ABSTRACT This study investigates the discursive representation of Chinese enterprises in African newspapers by analyzing 330 articles published in English, French, and Arabic from 2011 to 2023. Using a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative frame analysis and qualitative examination, the research reveals the dualistic nature of media portrayals, with frames highlighting both positive economic contributions and negative aspects such as labor rights violations and legal disputes. The findings indicate significant variations in representation based on linguistic context and media ownership. State-owned and Arabic-language media predominantly emphasize economic benefits, aligning with governmental priorities to attract foreign investments. In contrast, private and French-/English-language outlets adopt a more critical stance, frequently using frames that stress legal and social challenges. Non-government organization-affiliated media, although limited in overall coverage, focus heavily on corporate malpractices. These patterns reflect the complex interplay between regional political dynamics, media ownership, and cultural perspectives, ultimately shaping diverse narratives around Chinese enterprises in Africa. This study provides valuable insights into Sino-African media relations, highlighting how media dynamics reflect and shape the complex terrain upon which Chinese enterprises must manage their corporate image and stakeholder engagement across the continent.

This paper aims to elucidate comprehensive strategies for Mongolia to amplify its tourism revenue and the research emphasizes understanding traveller perceptions through destination image analysis, including both cognitive and emotional aspects, to better meet international expectations, enhance satisfaction, and encourage repeat visits. Mongolia’s cultural treasures, including five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, its historical landmarks, and the appeal of its landscapes and nomadic culture, present significant development potential. However, unlocking this potential requires continued reforms and infrastructural investments to improve accessibility and service quality within the tourism industry. The resilience of domestic tourism, despite global setbacks, offers opportunities for broader recovery and growth. By utilizing targeted policies based on comprehensive data and strategic branding, Mongolia can position itself as a premier global tourism destination and create an attractive environment for foreign investment. These strategies aim to foster sustainable economic growth, promote cultural preservation, and strengthen Mongolia’s international tourism profile. Ultimately, this holistic approach will support the nation’s economic stability, diversification, and long-term development. By capitalizing on its unique assets and addressing current challenges, and the findings suggest Mongolia can unlock its full potential as a premier global tourism destination, concurrently fostering a robust and attractive environment for foreign investment. This comprehensive approach will not only enhance the visitor experience but also contribute to sustainable economic growth and cultural preservation, solidifying Mongolia's position on the international stage.

Since the 1970s, human thought has witnessed major transformations found in the emergence of new concepts such as the knowledge economy, sustainable development and globalization in its new guise, and then the digital economy in the mid-1990s. In addition, foreign direct investment has emerged as an economic activity and one of the aspects of international relations and is consistent with these transformations. The research included four topics, the first of which is something in the concept of the knowledge economy, the second is something in foreign direct investment, the third is the knowledge economy as an engine to attract foreign direct investment, and the fourth is Iraq between the knowledge economy and attracting foreign direct investment. The research came out with conclusions, including that the development of human capital is the key to the knowledge economy and the main engine to attract foreign investment, and then Iraq's lack of elements of the knowledge economy was a major disruption to attracting this investment, especially administrative and financial corruption and the faltering dealing with information and communication technology. The most important of the research recommendations was the need for an educational, scientific, research, technological, informational and digital environment to support creativity, innovation and invention , as well as the need to establish a supreme council for the knowledge economy in the state , and also the formation of e-government as the starting point for the knowledge economy and make this prevail all the activities of state institutions, as well as ensuring the availability of the appropriate investment climate.

This article will address the pollution of the Tula River, located in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. In the first part, brief theoretical aspects of water pollution are addressed, the geographical factors such as the territorial area of the Central Region where this entity is located and the other entities of this area are discussed. The development of this chapter continues with demographic elements such as the population, density and poverty, of the states of this región. Some economic aspects are touched, such as the total GDP, manufacturing and services, foreign trade and foreign investment of this region are also mentioned, to make a comparison with the other states of this geographical demarcation, the geographical location of the Tula River and its high pollution is continued. The objective of this research is the following: to determine if this aquifer torrent is contaminated. As a preliminary conclusion, I consider the following: Hidalgo is located in the Central Region of Mexico, it is an entity, it does not bring together a significant volume of population, its population density is not high like that of Mexico City. In relation to the economic aspects Hidalgo does not have a strong economic presence, as is the generation of the total GDP, manufacturing and the service sector, compared to the other entities of this economic region. The Tula River, the most important in this state, it is very polluted.

Background Accurate forecasting of agricultural commodity prices is crucial for maintaining economic stability and informing data-driven policy interventions in emerging economies, such as India. Price volatility in key spices, such as pepper and turmeric, can significantly impact producers, consumers, and market stakeholders, underscoring the need for robust predictive models that capture both short-term fluctuations and long-term dependencies. Methods This study develops an integrated forecasting framework that combines Machine Learning (Random Forest), Deep Learning (LSTM), and Econometric (VECM) approaches to analyse the dynamic behaviour of Indian pepper and turmeric prices. The models incorporate major macroeconomic determinants, including GDP, Consumer Price Index (CPI), exchange rate, gold price, interest rate, trade volume, and foreign institutional investments (FII), to capture both non-linear and long-term relationships. Model performance was evaluated using RMSE, MAE, and symmetric MAPE (sMAPE) metrics, alongside SHAP-based feature explainability analysis. Results The findings reveal that Random Forest delivers the most robust predictive accuracy overall, especially for Turmeric, while LSTM achieves slightly lower forecast errors for Pepper. Both machine-learning models substantially outperform the VECM in short-term price forecasts. Feature importance and SHAP analyses identified NIFTY50, GDP, CPI, exchange rate, interest rate and gold prices as key drivers of spice price movements. Conclusions Integrating machine learning, deep learning, and econometric models enhances the robustness and interpretability of commodity price forecasting. The study provides empirical evidence that macroeconomic variables significantly influence spice price dynamics, offering a hybrid framework that can support policymakers, traders, and researchers in mitigating market risks and designing more effective agricultural price stabilisation strategies.

ABSTRACT Amid accelerating global decarbonization and ongoing efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), inclusive green growth (IGG) has emerged as a key development objective for many economies. Foreign direct investment (FDI), as an important channel for cross-border capital and technology flows, plays a key role in shaping IGG outcomes. Existing studies have yet to systematically examine how FDI influences IGG, particularly the heterogeneous effects associated with different entry modes, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and greenfield foreign direct investment (GFDI). Using a panel dataset of 106 countries from 2003 to 2023, this study employs fixed-effects estimations to examine the effects of overall FDI and its two entry modes on IGG, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The results show that overall FDI inflows promote IGG in host countries. Notably, M&A fosters IGG, while GFDI hampers IGG. Compared with developed countries, FDI exerts a stronger positive effect on IGG in developing economies, while the inhibitory effect of GFDI on IGG is also more pronounced. Over time, the positive contribution of M&A has weakened, while the adverse impact of GFDI has gradually moderated. Further analysis suggests that lower levels of technological innovation and weaker governance quality amplify the IGG-enhancing effects of FDI and M&A. This study offers actionable guidance for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of tailoring investment governance frameworks by distinguishing FDI entry modes and accounting for national development conditions to better align foreign investment with IGG goals and the SDGs.

This paper examines the impacts of trade wars, particularly between major nations (the United States and China), on African economies in terms of supply chain disruptions, reduced foreign investment flows, and variability in the prices of raw materials on which African countries depend. It then evaluates the negotiation strategies that African countries can adopt to turn these challenges into opportunities. Symbolized by a resurgence of global trade tensions exacerbated since 2018 under the presidency of Donald Trump, the article draws on an analysis of economic and geopolitical dynamics to propose strategic approaches tailored to the African continent. In this context, an analysis of documentary reviews, an exploitation of global trade data and legal, economic and commercial arsenals will be mobilized to outline ways to make global trade fairer and more profitable for Africa.

ABSTRACT African countries are entering into bilateral tax treaties with China for attracting more Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI), although the effectiveness of tax treaties in attracting FDI is controversial. This paper provides the first empirical assessment of the impact of China–Africa bilateral tax treaties on Chinese foreign direct investment for 47 African countries over 2003–2020. Across various robustness checks, difference‐in‐differences results indicate that China–Africa bilateral tax treaties have a positive, and statistically significant impact on Chinese foreign direct investment stocks in the treaty countries in Africa 3 years after the effectiveness of the treaty. The substantial corporate tax incentives offered by African governments to foreign investors, delay the realisation of the positive effect of those treaties on Chinese FDI. This implies that rationalising tax incentives can accelerate the materialisation of FDI benefits from treaties. Moreover, the positive FDI effect of China–Africa tax treaties materialises sooner for resource‐rich countries. These results suggest that China–Africa tax treaties can stimulate Chinese FDI to African countries, especially in resource‐rich countries in the medium and long term, in addition to other potential benefits such as improved information exchange for tax purposes, technical assistance in combating tax evasion and strengthened economic and diplomatic relations with China.

The ICSID Convention is one of the most important treaties in international economic law, recognizing individuals as subjects of international law and serving as a forum for the settlement of international investment disputes accepted by many states (ICSID, 1965). A foreign investor should not be concerned about entrusting the fate of an investment dispute to domestic courts. Designating the host state's judiciary as the forum for dispute resolution increases the investor’s concern regarding potential lack of impartiality. In contrast, ICSID, as a neutral arbitral institution with both subject-matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction—along with its Additional Facility—can encompass a wide range of foreign investment disputes and reduce foreign investors’ concerns regarding the impartiality of the dispute-resolution forum, especially given that it is accepted by most countries. Iran is not a party to the ICSID Convention, despite being a member of the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and despite expressing willingness to remove legal barriers and fill legal gaps in the field of foreign investment. Nonetheless, Iran’s non-accession to the ICSID Convention does not appear to be justified.

This study aims to provide an in-depth and analytical examination of the various dimensions of contractual liability of foreign investment companies in Iraq. The primary focus is on defining and identifying the constitutive elements of contractual liability, distinguishing it from other forms of liability, and clarifying the mechanisms for adjustment and exemption from such liability within the framework of Iraqi law. A precise understanding of these concepts is essential for sustaining economic and legal relationships between foreign investors and the host government. The research adopts an analytical–descriptive approach grounded in the theoretical foundations of civil and commercial law. Data were collected through the review of Iraqi statutory texts, legal doctrine, and sample investment contracts, followed by systematic legal analysis. The study is organized into two main sections: the first explores the essence of contractual liability (definitions and elements), while the second addresses its adjustment and avoidance (exemptions and external causes). The findings show that the contractual liability of foreign investment companies in Iraq is based on three fundamental elements: breach, damage, and the causal link between them. Breach may arise from failure to comply with technical standards, failure to employ advanced technology, delays in performance, failure to disclose essential information, or failure to train local personnel. Moreover, Iraqi law (e.g., Article 259 of the Civil Code) permits agreements to exempt or adjust liability, except in cases of fraud or willful misconduct. External causes such as the breach of the other contracting party or the act of a third party may also lead to the exclusion of liability. A sound understanding of the concept, elements, and exemptions of contractual liability is vital for establishing a secure and predictable environment for foreign investment in Iraq. By providing a comprehensive legal analysis, this study can serve as a valuable reference for legal scholars, consultants, and policymakers in strengthening Iraq’s legal and economic frameworks and facilitating the attraction of foreign capital.

This article analyzes the real estate boom in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, highlighting the key factors that have driven the city’s recent urban and tourism development. The study examines the impact of national and foreign investment, infrastructure improvements, and public policies that have encouraged market expansion. It also explores the most effective marketing strategies used by real estate companies, emphasizing digital transformation, brand building, and personalized customer experiences. The findings suggest that competitiveness in Mazatlán’s real estate market largely depends on technological innovation, professional service standards, and adaptation to emerging consumer trends. Mazatlán is projected to remain one of the most promising real estate investment destinations on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Pharmaceutical entrepreneurship as an important driver of foreign institutional investors: a comprehensive business analysis

Generating societal value from natural capital on corporate-owned land: a real estate case study from Mauritius.

This study examines the role of investment-friendly policies in strengthening India’s international trade between 1990 and 2025. Using a systematic review of forty peer-reviewed studies, the research analyses the impact of key initiatives such as SEZs, FDI liberalization, Make in India, Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and the Act East Policy on trade performance, foreign investment inflows, and sectoral competitiveness. Findings reveal a strong positive correlation between investment reforms and trade growth, particularly in the services and manufacturing sectors, while highlighting a recent shift toward sustainable and green trade aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study also identifies research gaps, including the need for integrated quantitative models, long-term sustainability assessments, and deeper exploration of under-researched sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, and MSMEs. Overall, the findings confirm that investment-friendly policies are central to India’s trade success and underscore the importance of their continued evolution to ensure competitive, inclusive, and responsible international trade.

The purpose of the study is to discuss the issue of public-legal rationing of trade in foreign exchange and investment gold. The study discusses selected provisions of the Probate Law, the Foreign Exchange Law, the Law on Goods and Services Tax and the Law on Counteracting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. The thesis is formulated that the rationing of trade in foreign exchange and investment gold should ensure the security of trade, while protecting the fiscal objectives of the State. However, it is necessary to shape the record-keeping and control instruments in such a way as not to violate the confidence of the administered in the state authorities and limit the grey market. The provisions of the Foreign Exchange Law were assessed positively. It has been proposed to consider legislative changes limiting record-keeping obligations in the trading of investment gold. The concept of foreign exchange gold and investment gold was comprehensively discussed, noting the differences between the definitions.

This study examined the potentials, challenges and prospect of solid minerals sector of the Nigerian economy; with emphasis to factors responsible for the low performance of the sector in terms of contribution to GDP, export and employment generation. This sector has prospect to promote economic diversification drive of the Federal Government of Nigeria if well developed and managed. Despite government efforts over the years to reposition and revitalize it through legislation, regulation and investment; its optimum output in terms of wealth creation, government revenue, employment generation have been hampered by a number of factors that did not allow the sector to prosper as planned. The study employed Documentary Research Method (DRM) as a source of data; and document analysis in interpreting and presenting research findings. From 1981 – 2022, solid mineral had a positive but statistically insignificant impact on the Nigerian economic growth including export. Nigeria’s Mining and Quarrying sector contributed 7.72% to the overall GDP in the third quarter of 2024, while it recorded 8.32% in the third quarter of 2023 according to the NBS report, 2024. Some of the challenges of the sector include access to high capital and technology; insecurity; poor private sector investment, energy intensive, local human capital, artisanal mining, illegal mining in many solid minerals’ sites, value addition, developing and building investors’ confidence as well as regulatory framework that can guarantee fair fiscal regime among others. In view of this, there is the need for the Federal Government of Nigeria through Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to provide data about locations of solid minerals in commercial quantities in the country for attracting local and foreign investment. Next is to ensure political stability and security in the country; promote forward and backward linkages in the solid minerals sector; provide basic infrastructure and address illegal mining activities across the mining sites in the country.

Eco-cities have become global initiatives in recent years. This paper aims to discuss the construction, evolution and future of eco-city movements in China, especially in areas with abundant ecological resources. Extant literature emphasizes that sustainable development is the purpose of an eco-city. However, in the spatial practice of ecological modernization, many European and American countries develop ecological construction at a slower pace, resulting in sustainable ecological outcomes. Those countries developed ecological practices at a smaller scale, aiming to achieve green towns with zero carbon emission. In contrast, the construction of China’s eco-cities typically involves building new cities in outer suburbs with a larger scale and faster speed. This has led to the rapid construction of so-called ecological cities without sustainable development. In this context, this paper starts from the perspective of political economy and conducts qualitative research on the Shanghai Dongtan Eco-city as a case study. It analyzes the motivation and practical measures of different actors by examining the planning, design and construction process of Dongtan Eco-city during 1998–2024. The results suggest that gaining national political priority through the intervention of international actors and foreign investment is the key to the local pilot ecological city project. This paper further analyzes the differences between the planning concept and the actual practice of Dongtan Eco-city, critically discussing the “Eco-city as the enclave of ecological technology.” This is driven by the integration of eco-city construction and the local government performance appraisal system. Consequently, the pursuit of economic returns redirected Dongtan’s sustainability experiment into a form of green-branded retirement real-estate development between 1998 and 2012. From 2012 to 2024, Chongming’s development model continued to evolve, as the project was reframed from a real-estate-led eco-city paradigm toward an “ecological island” agenda articulated in the language of sustainable development.

This study examines the effects of globalization, human development, and corruption on economic growth in the E7 economies. Using annual data for the period 1995–2022, the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQREG) is applied to evaluate the dynamic structure of growth under different conditions. Empirical findings indicate that human development has a strong and positive impact on economic growth across all quantiles. While globalization affects economic growth negatively only in high-growth quantiles, no statistically significant effect has been found in low- and middle-growth quantiles. In contrast, whereas the rise in corruption perception adversely affects growth more strongly in the lower and intermediate quantiles, the strength of this effect diminishes considerably in the upper quantiles. Foreign direct investment and other control variables also contribute differentially across quantiles, demonstrating a heterogeneous structure in growth dynamics. This study concludes that economic growth in the E7 nations can be attained through enhanced human development, effective anti-corruption measures, the formulation of robust global integration policies, and the attraction of technology-driven foreign investment. The MMQREG methodology significantly enhances the literature by illustrating that, even among countries with similar economic development, the distribution of policy effects can differ according on context and level.

This study investigates the short-term contribution of agricultural exports to Tanzania’s economic growth from 1984 to 2023 using annual time series data and a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model. The results reveal that agricultural exports are the most significant driver of GDP growth, with a 1% increase leading to a combined GDP growth of approximately 0.71% after periods two and three, indicating a delayed but substantial positive effect. Granger causality tests further confirm a unidirectional causal relationship from agricultural exports to economic growth, highlighting their key role in driving GDP. The labour force also positively influences growth, whereas gross capital formation exhibits a negative short-term impact. These findings align with the Export-Led Growth (ELG) theory, emphasising that exports stimulate foreign exchange earnings, investment, and productivity. Based on these results, the study recommends that the government prioritise policies promoting agricultural exports, including incentives for value addition, diversification of export crops, and improved access to international markets. Strengthening infrastructure, improving market access, providing technical support to farmers and agribusinesses, and facilitating trade through streamlined customs procedures can further enhance export competitiveness. Additionally, policies should focus on improving labour productivity through education, skills development, and inclusive participation in export-related activities. Implementing these measures is crucial for achieving the government’s target of raising agricultural export value to USD 5 billion by 2030.

Laos, a resource-rich and politically stable country in Southeast Asia, has experienced rapid economic expansion driven by foreign investments in hydropower, mining, and industrial park development. While these sectors have contributed substantially to national growth, they have also intensified environmental degradation and social pressures. This study critically evaluates the effectiveness of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) system in Laos within the broader framework of environmental governance and sustainable development. A qualitative research design was employed, combining legal and policy document analysis, review of secondary literature, and case studies of three representative projects. The findings reveal that, although Laos has established a comprehensive ESIA regulatory framework, its implementation remains constrained by weak institutional capacity, overlapping administrative mandates, and limited technical resources. Furthermore, low levels of public participation and transparency reduce the inclusiveness and credibility of ESIA processes. Despite these challenges, recent legal reforms and growing international cooperation demonstrate gradual progress toward more accountable and integrated environmental governance. Strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing inter-ministerial coordination, and incorporating social considerations into project evaluations are essential steps to transform the ESIA framework from a procedural obligation into a robust tool for promoting sustainable and responsible investment in Laos.