A harmonisation approach to traditional Chinese medicine registration in Asian countries

The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)industry is critical to not only for public health but also for economic growth.According to the European Union(EU)directives,under the EU framework for(traditional)herbal medicinal products,herbal medicines with long history of use can be registered in EU.However,there is a condition in this directive in which only those that have at least 10e15 years in the EU market are accepted for registration and/or marketing authorization.In author opinion,the condition of 10-15 years of use in EU countries set within the EU regulatory framework is with consideration of the genetic differences which can result in variation in adverse drug responses among different world populations.With this concept in mind,it is reasonable to project the principal of the EU directive to the Asian countries where TCM is originated.Countries like China,Singapore,Japan and South Korea that have well established drug registration framework are in best position in executing the best practice and facilitate harmonization of registration for TCM within the region.Furthermore,the registration process itself allows more safety and efficacy data to be collected systemically before and after product registration/marketing authorization.These are valuable information for future drug development.The therapeutic value of TCM is limitless,it has been left out in the EU regulatory framework,and the opportunity for it to be expanded and carried forward in modern medicines is shadowed by the limited number of TCM that are qualified to be registered under the EU regulatory framework.An early establishment of a harmonized risk-based registration process for TCM in Asian countries is important.This will strengthen the database to substantiate the history of safe use and further preserving and expanding the therapeutic values of TCM within and beyond the Asian region.

Research on groundwater ecological environment mapping based on ecological service function:A case study of five Central Asian countries and neighboring regions of China

The groundwater system is a unique ecosystem that serves both resource and ecological functions.Hydrogeologists have conducted extensive theoretical research and practical work on groundwater ecological mapping.This paper,based on the study of groundwater resources and surface ecology in the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China,introduces the concept of ecosystem service functions.It establishes a groundwater ecological zoning index system and conducts research of ecological mapping using the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China as examples.Through this process,the ecosystem service functions of groundwater can be more comprehensively reflected,which can better guide regional geological environment protection and industrial planning.This approach helps coordinate the relationship between socio-economic development and water resource protection,maintain the health of the groundwater ecological environment,enhance the value of groundwater ecological services,and promote the sustainable development of regional economies and societies.

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.

Spatial Interaction Between the Industrial Undertaking Capacity and Global Value Chain Position of East Asian Countries

A comprehensive understanding of the spatial interaction between the industrial undertaking capability and the position of the global value chain of the 12 East Asian countries is conducive to strengthening regional cooperation, gaining a say in foreign trade and becoming the dominant player in the global division of labor system. The article reveals the operating rules of the interaction between the industrial undertaking capacity and the global value chain position of East Asian countries by calculating the Global Moran Index(Moran’s I), coupling coordination degree and other indicators. The results show that: in time, the values of industrial undertaking capacity and the positions of global value chain in East Asian countries showed a sustained and stable growth trend, and have a consistent trend of change. Spatially, both of the two indexes had significant positive spatial correlation, with Moran’s I showing an ‘inverted U’pattern, and the spatial aggregation distribution of global value chain position lagged behind the spatial aggregation distribution of industrial undertaking capacity by one year. In terms of spatial coupling coordination, the coupling coordination values of the two indicators show a steady upward trend. Combined with the comparative advantage of each country, this paper provides suggestions for promoting the positions of Chinese and other East Asian industries in the global value chain from the perspectives of enhancing independent innovation capability and upgrading industrial structure.

Dynamics of volatility spillover between stock market and foreign exchange market: evidence from Asian Countries

Background:The purpose of this study is to examine volatility spillover effects between stock market and foreign exchange market in selected Asian countries;Pakistan,India,Sri Lanka,China,Hong Kong and Japan.This study considered daily data from 4th January,1999 to 1st January,2014.Methods:This study opted EGARCH(Exponential Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity)model for the purpose of analyzing asymmetric volatility spillover effects between stock and foreign exchange market.Results:The EGARCH analyses reveal bidirectional asymmetric volatility spillover between stock market and foreign exchange market of Pakistan,China,Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.The results reveal unidirectional transmission of volatility from stock market to foreign exchange market of India.The analysis reveals no evidence of volatility transmission between the two markets in reference to Japan.Conclusions:The result of this study provide valuable insights to economic policy makers for financial stability perspective and to investors regarding decision making in international portfolio and currency risk strategies.

Current Food and Nutrition Situation in South Asian and South-East Asian Countries

Food production in the countries of South and South-East Asia has shown a general upward trend during the last decade. Despite the considerable increase in population in many of these countries, food production per capita in 1988-90 was significantly higher as compared to 1979-81 figures, the increase being specially marked in such countries as Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Available daily calorie supply was adequate to meet the requirement. The overall pattern of food production however has shown little change, with cereal production continuing to account for a predominant part of food production. There is no evidence of a significant uptrend with respect to production of pulses, milk, horticultural products, poultry or meat production in most countries.A uniquc and unfortunate feature of the nutrition situation in South-Asian countries is that the incidence of low birth weight deliveries is as high as 34% (1990), ranging from 25% in Sri Lanka to 50% in Bangladesh (as against less than 7% in the countries of Europe and North America). Even in countries of Africa where the overall food and nutrition situation is worse than in South Asia, the incidence is well below 20%. This is a reflection of the poor state of maternal nutrition in pregnancy.Florid nutritional deficiency diseases have shown a steep decline over the last two decades, but goitre and iron deficiency anaemia continue to be major public health problems, though some headway has been made with regard to the control of the former. Severe forms of growth retardation in children have declined but the majority suffer from mild and moderate forms of growth retardation.Countries of the Region are in varying stages of developmental transition. Among the burgeoning middle classes in some of these countries there are evidences of escalation of degenerative diseases such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. With increasing life expectancy, geriatric nutritlonal problems will demand increasing attention

Overview of Production of Major Tropical Crops in Asian Countries in 2014

On the basis of the FAO data,this paper analyzed the production,area harvested and yield of ten major tropical crops such as natural rubber,cassava and oil palm in Asian countries in 2014,in order to provide the basic data for international cooperation researches of tropical crops.

Turkey＇s Relations With the Central Asian Countries and Europen Union

The purpose of this paper, in the light of recent developments, is to analyze whether or not there is an axial drift in Turkey, which is a part of Europe. With the decision of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, after the collapse of the wall, known as the iron curtain, built on August 13, 1961 in Berlin, the Soviet Union disintegrated on the date of December 25, 1991 and a new unipolar restructure came into view. New hopes, uncertainties, and new threats were brought along by the US-led restructuring. The Cold War period ended, a drastic change process with the Eurasian axis in the international relations started to be lived in, and the world order based on the the nuclear balance between the East and the West also died out. Having been located at the intersection point of Europe and Asia and therefore of strategic importance, Central Asia has been bringing together the two continents for centuries. In this geography, Turkey has been the first country to recognize the Republics that have gained their independence for the last 20 years. Starting in 1991, the relations between Turkey and Central Asia countries progressed swiftly. Turkey, on one hand, has been developing the economical and political relations with the aforesaid countries, but on the other hand, it has also been continuing to progress on the course of being granted a full membership to the EU （European Union）. Turkey has been the only Muslim country to head towards the West since Tanzimat （the Reformations in 1839）. Besides, Turkey, by having preserved the cultural values, having adopted the democratic principles, having a common border with the Western world, and being her neighbour, is the only and the most developed country to have chosen the West on the economic, cultural, social, and sporting areas among the 57 Islamic countries existing in the world. Turkey, with different political and economic systems, is ready to contribute towards ensuring peace and economic prosperity in Central Asia and Eurasia. The diplomatic activity demonstrated by Turkey in its region was interpreted by some parties as undergoing a shift in the axis of the country and becoming Islamized. The development preparing the ground for the emergence of the axis debates in Turkey is that the relationship between Turkey and EU has come to a dead end. While about 80% of the public supporting for full membership in the years of 1999-2005, this proportion dropped to 40% in recent years. Without the support of the public opinion, no government in the Republic of Turkey will be enthusiastic about the EU membership, as it is, the relations between Turkey and the Western world will decline and the axis shift in Turkey will perhaps become a fact in this case. For this reason, an initiative, called Positive Agenda, was launched for the purpose of not breaking off the relations and preventing Turkey from setting sail for new shores. This new approach is not targeting to replace but to complete the accession process, and the development of the more constructive and positive relationship between EU and Turkey is targeted as well. The world＇s economic axis will shift from the West to the East in the next 50 years. The harsh criticism of the double standards of the West voiced by Turkey in the non-Western regions, such as the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Caucasus, is causing to be perceived by the Western world as Turkey is not a partner but a competitive power and the close relationship with the groups and the actors against the West in the Middle East is leading to interrogate about what kind of partner it will be in Europe. When NATO （North Atlantic Treaty Organization） was formed 63 years ago, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, that the Central Asia countries would gain their independence, that two-block structure of Europe would disappear, and that the Warsaw Pact would disband, could not be predicted by any one. Axis is shifting from the West to the East. By realizing this fact, Turkey has to determine a new strategy. As a result, in this statement, the position of Turkey, which is a part of Asia and Europe, against the latest development in the region, will be analyzed.

Teachers＇ Concerns and Solutions Towards The Implementation of Digital Storytelling in Teaching English in ESL Classroom in Asian Countries

We are living in the era of Information Technology where students have a lot exposure to the state-of-the-art devices and softwares. The remarkable revolutions in interactivity and multimedia materials together with countless emerging technologies have also enabled the conception of digital storytelling. However, it has not been widely used in many developing countries such as Vietnam. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to conduct an investigation into the history of digital storytelling, the necessary facilities and how it is being used educationally in the classroom so that teachers in developing countries can widely apply digital storytelling in teaching. This paper also raises students＇ awareness towards using technology in their study, which will make an important breakthrough in teaching and learning English in Vietnam.

Relations Between China and Central Asian Countries Face Opportunity of All-Round Development

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and its western neighbors - the Central Asian countries, the friendly and good-neighborly relationship between the two sides has kept a sound momentum of development. China’s policy of creating an amicable, secure and

Impact of geopolitical risk,GDP,inflation,interest rate,and trade openness on foreign direct investment:Evidence from five Southeast Asian countries

Historically,geopolitical risk(GPR)has posed significant challenges to international economic,social,and political frameworks.This study investigated how internal GPR in the selected five Southeast Asian countries(Indonesia,South Korea,Malaysia,the Philippines,and Thailand)influences foreign direct investment(FDI)during 1996-2019.The stationarity of the data was assessed using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller(ADF)unit root test,which shows that the data became stationary after the first difference.The Kao,Pedroni,and Westerlund cointegration tests were employed to examine long-term cointegration among the selected variables(FDI,GPR index(GPRI),gross domestic product(GDP),inflation,interest rate,and trade openness(TOP)).The results indicated that these variables have a long-term cointegration.Consequently,regression analysis using the Pooled Ordinary Least Squares(OLS)regression,fixed effect,random effect,Arellano-Bond dynamic panel-data estimation,and system generalized moment method(GMM)revealed that GPRI and TOP negatively impacted FDI in the selected five Southeast Asian countries.At the same time,GDP,inflation,and interest rate positively influenced FDI in these countries.Because FDI is crucial to shaping a country’s macroeconomic structure,this study recommends that governments and central banks of the selected five Southeast Asian countries should implement policies and strategies to encourage foreign investments.

Impact of climate change on food security in the Central Asian countries

The current and potential impacts of global warming have generated widespread concerns about food security among all sectors of society.Central Asian countries located deep in the interior of Asia with fragile ecological environments and lower agricultural technology are particularly more prone to severe threats from climate change.Based on panel data acquired in five Central Asian countries from 1990 to 2019,a C-D-C model was developed to study how climate change affects food security in the region and to predict future trends.The study found that the level of food security has generally increased for these five Central Asian countries over the past 30 years,with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan having the highest and lowest food security levels,respectively.The average annual temperature and precipitation exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship with the region’s food security,with the most positive effect on the food security of Kazakhstan.Extremely high and low temperatures have significantly affected food security in the studied region,with Turkmenistan experiencing the most significant negative impacts.The number of frost days had no significant effect on food security.An analysis of future climate showed that the temperature and precipitation in Central Asia will continue to increase from 2030 to 2090,which will negatively impact the food security of these countries.It is recommended that the Central Asian countries enhance their understanding of climate risks,strengthen scientific climate research,and develop multiple adaptation strategies in advance.Simultaneously,they are encouraged to consolidate international cooperation,reducing greenhouse gas emissions effectively and maintaining the ability to ensure food security.

Evaluation on the allocative efficiency of agricultural factors in the five Central Asian countries

Based on methods such as stochastic frontier production function,this paper analyses the changes of single factor productivity(SFP)and total factor productivity(TFP)of agriculture in the five Central Asian countries,during the period of 1992 to 2017.The research results show that the agricultural output in most of the five Central Asian countries has increased steadily,while agricultural labor productivity has shown a growth trend.With the exception of Kazakhstan,the land productivity of the other four countries shows a growth trend.In terms of factor input,the number of agricultural workers in the five Central Asian countries mainly shows a trend of decrease,with the input of chemical fertilizer increasing,and the amount of agricultural machinery increasing or decreasing within a small range.The total factor productivity in the five Central Asian countries has improved,but it is still at a low level.The policy suggestions contained in the research conclusions are as follows:(1)Promote the growth of agricultural TFP in the five Central Asian countries,and strengthen the emphasis on the input and allocation of agricultural factors;(2)be aware of the innovation of agricultural technology,as well as the promotion and diffusion of existing agricultural technologies,and improve the overall technical efficiency of agriculture;and(3)accelerate the effective flow of capital and other elements to the agricultural sector,improve infrastructure,better release the'dividend'of science and technology,and enhance the output efficiency.

Factors Determining Health Expenditure in the Asian and the OECD Countries

It is widely recognized that developed countries have been spending more than developing countries on health care. Objective of the study is to examine determinants of health expenditure and what factors influence it. Fifteen Asian countries and 30 OECD countries were chosen to explore the difference of their health expenditure structures. Model of health expenditure per person was estimated to be dependent on market demand, market supply, and other exogenous factors. A model with country specific and time effects of health expenditure was used and estimated. The study found a negative but insignificant relationship between price and health expenditure and a positive and significant relationship between GDP and health expenditure. Urban population density as proxy of urbanization was found to induce the health expenditure in the OECD. Out-of-pocket payment was also found to induce health expenditure for both the Asian and the OECD countries. A net effect of improvement in the health status or a lower mortality rate and a higher life expectancy caused an increase in the health expenditure among the Asian countries studied but decreased health expenditure in the OECD countries. In terms of income elasticity, it was found to be smaller than one in both groups of the countries. Since the income has changed faster than the other factors, the net effect of changes of all factors over period of time will cause rising in health care expenditure. Finally, the model indicated that both the Asian and OECD countries will continue to have a rising health expenditure per person over a period of time.

COVID-19: Challenges and viewpoints from low-and-middle-income Asian countries perspectives

The crisis of coronavirus disease(COVID-19)is growing and has a potential impact on low-and-middle-income countries(LMICs),particularly in Asian regions,which,have reported less so far.The main purpose of this article is to discuss the challenges of COVID-19 management in Asian LMICs and propose some future guidelines to control the transmission and spread.Due to a highly dense population,low-resourced health system,lack of testing kit,and tracing,the ultimate impact could be lasting.It is highly likely that Asian LMICs were not in the center of receiving high priority by the international community in order to take effective prevention strategies.This might upsurge caseloads.Like the symptoms,mode of transmission varies largely due to a number of unknown clinical features of the virus,defining a risk group only based on some limited criteria such as age and disease with comorbidity could be risky.Recently some of the Asian LMICs launched contact tracing app.However,the study has identified several healthcare challenges in Asian LMICs such as shortage of supply of PPE,inadequate long-term care services,the socio-cultural differences which require utmost consideration.In addition,to control infection and enhance prevention,some pertinent problems need to be addressed.Based on that,some multifactorial approaches can be taken in line with international guidelines.Finally,this paper recommends developing a strong and resilient healthcare monitoring system.

The Regional Conference of the IGU on Asian Pacific Countries Successfully Held in China

TheThe Regional Conference on Asian Pacific Countries of the IGU was held from August 13 to 19,1990 at Beijing,on the premises of Peking University.It was the first of such event of the Union to take place in China.The Conference was attended by 1017 geographers from 40 countries of six continents(Asia 788,Europe 125,North America 74,Oceania 15,Latin America 7,Africa 3),with the larger delegations from:U.S.A.(45),South Korea(44),Japan(31),France(18),Italy(17),FRG(16),Canada(16),U.S.S.R.(13),Australia(10),Spain(9),U.K.(8)and India(8).China composed the majority,and Taipei sent a sizable delegation of 15,the rest of the participating countries sent 1-4 delegates each.The organizing committee of the Conference included the executive committee members of the Geographical Society of China and members of China Committee for the IGU.Profs.Huang Bingwei and Wu Chuanjun were responsible for all the activities organized during the Conference.