Chinese Counterparts Research Articles

Partnering a Rival: The Sustenance of India’s Complex Interdependence with China, 2010-20

While a worrying disrepair in the political-military strand of the equation between New Delhi and Beijing prevailed through the 2010s, its economic component witnessed contrasting instances of convergence. By examining India’s business linkages with China during the period, especially through its railway and automobile industries, this article attempts to empirically demonstrate how Indian public and private sector actors managed to consistently cultivate a network of complex interdependence with their Chinese counterparts, resultantly keeping Beijing engaged in multiple, mutually beneficial non-military agendas and contributing to the mitigation of recurring bilateral strife.

Socio-Economic Status May Associate Different Risk(s) with Early Childhood Caries (ECC) That Can Cause the Development of Psychomotor Deficiency in Preschool Children Aged 3-6 Years Old: The Results of Preliminary Analysis from a Cohort Study.

Background: We have recently shown that there is a positive correlation between severe caries and developing psychomotor deficiency in preschool children. To fully re-assess such a relationship, we embarked on a 3-year longitudinal follow-up study of kindergarteners, where we aimed to: (i) confirm whether early childhood caries is causally related to the development of psychomotor deficiency as proposed, and (ii) address any significant role or contribution of socio-economic status associated with caries–psychomotor interactions in the preschooler family cohorts studied, over time. Methods: A longitudinal study was designed where the total sum of 159 kindergarteners aged 3–6 from the central and southern regions of Taiwan were randomly selected and recruited for clinical examination of caries, together with questionnaires for personal, demographic and dietary information, socio-economic status, and the children’s psychomotor development scales which were collected and analyzed over time. Student’s t test, chi-squared test, correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis with R2 determinants were employed to assess any attributable differences (of 0~1) between SES vs. psychomotor manifests and caries measured among all variables computed. Results: The results of our preliminary analyses show that: (i) there was likely a causal relationship between caries activities and aspects of general development scale via the Chinese Child Development Inventory over time (4.01 ± 3.47 vs. 5.88 ± 2.58, respectively) in the 3–6-year-old preschoolers, and (ii) there was significantly more attributable influence (via higher R-squared values) from SES and psychomotor manifests than that of caries and the Chinese Child Development Inventory counterparts, as detected over time. Conclusion: Collectively, the resulting analyses support our previous findings and confirm that there is likely a causal relationship between severe caries and psychomotor deficiency in growing preschoolers; the resulting analyses revealed that such causally related interactions may be attributably explainable by a content-reliant association via socio-economic status analyzed in the kindergartener family cohorts studied. Thus, the socio-economic status or its constituents/factors will have a much broader influence not only associated with developing early childhood caries (a biologic trait), but also for psychomotor deficiency (a social trait) in vulnerable children at risk.

Why is Self-Esteem Higher Among American than Chinese Early Adolescents? The Role of Psychologically Controlling Parenting.

Little is known about why American youth tend to have higher self-esteem than do Chinese youth. This research examined the role of psychologically controlling parenting during early adolescence. 825 youth (48% females; Mage = 12.73 years) in the United States and China reported on their self-esteem and parents' psychological control every 6 months from the fall of 7th grade to spring of 8th grade. Both American and Chinese youth's self-esteem decreased over time, but American youth consistently had higher self-esteem. American parents were less psychologically controlling than were Chinese parents who, unlike American parents, became more psychologically controlling over time. These differences in psychologically controlling parenting contributed to the tendency for American youth to have higher self-esteem than their Chinese counterparts.

International opportunity development of born global firms: the role of institutions

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate the international opportunity development process of born global firms embedded in two different institutional contexts: China, an emerging economy and Italy, a developed country. Drawing on the entrepreneurial opportunity literature and institutional theory, this study explores and draws insights into how home country institutions of born globals can influence the international opportunity development process of the firms.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a qualitative case study approach with in-depth, semi-structured interviews of six born global companies from China and Italy. In doing so, this study uses a flexible pattern matching design, which is consistent with the qualitative research design of the paper.FindingsThe findings of the study indicate that home institutions play an influential, yet differential role in the international opportunity development processes of Chinese and Italian born global firms. While the Italian firms shape their opportunities mainly through product innovation, their Chinese counterparts develop opportunities primarily through networks embedded in their home institutional context.Originality/valueThe key contributions of the paper relate to an integrated analysis of the international opportunity development process of born globals in China and Italy based on institutional theory, which has received limited attention in the international entrepreneurship literature. In addition, the study advances the similarities and differences in the international opportunity development process in two different countries, thus providing valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to enter international markets successfully.

Sexting Victimization Among Dating App Users: A Comparison of U.S. and Chinese College Students.

The widespread use of digital technology and devices has fundamentally transformed people's social life in recent decades, particularly in interpersonal relationships. Two popular social phenomena elucidate how social connections and interactions have dramatically evolved due to technological advancement. Sexting has surfaced as a popular way of getting attention or flirting among young populations over the past decade. Online dating also has emerged as a viable avenue for people to seek interpersonal romantic and/or sexual relationships. Based on survey data collected from two Chinese universities and one U.S. university, this study links sexting and online dating by comparatively assessing the prevalence of sexting victimization and factors influencing such victimization among young online daters. Bivariate and multiple analyses reveal that American college students are more inclined than their Chinese counterparts to be victims of receiving sexts. Chinese students with higher degrees of rape myth acceptance are more likely to experience sexting victimization, but such an association does not exist among U.S. students. Internet-related activities were only weakly connected to sexting victimization among college students. LGBT young adults, regardless of their country affiliation, are at a higher risk for sexting misconduct. Female and younger American students were more likely to experience sexting victimization, whereas Chinese students in a romantic relationship were more inclined to experience sexting victimization. If possible, future research should employ a random sampling strategy to draw a larger number of college students from different types of universities in different regions. Future studies should include other theoretically relevant variables, such as self-control and opportunity variables, into the sexting victimization research.

Enhancing foreign language teacher candidates’ oral proficiency: An international comparison

Despite the importance of advanced language proficiency when teaching a foreign language, little research has investigated the oral proficiency of aspiring foreign language teachers across multiple countries and what their teacher training programs do to enhance it. In response, the researchers collected and analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data from foreign language teacher candidates in Germany, China, and the United States. Results suggested that oral proficiency varies significantly both within individual teacher training programs and across nations. The teacher candidates from Germany demonstrated significantly greater oral proficiency in the target language than their Chinese counterparts, who in turn, demonstrated significantly greater oral proficiency than the US teacher candidates. Helping to explain these findings, the data suggested that foreign language teacher training programs have differing areas of focus. While the programs in Germany and China focused more attention on language development, the US program emphasized pedagogical skills. Implications for practice are discussed.

The Baltic CAI challenge: reconciling Transatlanticism with EU solidarity

As the EU officials and their Chinese counterparts emphasised the end of 2020 as the date for a successful conclusion of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI, the Agreement), the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were sceptical. However, after discussions, with Lithuania appearing to be the most visible opponent of CAI among the Baltic nations, all three eventually upheld the proposal. Understanding that the ratification of CAI is unlikely after the mutual exchange of sanctions between the EU and PRC in March, 2021, the report nevertheless examines the roots of the Baltic position as a case study of inter-EU bargains, inspects what factors contributed to the Baltic position on the issue of CAI, presents the national pro- and counter-arguments to CAI along the domains of geo-politics, values, and economy, and brings up the dilemmas that remain unsolved.

Positive ripple effects of corporate leaders’ CSR donations amid COVID-19 on corporate and country reputations: Multi-level reputational benefits of CSR focusing on Bill Gates and Jack Ma

Through cross-national surveys in the United States and China, this study investigates the positive ripple effects of corporate leaders’ CSR donations amid COVID-19 on multi-level reputations of corporate leaders, companies, and countries. The study finds that public knowledge of celebrity corporate leaders’ CSR donations can enhance the reputation of the origin country. The enhancement occurs through the improvement of their own personal reputations and affiliated corporate reputations across the two countries. In this ripple-effect mechanism, the role of perceived CSR motives can be changed by the level of publics’ CSR knowledge. As people know more about corporate leaders’ donation activities, the positive impact of altruistic motives increases and the negative impact of self-serving motives decreases. The study also finds that consumer willingness to accept self-serving CSR motives differs by the institutional development of the countries. American participants are more willing than their Chinese counterparts to accept self-serving motives.

Chinese Puzzle: A Classical Liberal Approach to Post-pandemic Relations with China

COVID-19 is provoking a major reorientation of American and European foreign policy. At the heart of this is their changing relationship with China. The pandemic has given rise to fears of a new Cold War, which are based on out-of-date assumptions and a misunderstanding of China’s motivations. Unlike the USSR, it neither seeks hegemony, nor aspires to evangelise and export its political and economic system. It acts out of self-interest and seeks to become both a model nation for developing countries to emulate and the dominant rule-setter in the international trade and financial system. The strategy of constructive engagement, or liberal internationalism, is no longer working, but a more confrontational relationship with China could be economically costly and politically dangerous. There is an alternative to simple confrontation and military competition that could promote the goal of a freer, more peaceful world more effectively. The West may have to restrain sensitive trade and respond robustly to the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and against Asian neighbours. However, this could be supplemented with a programme of engagement between private individuals, organisations, and firms in free societies with their Chinese counterparts. Organising more contact at a civil society level could lead to social and cultural changes that China’s current rulers will have to accept or find much less easy to manage.

The New Americans? The Sino-African Relationship on Chinese and Ethiopian Screens

China has forged substantial political and economic relations across Africa since the turn of the new millennium. This essay scrutinises the cultural representations of these relations from the perspectives of popular, locally produced cinemas in both the Chinese and Ethiopian contexts. We argue that cultural readings of the power relations between China and Africa help to nuance the often-over-simplified narratives that posit China as the new America. While Chinese action films set in indistinct African locations can be seen to replace the Hollywood ‘white saviour’ with a ‘Chinese saviour’, American characters and/or institutions are commonly portrayed as morally corrupt in both Amharic and Chinese cinema. We explore how representations of ‘Chinese saviours’ are imagined in opposition to American antagonists and how emerging African commercial cinemas, such as in Ethiopia, portray local characters reclaiming their own agency. The analysis of Ethiopian films identifies that suspicion and caution are overriding emotions when Ethiopian characters deal with outsiders, with action heroes/heroines far less ‘gung ho’ than their interventionist Chinese or American counterparts. It is these African representations of African characters as heroes and not victims, and who play foreign actors at their own game, that reveal more complex interpretations of Sino-African relations.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Health in China and Spain: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundDifferences in physical and mental health impact across continents during the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown.ObjectiveThis study compared the levels of impact of COVID-19 on mental health among people from Spain and China and correlated mental health parameters with variables relating to symptoms similar to COVID-19, COVID-19 knowledge, and precautionary measures.MethodsWe collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms, contact history with persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, COVID-19 knowledge, and precautionary measures. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale–21 Items (DASS-21). To analyze the differences in the mental health parameters, the mean scores between Chinese and Spanish respondents were compared using the independent samples t test. The differences in categorical variables between the two samples were analyzed by the chi-square test. Linear regression was used to calculate the univariate associations between the independent variables and mental health parameters for both groups separately, with adjustments made for age, gender, and education.ResultsA total of 1528 participants (Spain: n=687; China: n=841) were recruited. The mean age of the Chinese respondents was 24.73 years (SD 7.60; range 18-65 years), and the mean age of the Spanish respondents was 43.06 years (SD 11.95; range 18-76 years). Spanish participants reported significantly more symptoms similar to COVID-19 infection (eg, fever, sore throat, and breathing difficulties), contact history with COVID-19, higher perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, frequent use of medical services, and less confidence in medical services compared with their Chinese counterparts (P<.001). Spanish participants reported significantly higher DASS-21 stress and depression scores, while Chinese participants reported significantly higher IES-R scores (P<.001). Chinese participants encountered more discrimination from other countries (P<.001). Significantly more Chinese participants reported using face masks than Spanish ones (P<.001). More exposure to health information was associated with adverse mental health in Spain (depression: P=.02; anxiety: P=.02; stress: P=.001).ConclusionsOur study found that Spanish respondents reported higher levels of stress and depression as well as more symptoms and use of medical services. In preparation for the next pandemic, Spain needs to establish a prompt policy to implement rapid response and enhance medical services to safeguard physical and mental health.

Individual Pride and Collective Pride: Differences Between Chinese and American Corpora

This study investigated cross-cultural differences in individual pride and collective pride between Chinese and Americans using data from text corpora. We found higher absolute frequencies of pride items in the American corpus than in the Chinese corpus. Cross-cultural differences were found for relative frequencies of different types of pride, and some of them depended on the genre of the text corpora. For both blogs and news genres, Americans showed higher frequencies of individual pride items and lower frequencies of relational pride items than did their Chinese counterparts. Cross-cultural differences in national pride, however, depended on the genre: Chinese news genre included more national pride items than its American counterpart, but the opposite was true for the blog genre. We discuss the implications of these results in relation to the existing literature (based on surveys and laboratory-based experiments) on cultural differences in individual pride and collective pride.

A Comparison of Dietary Intake Between Individuals Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis in the United Kingdom and China

Protein-energy wasting is highly prevalent in people with end-stage kidney disease receiving regular hemodialysis. Currently, it is unclear what the optimal nutritional recommendations are, which is further complicated by differences in dietary patterns between countries. The aim of the study was to understand and compare dietary intake between individuals receiving hemodialysis in Leicester, UK and Nantong, China. The study assessed 40 UK and 44 Chinese participants' dietary intake over a period of 14days using 24-hour diet recall interviews. Nutritional blood parameters were obtained from medical records. Food consumed by participants in the UK and China was analyzed using the Nutritics and Nutrition calculator to quantify nutritional intake. Energy and protein intake were comparable between UK and Chinese participants, but with both below the recommended daily intake. Potassium intake was higher in UK participants compared to Chinese participants (2,115 [888] versus 1,159 [861] mg/d; P<.001), as was calcium (618 [257] versus 360 [312] mg/d; P<.001) and phosphate intake (927 [485] versus 697 [434] mg/d; P=.007). Vitamin C intake was lower in UK participants compared to their Chinese counterparts (39 [51] versus 64 [42] mg/d; P=.024). Data are reported here as median (interquartile range). Both UK and Chinese hemodialysis participants have insufficient protein and energy in their diet. New strategies are required to increase protein and energy intakes. All participants had inadequate daily intake of vitamins C and D; there may well be a role in the oral supplementation of these vitamins, and further studies are urgently needed.

Seed-to-seed early-season cold resiliency in sorghum

Early planted sorghum usually experiences cooler day/night temperatures, which may result in delayed growth, floral initiation, and infertile pollen, limiting productivity in high altitudes and temperate regions. Genetic variability for cold tolerance in sorghum has been evaluated by characterizing germination, emergence, vigor, and seedling growth under sub-optimal temperatures. However, the compounded effect of early season cold on plant growth and development and subsequent variability in potential grain yield losses has not been evaluated. Agro-morphological and physiological responses of sorghum grown under early-, mid-, and standard planting dates in West Texas were characterized from seed-to-seed. A set of diverse lines and hybrids with two major sources of tolerance, and previously selected for seedling cold tolerance were used. These were evaluated with a standard commercial hybrid known for its seedling cold tolerance and some cold susceptible breeding lines as checks. Variabilities in assessed parameters at seedling, early vegetative, and maturity stages were observed across planting dates for genotypes and sources of cold tolerance. Panicle initiation was delayed, and panicle size reduced, resulting in decreased grain yields under early and mid-planting dates. Coupled with final germination percent, panicle width and area were significant unique predictors of yield under early and mid-planting dates. Significant variability in performance was observed not only between cold tolerant and susceptible checks, but noticeably between sources of cold tolerance, with the Ethiopian highland sources having lesser yield penalties than their Chinese counterparts. Thus, screening for cold tolerance should not be limited to early seedling characterization but should also consider agronomic traits that may affect yield penalties depending on the sources of tolerance.

Analysis of Dividend Yield and Stock Return in Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya

Capital Markets have been reflecting erratic performance coupled with volatility globally, regionally and in domestic market. According to Capital market 2030, the future of equity capital markets report (2018), United States of America outperformed her major emerging markets. The combined United State of American’s Domestic market caps total US$30.4 trillion; total mainland China and Hong Kong was US$10.1 trillion. In 2011, it was US$ 15.6 trillion and US$ 5.7 trillion respectively. United States of America Securities exchanges are now three times the size of their Chinese counterparts compared with 2.7 times in 2011. The growth in the US market has outstripped expectations, while the growth of China and other emerging markets has lagged. Despite Capital markets performance in USA, indices showed volatility in performance of the S&P 500 and the Hang Seng relative to FTSE/JSE, Africa all All-share index and S&P Pan Africa with the FTSE 100 showing relative stability. Among other factors, volatility could be attributed to trade tariffs imposed by the US, primarily impacting China, continuing political. In Kenya, 20 shares Index which is used as a proxy of stock return in this study performed dismally in 2011 as compared to 2012 (Kenya Economic report, 2011). The total number of shares traded went down in 2014 and NSE 20 Share Index declined in the fourth quarter of 2016 (The Kenya economic survey, 2016). With volatility witnessed between 2009 and 2018, analysis of relationship between dividend yield and stock return is imperative. This study used quarterly data between 2009 and 2018. The study is a time series study and research design used is correlation. The data was transformed by converting them to their natural logarithms and then differenced to their first differences. After the first differences, the data became stationary. Results revealed that dividend yield has an inverse significant relationship on Nairobi Securities Exchange 20 Share Index, (t=-2.91, p=0.006). Results of this study are useful to policy makers, investors, regulators and finance analyst. Keywords : Dividend yield, NSE-20 Share Index, Stock Return, emerging markets, Volatility, Capital markets. DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/12-8-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Gift type, guanxi, and gift acceptability in Chinese business circles: The mediating effects of perceived manipulation and face threat

Although gift giving, a catalyst of guanxi, plays an important role in doing business in China, few studies have examined how to give a proper gift within business-to-business guanxi. Drawing on guanxi and gift-giving literature, this study investigates gift acceptability in the light of gift type and guanxi in two dimensions (relational closeness and relative status) in a hierarchical Chinese business circle. We classify gifts into monetary and nonmonetary gifts. The findings from two scenario-based experiments indicate that a monetary gift versus a nonmonetary gift decreases gift acceptability through the increased level of perceived manipulation (PM) and face threat (FT) and these indirect effects are contingent on different guanxi types. The mediating roles of both PM and FT turn more significant when relational closeness (gift recipient's status relative to giver) increases. These findings help Western businesspeople select the right gift form to give to the right Chinese counterparts in the right way.

Economic Statecraft: Is There a Sub-National Dimension? Evidence from United States–China Rivalry

AbstractUsing detailed information on policy interventions by US sub-national governments between 2009 and 2019, the contribution of such public bodies to Sino-US geopolitical rivalry is examined, in particular since President Trump took office in 2017. While US sub-national governments accounted for 28% of all US policy interventions that harmed Chinese commercial interests, awarding firm-specific subsidies in 88% of cases, the timing and sectoral incidence of such intervention suggests that economic statecraft considerations could only be part of the explanation for their actions. Ironically, the interventions of US sub-national governments and their weak commitment to transparency have much in common with their frequently maligned Chinese counterparts.

Writing-Mediated Interaction Face-to-Face: Sinitic Brushtalk in the Japanese Missions’ Transnational Encounters with Foreigners During the Mid-Nineteenth Century

Abstract Drawing on Chinese-Japanese transnational and transcultural interaction in the mid-nineteenth century, this article illustrates how Sinitic brushtalk functioned as an effective modality of communication between Chinese and Japanese literati who did not have a shared spoken language. The illustrations are adapted from personal diary-like travelogues of Japanese travelers to Shanghai on board the Senzaimaru in 1862 and participants in the Japanese mission to the United States in 1860. The recollection of the brushtalkers with their Chinese interlocutors whom they met on the way, including those during their return journey from the US while calling at trading ports like Batavia and Hong Kong, provides elaborate details on how writing-mediated improvisation using brush, ink, and paper allowed Japanese travelers with literacy in Sinitic to engage in “silent conversation” with their literate Chinese counterparts. A third historical context where Sinitic brushtalk was put to meaningful use was US–Japanese negotiations during Commodore Perry’s naval expedition to Edo Bay in 1854, where Luo Sen, bilingual in Chinese (spoken Cantonese) and English, was hired to perform the role of secretary. Throughout the negotiations, Luo was able to perform his duties admirably in part by impressing the Japanese side with his fine brushtalk improvisations. While misunderstanding and miscommunication could not be entirely avoided, the article concludes that until the early 1900s writing-mediated interaction through Sinitic brushtalk in face-to-face encounters functioned adequately and effectively as a scripta franca between literate Japanese and their Chinese “silent conversation” partners both within and beyond Sinographic East Asia. Such a unique modality of communication remained vibrant until the advent of nationalism and the vernacularization of East Asian national languages at the turn of the century.

The Official Mind of British Post-Imperialism: Influencing Parliamentary Opinions during the Anglo-Chinese Negotiations on the Future of Hong Kong, 1982-84

Based on newly declassified archival sources, the author argues that parliamentary approval was a major British negotiation strategy during negotiations over the future of Hong Kong. British diplomats insisted to their Chinese counterparts that any agreement on the Future of Hong Kong be subject to parliamentary approval, though such pre-condition was a political and not a legal one. The role of Parliament was manipulated domestically to avoid public scrutiny. Through a series of briefings, the FCO discouraged parliamentarians from discussing or raising questions about the future of Hong Kong for fear of damaging confidence. The approval of Hongkongers, the majority of whom wanted to remain part of the British Empire was originally a prerequisite for the joint agreement. This condition was dropped in the later stages of negotiations when Hongkongers’ wishes became unattainable in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s threat to take unilateral action on Hong Kong, and Ministers even openly discredited voices from Hong Kong. Eventually, Parliament approved the Joint Declaration on the basis of an unsound and tokenistic consultation of the opinion of Hongkongers. In an examination of the official mind in the post-imperial epoch, this paper offers new perspectives on the role of Parliament in British foreign affairs.

Exchange Rate Exposure and International Competition: Evidence from Chinese Industries

ABSTRACT This study analyzes how exchange rate risk exposure and foreign industry competition affect Chinese industries. Using the data from 2005 to 2018, the authors find that industry competition from the US has a statistically significant influence on 33.3 percent of Chinese industries. Unsurprisingly, tradable goods benefit more from depreciation of the Renminbi against the US dollar. Counterintuitively, only 20 percent of the industries supported by the ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative is sensitive to US industrial competition. In addition, on average Chinese industries face international competition from few developed countries, such as the Netherlands; and depreciation of RMB against the Japanese yen is hurting Chinese industries on average. Developing countries, however, exert marginal competition effects on their Chinese counterparts in the sample period.