East-West Trade Research Articles

Asymmetry and Imbalance in Trade between East and West in the 1980s

An analysis of the development of East-West trade in the 1980s and earlier allows us to draw a conclusion about the imbalance in the importance of mutual economic relations at that time. This imbalance was multi-faceted and manifested itself in, e.g., imbalance in the structure of trade in goods, payment asymmetry, as well as various motives of OECD and Comecon countries when making decisions on mutual exchange. The imbalance in the commodity structure of the East-West mutual trade reflected the fact that complementary goods were exchanged instead of, as was the case in countries characterized by a modern exchange structure, substitute products. The complementary nature of East-West trade meant that the exports of the socialist countries to the markets of the Western countries encompassed, to a large extent, different commodity groups than the imports of the Comecon countries from this area. While exports from socialist countries consisted mainly of goods with a relatively low degree of processing, the exports of capitalist countries to their Eastern partners encompassed mainly finished products with a significant degree of processing and the involvement of modern technological thought.

Financial Innovation in East-West Trade in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Financial Innovation in East-West Trade in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Von der Duldung zur Erziehung. Aufgeklärte Judenpolitik in Breslau

Abstract The article deals with the State’s Jewish policies in the Silesian metropolis of Breslau at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Jews played a significant role in the economic life of the important market and trading city, especially as intermediaries in East-West trade. As a result, the central principle of Prussia’s absolutist Jewish policies, that of keeping the number of Jews resident in the country as low as possible, met with little resonance in Breslau. Instead, under the leadership of the long-time Provincial Minister Hoym, an educational policy was pursued, the aim of which was to harmonize the lifestyle, language and professional practice of the Jewish population with those of the non-Jews as a prerequisite for legal equality. Thus, at the end of the eighteenth century, Breslau became an early experimental field for enlightened Jewish policies, the possibilities of which, as well as its ambivalences and limits, became apparent at an early stage.

Debating on Transport Corridors of Azerbaijan in the Context of Globalization

This paper investigates the impact of globalization on transportation corridors in Azerbaijan, which are strategically located to serve as hubs for crossroads between north-south and east-west trade. The main hypothesis is that globalization has had a significant impact on transportation corridors in Azerbaijan, resulting in greater connectivity and trade flows within the region. The recent triumph over Armenia has resulted in significant changes in the region, enhancing Azerbaijan's reputation. Alongside the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has emerged as a secure passage between these influential powers. Furthermore, the rising demands for major international trade routes have created a pressing need for Azerbaijan to enhance its capabilities to effectively meet these growing requirements. According to the World Systems Theory, semi-periphery countries play the role of bridges between core and periphery states. Globalization has led to Azerbaijan's integration into the global economic system as a semi-peripheral country. This has resulted in increased trade and investment, which in turn has led to the development of transportation infrastructure and the expansion of transportation networks.

Quantitative typological analysis applied to the morphology of export mugs and their social factors in the Ming and Qing dynasties from the perspective of East–West trade

The relationship between social factors and the formation of exported mug designs is blurred. This study addresses how they influence material design. Based on a quantitative typological analysis, this paper interprets the cultural relationships underlying the evolution of mug designs exported during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The study reveals: (1) the typology and handle styles of mugs can be categorized into six types, with a predominance of Cylindrical bodies and Ear-shaped handles. Notably, artistic emphasis is concentrated on Bulbous cup bodies and Tail outward curved handles; (2) the design of mugs in the eighteenth century exhibited diversity, morphological similarities, and feature continuity, evolving from representational (Ming Dynasty) to abstract and then to minimalistic styles (Qing Dynasty), particularly evident in the three-dimensional modeling of handles for ergonomic comfort (transitioning from a singular Outward curved form to Ear-shaped form, and then to Entwined branch form); (3) the body shape of mugs transformed from Arc-barrel bodies to Bulbous bodies (focusing on heat retention), and eventually to Cylindrical bodies (prioritizing heat retention, practicality, and cost-efficiency).; (4) the volume of mugs steadily increased from the early eighteenth century, generally classified into large volume (≥ 500 ml), medium volume (200-499 ml), and small volume (< 200 ml); (5) considering the extreme range of volume (11090 ml) and height (25 cm), it indicates that these two variables do not necessarily have a direct positive correlation; (6) the low center of gravity in handle design (average width of 3.4 cm against an average height of 9.9 cm for the body) reflects considerations for the distribution of liquid weight and operational convenience. The volume of sample-10 (11127 ml) notably exceeds the typical range for tea-drinking utensils, revealing the mechanism of wealth and status symbolism. Market demand orientation emerged as the primary driver for the evolution of export mug designs during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with adjustments in the merchant system playing a secondary role. The transformation in mug design reflects the interplay of multiple factors, with the trend toward minimalist design being a response to market demands.

Examining trade routes through the Thai–Malay Peninsula: A simulation analysis

An important area for understanding human movement and trade routes during the Early Historic Period in Southeast Asia is the Thai–Malay Peninsula where external records date back 2300 years. Early east–west trade could be routed around the peninsula or sailing time could be reduced by taking terrestrial shortcuts across the peninsula. However, spatial research, particularly on transpeninsula routes, is insufficient to supplement the gaps between written historical records and excavated archaeological sites. This study aimed to simulate transpeninsula routes across the entire Thai–Malay Peninsula using a digital elevation model (DEM) to eliminate human biases when exploring the actual terrain. The simulation results reveal some intriguing characteristics of potential routes that can be used to divide the Thai–Malay Peninsula into five zones. This zonation is associated with external historical records and archaeological evidence before the twelfth century AD to assess the efficacy of different transpeninsula routes. These data are also utilized to propose potential areas of undiscovered archaeological sites within the Thai–Malay Peninsula.

Perspective. The mirage of Europeanising industrial relations. What possibilities for East-West trade union cooperation?

This article outlines possibilities for deepening relationships between trade unions from the so-called old EU Member States and those from Central and Eastern Europe. We set out the possibilities for what we describe as enhanced multi-union transnational cooperation. By this we mean multilateral rather than bilateral cooperation that is deep enough to include the joint definition of goals and strategies, and willingness to build a transnational dimension to industrial relations, including, ultimately, conducting collective bargaining on some topics. A critical analysis of the so-called Europeanisation of industrial relations is the background to our discussion. We find the participation of trade unions in this process to be limited to responses to external impulses which results in the degree of enhanced multi-union transnational cooperation in areas of core trade union activity being low. We present the thesis that in-depth cooperation may be possible in relation to new challenges for the world of work, where the transnational dimension is of key importance and where trade unions are less bound by their own national traditions and industrial relations practices.

Greater consensus on improving the Middle Corridor

Western sanctions have curtailed much of the East–West trade that had been occurring via the so-called northern route through Russia, leading to a revival of interest in the Middle Corridor passing through Central Asia and the South Caucasus. China has shifted more export traffic to this route and is paying greater attention to Georgia, in particular. Despite challenges, including geopolitical uncertainties and infrastructure limitations, the outlook suggests continued growth, with ongoing projects such as Georgia’s Anaklia port contributing to the expansion of the Middle Corridor and the reduction of overall transit times.

Identity and physical elements in the formation of architecture of traditional bazaars (Case study:Tabriz-covered Bazaar &amp; Istanbul Kapali Charshi)

Bazaars have a special meaning in the countries of the Middle East region, especially Iran and Turkey, which have a deep-rooted history in bazaar construction. No bazaar has been built without a purpose or without considering its performance. Bazaars form the backbone of cities. In addition, the bazaars mentioned in the study, the architecture of the region, reflects the dynamic and progressive internal features called identity. Due to the architectural features of the historical bazaars and their strategic geographical location, they left effective traces on the east-west trade route on the Silk Road. Bazaars with traditional architecture play an important role in the daily life of cities, in the past and today, with their different architectural features. In the research, library, and field research were conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach to understand the features, characteristics, and physical and social relationships in the spatial formation of the selected area in the commercial areas of Tabriz and Istanbul. Analysis was made by considering graphs, tables, or detailed information about architectural spaces.

Reviving China’s global footprint along the Silk Roads and the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’: Chinese overseas industrial park in Egypt

As the main East-West trade routes in ancient history, the Silk Roads significantly influenced Chinese relations with Egypt, an important country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Informed by the history of the Silk Roads, we articulate China’s role in global business history with a focus on identifying key characteristics that underpinned ancient Chinese relations with Egypt. By juxtaposing co-evolution and institutional perspectives as the theoretical framework, our empirical setting comprises the introduction and development of a Chinese overseas industrial park in Egypt. Our findings reveal the salience of the key characteristics with new manifestations associated with Chinese overseas business activity. This study illustrates the impact of co-evolution with institutions on Chinese industrial park development, while reviving China’s global footprint in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Champa in the Medieval Islamic Sources

The establishment and spread of Islam have been associated with the continuity and development of long-distance trade. For a long time, merchants from the Islamic World dominated important trade routes in the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean connecting East-West trade. Hence, the information on ports and stopping points increased and contributed to the expanded knowledge of remote lands. On the way to China via the east half of the Indian Ocean, trading ships from the Islamic World anchored on several ports including Champa. So how was Champa described in the writings of the Islamic World? This article introduces central components of Islamic geographical imagination towards Champa and obstacles triggered by the worldview as well as the writing and copying process which we need to bear in mind to dig in further in detail for each toponym. As a case study, the article will analyze the description of Champa-related toponyms in Al-Mas’ūdī’’s Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems (10th century) and the way those toponyms are mapped by Park Hyunhee- a modern historian.

Analysis of the chemical composition of ancient glass products and identification of the types to which they belong

The Silk Road is a land artery connecting China and the West, an important passage for East-West trade, and glass products are one of the treasures of early exchanges. Due to different production techniques, the composition and performance of Eastern and Western glass are often very different, but the identification of glass has always been a problem in ancient times. Aiming at the analysis of the composition and source of ancient glass products, this paper designs a mathematical model to avoid duplication of work. Based on the data, this paper calculates the classification rules of the main components of high potassium glass, lead-barium glass; and by selecting the appropriate chemical components as the subcomponents for each category, the specific division methods and division results are given, and the rationality and sensitivity of the classification results are analyzed. And the chemical composition of the unknown category of glass artifacts is identified by the model to identify the type they belong to, and the sensitivity of the classification results is analyzed.

ТОРГОВЫЕ СВЯЗИ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНА С РОССИЕЙ В ПЕРВОЙ ПОЛОВИНЕ XVIII В.

The article mitropolitan the influence of changes in the region caused by the great geographical discoveries and of the development of capitalist relations during the late Middle Ages on the foreign trade relations of Azerbaijan, and, first of all, on the nature and scope of the Azerbaijan-Russia economic relations carried out through the Volga-Caspian transit trade route. The article shows that Russian Tsar Peter I, taking advantage of the new situation in the region due to the loss of the importance of the “Great Silk Road” and the deep decline of the Safavid state bigan strengthening Russia’s position in international trade, turning the Volga-Caspian trade route into the main artery of east-west trade, and most importantly, for establishing direct trade relations with India. In the article, while addressing that very topical issuesolving that issue which is quite relevant for Azerbaijani historiography, the author abandoned the traditional approaches left over from the Soviet era and tried to create an objective picture of Azerbaijan-Russia trade relations in the first half of the 18th century based on reliable sources.

Assessment Of Alternative Marine Fuels from Environmental, Technical, and Economic Perspectives Onboard Ultra Large Container Ship

Ship emissions reduction targets are pushing the maritime industry towards more sustainable and cleaner energy solutions. Marine fuels play a major role in this because of the emissions resulting from the combustion process associated with the prime mover(s), therefore, one of the technical solutions is to replace conventional marine fuels with cleaner fuels. Hence the aim of this study is to undertake environmental, technical, and economic analysis of alternative fuels to reduce the environmental footprint and lifetime costs of the long-distance shipping sector. As a case study, an ultra large container ship operating on the East-West trade route has been considered, and the analysis focus ed on natural gas and methanol as alternative fuels. This study adopted three approaches : environmental, technical, and economic methods to compare the alternative fuels with the conventional ones. The results showed that a dual-fuel engine operated by natural gas will reduce CO2, SOx, and NOx emissions by 28%, 98% and 85%, respectively , when compared with emission values for a diesel-powered engine. Furthermore, the reduction percentages reach 7%, 95% and 80% when using a dual-fuel engine operated by methanol, respectively. The proposed dual-fuel engines will improve the ship energy efficiency index by 26% and 7%, respectively. The study shows that methanol is the most economical alternative fuel for this container ship, replacing diesel with methanol, leads to a power system that is only 30% more expensive than the existing one. The analysis confirms that the cost of fuel has a major effect on the ship’s life cycle cost and that by reducing the fuel costs, the costs of the power system become more acceptable.

From Commodities to Exhibits: An Analysis of Shipping in the Pearl River off Canton and Shipping in the Pearl River off Honam Island, Canton in the National Maritime Museum in the UK

This essay focuses on two Chinese export paintings, Shipping in the Pearl River off Canton and Shipping in the Pearl River off Honam Island, Canton, demonstrating the port views in Canton in the mid-nineteenth century in the National Maritime Museum. On the basis of an iconographic analysis method, and with reference to known similar works, this paper suggests the idea that the two works may come from Youqua’s studio, and the former was produced later than 1844. Simultaneously, this paper analyses the historical significance of the works in the dimension of both commodities and exhibits. Based on the exploration of the Chinese export paintings reflecting the East-West trade and Chinese society characteristics in a specific historical period, it also exposes the colonial nature of the work following the perspective of display and proposes the exhibition logic which restores the nature of the work as commodities as a practice of decolonization in the museum.

7~9세기 동아시아 직물에 표현된 함조문(銜鳥紋) 연구

This study is concerned with Hamjomun(銜鳥紋) textiles that were in vogue in international trade in the 7th-9th centuries. At that time, East-West trade was actively carried out through land and sea routes, with textiles at the center of these exchanges. One of the most popular textile patterns of the time was Hamjomun. On a Hamjomun textile pattern, a bird is holding something in its beak, and it is assumed that it was in vogue in Sassanian Persia before being handed down to East Asia. Thus, this study investigates and reveals the historicity of Hamjomun as a textile pattern. This study has significance in that it analyzes the Hamjomun textiles in terms of their expression. This study investigates Chinese and Japanese ancient literature and relics, focusing on Korea. Since it would be difficult to find relics of textiles from the 7th-9th centuries in Korea, this study examines East Asian Hamjomun based on the relics of textiles now held in China and Japan, which is a limitation. This study also examines the Hamjomun aspects expressed with the techniques, such as weaving(織造), embroidery(刺繡), dyeing(染色), and felting and organizes its types and characteristics. This study focuses on the materials used and pattern compositions to analyze the species of the birds represented, Hamjo objects, edge patterns, and the posture and composition of Hamjo. The influence of the Sassanian Persian style changed the standard design composition of the East Asian style pictorially or lively. On the West textile, birds were mostly displayed holding pearl beads(連珠) in their beaks, while on East Asian textiles, they were displayed characteristically as holding floral twigs(草花) or transformed ribbons(綬帶) in their beaks.

INDIAN MERCHANTS IN ANCIENT SOUTHEAST ASIA: THE CASE OF ÓC EO – FUNAN

Being considered a trading polity, Funan was known to have established relationships with major regional economic centers and nations. At its height, Funan controlled a variety of valuable resources and dominated the Southeast Asian maritime trade network, which included many trading ports, raw materials production centers, as well as the Isthmus of Kra, the principal link in the East-West trade route. In this, Indians, notably traders and craftsmen, did not only limit their presence to trading with Funan, but had also permanently settled in the Lower Mekong Delta. They were involved in political life, propagating religion, enriching culture, and producing commodities. Indians’ contributions set the commodity standards for Funan’s economy, affecting arts and the current of ideas in Funan, as well as other Southeast Asian states. Together with internal factors, these external factors influenced the transformation of Funan into a regional power.

Technologies and innovation for improving performances logistic operators: the Techlog project

Analyzing world maritime flows, the Mediterranean Sea is playing an increasingly central role in the world scenarios of goods transport and logistics: from 2006 to 2021 maritime traffic in the Mediterranean increased by 108% and today the Mediterranean area is involved in at least 12% of the worldwide maritime flows (Notteboom et al., 2019). in fact, the whole Med area has a strategic role related to its key positioning along the major East-West trading routes that linked all most important world freight markets (regarding Atlantic, European, Asian and African areas). About 40% of worldwide-containerized trade flows is handled by Mediterranean container ports and between 2010 and 2020, the total container volumes in Med area increased about 46% (UNCTAD, 2021). Despite this quick development, some elements threaten the primary role of the Mediterranean in the scenario of world maritime traffic flows: the artic route represents, alas due to global warming and climate change, a possible and increasingly capable route to significantly reduce the connection time between the Far East and Central Europe; the recent blockage of the Suez Canal has highlighted how it could become a real bottleneck for the development of the Mediterranean Sea, thus, stimulating the identification of new routes (Fancello et al. 2021).

Analysis of Iron Anchor Diseases Unearthed from Gudu Ruins in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, China

Iron cultural relics are easily affected by environmental factors and can completely rust away. As early as the Qin Dynasty in ancient China, Xianyang Gudu was part of the most important transportation route to the West from ancient Chang’an; research into Xianyang Gudu has provided important information for understanding the historical changes in ancient China, East–West trade, and ancient boating technology. In this research, we use the iron anchors unearthed from the Gudu ruins in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, China as the research object; then, we used a scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), a high-resolution X-ray diffractometer (XRD), ion chromatography, and other methods to detect the corroded products of the iron anchors, and analyzed the iron anchor diseases in different preservation environments to explore the relationship between iron anchor disease and the preservation environment. This research found that the corroded products of the iron anchors contained the harmful tetragonal lepidocrocite (β-FeOOH) and that a high concentration of salt ions in the river channel accelerated the corrosion of the anchors; this analysis, based on the disease results, can provide a basis for the subsequent scientific restoration of iron anchors.

УЧАСТИЕ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНА В ФОРМИРОВАНИИ ТРАНСКАСПИЙСКОГО ТРАНСПОРТНОГО КОРИДОРА

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has great potential for the development of trade relations between Europe and Asia. Azerbaijan, which is considered to be an important point on the East-West trade route, is extremely interested in the development of this road and the expansion of its transit opportunities. Measures to develop the transport system in the republic are also important for the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. Significant steps have been taken in Azerbaijan to develop road, rail and sea transport. Passenger and cargo transportation is carried out on the routes Baku — Aktau and Baku — Turkmenbashi in the Caspian Sea. Nevertheless, the Trans-Caspian transport route is not yet one of the main routes. This is largely due to the presence of bureaucratic barriers and the lack of completion of the modernization of transport infrastructure and logistics systems in the Caspian basin countries. Elimination of these problems, simplification of border crossing procedures and creation of modern logistics centers are important conditions for the development of the TransCaspian Transport Corridor.