Risk assessment of oil and gas investment environment in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative

With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is deepening its cooperation in oil and gas resources with countries along the Initiative. In order to better mitigate risks and enhance the safety of investments, it is of significant importance to research the oil and gas investment environment in these countries for China's overseas investment macro-layout. This paper proposes an indicator system including 27 indicators from 6 dimensions. On this basis, game theory models combined with global entropy method and analytic hierarchy process are applied to determine the combined weights, and the TOPSIS-GRA model is utilized to assess the risks of oil and gas investment in 76 countries along the Initiative from 2014 to 2021. Finally, the GM(1,1) model is employed to predict risk values for 2022-2025. In conclusion, oil and gas resources and political factors have the greatest impact on investment environment risk, and 12 countries with greater investment potential are selected through cluster analysis in conjunction with the predicted results. The research findings may provide scientific decisionmaking recommendations for the Chinese government and oil enterprises to strengthen oil and gas investment cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.

Colorectal cancer’s burden attributable to a diet high in processed meat in the Belt and Road Initiative countries

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)plays a significant role in morbidity,mortality,and economic cost in the Belt and Road Initiative(“B and R”)countries.In addition,these countries have a substantial consumption of processed meat.However,the burden and trend of CRC in relation to the consumption of a diet high in processed meat(DHPM-CRC)in these“B and R”countries remain unknown.AIM To analyze the burden and trend of DHPM-CRC in the“B and R”countries from 1990 to 2019.METHODS We used the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study to collate information regarding the burden of DHPM-CRC.Numbers and age-standardized rates(ASRs)of deaths along with the disability-adjusted life years(DALYs)were determined among the“B and R”countries in 1990 and 2019.Using joinpoint regression analysis,the average annual percent change(AAPC)was used to analyze the temporal trends of age-standardized DALYs rate(ASDALR)from 1990 to 2019 and in the final decade(2010–2019).RESULTS We found geographical differences in the burden of DHPM-CRC among“B and R”countries,with the three highest-ranking countries being the Russian Federation,China,and Ukraine in 1990,and China,the Russian Federation,and Poland in 2019.The burden of DHPM-CRC generally increased in most member countries from 1990 to 2019(all P<0.05).The absolute number of deaths and DALYs in DHPM-CRC were 3151.15[95%uncertainty interval(UI)665.74-5696.64]and 83249.31(95%UI 15628.64-151956.31)in China in 2019.However,the number of deaths(2627.57-2528.51)and DALYs(65867.39-55378.65)for DHPM-CRC in the Russian Federation has declined.The fastest increase in ASDALR for DHPM-CRC was observed in Vietnam,Southeast Asia,with an AAPC value of 3.90%[95%confidence interval(CI):3.63%-4.16%],whereas the fastest decline was observed in Kyrgyzstan,Central Asia,with an AAPC value of-2.05%(95%CI:-2.37%to-1.73%).A substantial upward trend in ASR of mortality,years lived with disability,years of life lost,and DALYs from DHPM-CRC changes in 1990-2019 and the final decade(2010-2019)for most Maritime Silk Route members in East Asia,South Asia,Southeast Asia,North Africa,and the Middle East,as well as Central Europe,while those of the most Land Silk Route members in Central Asia and Eastern Europe have decreased markedly(all P<0.05).The ASDALR for DHPM-CRC increased more in males than in females(all P<0.05).For those aged 50-74 years,the ASDALR for DHPM-CRC in 40 members exhibited an increasing trend,except for 20 members,including 7 members in Central Asia,Maldives,and 12 high or high-middle social development index(SDI)members in other regions(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION The burden of DHPM-CRC varies substantially across“B and R”countries and threatens public health.Relevant evidence-based policies and interventions tailored to the different trends of countries in SDIs or Silk Routes should be adopted to reduce the future burden of CRC in“B and R”countries via extensive collaboration.

Preliminary Study on Overseas Applicability of Chinese Architectural Design Standards:Taking China-Aided Construction Projects in Asia Since the Belt and Road Initiative as Examples

This research takes China-aided construction projects in Asia since the Belt and Road Initiative as examples to explore the applicability of Chinese architectural design standards in other Asian countries.So far,the standards demonstrated the highest applicability in South Asia is the best followed by Southeast Asia.Chinese architectural design standards for educational buildings showed the highest applicability,followed by office,medical,and sports buildings.This study puts forward some strategies to improve the applicability of Chinese architectural design standards.These strategies include integrating regionalism and local cultural traditions,optimizing energy efficiency,and aligning designs with local usage habits.This study serves as a reference for similar projects in the future.

Discourse Analysis of the Belt and Road Initiative From the Perspective of Central Asian Countries: A Case Study of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This study employs Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA)three-dimensional model,using the Republic of Kazakhstan as a case study,to delve into the discourse construction of China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)in Central Asian countries.Through detailed analysis of policy documents,media reports,and public discussions in Central Asian countries,this paper reveals how the BRI constructs specific social practices,discourse events,and textual meanings within these nations.The findings indicate that through this global development strategy,China has not only strengthened its economic ties with Central Asian countries but has also exerted profound influences on political,cultural,and social levels.

Current Situation and Discussion of “Going Abroad” in Higher Vocational Colleges Under the Background of the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative has brought unprecedented development opportunities for domestic higher vocational colleges to“go abroad,”but it has also brought severe challenges.Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative,the development of higher vocational colleges“going abroad”has been confronted with a series of challenges,including the imperfect connection of policies,the lack of internal funds,as well as international standards,which are important factors affecting their development.Therefore,it is necessary to start from three aspects,which are policy guarantee,financing,and docking international standards.Through in-depth study of“going abroad”with tthe Belt and Road Initiative,we can effectively reduce the adverse impact of“going abroad”and provide a better and more innovative development environment for higher vocational colleges.

An international program on Silk Road Disaster Risk Reduction--a Belt and Road initiative (2016-2020)

Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) is a Chinese national strategy which calls for cooperative economic, political and cultural exchange at the global level along the ancient Silk Road. The overwhelming natural hazards located along the belt and road bring great challenges to the success of BRI. In this framework, a 5-year international program was launched to address issues related to hazards assessment and disaster risk reduction(DRR). The first workshop of this program was held in Beijing with international experts from over 15 countries. Risk conditions on Belt and Road Countries(BRCs) have been shared and science and technology advancements on DRR have been disseminated during the workshop. Under this program, six task forces have been setup to carry out collaborative research works and three prioritized study areas have been established. This workshop announced the launching of this program which involved partners from different countries including Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, Italy, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan. The program adopted the objectives of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and United Nation Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and was implemented to assess disaster risk in BRCs and to propose suitable measures for disaster control which can be appropriate both for an individual country and for specific sites. This paper deals with the outcomes of the workshop and points out opportunities for the near future international cooperation on this matter.

Spatial-temporal Evolution and Determinants of the Belt and Road Initiative: A Maximum Entropy Gravity Model Approach

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

Does the Belt and Road Initiative Promote Value Chain Connection Between China and the Silk Road Countries?

The global value chains have become the core skeleton of the global economy.As a large-scale international cooperation initiative,the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI hereafter)may have a significant impact on the global economic landscape.In this context,the spatiotemporal pattern and evolution of the value chain connection of the Silk Road countries and whether the BRI will promote the value chain connections between China and these countries are important research questions for understanding the changing global economic landscape.This paper employs input-output analysis,network analysis and difference-in-differences based on Propensity Score Matching(PSM-DID)to conduct an in-depth quantitative study of these questions.The results show that,first,the overall value chain connection between China and the Silk Road countries has been rising since 2001.From the perspective of geographical distribution,Southeast Asia is the highest value chain connection region with China,and the growth in the central and eastern Europe is the most significant,whereas the central Asia is the lowest value connection region.From the perspective of complex network analysis,China’s position in the network of value flow among the Silk Road countries has been increasing continuously,and it has been in the lead position since 2008.Besides,the implementation of the BRI has had a significant positive influence on the overall value chain connection between China and the Silk Road countries,but this positive influence is limited to the central and eastern Europe region,whereas it is not significant in other regions.Finally,this paper suggests that to promote the development of value chain connection,the Silk Road countries need to develop more specific policies related to value chains.Policymakers need to be able to correctly identify the comparative advantages of the region and the types of value chains that are compatible with them and then find suitable partners and formulate targeted promotion policies.

A Corpus-based Investigation on News Attitudes towards the Belt and Road Initiative

Newspaper reports contain some attitudes in seemingly objective words. This corpus-based discourse analytical study,by comparing the use of semantic prosodies in the reports from China Daily and the Washington Post relating the Belt and Road Initiative, interprets the news attitudes presented by the two media toward it. The analysis of the news discourse will be carried out firstly with Antconc, a corpus analysis software which enables us to observe the most frequent co-occurrences of the phrases the Belt and Road, One Belt and One Road, New Silk Road and the initiative; and then COCA(Corpus of Contemporary American English) is involved to analyze the semantic prosodies of these co-occurrences, on this basis the semantic prosodies of the above phrases are revealed. The analysis of the semantic prosodies of the above four phrases in the two corpora shows that China Daily hold a supportive attitude toward the Initiative, while the Washington Post hold a complex one.

Economic Globalization 3.0 and the Concept of Interconnection under the Belt and Road Initiative

At present,the third wave of economic globalization is emerging.After the setbacks in Economic Globalization 1.0 and rejuvenation in Economic Globalization 2.0,China's economy is bound to occupy an important international position in the new chapter of Economic Globalization 3.0 and exert profound influence globally.The benefits of globalization cannot be realized without a number of realistic conditions,including the level of technology and infrastructure,geopolitical pattern and market power structure,international institutional arrangements(global governance structure),among others.Under Economic Globalization 3.0,the nature of international competition is good governance,rather than brutal force and hegemony.What matters for China is for it to become an innovative and vibrant country and demonstrate its economic vitality,competitiveness and creativity.Therefore,China's position under Economic Globalization 3.0 depends on its transition from a "world leader of high growth " into a future "world leader of good governance and vibrancy." In the new chapter of Economic Globalization 3.0,the interests of world economies become interwoven and interdependent.Despite unavoidable frictions and disputes,more inclusive and balanced development serves the interests of most countries in the world.For major countries with global interests,maintaining the new balance of power for economic globalization is consistent with their respective national interests.The shared interests of countries promise a more peaceful and interconnected world than ever before.

Influence of The Belt and Road Initiative on Oil and Gas Infrastructure

China has proposed the ＂Belt and Road Initiative （B＆R）＂ in 2013. One its core strategies is international oil/gas cooperation. This paper addresses the status quo of cooperation on oil/gas infrastructure with countries along the line of ＂B＆R＇, anticipahs the cooperatiorl prospect. On this basis, the author analyzes China＇s advantages and cooperation basis in this domain, conceives the practical way of cooperation on oil/gas infrastructure with countries along the line of ＂B＆R＇. This paper also elaborates on tlre potential risks, risk evaluation criteria and risk corr trol in oil/gas infrastructu re cooperation with countries tries along tire line of ＂B＆R＂.

A Study on the Cooperative Mechanism of the Belt and Road Initiative from the Perspective of New Regionalism

The loosely-typed, duty-overlapped and subject-isolated cooperative mechanism of the Belt and Road Initiative has significantly limited the advancement of the initiative and affected the full play of its cooperative effect. New Regionalism is a theory of international relations that concerns international cooperation at the regional level. Its characteristics of multilevel, multi-topic and multi-subject conform to the cooperation needs of the Belt and Road Initiative and provide a guiding framework for the cooperative mechanism of the Initiative. According to the theoretical connotation of New Regionalism, the cooperative mechanism of the Belt and Road Initiative should enrich its cooperation forms, deepen cooperation topics and promote the participation of "State-Market-Society". This mechanism is expected to form various cooperation models, comprehensive governance and diversified participants to enable the smooth advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Analysis of China＇s International Oil and Gas Cooperation Environment under the Belt and Road Initiative

China's Belt and Road Initiative has great significance for China's energy security and the economic development of the countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative. Focusing on oil and gas cooperation, the paper aims to define the political, economic, legal, and operational conditions required to facilitate the development of the Belt and Road Initiative by analyzing the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and risks of China's current international oil and gas cooperation environment. This will help to drive China's international oil and gas partnerships and increase China's discourse power in the international oil and gas markets by exploring new approaches to improving regional communication mechanisms, financial cooperation frameworks, multilateral legal systems and overall strength of the enterprises in the oil and gas industry.

The Contribution of the Belt and Road Initiative to the World's Right to Development

The Belt and Road Initiative makes an important contribution to the right to development in theory and practice in the current world. Since the reform and opening-up, the Chinese government puts the rights to subsistence and development before any other human rights, which effectively guarantees and accelerates a rapid economic development in China. Nowadays, countries along the Belt and Road have joined a "community of common destiny". Inside the "community of common destiny," countries have enjoyed not only the responsibility, rights and benefit of the right to development, but also a win-win cooperation that ensured the right to development. Therefore, the Belt and Road initiative enriches the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, and "community of common destiny" of countries becomes a higher form of the right to development.

Study on technical efficiency of traditional Chinese medicine industry of the Belt and Road Initiative based on environmental complexity

Background:Based on the principle of“joint consultation,co-building,and sharing”,with the aim of creating an energetic new model of economic growth,the Belt and Road Initiative achieves connectivity and mutual benefit.However,the degree of coordinated development of innovation subjects directly affects the improvement and optimization of the Belt and Road Initiative’s strategy implementation environment,and technology efficiency needs improvement.Methods:In this study,a data envelopment analysis model based on the environmental noise elimination algorithm(traditional Chinese medicine-Belt and Road Initiative)was used to identify the technical efficiency of the traditional Chinese medicine industry of Belt and Road Initiative by eliminating the impact of environmental factors.Results:Pure technical ineffectiveness,regional impact,and environmental factors represented by policy responses have a non-linear impact on technical efficiency.The overall technical efficiency of the traditional Chinese medicine industry in the countries along the route shows a trend of annual increases,technical efficiency and scale efficiency are relatively high,and operational efficiency is influenced by the degree of response of the countries along the route and its supporting policies.Conclusion:Pure technical inefficiency is the main factor affecting total technical loss.Geographical advantage is the key factor in operational efficiency.External environmental factors have a significant influence on the operational efficiency of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on environmental quality in countries along the routes

China has adhered to the concept of green development since the introduction of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.However,as the initiative continues to advance,speculations have been raised on the possibility of its reduction of the environmental quality of the countries along the routes.So,has the seven-year-old Belt and Road Initiative reduced the environmental quality of these countries and how does it affect the environmental quality?To address these issues,this study conducted a quasi-natural experiment,based on the WDI 2005-2017 data,the human development index database of the World Bank and the OECD(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)database.A country-year panel data was constructed using the difference-in-differences model to assess the countries along the‘area’initiative for environmental effects,and to further examine the heterogeneity and the policy effect mechanism.The main conclusions were as follows:①The Belt and Road Initiative had significantly improved the environmental quality of countries along the routes.The conclusions remained robust after the introduction of the placebo test,the use of instrumental variables to alleviate possible endogenous problems and a series of other robustness tests.②The results of heterogeneity analysis showed that the Belt and Road Initiative exerted a greater effect on the countries with lower environmental quality than those with higher quality in terms of environmental improvements.③Mechanism analysis showed that the Belt and Road Initiative improved the environmental quality of countries along the routes by promoting technological progress and strengthening environmental regulation,but it failed to significantly improve the environmental quality of these countries by promoting clean energy structure and industrial structure and increasing the scale effect.Therefore,China should continue to vigorously promote the concept of developing a green Belt and Road,expand the coverage of the green Belt and Road,improve the level of clean energy structure of the Belt and Road countries through investment and cooperation,and promote the clean transformation of their industrial structure.These findings provide empirical evidence and implications for the better promotion of the green Belt and Road Initiative,and have certain reference value for the follow-up implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Cultural Aspect of Belt and Road Initiative and Project Mausam: Strategy for Engagement

The paper seeks to examine the cultural aspects of the two initiatives to justify the fact that enhancing cultural connections is a two way process and would certainly enable both civilizations to learn from each other. B&R's people-to-people bond strategy and Mausam's initiative to revive cultural linkages are not contradictory in nature but supplement each other. In the backdrop of Doklam Stand-off, the shaken mutual trust between the two neighbors can be healed by further increasing cultural and people-to-people contacts.

The Perception and Reaction of Indonesia to the Belt and Road Initiative and Suggestions for China's Response

Participation, support and understanding of countries along the Belt and Road are requisites for promoting and implementing this major initiative. Indonesia, a major ASEAN economy, is crucial but Indonesia has a limited perception of the B&R initiative. Although its government welcomes it and the ruling coalition cooperates positively, parts of the military and opposition are skeptical of China's intent. The B&R initiative is well-received among the Indonesian Chinese group, while Indonesian academic circles remain cautious and somewhat critical. From a Chinese viewpoint, easing negative or hostile emotions appropriately would be well-timed. China should settle the Natuna issue, adjust its publicity in Indonesia, use diplomacy, and promote Sino-Indonesia cultural exchange and communications. Chinese enterprises should focus on project quality and uphold social responsibilities. Short-term goals are reducing Indonesia's opposition and obstruction of B&R, while long-term goals are enhancing the recognition and likeability of the Initiative's worthwhile plans.

On New Missions of the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative is in line with international principles of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and aims to promote the world economy. It shoulders three missions: to continue creating global development dividends, to global economic transformation, and to promote world peace and stability. It is a way for China to build a community of shared interests and a better future for humanity.

Sino-Japanese Cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative:Motivation Analysis and Future Prospect

The global power shift,economic uncertainty and significant domestic pressures have reshaped Japan’s stance from non-cooperative toward positive on China’s Belt and Road Initiative.While structural forces propelling Japan’s policy evolution remain in place,potential gain from strengthening cooperation with China are apparent.It is foreseeable that the BRI will bring wider and more practical Sino-Japanese cooperation,despite a complicated geopolitical setting that will necessitate more counter measures from Japan to "rebalance" its new stance on the Belt and Road Initiative.