Global Economic Power Research Articles

Debate: Building a U.S. Regulatory Empire in the Chip War with China.

Regulating the circulation of technology is a powerful weapon to exercise global power. In August 2022, U.S. president Joe Biden moved to strangle China's high-end semiconductor industry by imposing a swath of export controls aimed at restricting the country's access to global semiconductor supply chains. While this chip war is usually framed as a bilateral conflict between Washington and Beijing, the success of the U.S. strategy depends on the active cooperation of allied firms and governments. This article fills a critical gap in the standard narrative. It describes how the U.S. government has constructed an empire by regulation, leveraging its global political and economic power to impose extraterritorial export controls on allied trade. By seeking to regulate the flow of technology, knowledge, people, and foreign investment into China, the U.S. risks alienating traditional allies and has triggered China to seek self-sufficiency in the production of advanced semiconductors for civilian and military applications.

Childhood, Migration and the Pursuit of Happiness in MIDDLE‐CLASS EAST ASIA

ABSTRACTThis special issue explores the shifting landscape of global middle‐class migration within and from East Asia by taking the relationship between mobility, parenting ideals and changing educational desires as its focus. Contributions explore how East Asian middle‐class families balance the emergent emphasis on their children's well‐being with the demands of global competitiveness as these often‐antagonistic desires are projected onto old and new migration destinations against the background of global geopolitical and economic power shifts. Instead of reifying the simplistic binary of hierarchical, achievement‐oriented East Asian ‘Confucian educational norms’ versus democratic, well‐being‐focussed Western ideals, the contributions offer a nuanced understanding of how these educational ideals coexist within the social, cultural, political and economic contexts of families. By carefully assessing the dialectically entwined intimate experiences of parents and children, the articles collected here set out to broaden our understanding of how middle‐class families in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China attempt to negotiate the tension between prioritizing children's happiness and maintaining global competitiveness result in a variety of strategies from migrating to less obvious international destinations to crafting domestic alternatives. Taken together, the articles reveal consistent patterns of middle‐class migration and child‐rearing decisions that contest and reshape conventional notions of success, attesting to a shift in global middle‐class migration trends and to the importance of child‐rearing in migratory decisions.

Struggle for the Legacy: Sino-India Rivalry over Energy Sources in the Indian Ocean

Global economic power has shifted from the Atlantic waters to the Indo-Pacific waters. China and India are robust rising powers competing for ultimate regional and global politico-economic opportunities. Energy has become a common factor for both nations, leading to overlapping spheres of influence, strategic responses, and national interests. This article addresses the puzzle of the absence of military confrontations over the issues of energy sources in circumstances that carry enormous potential for conflict. This study aims to contribute to filling the research gap in interpreting the rivalry between China and India over energy resources. The analysis extends through an eclectic approach, incorporating assorted through assorted debates from different realist thought strands. It treats the theories of international relations as emphasising the structure of international relations. However, there is a complex interplay with the perceptions of those structures by the foreign policymakers of a country. The tentative hypothesis of this study has been that “energy rivalry between rising military powers in the Indian Ocean has increased tension, though not to the extent of violent confrontation”. They bargain for regional hegemony, but a deterrent effect prevents an armed conflict between two rising powers. The findings suggest that the tentative hypothesis is supported by substantial evidence regarding energy-based rivalry. Amidst aspiration to dominate, especially over security and energy affairs, neither China nor India would entrench towards a “Mutually Assured Destruction” (MAD). Besides acquiring defensive and offensive military capabilities, they are also concerned with diversifying its energy policies, including land routes for energy supply. The possibility of mutually assured destruction provides an incentive for deterrence, preventing violent confrontation over energy issue in the Indian Ocean.

“A Strange Paradox”: U.S. Global Economic Power and the British Welfare State, 1944–1951

“A Strange Paradox”: U.S. Global Economic Power and the British Welfare State, 1944–1951

Antitrust Law in the BRICS Countries: A Review and Critique

A growing trend shows that global economic power is shifting away from the United States and Europe and towards the BRICS nations. The BRICS nations are predicted to hold the dominant position in the world by 2050. The rapid development of these economies and their markets is also raising a serious concern for the national antitrust enforcement authorities of the BRICS countries in their respective jurisdictions. This study attempts to examine the effectiveness of antitrust law, with a special focus on new developing trends in each of the BRICS jurisdictions. In addition, the study examines the proposed changes and limitations of the Indian Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022. The study reveals that the national antitrust laws and their enforcement processes are not fully developed and in need of considerable changes. Furthermore, the study indicates that while the proposed Amendment Bill 2022 is a progressive step in the right direction, it fails to cover certain key areas of the digital era, requiring further modifications to anticipate future impacts of economic development. In conclusion, the author recommends some points for effective policymaking, along with their future implications.

India's Ascendance as a Global Economic Power: A Comprehensive Evaluation of G20 Summit Contributions

India's Ascendance as a Global Economic Power: A Comprehensive Evaluation of G20 Summit Contributions

Current situation and employment prospects of Chinese language graduates

Relevance. In the modern world, where globalization plays a key role in economic and cultural development, the study of foreign languages is becoming an increasingly important process that positively affects the well-being of both society and the state as a whole. One such language that is attracting the attention of young people and graduates in Kyrgyzstan is Chinese. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to analyse the features of learning and promoting the Chinese language in Kyrgyzstan, as well as its potential opportunities for students in the labour market. Methodology. The following methods were used: descriptive, comparative and survey. Results. The results of the work determined that the current situation and employment prospects of Chinese-speaking graduates are very promising and full of opportunities. One of the main reasons for the growing interest in learning Chinese is the rapid development of China as a global economic and political power. China is becoming an increasingly important partner for Kyrgyzstan in the field of trade, economy, cultural and educational exchange, where the Confucius Institute represented in the country plays a leading role. This creates a need for Chinese-speaking professionals with a deep understanding of Chinese culture and business practices. According to the survey, learning Chinese is of great importance for graduates, opening up new opportunities for them in the international arena. Conclusions. The research concluded that despite advantages from Chinese language training and institutional support, Kyrgyz graduates face employment challenges, requiring further initiatives to better integrate qualified personnel into relevant labor markets. Keywords: labour market; international cooperation; educational exchange; professional activity; cultural development; chinese language

Unveiling the impact mechanism of urban resilience on carbon dioxide emissions of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration in China

With the increasingly severe global climate change situation, the construction of low-carbon and resilient cities is expected to be an effective means of accelerating the achievement of carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. As a major global economic and carbon-emitting power, it is necessary to advocate for China to accelerate the construction of low-carbon and resilient cities. We have formulated a comprehensive methodological framework to appraise the effects of urban resilience (UR) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study first constructs a “social-economic-institutional-ecological-engineering” UR assessment framework. Based on this framework, we establish an evaluation system for the UR of the urban agglomeration to explore the dynamic evolution of its spatial and temporal patterns. And then this study uses the SBM-DEA method that includes undesirable outputs to measure the carbon emission efficiency of the urban agglomeration. Finally, the spatial Durbin model is used to analyze the spatial spillover effects of UR on CO2 emissions, and the mechanism of CO2 emission spatial effects is theoretically explained by introducing geographical laws. The results show that the overall UR level in the region increased from 0.107 in 2000 to 0.318 in 2020, with an average carbon emission efficiency of 0.82, but still at a relatively low level. Moreover, there are significant differences in the regional level, with Guangzhou and Shenzhen and their surrounding cities showing significantly higher levels compared to other cities. Regarding the spillover effects analysis, CO2 emissions exhibit significant spatial spillover effects between cities. Improving UR can reduce urban CO2 emissions, but it may also have negative spillover effects on surrounding cities. This research can provide a new perspective for improving the study of regional CO2 emissions reduction and its influencing mechanisms while also offering important references for accelerating the construction of UR and achieving regional carbon peak targets.

TroublingGAN: generated visual ambiguity as a speculative alternative to photojournalism

This exposition documents artistic research that engages with generative neural networks and artificial intelligence-driven visual synthesis, the goal being to challenge the limits of the research and question the value of the generated visual outcomes. We present here our experiment with a customised StyleGAN model. In contrast to its utilisation by computer scientists, it has been trained on a heterogeneous dataset, voluntarily exposing the generative neural network to failure while focusing on the unexpected moments of surprise that arise from such a process. Led by the critical thoughts of The Nooscope Manifested (Pasquinelli and Joler 2020), this experiment questions what kind of knowledge generative neural networks produce, whether they could change one’s perspective on studied objects (the dataset) and whether they could function as a viable tool for artistic research. The observed object in this project is the concept of ‘troubling times’ (inspired by ‘Designing in Troubling Times’, the theme of the 2021 Uroboros Festival) — rapid socio-ecological changes caused by shifts in global economic, political and technological power and the subsequent series of troubling events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, violent conflicts and environmental catastrophes. StyleGAN is used as a pattern-recognition and knowledge-production tool to create an intuitive understanding of what this ambiguous term ‘troubling times’ actually means today. During the experimentation process, multiple unforeseen moments and twists happened, offering valuable insights into the nature of synthetic media, generating ethical questions concerning the use of generative neural networks and spawning new propositions for further research.

Chinese Foreign Trade Policy within GATT-WTO: Parallel or Shadow Institutionality?

The discussion of China's rise as a global economic and political power in recent decades has been fueling various theoretical discussions based on the evolution of its foreign trade policy. Hence, empirical research method is proposed in the field of international law involving the study of institutions, norms and procedures based on academic evidence. In this sense, this article analyzes the underlying reasons why this country, despite its late insertion into the Multilateral Trading System, has a relevant influence in the present. In fact, this influence from China has generated a scenario of regionalism both in the Asia-Pacific and with other strategic partners. All this, in addition to also evidencing a progressive "shadow institutionalism". Thus, this whole previous situation means that exist a real primacy achieved by China at world nowadays which also tends, in certain circumstances, to tarnish and even undermine the role of the GATT-WTO paradigm and its logic of multilateralism. Accordingly, this implies a particular scenario that suggest a whole parallel model of authority that affects the dynamics of international relations.

تێرۆریزم وەک شیکردنەوەی جیهان لە هزری سیاسیی ژان بۆدریار دا

Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) is one of the most famous contemporary French social theorists and culturologist, and contemporary social thought is inseparable from the works of this French thinker, who had a significant impact on the emergence of postmodern thought. . After the events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), the phenomenon of terrorism became one of the main philosophical-political theses of this thinker. And hence a kind of terrorism emerged, which became a phenomenon and laid the foundation for the political thought of Jean Baudrillard to read the political situation of the world. In this research, we emphasize that the attack on the two towers in Manhattan, New York, was to destroy the global political and economic power that supervised all global economic and political movements. Therefore, the understandings of Jean Baudrillard's views are based on a philosophical-political foundation, where political and ideological aspects are discussed in such a way that opens the door to understanding the political worldview of this French thinker on the phenomenon of terrorism and Western globalization. Today many ask why there should be terrorists activities? What do the terrorists want from the West? Baudrillard's studies of terrorism, which are part of his political thought, may be a good path to answering these questions. Because in Baudrillard's political thought, terrorism is a phenomenon that is analyzed and through it he analyzes the world. Another aspect of Baudrillard's political thought on terrorism suggests that globalization itself is largely responsible for injustices and terrorist attacks. Therefore, this research shows the importance given to the phenomenon of terrorism after the events of September 11 in Baudrillard's political thought as an analysis of the world that has two main objectives. The first objective is to work on Baudrillard's analysis of this type of terrorism. The second is that another type of terrorism is being discussed, which Western globalization discourse hides at its heart.

Artificial Intelligence in the Colonial Matrix of Power

Drawing on the analytic of the “colonial matrix of power” developed by Aníbal Quijano within the Latin American modernity/coloniality research program, this article theorises how a system of coloniality underpins the structuring logic of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. We develop a framework for critiquing the regimes of global labour exploitation and knowledge extraction that are rendered invisible through discourses of the purported universality and objectivity of AI. ​​Through bringing the political economy literature on AI production into conversation with scholarly work on decolonial AI and the modernity/coloniality research program, we advance three main arguments. First, the global economic and political power imbalances in AI production are inextricably linked to the continuities of historical colonialism, constituting the colonial supply chain of AI. Second, this is produced through an international division of digital labour that extracts value from majority world labour for the benefit of Western technology companies. Third, this perpetuates hegemonic knowledge production through Western values and knowledge that marginalises non-Western alternatives within AI’s production and limits the possibilities for decolonising AI. By locating the production of AI systems within the colonial matrix of power, we contribute to critical and decolonial literature on the legacies of colonialism in AI and the hierarchies of power and extraction that shape the development of AI today.

Green Transition and the Business Sector in the European Union and Romania

Abstract Increasingly obvious over the last two decades, human society and the economies of all the countries in the world faced and continue to face increasingly accelerated, amplified, diverse and divergent economic, social, political and technological trends and developments, among which three so-called megatrends stand out for intensity and persistence: digitization and automation of production, greening of economies and global economic power shifts. Considering such issues, the paper focuses on a brief analysis of how the green transition affects the business sector (enterprises) in the EU countries, with a focus on Romania - an EU member state that registers a relatively low level of penetration of the circular economy. Indicators of the green economy and eco-innovation and referring to the economic dimension of the circular economy, were used for the analysis. The results show that the EU27 economies generally are leaders in most of the aspects concerning the greening of economies and their business sectors, but Romania reveal certain relative delays of the local business sector in moving towards production and business development methods characteristic of the ecological economy.

SRM on the table: the role of geoengineering for the stability and effectiveness of climate coalitions

Geoengineering, including solar radiation management (SRM), has received increasing scrutiny due to the rise of climate extremes and slow progress in mitigating global carbon emissions. This climate policy option, even as a possibility, can have consequential implications for international climate governance. Here, we study how solar engineering affects the effectiveness and stability of a large set of regional coalitions through numerical simulations. We posit a requirement in terms of global political or economic power and analyze the exclusive membership coalition formation process when coalitions jointly decide on geoengineering and mitigation. We show that geoengineering can provide incentives for cooperation and partially solve the typical trade-off between stability and effectiveness of climate coalitions. However, temperature reduction mostly comes from deploying SRM within the coalition rather than from further emission reductions, thus exposing the world to relatively large-scale deployment of SRM with as of today uncertain potential side effects and risks.

Trade and inclusive economic growth: China and Latin America (2004-2021)

China has consolidated itself as a global economic power, and its growth has been remarkable. China’s economic influence in Latin America has significantly increased, and the country has become one of the region’s most important and relevant trade partners. Therefore, the trade relations between Latin America and China are considered “strategic.” In this context, the purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between international trade with China and inclusive economic growth in Latin America from 2004 to 2021, using data from 13 countries in the region (Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay, Panama, Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina). Our research is quantitative in nature, with a non-experimental design and a correlational scope. The econometric model used panel data and the Newey-West estimator to account for first-order autocorrelation in the error. The results indicate a statistically significant and negative relationship between Latin American exports to China, which has a 10% impact on inclusive economic growth. Similarly, imports from China to Latin America show a statistically significant and negative relationship of 5% with inclusive economic growth. However, no discernible evidence was found to support a relationship between China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin American countries and inclusive economic growth.

Heading Towards Third World Status? The Decline of the U.S. As A Global Economic Power

There is an expectation that China will surpass the U.S. economy, around the year 2035. However, this development will involve more than Americans just moving to the number two spot in the world pecking order. The U.S. is undergoing a political and cultural transformation in which it is taking on characteristics and practices associated with developing nations of the third world. If this trend continues Americans could experience a lower standard of living, a shrinking military, and a loss of political and cultural influence. We could witness the decline of the U.S, as a major power, losing its competitive edge, to the extent that its role in international affairs will significantly diminish. Political and social conflict within the U.S., along with increasing instability, could lead to the breakup of the nation into several North American states. This paper will discuss and analyze developments in the U.S. which could lead to the end of its status as a first world global power. Keywords: Third World Status, Global Economic Power, Economy.

ВІД ФАБРИКИ СВІТУ ДО ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ СУПЕРДЕРЖАВИ: ВПЛИВ КИТАЮ НА СВІТОВУ АРЕНУ

China's profound transformation into a global economic power has changed the world order, challenging the traditional dominance of Western economies. This article examines the multifaceted dimensions of China's rise and its impact on the international economic system. Over the past three decades, China's economic growth has been impressive, making it the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP in 2022, behind only the United States. This remarkable journey has seen China's GDP grow more than tenfold since 1978. However, the benefits of this growth have not been shared evenly, with differences in living standards between rural and urban populations and marked social inequality in cities persisting. China's industrial power is second to none, accounting for roughly half of the world's steel, aluminum and cement production. It is a leading producer of major commodities such as coal, manganese, lead-zinc, antimony and tungsten. The country's influence extends to the energy sector with significant oil and gas production. In addition, China's dominance of rare earth metals, critical to modern technology, is almost complete thanks to significant investment since the 1980s. The article highlights China's ambitious ten-year plan, launched in 2015, to modernize its manufacturing capabilities to compete with German rivals and global companies. China's influence extends beyond the economy, with its global presence growing as the largest trading partner of many countries and the leader of the world's largest free trade bloc through RCEP. In addition, the Belt and Road initiative strengthens China's position in Central Asia and Europe. It highlights China's strategic control over the production of green technologies such as solar cells, wind turbines and rare earth elements, underscoring the West's growing dependence on China to meet its environmental goals.

Rising global economic power by China to challenge new global order

This paper’s arguments guide Chinese political economy. This analytical idea is based on Rodrik’s political-economy trilemma: global economic integration, democracy, and national sovereignty. Chinese policymakers face a trade-off among three policy goals: (hyper-) globalization, democracy, and national sovereignty. China’s President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have chosen global economic integration and national sovereignty (fewer human rights). To reflect the analytical idea, which can measure the length of a vector, is a mathematics methodology. As a result, Chinese political events such as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in 1966, the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, and the choice of Chinese President Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the Communist Party in 2012 had an impact on reshaping when the length of vector (the sphere’s radius of 2) was more than 2. The future direction of China will lead to a “Golden Straitjacket.” The “Golden Straitjacket.” makes a country push forward trade liberalization and national sovereignty — i.e., democracy is constrained. Chinese policy has changed to stronger centralization of political power and decision-making for President Xi and the CCP. Also, China expands a global economic integration and national sovereignty. However, China needs to contribute to globalization without causing more conflicts to Western countries. In other words, China should be loath to relinquish the individual and national benefits of integrated international economies. “Fast and furious” is the first step of globalization for a peaceful world.

The European Union after the Crisis: Risks and Opportunities—The Problem of “Uncomfortable Knowledge” and “Institutionalised Forgetfulness”

The crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes the most serious challenge for Europe since World War II. The crisis threatens Europe’s security and economy to an unprecedented level. No prediction on when and how the crisis will end is possible. However, irrespective of its end, there is no doubt that for Europe, it will generate costs amounting to several hundreds of billions if not even some trillions of Euros, i.e. seriously harm and weaken the European economy and endanger Europe’s position as a global economic power. It will also result in fundamental changes of international economic and political relations. Searching for, working on and designing rational and effective solutions to successfully master the aftermath of the crisis politically and economically should have a priority for the European Union, coming next only to the incredibly challenging efforts to master the ongoing crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the war in Ukraine caught the EU by surprise and unprepared. Europe should avoid such an experience in the future. Regardless of how this crisis will end, mastering its aftermath and identifying the respective risks and opportunities of the EU will have to start with identifying the main beneficiary(ies) of the crisis and analysing its (their) treatment of the EU and its Member States before and during the crisis. This will not be possible by limiting the actions to the day-to-day business, such as finding new suppliers for raw materials and energy, harmonising fiscal rules, providing the necessary funds to master the financial crisis, etc. A much broader visionary approach will be necessary to find solutions for sustainable peace in Europe. An outcome such as that of the Treaty of Versailles should be avoided. One should prevent the “sleepwalkers” of today, i.e. those ignoring the “uncomfortable knowledge”, letting Europe slide into World War III. The EU should make it clear to all of its Members, for Europe, the “European Solidarity’, with all of its attributes, constitutes the core of the EU’s genuine interests, including those of security and defence. This will require also amendments of the TEU and TFEU discussed in this paper. Otherwise, the EU and its Members will never acquire the status of an equal animal—in the global context—i.e. become truly sovereign and independent.

How China’s Debt-Trap Diplomacy Works in African Countries: Evidence from Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Djibouti

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initiated in 2013, China under Xi Jinping has continued to expand its capital to various countries. This expansion is part of China’s strategy to shore up its position as a major global economic and political power vis-à-vis the United States. As nearly 70 countries have joined the BRI network, this economic cooperation scheme contributes to economic growth and helps close the infrastructure gap. Nevertheless, the case of China’s capital expansion in Africa has shown mixed results, where some economies are becoming more dependent and even facing a debt trap. This article addresses why such economic cooperation has turned into a debt trap for countries in the African region. Applying the concept of Structural Power in examining China’s investment in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Djibouti, this article argues that the debt trap has been caused by the structural disparity between China as an investor and African countries as investment recipients. China, in this case, has a more dominant “good” aspect, while African countries are more in “need.” This article also contends that the debt trap is a strategy carried out by the Chinese government to dominate the African economies in the long run. The three case studies are valuable as they represented different geographical locations in the region and portray a border of lower middle-income countries in general.