that there was a significant decline in the tradeoff between resistance and resilience, corresponding to a substantial increase in the proportion of areas with high resistance‐high resilience or low resistance‐low resilience. In the South Sahel, South Africa and Central China, the increased precipitation and vegetation coverage contribute to enhanced drought stability constructed by resistance and resilience; while rising temperature, decreased water availability and deforestation lead to declined stability in northeastern North America, South America and the Congo region. Increases in the areas with low resistance‐low resilience resulting from declining tradeoffs warn of increased regional ecosystem vulnerability. Plain Language Summary: Drought resistance and resilience describe the two aspects of stability, and the tradeoff between the two describes the drought response patterns of ecosystems with high resistance‐low resilience or low resistance‐high resilience. Under global change, the tradeoff has declined significantly over the past few decades, corresponding to substantial increases in the proportion of areas with low resistance‐low resilience, implying a decrease in drought stability. Here we innovatively assess the changes in the tradeoff between resistance and resilience, highlighting the negative impact of rising temperature, decreasing water availability and deforestation on drought stability. Key Points: The tradeoff between resistance and resilience has declined significantly over the past three decadesIncreases in the proportion of areas with low resistance ‐low resilience reflected the reduced stability of ecosystem to droughtsAttribution analysis showed that rising temperature, decreasing water availability and deforestation led to the decreases in stability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila melanogaster is a widely used model organism for studying environmental adaptation. However, the genetic diversity of populations in Asia is poorly understood, leaving a notable gap in our knowledge of the global evolution and adaptation of this species. We sequenced genomes of 292 D. melanogaster strains from various ecological settings in China and analyzed them along with previously published genome sequences. We have identified six global genetic ancestry groups, despite the presence of widespread genetic admixture. The strains from China represent a unique ancestry group, although detectable differentiation exists among populations within China. We deciphered the global migration and demography of D. melanogaster, and identified widespread signals of adaptation, including genetic changes in response to insecticides. We validated the effects of insecticide resistance variants using population cage trials and deep sequencing. This work highlights the importance of population genomics in understanding the genetic underpinnings of adaptation, an effort that is particularly relevant given the deterioration of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important enabler of the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions. It has the potential to empower intelligent production systems that are central to industry 4.0 and help place worker wellbeing and the planet at the centre of industry 5.0 processes. However, few studies have considered the different roles of AI in industry 4.0 and 5.0. This paper reports on a bibliometric review of 2887 documents examining the use of AI for industry 4.0 and industry 5.0. We found that scholarly activity increased rapidly from 2018 onwards and can be attributed to a large variety of countries, including India, South Africa and China. Our analysis reveals four clusters in the literature, with two showing particular promise for researchers notably around the themes of industry 5.0 and deep learning. Further insights are presented and discussed, followed by a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, summits have gained great importance in developing relations with African countries and they have become useful tools to understand intersecting roadmaps on the continent. China, India, Japan, the United States, European countries and Russia conducted various summits and business forums targeting to develop their political, economic and military relations with Africa. In this vein, FOCAC (Forum on China–Africa Cooperation), European Union–Africa Business and Investment Summits, Japan's Africa Development Summits and Russia–Africa Summit provide some details of these powers' Africa policy. Turkey has also emerged as a new actor and summit organizer in Africa since it opened a new page for Africa in its foreign policy in 2005. After being a strategic partner to the African Union in 2008, Turkey has conducted three Turkey–Africa summits, Istanbul (2008), Malabo (2014) and Istanbul (2021), to form its roadmap in Africa. This work aims to analyse the role of Africa–Turkey summits in the development of Turkey's Africa policy and its relationship with African countries. The paper looks at all declarations comprehensively to evaluate Turkey's foreign policy discourse on Africa. Moreover, it examines Turkey's Africa policy implementations and achievements on the continent through the lens of summits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, China has emerged as Africa's largest trade partner and source of foreign direct investment, with public health ranked as a top priority in China–Africa collaborations. During the same period, cancer has emerged as a leading cause of death in Africa, with more than 700 000 deaths per year and projections of more than 1 million deaths per year by 2030. In this Review, we explore the effects of increasing China–Africa collaborations on cancer control in Africa. We review the published literature on health-care assistance, research, education and training, and infrastructure and present the results of an institutional review board-approved survey of African oncology health-care professionals and institutional leaders that assessed their perception of the effects of China–Africa collaborations. From peer-reviewed articles and grey literature, we found that the number of China–Africa collaborations have grown substantially over the past decade in different areas, especially in patient care and infrastructure. Research publications have also surged in quantity in the past decade compared with previous years. However, the survey results suggest research collaborations remain infrequent and that medical professionals in African cancer centres rarely participate in direct research collaborations with Chinese institutions. The Review also highlights the challenges and benefits of increasing China–Africa collaborations. Challenges include insufficient monitoring and evaluation of the projects in Africa and poor coordination and alignment of the various initiatives. The benefits of these collaborations for Africa include improved health outcomes, strengthened health systems, and socioeconomic development. Benefits are also apparent for China, such as securing energy and resource supplies, expanded trade and investment opportunities, and improved diplomatic relations. Overall, China–Africa collaborations are increasing and having a substantial effect in both China and the African continent. Recommendations to minimise the challenges and maximise the benefits for more positive consequences on cancer control in Africa are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines China’s increasing security interests in Africa. It seeks to understand the nature and scope of Chinese engagement in peace and security issues on the continent based on its engagement in international and domestic (African) politics. Through literature analysis and logical reasoning, the author intends to define the implications of China’s new role as a security provider. The paper is based on desk research using primary and secondary data and statistical and comparative analysis of official documents, academic research, and media sources. The methods include literature analysis, logical reasoning, statistical research, comparative analysis, and the inductive method to build general theorems. The paper analyses aspects of China’s security engagement on the African continent: its participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, small arms exports, and Beijing’s sharing of technology with African partners. China’s engagement in Africa’s security helps to advance its vital economic and political interests, with limited impact on African security. Key lessons for African partners are offered. The last decades have seen an extraordinary increase in China’s economic and political ties with Africa. Security cooperation followed massive Chinese investments and thousands of Chinese nationals working on the continent. China’s security engagement in Africa protects Beijing’s interests regarding access to resources, markets, political influence, and social credibility. It has little to do with a benevolent will to help Africa deal with instability or economic underdevelopment. African partners must make necessary efforts to avoid further dependence on China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese imports replace locally manufactured products in developing countries. The import of consumer goods from China to West Africa is closely linked to commercial travel, and China's border restrictions during the Covid outbreak put a near-halt to such travelling. Furthermore, the pandemic caused a global logistics crisis that disrupted supply chains with production in China. This paper asks whether Ghanaian manufacturers and artisanal producers could take advantage of these disruptions to enhance their competitive position. Did China's border closure provide space for local Ghanaian producers to thrive? We address this question by drawing on data collected among Ghanaian plastic manufacturers and furniture makers, who have faced tough competition from Chinese imports. Our analysis shows that supply chain disruptions from China led to the substitution of certain products previously imported from China, and these effects were partially sustained after the Covid-induced barriers to imports from China were removed. However, the disruptions were also costly for many Ghanaian producers, as they depended on Chinese intermediary products, tools, and other inputs. This illustrates how economic lives in Ghana and China have become so profoundly intertwined that indiscriminate decoupling is neither possible nor desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of international trade, labor flow not only exists in the waves of international labor migration but is also embodied in international products and services. This paper focused on members of the China–Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC). We computed and analyzed the sectoral embodied labor transfer between China and Africa from 2000 to 2015 based on the Multiregional Input-Output Method. Our results are as follows: (1) Both China and Africa play roles as labor suppliers in the global supply chain. By ameliorating the trade structure, both China and Africa can better utilize their labor surplus. (2) China and Africa share complementarity in sectoral labor allocation. In short, the embodied labor transfer via international trade between China and Africa has, to some extent, relieved the labor shortage on both sides. (3) Africa has transformed into a net exporter of industrial labor since 2011. By analyzing the embodied labor flow from the global perspective, this paper beats a new path in depicting the effect of international trade on labor allocation, enriches the evaluation of embodied labor transfer between China and Africa, and also provides a beneficial supplement to Multiregional Input-Output analysis in the field of factor flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the Joe Biden–Kamala Harris administration working toward the resetting of policies and strategies toward Africa and China, the question of whether African journalists will be accorded a chance to tell an African narrative amid the trilateral relationship has become more apparent. The influence exerted by China in African poses questions of whether China is "constructively" reporting Africa and whether journalists do see themselves as telling an African story. This study interrogates the role of African journalistic paradigms within a broader framework of what it means to constructively report Africa. It argues that despite the overwhelming challenges, the African media can tell its narrative if, (a). it seriously interrogates its journalism education system, (b). focus on in-depth reporting as opposed to efficiency and convenience, and (c). value its epistemologies and localize its content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research brief examines China's international institutions and their impact on China's rise as a global power. It discusses initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank, and explores whether these institutions challenge the existing U.S.-led liberal order. The article also considers different perspectives on China's multilateral institutions, including their cooperative and competitive strategies, their role in contesting the existing order, and their influence on international norms and identities. The research provides a nuanced understanding of China's new multilateral institutions and their implications for Chinese foreign policy. [Extracted from the article]

Precast composite structures are new trend in construction technology in China due to their high sustainability and structural performance. As Chinese construction companies enter Africa continuously, the Chinese developed technologies are increasingly applied in Africa. A novel precast prestressing composite structure, developed in China, is believed to have a good prospect in Africa. In this study, a design method of the novel precast structure based on the African design system was developed to promote the application in Africa. The structural design systems in Africa and China were compared to help designers know the difference between the two design systems and develop a better design method for the new precast prestressed composite frame in Africa. It can be found that the basic theory of the two design systems is similar, but the technical design parameters and equations are different. The structural design method of the novel precast structure was built with African design system. The basic structural design steps based on the limit state method according to Eurocodes were established, and the seismic design process for the novel precast structure was also developed based on equivalent lateral seismic force method. Some important structural details of the novel frame for earthquakes based on African manner were presented. The developed detailed design method of the novel structure was applied by designing a four storey novel building structure expected in Huye City at Southern Province of Rwanda. The design results were validated by comparison with results of the novel four storey building structure constructed in Suzhou, China. It is shown that both design systems provide safe design since all the results are within allowable limit, and the Chinese design method is more economical but the African design method is more conservative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to highlight the importance of south-to-south cooperation in remote sensing and present preliminary results from our joint project between China and South Africa, focusing on multi-sensor remote sensing data for food security. Scientometric analysis was used to demonstrate growing research output and cooperation among countries in the Global South. Furthermore, the first results of our crop classification methods were presented on a test site in the Sanjiang Plain, China. The preliminary crop classification results from this test site showed promising accuracy. South-to-south cooperation in remote sensing has the potential to address shared challenges and promote sustainable development through exchange of knowledge and resources. The ongoing joint project between China and South Africa demonstrates the benefits of such collaboration in developing robust remote sensing techniques for improved food security monitoring and decision making in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book review discusses Jodie Yuzhou Sun's monograph, "Kenya's and Zambia's Relations with China 1949-2019," which examines the history of post-colonial Kenya's and Zambia's relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) from ideological, political, economic, and social perspectives. The book challenges national histories and explores how these relations shaped historical narratives and contemporary issues. It also highlights the concept of 'African agency' and the role of various actors in directing the nature of China-Africa relations. The book is based on extensive research using secondary literature, archival resources, and oral histories. It contributes to the growing body of research on China-Africa relations and promotes pluralism in knowledge production. [Extracted from the article]

Term limit changes are significantly linked to political instability in Africa. Yet, it is ignored as an issue in the trilateral cooperation between European Union (EU), China and Africa. Indeed, a central question that could face both the EU and China over term limits in Africa is the extent to which it is legitimate for them to take action against attempts to violate term limits. This paper is an attempt to consider joint EU and China influence on African politics from the perspective of term limits. Why and how have/should EU and China respond to term limits? How can a trilateral cooperation between EU, China and Africa help institutionalize the respect of term limits? With the help of qualitative and quantitative data from official communiqués, events, and reports, the paper considers term limits as major political issue EU, China and Africa must care about given that it is a major factor of State fragility and political instability. It finds that a grounded trilateral policy framework on term limits is not only possible in an EU-China-Africa cooperation, but can strengthen democratic institutions in the continent and reflect the genuine commitment of the EU and China to promote sustainable democracy and political stability in Africa. If the EU and China want sustainable development of Africa, then the issue of presidential term limits must be significantly addressed within a trilateral cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and the rapid depletion of natural assets have made many countries anxious to find green growth strategies, including global partnerships and international business. China has positioned itself as the right partner for sustainable growth and development in Africa through different engagement routes. In this study, we employ fixed effects on a sample of 27 countries over 17 years to examine the impact of China's foreign direct investment and trade on green growth in Africa. Our results show that China's investment and trade affect green growth differently. We find that foreign direct investment and export have a negative impact on green growth. Contrarily, we find importation from China to increase green growth. Our results suggest that the growing presence of China in Africa through direct investment and exportation of natural resources is likely to hamper achieving the Sustainable Development Growth goals. However, countries can harness some benefits from importing sustainable products from China. Our study extends the green growth literature and informs policymakers of the need to pay attention to the effects of growing Chinese‐Africa engagement on attaining sustainable and greener growth. The results are robust to different identification techniques, including two‐stage least square and system generalised method of movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International migration has accelerated the HIV-1 spread across national borders, gradually reducing the restrictions on the geographical distribution of HIV-1 subtypes. Subtypes A and G are globally recognized as the third and sixth most dominant HIV-1 genotypes, mainly prevalent in Africa, but rarely detected in China. Here we reported an imported HIV-1 recombinant which was composed of sub-subtypes A1 and A7 of subtype A and subtype G genes in a Chinese female. This virus was the first HIV-1 recombinant including A7 genes reported in the world. Case presentation: The near full-length genome (NFLG) was obtained from the plasma sample of the female in an HIV-1 molecular epidemiological survey with 853 participants in China. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this NFLG sequence contains three A7 segments, four G segments and one A1 segment with seven breakpoints, and all these segments were closely related to HIV-1 references circulating in Africa. The evidence from epidemiological investigation indicated that this female participant had a more-than-two-years heterosexual contact history with a fixed partner from Nigeria, a country in west Africa, which further supported the results of phylogenetic analyses. By the Bayesian phylogenetic analyses, the times of most recent common ancestors (tMRCA) of the partial pol gene (nt2308-3284, A7 region) and full-length vpr-vpu plus partial env gene (nt5534-6858, G region) were estimated around 1989 and 1984, respectively. Conclusions: In this study, by using the NFLG sequencing, we identified an imported HIV-1 A1/A7/G recombinant which was estimated to originate around 1980s in Africa and introduced into China with international migration. This study highlighted the complexity of the global HIV-1 epidemic, the necessity of using genome sequences to determine HIV-1 genotypes and the importance of real-time monitoring of HIV-1 infection among international migrants and travelers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses China's diplomatic strategy under President Xi Jinping, emphasizing global partnerships and adherence to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Topics include China's focus on major-country relations, cooperation with developing countries, and historical evolution of its diplomatic engagement with the developing world.

This article delves into the examination of research pertaining to the historical establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, intersecting with the domain of historical digitization, focusing on the fusion of oral history and the digital preservation of historical documents. After underscoring the significance of investigating the history of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African nations, the study conducts a literature review, delving into the status quo of historical digitization research in both Chinese and African academies with both sides' current study on each other's history and Sino-African relations, thereby furnishing a robust technical and scholarly groundwork for this research. Afterward, the article deliberates upon the prospects and challenges intrinsic to digitizing the history surrounding the initiation of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. Conclusively, the article proffers recommendations aimed at catalyzing the digitization trajectory of this historical narrative, spanning two tiers, including the official multilateral cooperation mechanism and collaborative endeavors involving private academic institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SCDS (Sovereign Credit Default Swaps) are becoming more widely used as a country risk indicator after 2008 and stand out for providing real-time information rather than periodic reporting. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to economic disruptions and a decline in international trade. Understanding how the Pandemic affects SCDS return volatility in emerging economies like BRICS forms the motivation for our research. With this study, we aim to determine the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on SCDS return volatility in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, known as the BRICS countries. We used the Exponential Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (EGARCH) model to analyze the data, which consisted of the daily closing price data for SCDS. The date of the first COVID-19 case in each country has been taken as the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in each country. The results of the estimated GARCH models show that the volatility processes of the SCDS return series differ between periods. EGARCH model results indicate that shocks created by news in these countries during the Pandemic have a small and persistent effect on Brazil and Russia's SCDS return volatility, while they have a large and enduring effect on China and South Africa's SCDS return volatility. The findings will guide policymakers and portfolio managers in determining risk management models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study examines the impact of regional economic integration (REI) on stock market linkages in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) economic bloc. In this type of study, the BRICS framework is an appealing empirical case, given its uncommon characteristics. For example, BRICS member states come from remote geographic locations (Africa, Asia, Europe and South America) and have contrasting socioeconomic profiles. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical design is framed from the perspective of bilateral trade between South Africa and BRIC. The author accepts trade intensity as a proxy of regional economic integration and then examines the resulting effect on the stock market co-movement within BRIC. The study applies a two-step econometric procedure of the BEKK-MGARCH and panel data models. Findings – Overall, bilateral trade, as a proxy of economic inwctegration, is associated with an increase in stock market integration. This positive relationship is particularly observed during episodes of surplus trade, and more interestingly, was initiated three years after BRICS’ existence and continues to grow at an increasing rate. Practical implications – The study outcome should benefit international trade practitioners and global investors interested in portfolio diversification or concerned with risk spillovers. Originality/value – First, notwithstanding South Africa’s significant economic presence in the African continent, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to empirically evaluate the BRICS economic integration on their stock market linkages from the perspective of South Africa. The value of this contribution is that further work may investigate the bidirectional spillover impact conveyed by South Africa’s trade interactions within the juxtaposition of Africa and BRICS economies. Second, given that research on REI and stock market integration has historically concentrated on mature regional blocs of Europe, Asia, South and North America, the current study advances knowledge while correcting the prevailing literature imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal institutions are important platforms for renegotiating global governance, but there is disagreement on how they operate and challenge the United States (US). Realists view some informal institutions like Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) as counter-hegemonic entities, while rational institutionalists focus on their structure and performance in specific areas. However, neither approach explains the internal dynamics that make these institutions robust and potentially counter-hegemonic. To fill this gap, we first develop a new convergence approach for analysing informal institutional dynamics, and then we apply this approach to examine BRICS robustness and BRICS–US relations. Our BRICS Convergence Index measures policy convergence of the BRICS states using a novel data set of BRICS cooperation on 47 policy issues between 2009 and 2021. Using data on US policy preferences on the same issues, we also identify the key sites of BRICS–US contestation. We find an overall increase in BRICS policy convergence and limited divergence from US preferences across a wide range of policy issues. However, since BRICS has engaged with more security issues after 2015 and substantively deepened its cooperation, its capability to counter US influence has grown. Our convergence-focused analysis of informal institutions embraces members' agency and pathways for institution building, while identifying the issues that bind rival countries. As such, it helps explain how informal institutions gain robustness and provides empirical insights into the rise of new powers and global governance reform efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last article of this three‐part series on the Qurʾān and science discusses the creation and development of the scientific miraculousness of the Qurʾān, which claims that the Qurʾān contains scientific findings and has particular scientific features, such as harmonious numerical analogies and formulae, that confirm the divine origin of the text. It became a political‐theological tool used by Muslim preachers and activists across the globe. Unlike scientific interpreters of the Qurʾān, advocates of scientific miraculousness were concerned with not only uniting Muslims and proving God's authority over the universe but also promoting the Qurʾān as a mine of modern science, archaeology, and history, the authenticity of which is unchallengeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second installment in a three‐part series on the Qurʾān and science, this article provides a systematic discussion of the scientific interpretation of the Qurʾān both inside and outside the Muslim world. This discussion reveals how Muslims' interactions with Euro‐Americans have kept discourse on the Qurʾān and science alive. It also demonstrates how Muslims promoted this exegetical genre transregionally from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the first installment in a three‐part series on the Qurʾān and science, this article begins with the author's personal and scholarly experiences to demonstrate the importance of the twin trends of Qurʾānic scientific interpretation and Qurʾānic scientific miraculousness, including how both serve as Muslims theological tools. It then touches upon the close relationship between theology and scientific knowledge in the history of Islam. The main focus concerns how science is situated and defined in Islamic literature, with particular references to traditional Muslim commentaries and treatises. It also concerns the way Muslim exegetical figures and traditionalists are encouraged or discouraged from taking science into account based on the Qurʾān and prophetic traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports and reflects on an empirical investigation of the views of selected Generation Z students from South Africa and China on the role of universities in developing socially responsible graduates. In 2020, an online questionnaire was developed and distributed to three university students enrolled in engineering, built environment, and information technology degree programs. There were 417 responses from students in these three fields at the University of Pretoria, South Africa; thirtyone from students at Sichuan University, China; and twenty-three from engineering students at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The majority of the students from all three universities strongly agreed that participation in community development projects linked to their field of study should be a required component of their degree programs. The research findings indicate that students in these fields who participated in the study consider themselves among the university's main stakeholders and believe they should be included in curriculum development. Most of these students were positive about embedding socially responsible service-learning in their curricula to prepare them for future roles in a local and global society. The limitations of the study were the following. These students from university campuses in China and South Africa are not representative of all Generation Z individuals in these countries. The validity of the research may be limited as the University of Pretoria's cohort was much larger than the other two universities. Only those students who had enrolled in courses in engineering, the built environment, and information technology were involved in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has identified outward‐oriented policies as a far superior approach to achieving economic growth. Whilst trade openness determines economic growth in the short run, institutional quality is critical to long‐term viability. However, the direct and indirect effects of institutions have been understudied, particularly for the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This study addresses this issue by estimating long‐run and short‐run elasticities using the system GMM and pooled mean group models and identifying its country‐specific impact using the fully modified ordinary least square model. According to the findings, trade and institutions are only short‐run complements of economic growth. In the long run, however, the lack of good governance limits the positive impact of trade openness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascending to the presidency at the time of the lingering global economic crisis, Jacob Zuma drew South Africa closer to China as an alternative development partner. The scholarly literature on South Africa–China relations during Zuma's administration focuses largely on whether the relationship was mutually beneficial and on the purported shift in South Africa's foreign policy from Euro-American developed countries towards the East, with China being at the forefront. Despite the widespread calls for radical economic transformation during Zuma's administration, the existing discourse has not interrogated the practicality of the proposed policy in the context of South Africa–China relations. In light of the above, the current article adopts Afrocentricity to interrogate the practicality of radical economic transformation in the context of South Africa–China relations. Methodologically, the author engaged in qualitative desktop research that relied heavily on secondary data and employed document review to analyse the collected data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]