Chinese Influence Research Articles

The Belt and Road Initiative: Geopolitical Implications for South Asia

Abstract: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been initiated in China in 2013 as a transformative global infrastructure and development endeavor involving more than 70 nations. Aside from its economic and financial implications, however, the BRI is often also perceived as Chinas expansionist strategy in increasing soft power. With South Asia playing a pivotal role due to its strategic position and growing economic potential, this paper examines the geopolitical implications of the BRI and Chinese influence in the region. The study explores BRI projects with case studies, revealing how the initiative both offers prospects for economic growth and highlights challenges around sovereignty, debt dependency, and regional security, especially in a region marked by historical rivalries and political complexities. Particular attention is given to the effects of the BRI on the power balance between China, India, and other South Asian nations, as well as its broader impact on strategic partnerships and regional dynamics. Through an analysis of key BRI projects in South Asia and its implications, this paper assesses both the opportunities and challenges the initiative presents, offering insights into the enduring geopolitical consequences for the region.

EXPRESS: The Effect of Lexical Semantic Activation on Reasoning About Evolution: A Cross-linguistic Study.

We hypothesized that people of different language backgrounds (English vs. Mandarin Chinese) might think about evolutionary relationships among living things differently. In particular, some reasoning heuristics may come from how living things are named. Our research examined if sub-word and sub-lexical elements in written Chinese influence people's inferences. Some taxon names in Chinese are conjunctive concepts that include another taxon: e.g., panda is called bear cat in Chinese, and the skunk character has a semantic radical (semantic component of a character) that means mouse. These conjunctions might influence Chinese readers to infer that conjunctive concepts share biological characteristics with their constituents (e.g., that skunks share biological properties with mice). Readers in a language (English) without lexical activation from constituents of conjunctive concepts would not be expected to show such effects. This research provided insights into how differences in prior knowledge due to different language backgrounds affect thinking and reasoning.

The Influence of Chinese and Western Cultural Differences on English Translation and Its Countermeasures

Abstract English plays an irreplaceable role as a bridge of global communication. However, the cultural differences between China and the West have a profound impact on English learning and translation practice, resulting in the reduction of semantic accuracy and information richness, which damages the effect of communication and restricts the style of translation. These cultural differences not only lead to understanding errors in the translation process, but also lead to the loss of cultural connotation, the conflict of expression and the mismatch of logical structure, thus increasing the complexity and challenge of English translation. To solve these problems, this paper suggests some strategies to alleviate the influence of Chinese and Western cultural differences on English translation, such as enhancing the training of cultural awareness, improving the accurate grasp of the context, flexibly adjusting the ways of language expression and optimizing the logical expression structure. In addition, it is emphasized that while mastering language skills, English learners should deeply understand and respect the cultural background of the source language and the target language, so as to improve the quality of translation and the effectiveness of communication. These measures will help English learners to translate and apply English more accurately and freely, not only in the literal sense of the language, but also in the cultural level.

The Influence of Chinese and Western Cultural Differences on English Translation

There is a close relationship between language and culture. As a carrier of culture, language translation is not only the conversion of language meaning, but also the communication and collision between different cultures.Translators need to have an open attitude of cultural acceptance, understand the impact of cultural differences on English translation and adopt appropriate translation methods to improve the quality of English translation. Based on this, this paper discusses the relationship between culture and language and between culture and translation, and then analyzes and discusses the influence of cultural differences between China and the west on English translation.

Nomadic and Settled Worlds: The Mutual Diffusion of Economic Institutions on the Example of the Xi Xia, Liao and Song Empires

There is a commonplace in the historical scholarship that nomadic peoples, adopting a settled way of life, borrow from the agrarian sedentary population their methods of economy managing and state administration. Chinese historical tradition tells that the nomadic periphery fell under Chinese influence and adopted from the Han people both their political and economic institutions. However, sources let us know that the situation is not so simple. There are periods of reverse influence of the nomadic world on agrarian China. In the pre-Mongolian period, the Chinese empire was at the same time at the peak of its development, stood on the threshold of the industrial revolution, but was also heavily dependent on its neighbors, being forced to pay tribute to them. Practices of regular close interaction led to diffusion, that is, the mutual borrowing of various management methods. Using the example of the Chinese Song Empire and its neighbors of the Western Xia and Liao empires, the article shows that borrowings did not always go exclusively from the Han to nomads, but, on the contrary, there was a mutual penetration of both economic and political institutions in the sphere of finance and taxation.

Second Language Acquisition Strategies in Chinese Language Teaching Internationally

With the increasing influence of Chinese in the world, more and more foreigners have a strong interest in Chinese culture and language, and begin to learn Chinese. Under this background, in order to better improve the quality and efficiency of teaching, it is particularly important to study second language acquisition strategies. Second language acquisition strategies are various means, methods and measures adopted by second language learners in order to achieve their learning objectives. Based on the analysis of the connotation and classification of second language acquisition strategies, this paper discusses the application of second language acquisition strategies in Chinese international teaching, the implementation of teaching principles and the use of teaching methods. In addition, the paper also points out that the second language acquisition strategy suitable for students' age and psychological characteristics should be adopted according to their cognitive development rules, psychological characteristics and language learning and acquisition rules, so as to guide students to learn to observe, think, judge and choose in the learning process, so as to improve their learning efficiency and complete their learning objectives.

Pakistan’s deepening relations with China

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and the US–China strategic competition are having a powerful effect on Pakistan’s statecraft, pushing it to align more closely with China. At the same time, characterisations of Pakistan as a client state of China, let alone an ally, remain overblown, even if it has few regional options to counterbalance Chinese influence.

Language, Visuality and Representation of Nigeria - China Relations in Nigerian Digital Space

Nigeria – China relationship has witnessed significant upsurge in the last decade. The budding relationship however continues to attract diverse perceptions as reflected in digital spaces. In this study, ten images – cartoons – from the Internet were subjected to Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis. The depictions of Chinese influence and activities in Nigeria are engaged and representations that oscillate from financial/economic concerns to issues around sociality and culture are identified. Within the discourses around economy, China is revealed as a superpower attempting to exert its influences through subtle force to take over national sovereignty, while Nigerian leaders are shown as complicit in the exploitation of their citizens. In the context of sociality and culture, China is represented as a thriving society which is worthy of emulation although issues around racism and discrimination are also tackled. The diversity of representations manifests the complications that continue to engage issues of globalisation, fear of domination, and China’s rise in Africa.

Speaking with attitude

Abstract Applying a qualitative discourse-based analysis, this paper discusses the attitudes towards the languages spoken in Macao based on their representation in the comic literature written in Macanese Creole. The texts consist of those collected by Leopoldo Danilo Barreiros and those written by José dos Santos Ferreira. They originated from the mid-1800s to the 1990s, just before the creation of the special administrative region of Macao in 1999. The attitudes towards different languages vary according to the ethnicity, gender, age and socioeconomic status of the characters. While celebrating the ethnic and linguistic diversity of Macao, the authors of the texts performatively express nostalgia about Macanese Creole and the Macao of the olden days with which the language is associated, as well as concern about the decreasing Portuguese influence on Macanese culture and fear about growing Chinese influence.

Kazakhstan’s Anti-China Protests: Implications for the Belt and Road Initiative in Central Asia

This article examines China’s increasing investments in Kazakhstan amid its declining soft power and growing public dissent. Focusing on Kazakhstan's strategic position within the Belt and Road Initiative, it analyzes how Chinese economic influence persists despite widespread protests and negative public opinion. Using a qualitative approach, the study synthesizes academic literature, policy analyses, news reports, and firsthand accounts to understand local views on Chinese influence. Findings show that while China’s economic power supports continued investment, the lack of soft power presents long-term risks. Without efforts to improve its image and build trust, China’s reliance on hard power may fuel anti-China sentiments, potentially leading to organized resistance and policy changes in Kazakhstan. The study emphasizes that China must incorporate soft power elements into its foreign policy to sustain influence in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia.

언어 접촉(Language Contact)의 관점에서 본 중국 조선어의 변이 양상

This paper aims to empirically demonstrate the variation patterns observed in Chinese Korean and rationally explain them from the perspective of language contact. Over a long period and for various reasons, the ethnic Koreans who migrated from the Korean Peninsula to China have been influenced by the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group in China, in numerous aspects, including economy, society, culture, and language, due to the policies of the Chinese government. In the multi-ethnic and multilingual society of China, language contact is a common phenomenon. Consequently, Chinese Korean inevitably exhibits elements of the Chinese language in addition to its original Korean linguistic features. Previous research has primarily focused on the diachronic perspective, addressing the characteristics of Korean vocabulary altered under the influence of Chinese. This paper, however, aims to directly observe the variation patterns resulting from language contact with Chinese from a synchronic perspective. For this purpose, Korean compositions written by adolescents in Korean ethnic communities were collected and comprehensively examined. The analysis revealed a significant presence of hybrid words combining Korean derivational suffixes or endings with Chinese morphemes, despite the typological and genealogical differences between Korean and Chinese. Additionally, certain sentence structures showed the influence of Chinese. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the intensity of contact between Korean and Chinese corresponds to level three according to Thomason (2001).

Review of International Chinese Teaching Materials Research

In recent years, the influence of Chinese in the world has gradually increased, and the textbooks related to international Chinese education have also attracted wide attention from the industry. After 2000, the compilation of international Chinese language textbooks has entered a prosperous period, which also reflects the new trend of international Chinese language education in China. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies is the first professional academic journal featuring international Chinese teaching in China. The article mainly summarizes the international Chinese textbooks published in this journal in the past two decades, and mainly uses the literature analysis method to summarize the compilation principles, principles, strategies and deficiencies.

Drawing on Children’s Mobilisation in the Chinese Soviet Republic, 1933–1934

Abstract After the White Terror of 1927, the Chinese Communist Party relocated from Shanghai to the border region between Jiangxi and Fujian; one of the major challenges that the new Chinese Soviet Republic faced was transition from urban to rural. While political historians explored the ensuing conflicts between Soviet and Chinese influences, the lens of children’s history indicates that children’s organisations—and children themselves—freely adopted Soviet influences for their own local needs. By examining the visual and textual representation of children and by children in two major periodicals, this article suggests that children participated in the creation of a new political culture and imagination with important legacies for wartime propaganda.

Transport infrastructure in ensuring regional development and China's global competitiveness

Purpose: is to evaluate the modern role of transport infrastructure as the factor in the development of the regional economy and strengthening competitive positions outside the country using the example of China.Methods: the correlation-regression analysis, traditionally used to solve the task of the identifying influencing factors, was applied to the economic and transportation indicators across 28 Chinese regions for the year 2021. It was supplemented by the analysis of statistical data and the thematic case study of data on Chinese investments into the transport infrastructure projects both domestically, and abroad.Results: the assessment of infrastructure development of the railway and port infrastructure was carried out based on the analysis of the dynamics of the main indicators. The construction of a correlation and regression analysis model made it possible to form an idea of the impact of China's transport infrastructure on the gross regional product of the provinces. The degree of penetration of Chinese influence into other economies of the world through investments in transport infrastructure has been assessed. The tools for promoting infrastructure projects have been identified that characterize Chinese specifics and make it possible to ensure the country's competitiveness at the global level.Conclusions and Relevance: China is the striking example of the widespread construction of ports, railways, and highways, in addition to the creation of direct freight vehicles and dry cargo ships for the distribution of their products. The high importance of transport infrastructure and the number of employed people in this industry for the growth of the regional product of the provinces of China has been revealed. In the external circuit, the PRC is actively using the strategy of lending to other countries for the construction of infrastructure on their territories. The construction of roads, airports, seaports, power plants and transmission lines allow China to create infrastructure enclaves in developing countries to market its goods and export raw materials for subsequent processing. Borrowing the experience of the PRC in terms of mechanisms for granting grants and loans for the implementation of infrastructure projects will allow Russia to create an extensive system of movement of national goods to markets where they are most in demand in the territories of neighboring states.

Rising Chinese Influence in the Middle East: Implications for the Israel-Palestine Conflict

China’s interest in the Middle East region is not new yet the execution of initiatives, is. Chinese involvement in undertaking the Resource diplomacy in the midst of Eastern region outlines the healthy relationship of producer and consumer governments in the political cum economical arena. The strength of Chinese influence is based on "Non-interference" policy. In addition, Beijing has been successful in consciously positioning itself as a mediator in the conflict and crises prone region of Middle East. Further, the paper tries to establish how much Chinese influence can push, for the solution of Israel-Palestine conflict. (This research paper will analyze the potential impacts of an omni-potent China in the region. It will assess the various ways in which China's presence and involvement has changed the power dynamics of the region. Further, potentials and positive probabilities of greater Chinese involvement have been explored. Lastly, it will examine if the Israel-Palestine conflict could be affected by China's increased presence and influence in the Middle East)

Cognitive Thinking Differences in E-C Translation Driven by Temporal/Spatial Preferences: A Case Study of the Translation of “The Proceedings of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East”

This study, grounded in the interdisciplinary integration of cognitive science and translation studies known as translation cognition, examines how differing temporal-spatial cognitive orientations in English and Chinese influence translation processes. English exhibits a temporality preference, explicitly linking semantic logic through grammatical and lexical devices, while Chinese demonstrates a spatiality preference with nonlinear, chunked, and discrete language encoding. During translation, translators must cognitively reconstruct the source language to align with the target language's cognitive and expressive conventions. Analyzing English-Chinese translation cases from "The Proceedings of the International Military Tribunal For the Far East," the research reveals cognitive strategies in semantic processing and sentence restructuring. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and applying temporal-spatial cognitive differences in cross-linguistic and cross-cultural communication.

Strategies of China and India in the Indo-Pacific region

The article explores and assesses the strategic initiatives of China and India in the Indo-Pacific region, identifies new geopolitical problems and strategic dilemmas, and discusses emerging opportunities and options to address evolving threats and challenges. Special attention has been paid to the policies of China, whose geopolitical interest revolves around three maritime zones such as the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. China has been generally successful in achieving its regional objectives, but it is precisely because of this that it faces growing challenges for itself since defensive security measures are interpreted by regional states as offensive, which in practice converts into a rather fragile “balance of threats.” India has focused on defending its territory with a strong network of allies, which represents an advantage for the country both commercially and militarily, as well as a crucial element in containing Chinese influence in the region. That said, India is not seeking to become a balancing force in the Indo-Pacific region, but is using the current tensions between the United States and China as a real chance to counter Chinese expansion. In the author’s opinion, the steady trend of military buildup (including in disputed territories), infrastructure network densification, and “special strategic and global partnerships” formation point to the strategic competition growth and increase the likelihood of confrontation escalation in the coming decades.

Deficit of Trust in Pakistan-Afghanistan Bilateral Relations: An Evaluation from a Security and Economic Perspective from 2001 to 2021

At the crossroads of Central and Southern Asia lie two Muslim neighbors i.e., Pakistan and Afghanistan. Similarities in religion, culture, ethnicity, race, and history were predicted to cement the harmonious bilateral connection between the two countries. There have been a lot of obstacles to the development of positive relations between the two republics ever since they were established. Afghanistan's alone neighbor and a key commercial partner, Pakistan and the two countries have a difficult history despite Afghanistan's reliance on Pakistan's seaports and international trade. Tense relations began with the conflicts over the Durand line and Pakhtunistan stunt supported by Afghan government and were exacerbated by subsequent events like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the American involvement in the country after September 11, 2001. A large number of refugees fled to Pakistan as a result of these invasions, shaking up the country's politics and economy. India's involvement in Afghan politics has had a major effect on Pakistan's interests in the country and the surrounding region, especially after September 11th, when the United States attempted to offset Chinese influence in the area. India's engagement in Afghanistan and Pakistan's support in the US invasion of Afghanistan are at the root of the current state of bilateral ties. Normalizing bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan may require the involvement of a third party or agreement on confidence-building measures to enhance the welfare of persons living on the other side of the Durand line and encourage amicable interactions between the two countries. Using a qualitative approach, this article investigates the causes and consequences of the current mistrust in bilateral ties, with a particular emphasis on economic and security problems in the wake of 9/11.

Colombia – US relations in an era of great power competition

AbstractLatin America and the Caribbean is becoming the next region of strategic importance in an era of great power competition, and no other country is more pivotal to the balance of power there than Colombia. Chinese influence in Latin America and the Caribbean has increased tremendously in the last decade through the expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative, trade volumes, and diplomatic pressures on Latin American and Caribbean countries, both for them to recognize Beijing's government and to remain quiet in international fora about Beijing's human rights violations. Field work conducted in Colombia complemented by consultation of qualitative and quantitative secondary sources revealed that Colombia has been an exception, receiving less Chinese attention and investment compared to other countries in the region. Colombia's special relationship with the United States, its own reluctance to turn towards China, and China's decision to prioritize other nations in the region emerge as reasons for why Colombia is an exceptional case. And yet, looking ahead, this reality is likely to change. The United States must act deliberately and decisively now to strengthen its special relationship with Colombia and thus maintain its strategic standing in Latin America for the coming decades.

Territorializing the air: Border-crossing air pollution and the geopolitics of atmospheric science in East Asia

This paper analyzes how the atmospheric science of transboundary air pollution was employed as a technopolitical strategy to secure a nation’s volumetric territory. In South Korea, border-crossing particulate matter from China has emerged as a controversial diplomatic concern. The Korean government heavily funded atmospheric science to monitor the transboundary incursion and quantify the amount of Chinese influence. The geoscience of polluted air was mobilized to restore the nation’s aerial sovereignty when transboundary materiality threatened its political authority to regulate atmospheric territory. The paper further examines how nationalistic science was challenged by an international air quality survey called KORUS-AQ, a study co-organized by NASA and Korea’s National Institute for Environmental Research. Korean experts used the joint mission with NASA to verify the transboundary impact on Seoul’s air quality and hold China responsible. US scientists, however, challenged this nation-centered vision by highlighting the underestimated domestic sources of air pollution. As a result, the aerial survey did not generate a unilateral understanding of nature but produced multiple and even contrasting territorial imaginations on a single airshed. Atmospheric science, I argue, functioned as a geopolitical arena where different visions on volumetric governance were enacted and competed.