Analysis of Low Fertility Rates in Advanced Economies

In economics,opportunity cost means the maximum value of choosing one behavior over others in the situation where resources are limited(Parkin,2016).In the process of making reproductive decision,opportunity cost reveals the trade-off between time,resources,and economic benefits that individuals face when choosing to have children or not.During this process,the technological changes make the paths of career development diverse and rapidly changing,remarkably increasing the opportunity cost of childbirth and parenting.This leads to individuals more inclined to postpone or reduce childbirth when balancing their careers and families,thereby resulting in low fertility rates in developed economies.

Using Circular Economics Strategies to Manage Tourism on Remote Islands:A SMART Approach

Circular economics theory offers destination managers of remote islands a solution-oriented approach to environmental sustainability. This paper examines the practical benefits of this theory that will support the development of a circular economy regarding sustainable island tourism (SIT). The aim of this paper is to inform discussions regarding the feasibility of applying a practice theory that emphasises changes in the behaviours across three segments, visitors, residents, and enterprises using SMART technologies. To achieve this objective, a SMART indicator system (SIS) was used to identify current practices that would support a circular economy (CE). The key innovation of this study is the creation of a proposed framework that may inform best practices for SIT in the future. The findings highlight the potential opportunity of evidenced-based planning to deliver a circular economy strategy (CES) for remote islands in the future. These insights can potentially impact the way that local authorities and destination managers approach the planning of tourism for six islands along the west coast of Ireland.

The Thinking of Financing under Dual Economies Character In Medium & Small Enterprises

In China,the dual economies show prominence in financial field.It leads to the serious dual credit ration and becomes one of the main cause which makes financing in medium & small sized enterprises becomes harder and harder.On basis of this situation,we theoretically pose that we can alleviate the difficulty through the dual cooperation of financial control and the deepening of finance.

A Note on an Economic Lot-sizing Problem with Perishable Inventory and Economies of Scale Costs:Approximation Solutions and Worst Case Analysis

This paper presents an economic lot-sizing problem with perishable inventory and general economies of scale cost functions. For the case with backlogging allowed, a mathematical model is formulated, and several properties of the optimal solutions are explored. With the help of these optimality properties, a polynomial time approximation algorithm is developed by a new method. The new method adopts a shift technique to obtain a feasible solution of subproblem and takes the optimal solution of the subproblem as an approximation solution of our problem. The worst case performance for the approximation algorithm is proven to be （4√2 ＋ 5）/7. Finally, an instance illustrates that the bound is tight.

Preventive Countermeasures for "Immiserizing Growth in Expanding Economies" in China's Rural Areas in the New Era

On the basis of defining the concept of "immiserizing growth in expanding economies",through analysing the status quo of economy in China's rural areas in the new era,this paper aims to find out the factors responsible for economic weakness of China's rural residents.It analyses the impact of market consuming economy on growth economy,and points out the phenomenon of "immiserizing growth in expanding economies" which may be triggered by China's rapid rural economic growth as follows:first,the income disparity between urban and rural residents increases ceaselessly,the commodity prices continuously soar,and the rural residents' market consuming capacity is short;second,the wealth concentrates highly and the majority of farmers' income is low.Thus we put forward the countermeasures and proposals for preventing "immiserizing growth in expanding economies" in rural areas as follows:we should reform household registration system so that the rural residents have the right to migrate freely,and farmers' status is promoted;we should coordinate urban-rural development,strengthen agriculture and rural infrastructure building and achieve impartial allocation of public resources;we should carry out redistribution on income scientifically and effectively,consolidate rural social security system,bridge urban-rural income gap,transform the comparative advantage into competitive advantage,so as to circumvent "immiserizing growth in expanding economies".

MEASUREMENT OF AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES AT COUNTY LEVEL IN JIANGSU PROVINCE

Agglomeration economies are the important factors for the regional development. However, the common indicators to measure them, such as Gini Coefficients neglect the spatial ingredient of data, leading to a-spatial estimates. In order to assess spatial neighbor effects of agglomeration economies, this study makes the new attempts by applying a series of techniques of spatial autocorrelation analysis, specifically, measuring the economies of urbanization and localization at the county level in the secondary and tertiary industries of Jiangsu Province in 1999 and 2002. The conclusions in this study reveal that on the whole, the localization effects on the economies of the secondary industry might be stronger than urbanization effects for that period, and highly agglomerative economies were limited within the southern Jiangsu and parts of middle along the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. Moreover, the tertiary industry has been strong urbanization rather than localization economies in the whole Jiangsu. Unlike the secondary industry, the tertiary industry held the high levels of agglomeration economies can be also found in the poor northern Jiangsu, and then the spatial clusters of trade and services might be basically seen in each of urban districts in 13 cities. All in all, spatial autocorrelation analysis is a better method to test agglomeration economies.

The Environmental Impacts of Informal Economies in China: Inverted U-shaped Relationship and Regional Variances

This paper aims to the debate on the nexus between informal economies and the environment by investigating the long-term dynamic impacts of China’s informal economies on pollution and considering regional differences in informal economies’ pollution.This paper uses the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes(MIMIC) model to estimate the size of informal economies and employs econometric models to examine their relationships to pollution based on provincial-level panel data from 2000 to 2017. The results indicate that informal economies’ effects on environmental pollution are not purely positive or negative. Rather, our model indicates that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between informal economies and pollution in the long run in China;this means that the level of environmental pollution increases at first and then decreases with the growth of informal economies. Further analysis shows that while this inverted, U-shaped relationship is significant in different regions of China, it is affected by different environmental impact factors. The paper concludes by discussing the policy implications for environmental protection and sustainable development.

Ecological Network Analysis Quantifying the Sustainability of Regional Economies: A Case Study of Guangdong Province in China

To meet the challenge of sustainable development, sustainability must be made. Ecological network analysis(ENA) was introduced in this paper as an approach to quantitatively measure the growth, development, and sustainability of an economic system. The Guangdong economic networks from 1987 to 2010 were analyzed by applying the ENA approach. Firstly, a currency flow network among economic sectors was constructed to represent the Guangdong economic system by adapting the input-output(I-O) table data. Then, the network indicators from the ENA framework involving the total system throughput(TST), average mutual information(AMI), ascendency(A), redundancy(R) and development capacity(C) were calculated. Lastly, the network indicators were analyzed to acquire the overall features of Guangdong's economic operations during 1987–2010. The results are as follows: the trends of the network indicators show that the size of the Guangdong economic network grows exponentially at a high rate during 1987–2010, whereas its efficiency does not present a clear trend over its whole period. The growth is the main characteristic of the Guangdong economy during 1987–2010, with no clear evidence regarding its development. The quantitative results of the network also confirmed that the growth contributed to a great majority of the Guangdong economy during 1987–2010, whereas the development's contribution was tiny during the same period. The average value of the sustainability indicator(α) of the Guangdong economic network was 0.222 during 1987–2010, which is less than the theoretically optimal value of 0.37 for a sustainable human-influenced system. The results suggest that the Guangdong economic system needs a further autocatalysis to improve its efficiency to support the system maintaining a sustainable evolvement.

Exchange Rate Risk, Political Environment and Chinese Outward FDI in Emerging Economies： A Panel Data Analysis

This study attempts to investigate the effect of financial and political risk on Chinese outward FDI activities in 56 emerging economies for a period from 2003 to 2013. Exchange rate is taken as a main indicator of financial risks and political risks are evaluated using ICRG （International Country Risk Guide） index. Generalized method of moments with panel data of Chinese outward FDI （foreign direct investment） in new emerging economies is used to find how Chinese finns intend to invest abroad with respect to exchange rate level, volatility, and expectation. The major findings show that RMB appreciation proved to have a positive effect on Chinese outward FDI in emerging economies. But Chinese OFDI （outward foreign direct investment） seems not to respond to exchange rate volatility. The expectation of RMB＇s appreciation has positive effect on Chinese OFDI in emerging economies. Results also show that more political risk leads to more Chinese OFDI in emerging economies.

Potentials of community-based tourism in transformations towards green economies after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in West China

This study investigates the contrasting sceneries of community-based tourism after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and focuses on the potentials of tourism in transformations towards green economies. How are tourism and environment linked in a sustainable relationship? And how can potentials of community-based tourism be directed in transformations towards green economies? A qualitative research design is used to examine contrasting sceneries and specific green elements of community-based tourism in a Qiang people's fortress village in Mao County, Sichuan Province, West China and further discuss how tourism can be compatible with human wellbeing through demonstrating a commitment to sustainable development. The study argues that potential economic, social and environmental costs of tourism need to be considered when evaluating the loss of community benefits toward sustainability. The green elements suggest the potential of community-based tourism in transformations towards green economies, involving green agricultural, green building, and green energy, green governance, green service and green consumption. This study will contribute to the debate about the relationship between tourism and environment sustainability in the green economies, as well as the critique of what can be learned for community development from green tourism in mountainous regions after the inevitable natural disasters.

Whether Can RCEP Cooperation in Digital Economy Raise New “Tiger Cub” Economies

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP)is the world’s largest regional trade agreement,signed by ten ASEAN countries and five regional trade partners.In January 2022,the RCEP officially took effect,which not only marks the triumph of multilateral cooperation,but more importantly,will be significant contributor to global economy.At present,facing the wave of digital globalization,RCEP could put more emphasis on the international cooperation in technology innovation,digital infrastructure,and cross-border e-commerce,making digital economy boost RCEP’s goal to deeper economic integration.Member states can achieve long term success through jointly establishing cooperation mechanism on digital economy,and working to build community with digital sharing for RCEP parties,which also help revive economic strength in the big recession caused by COVID-19 pandemic.Furthermore,this study finds that the former“Tiger Cub”economies which are Indonesia,Thailand,Malaysia,and Philippines stand a credible chance of becoming the new“Tiger Cub”economies in Asia-Pacific,for their rapidly rising digital markets.

（Dis）Economies of Scale in Business Software Systems Development and Enhancement Projects

In the software engineering literature, it is commonly believed that economies of scale do not occur in case of software Development and Enhancement Projects （D＆EP）. Their per-unit cost does not decrease but increase with the growth of such projects product size. Thus this is diseconomies of scale that occur in them. The significance of this phenomenon results from the fact that it is commonly considered to be one of the fundamental objective causes of their low effectiveness. This is of particular significance with regard to Business Software Systems （BSS） D＆EP characterized by exceptionally low effectiveness comparing to other software D＆EP. Thus the paper aims at answering the following two questions： （1） Do economies of scale really not occur in BSS D＆EP？ （2） If economies of scale may occur in BSS D＆EP, what factors are then promoting them？ These issues classify into economics problems of software engineering research and practice.

Can Emerging Economies Catch-up Sustainably？-An Analysis of BRICS＇ Economic Growth Pattern

The BRICS （Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa） and other emerging economies have become a driving global force for the past twenty years. However, their growth patterns are obsolete, impeding the quality and competitiveness of their economic growth, while simultaneously threatening the sustainability of their economic convergence with developed nations. Transforming the domestic growth pattern-the solution to the middle-income trap-has therefore become a key priority for each of these economies. This paper presents a comparative analysis of how to transform the pattern of economic growth in BRICS and achieve sustainable economic convergence with a comparative analysis of the pattern of economic growth and problems among BRICS countries.

IS CHINA LEARNING FROM ITS NEIGHBORS? A COMPARISON OF OVERSEAS INVESTMENT BETWEEN CHINA AND OTHER EAST ASIAN ECONOMIES

Twenty years’ economic reform and open door practice have made China not only an important host nation to foreign direct investment (FDI), but also the largest FDI home nation among the developing countries. In fact, since the late 1980s, the Chinese government has not simply put its effort into exporting  made-in-China" products to earn foreign currency or into encouraging foreign inward capital, but also actively encouraged its manufacturers to invest overseas. This paper examines China’s outward FDI and poses the question to what degree China is expected to follow the other East Asian economies or will it forge its own particular patterns. The first section of this paper reviews the characteristics of FDI of China’s neighbors and then it turns to examine the spatial patterns of and motivations for China’s FDI. Finally, this paper looks at potential of China’s outward investment in the near future. It concludes that China is not Japan but its potential for further outward FDI is huge. With its WTO membership and growing economy, China will become the second to Japan or USA. It will also use its financial power to further contain Taiwan’s independence.

MINIMAL ESSENTIAL SETS AND ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF THE EQUILIBRIA OF PRODUCTION ECONOMIES

The purpose of this paper is to give a further study on the stability of production economies. The new results were given by considering the 'set-valued' stability of equilibria. It is proved that there exists at least one minimal essential set of equilibrium points of the economy and every minimal essential set is connected. Based on these results, it is easy to prove that there is at least one essential component of the set of equilibrium points.

Economic Analysis of the Investment in Smart Substation

Intelligent Substation as one of the core components converting and managing energy within sturdy and smart power grid system coordinates electricity generation, transformation, transmission, distribution, usage and dispatching. In this paper, a thorough contrast was made between intelligent and conventional substation in terms of technical deployment, investment scale etc. Using life-span cycle technique, the economic analysis of intelligent substation revealed some key factors that dictate economy level. Finally, some rational proposals for decision makes to promote smart grid were given to improve economy of intelligent substation with a reasonable construction scale and sequence.

Universal Health Coverage: Factoring Successful Economies

Countries are seeking to diversify sources of revenue for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and strategies vary among countries at different stages on the road to UHC. The study tends to document these trade-offs by factoring successful economies across the globe. A review of peer-reviewed literature retrieved country-wise on the basis of successful UHC economies to establish the major factor associated with development of UHC. Political will has been recognized as one of the critical factors. Overcoming barriers associated with development of an adequate and sustainable financing mechanism and selecting the right package of services are other essential determinants. Reaching vulnerable groups and efficient use of resources were other factors that contributed to UHC development in Mexico and south-east Asian countries. UHC development is at threshold where nations should learn from one another, especially from those systems which appear to be doing better, and are more prepared to innovate, test and evaluate new approaches.

A New GLKKM Theorem and Its Application to Abstract Economies

In this paper,a new GLKKM theorem in L-convex spaces is established.As applications,a new fixed point theorem and a maximal element theorem are obtained in Lconvex spaces.Finally,equilibrium existence theorems for economies and qualitative games in L-convex spaces are yielded.

Scale and scope economies in small household rice farming in Vietnam

The Vietnamese agricultural sector has experienced a dramatic structural change based on increased specialization in rice cultivation.However,small-scale rice-farmers have continued to grow multiple crops,especially in less developed provinces.While the literature advocates crop diversification for reasons of both economic and ecological sustainability,there lacks empirical evidence as to whether crop diversification brings efficiency and productivity gains to small farms.The present study is the first applications of the input-oriented stochastic distance function approach in estimating scale and scope economies using data of multi-crop farming households in Vietnam.We find strong evidence of product-specific economies of scale.Scope economies are also present for rice,vegetable,and other annual crop production.This suggests that crop diversification enhances efficiency and productivity.However,there still exists significant technical inefficiency in crop production,indicating opportunities to expand farm output at the existing level of inputs and technologies.More specifically,our empirical results indicate that it is desirable to expand vegetable and other annual crop production in mountainous areas while rice cultivation can be further expanded in delta and coastal regions.

Currencies of greater interest for central Asian economies:an analysis of exchange market pressure amid global and regional interdependence

Central Asian Economies(CAEs)have diverse exchange rate policies.They have recorded higher volatility in the foreign exchange market since inception.High volatility of the transition era has drifted these economies towards partial dollarization.Monetary authorities in CAEs,(already have a challenge of maintaining monetary policy autonomy)have a gigantic task of price stability and stopping the spread of dollarization.This study is directed towards assessing the drivers and the determinants of foreign exchange market pressure in CAEs.The results,based on panel data analysis and the System GMM model,have provided useful insights about the exchange market pressure determinants particularly USD,Euro,Ruble,and Renminbi.The results show that China and Russia exchange market pressure has a negative effect on the exchange market pressure of CAEs.While the dollar index shows a positive impact on the exchange market pressure of CAEs.Overall,the findings imply that China and Russia currency appreciation results in a trade deficit across CAEs.The policy implication suggests that the floating exchange rate regime(inflation targeting regime)is not in favor of CAEs,and they must use managed-float to reduce their trade deficits.