Processes In Asia Research Articles

ROLE OF ASEAN IN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN ASIA

ASEAN plays significant role in the economic integration processes in Asia. The financial crisis in 1997 fostered the integration processes between Asian countries. Asian integration mainly characterized by the open regionalism which promotes economic integration and trade liberalization between states. Asian regionalism is market-driven and open to economic cooperation, trade and investment. ASEAN promote the internal integration between member states of the organization and external integration between ASEAN and partners. ASEAN’s initiativesthat focused on external integration such as ASEAN Regional Forum, APEC, East Asia Summit, ASEAN+3 and others. Through its collaborative efforts and commitment to fostering economic partnerships, the Asian region has witnessed substantial progress in trade, investme nt and economic cooperation. The article analyzes the intra-regional trade, investment flows , economic cooperation initiatives between ASEAN and East Asian countries. This article examine s economic relations of ASEAN with China, Japan and South Korea in the framework of ASEAN+3. The ASEAN+3 forum fosters economic cooperation between Southeast Asia and East Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea. The cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea mainly focused on the economic cooperation, mainly trade, FDI Investment and digital economy.ASEAN+3 considered asan important platform for promoting regiona l cooperation between the countries of Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Are the drivers of structural change different in Asia and Africa?

ABSTRACT Structural change has played an important role in the overall process of economic development. Africa seems to have faced greater difficulty than Asia in terms of achieving structural change. A number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the structural change process in these two regions. The objective of this paper is to test several of these hypotheses utilizing data from a sample of Sub-Saharan African countries as well as a sample of Asian countries. Fixed effects and fully modified ordinary least squares techniques were used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that there are many similarities between the two regions in terms of what factors are important in the process of structural change, and a few differences. Agricultural productivity, a reduction in dependence on natural resources, openness to trade all seem to be important, but for Sub-Saharan Africa efforts must also be made to aid domestic manufacturing firms so as to be able to compete. In addition, it seems that being relatively labour abundant was important for the structural change process in Asia. Policies aimed at promoting more rapid structural change in Sub-Saharan Africa include promoting agricultural productivity, improving the extent of trade openness, and additional efforts to coordinate the expansion of manufacturing.

About the key regional priority of Russia's foreign policy

The state structures of the country are developing a new concept of the state's foreign policy. The geopolitical situation has changed dramatically and the previous concept no longer refl ects the new reality. The concept will determine the main priorities of the country, including regional ones. In previous documents, the European one occupied the priority place among them. Due to the increased dynamics of political and economic processes in Asia, an increase in its share in the global economy, an increase in the potential for conflict in this region and, consequently, the need to solve regional security problems, Russia should set the Asian direction as its key regional priority. This is an objective necessity. The article examines the factors contributing to the preference of this priority, among them the policy of the European Union, which was created by Western European elites to form a "united Europe" under the auspices of the EU. The aim was to reduce Russia's infl uence on pan-European processes, pushing it into the Asian part of the Eurasian space. Eurasia should take its proper place in the new concept of Russia's foreign policy. In addition to developing relations with the leading Asian countries, with ASEAN, fi lling these relations with appropriate content, the bet should be placed on the development of integration within the EU, which does not remain a loose integration. In addition, Western countries have increased pressure on the Central Asian states with the aim of tearing their economy away from the Russian economy. Strengthening the EAEU meets the interests not only of our country, but also of the Central Asian states, since it is difficult for them individually to resist the larger players in Asia. The combined potential of the EAEU countries, taking into account Uzbekistan's cooperation with them, is a market of 23 million people. This is a fairly self-suffi cient market with large resources. Therefore, the development of the potential of the EAEU, strengthening its position as an integration association should take a key place in the regional priorities of our country's foreign policy.

Life Cycle Assessment of River Sand and Aggregates Alternatives in Concrete.

Urbanization processes in Asia are still ongoing; thus, aggregate demand is expected to increase in following years. Even though construction and demolition waste is a source for secondary building materials in industrialized countries, it is not yet an alternative construction material source in Vietnam as the urbanization process is still ongoing. Thus, there is a need for river sand and aggregates alternatives in concrete, namely manufactured sand (m-sand) from primary solid rock materials and secondary waste materials. The focus in the present study for Vietnam was on m-sand sand as alternative for river sand, and different ashes as alternatives for cement in concrete. The investigations comprised concrete lab tests according to the formulations of concrete strength class C 25/30 in accordance with DIN EN 206, followed by a lifecycle assessment study in order to identify the environmental impact of the alternatives. In total 84 samples were investigated, consisting of 3 reference samples, 18 samples with primary substitutes, 18 samples with secondary substitutes, and 45 samples with cement substitutes. This kind of holistic investigation approach comprising material alternatives and accompanying LCA was the first study for Vietnam, and even for Asia, and represents a substantial added value for future policy development in order to cope with resource scarcity. The results show that with the exception of metamorphic rocks, all m-sands meet the requirements for quality concrete. In terms of cement replacement, the mixes showed that a higher percentage of ash reduces the compressive strength. The compressive strength values of the mixes with up to 10% coal filter ash or rice husk ash were equivalent to the C25/30 standard concrete formulation. Higher ash contents up to 30% lead to the reduction of the concrete quality. The LCA study's results highlighted the better environmental footprints across environmental impact categories in the 10% substitution material in comparison to the use of primary materials. The LCA analysis results showed that cement as a component in concrete holds the highest footprint. The use of secondary waste as alternative for cement provides significant environmental advantage.

Multi-depth evolution characteristics of soil moisture over the Tibetan Plateau in the past 70 years using reanalysis products

Soil moisture (SM) is a crucial component of the hydrological cycle. Both the spatial–temporal distribution and the variation characteristics of SM are effective indicators of regional land surface water resource homogeneity and heterogeneity. With consideration of the crucial role of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in the hydrological process in Asia, this study investigated the fluctuation of multi-depth soil moisture across the TP during 1950–2020 on a monthly scale against the background of global warming by using ERA5 reanalysis datasets. The correlation and potential causality between soil moisture and associated driving factors were explored. Our research revealed that the soil moisture across the TP shows a slight wetting trend at 0–100 cm depth for the past 70 years against the background of climate warming and increasing precipitation. Additionally, the wetting region (variation trend ≥ 0.005 m3/m3 per decade) had sufficient water supplementation from precipitation and a mild soil temperature increase. By comparison, there is a noteworthy warming tendency and falling precipitation in the sparsely distributed drying region (variation trend ≤ −0.005 m3/m3 per decade). In terms of vertical variation features, the temporal dynamic fluctuation of soil moisture and soil temperature evidently decreases as the depth increases, suggesting high sensitivity of the surface layer soil to atmospheric conditions. Precipitation and snowmelt preliminarily proved to be the dominant drivers causing spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture (occupying over 70% of the TP region), and bidirectional causality (ranging between 15.52% and 50.56%) was found between soil moisture and these two parameters. In summary, this study explored the spatial–temporal fluctuation in the evolutionary characteristics of SM, which is expected to advance our understanding of soil moisture dynamics under the conditions of climate change across the TP.

СЪБИТИЯТА В АФГАНИСТАН И ВЪЗДЕЙСТВИЕТО ИМ ВЪРХУ ЕВРАЗИЙСКАТА АРХИТЕКТУРА НА СИГУРНОСТ

The end of NATO’s intervention in Afghanistan marks the transition to a multipolar world. The US is losing direct control over processes in Asia that have yet to be determined by the interaction mostly between China, Russia, India, Iran, and Pakistan. Because of its location, Afghanistan represents a node of contradictions that have yet to be resolved by these centers. A major task in the region is the successful implementation of the strategic infrastructure projects – One Belt One Road and the North-South transport corridor. These corridors intersect in Afghanistan and enable the country’s natural resources to be exploited. Political stabilization is a condition for the success of these projects and vice versa. There is a regional security network including the SCO and the GSTO. Interaction between the participants could solve the security problems in Afghanistan, completing the military, political and economic infrastructure.

Thermochemical treatment of daily COVID-19 single-use facemask waste: Power generation potential and environmental impact analysis

The utilization of single-use face masks as the standard PPE to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased facemask waste. Improper management of the increased facemask waste has a consequential environmental impact. This requires swift actions to invest and implement innovative technologies to manage single-use facemask waste. Thermochemical treatment of disposable face masks could minimize COVID-19 plastic waste and produce value-added products. The present study evaluates the power generation potential and environmental impact of treating estimated daily single-use facemask waste in Africa and Asia via incineration. The environmental assessment was expressed as global warming potential and acidification potential. The formulation of the model equations method was used to estimate the power generation potential. The IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventory methodology and EPA “compilation of air pollutant emissions factors” (AP-42) were used to compute greenhouse and acid gases. The key findings show that the daily single-use facemask waste produced in Asia was 19.12 million kg/day, generating 32.65 million kWh/day of electricity. In Africa, 3.53 million kg/day of single-use facemask waste was produced, generating 6.03 million kWh/day of power. The results also show Asia's total global warming potential was 787,097.6 kt CO2eq/day, and 145,687.7 kt CO2eq/day was recorded in Africa. Besides, the total daily acidification potential of the incineration process in Asia was 7,078,904 kg SO2eq/day, while that in Africa was 1,308,362 kg SO2eq/day. This study will provide scientific guidance for environmental sustainability for treating single-use facemask waste via incineration technology for power generation.

“Radiation Refugees”: The Role of Gender and Digital Communication in Japanese Women’s Transnational Evacuation after Fukushima

The study of environmental migration has shown how an attachment to land reduces the perceptions of risks, and how women often lack resources to evacuate. This qualitative study of Japanese women’s migration to Southeast Asia after the Fukushima nuclear disaster complicates the debate by showing that the post-disaster attachment to the land is disrupted by unequal gendered social relations and that digital communication among women provides a wide range of resources and emotional support to differently positioned women. This article shows how gendered social relations and digital communication play a major role in environmental migrant decision making processes in Asia.

Adding numbers to complex processes: Asian integration indicator systems in perspective

Even if Asia shows a relatively low density of regional integration arrangements, the continent has been relatively active in designing indicator systems to monitor the ongoing integration processes. Organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Asian Development Bank, Eurasian Development Bank, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia have been involved in such activities. The purpose of this short article is to review the indicator systems that are currently being developed or have recently been developed, to monitor and analyse regional integration processes in Asia. These systems are cast against the background of experiences with building indicators and indicator systems globally.A subset of indicator systems receives a closer look. The assessment covers: (i) general scope and purpose of the indicator system, (ii) specific scope (policy areas covered), (iii) indicator selection, and (iv) weighting and aggregation. Lessons are drawn from these experiences to inform future monitoring efforts in Asia and beyond.

The Belt and Road Initiative and the AIIB: Potential Impact on the Economic Architecture of Asia

Dynamics of economic development in Asia in the first two decades of the 21st century can be visualized schematically as a series of waves with different focuses of economic activities of regional powers and prevailing regional economic agenda. The first decade of this century was marked by an increasing number of bilateral free trade agreements, the establishment of ASEAN+1 free trade zones and very general in nature discussions on the prospects for the establishment of a large regional integration block. The US ‘Pivot to Asia’ has promoted transformation of these abstract discussions into substantive debates on parameters and principles of a broader regional trading and economic cooperation arrangement. The second wave in the development of economic processes in Asia (from 2010 to 2017) was characterized by a ‘soft’ rivalry between the US and China for setting the priority model of economic integration in the region (Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership vs. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and for establishing rules of a regional trade and investment system. The third wave followed the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative and AIIB, which expanded the focus of the regional countries’ activities from trade liberalization to promoting regional infrastructure development and connectivity. The author aims to assess the role of the Belt and Road and AIIB initiatives in consolidating China’s position in Asia, as well as their potential impact on the regional economic architecture. The first section outlines economic processes in China and in the region in general, which provided a context for establishing the Belt and Road and AIIB initiatives. The second and third sections examine their impact on regional economic processes and on the PRC’s regional positions. The author accentuates substantive changes that these initiatives underwent in 2013-2019 and identifies their intermediate outcomes. The author concludes that the Belt and Road and AIIB initiatives reflect the PRC’s intent to convert its growing economic and financial capabilities into regional influence. The establishment of new multilateral financial institutions, development of new rules governing trade, investment and economic activities, adoption of new production and technical standards, transformation of the regional transport and logistics system, development of new value chains, and other outcomes of foreign economic activities of China already has the potential to reshape the regional economic architecture.

Integration Processes in the asia-Pacific Region with the Participation of China and the Position of Russia

Flourishing of the East Asian Tigers has led to unparalleled growth in trade in the Asia-Pacific region (APR). The crises of the multilateral trading system and the need to move to a polycentric model of the world order have become the pivotal motives to enhance cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Expected to be signed by the end of 2018, a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement can be the institutional framework for integration processes in the Asia Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most prospective regions in the world in terms of consuming natural gas and oil. Successful integration processes in Asia depend significantly on the foreign policy priorities of Russia, the key geopolitical player and energy producer. The objective of the article is to reveal the nature of China’s participation in building a new global economy model on the example of the RCEP as well as the position of Russia regarding the integration processes in the Asia-Pacific region. The methods of scientific abstraction, comparative analysis and logical generalization have been used. The main theoretical approaches have been systematized and summarized the analysis of the role of China in the integration processes in the Asia-Pacific region in the context of the polycyclic transformations of the global economy dominant paradigm. China regards the uSA as its main competitor and the usurper of global resources. In recent decades, China has demonstrated undeniable economic achievements based on the success of the industrial policy. China is leading the creation of the world largest trade bloc to be able to determine independently the future agenda of the global economy. However, with no political support, intellectual and raw materials resources of Russia, it will be difficult for China to achieve parity with the West in the world economic arena. It has been concluded that in order to take advantage of the integration processes in the APR, Russia should take an active position in a constructive dialogue with China and other Asia-Pacific countries on numerous unresolved issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Asian investors and consumers should be admitted to Russian oil and gas resources simultaneously with the introduction of Russia in the regional value chain in the Asia-Pacific region on mutually beneficial terms.

Talent management process in Asia: a multiple case study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine talent management process in a region that has been influenced by Eastern culture.Design/methodology/approachThis research is a multiple case study of six MNCs in Asia. Cross-cases analysis was used to reveal differences and similarities. The data were collected through phone interviews with HR managers and written communications as well as organizations’ websites.FindingsThe studied companies were dealing with several challenges regarding talent management process, including challenges of attracting and retaining talent, tension between subsidiaries and headquarters, tension between high potentials and non-high potentials and tension between generations. These companies’ strategies for addressing these challenges were also identified and discussed.Originality/valueThis paper revealed talent management orientation, the approach toward and definition of talent and context-specific issues regarding talent management of the selected companies in a region in which this topic has not been sufficiently studied in the past.

Submeridional boundary zone in Asia: seismicity, lithosphere structure, and the distribution of convective flows in the upper mantle

The study is focused on the submeridional transregional boundary that stretches as a wide band along 105°E in Central Asia. In modern seismic models, it is traceable to a depth of ~600 km. In the continental area to the west of this boundary, seismic activity is increased. Following the study of the origin of the transregional boundary zone, it becomes possible to assess its contribution to the current geodynamic processes in Asia. This article presents a comprehensive analysis based on comparison of the available data with the results obtained in our study using independent methods. The distribution of earthquakes was analyzed by depth. We revealed a correlation between the characteristics of seismotectonic deformation (STD) reconstructed from earthquake focal mechanisms, the structure of P-velocity anomalies, and the distribution of convection flows in the upper mantle. The pattern of seismic velocity anomalies in the upper mantle was investigated on the basis of the data from the ISC catalogue for the period of 1964–2011. The modeling was carried out for two regional tomographic schemes, using the first arrivals of P-waves from [Koulakov et al.,2002and PP-phases from [Bushenkova et al.,2002, with the subsequent summation with weight coefficients depending on the distribution of the input data in each scheme. A similar approach was applied in [Koulakov, Bushenkova,2010for the territory of Siberia; however, that model only partially covered the submeridional transregional boundary zone and was based on fewer ISC data (until 2001). The parameters of the combined model were used to estimate variations in the lithosphere thickness, which can significantly influence the structure of convection flows in the upper mantle [Chervov et al., 2014; Bushenkova et al., 2014, 2016. The thickness variations were taken into account when setting boundary conditions in the numerical modeling of thermal convection, which followed the algorithm described in [Chervov, Chernykh,2014. The STD field was reconstructed from the earthquake focal mechanisms (M≥4.6) which occurred in Central Asia in 1976–2017. The analysis shows that the zone, wherein the seismic regime changes, correlates with the band wherein the STD principal axes are turning, the submeridional high/low velocity elongated boundary in the seismotomographic model, as well as with the submeridionally elongated descending convective flow in the upper mantle. Shortening of the STD principal axes is observed in the submeridional direction in the western part and in the sublatitudinal direction in the eastern part of the study area. The directions of the principal axes turn in the 93–105°E zone. It is thus probable that the submeridionally elongated descending convective flow in the upper mantle of this region, which results from the superposition of the lithosphere thickness heterogeneities, is a barrier to propagation of seismically manifested active geodynamic processes caused by lithospheric plates collision.

Recepción y enfoques historiográficos del pensamiento político en la India contemporánea

La teoría política contemporánea está dominada por las ideas y los valores del pensamiento occidental moderno; sin embargo, tras el proceso de descolonización en Asia y África se ha abierto un importante debate acerca de la continuidad y la legitimidad de esas ideas en sociedades poscoloniales. Se presentan las dos principales corrientes historiográficas que conforman esta discusión en la ciencia política de la India contemporánea a través del análisis de sus principales autores y obras: la corriente hermenéutica, que defiende que el pensamiento político indio moderno es resultado de un proceso de fusión entre conceptos y valores occidentales con las ideas indias tradicionales, y la corriente indigenista, que aboga por el desarrollo de una ciencia política india autónoma respecto a las ideas y los valores occidentales.

ASEAN Centrality in Asian Regional Architecture

This study examines the regional architecture process in Asia. Specifically, I empirically focus on what ASEAN’s role in contemporary Asian regional architecture is and what challenge and opportunities lie ahead. In contrast to other studies, I consider whether the ASEAN as a driving force of the regional architecture in Asia should only be considered in an over-arching macro-analytical sense in order to contain China. Such an approach to the concept may not work in explaining what change in Asia and its relations with the ASEAN centrality. Additionally, I consider why there is a need for regional architecture in Asia. Using a single-case analysis of ASEAN role in regional architecture from 2009-2012, I found evidence of an association between bargaining and mutual satisfaction while embracing different motives and power for doing regional architecture. Moreover, I demonstrate that it makes sense to talk about regional identity whenever ASEAN is struggling to project a common voice.

Methodologies for leapfrogging to low carbon and sustainable development in Asia

It is clear that much more drastic and early actions than those that are presently being undertaken are needed to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. The Asian region, accounting for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions and growing at a rapid economic pace, has a major role to play in the world's transition to a low carbon society (LCS). To design leapfrog pathways to low carbon and sustainable development, it is important to have a scientific tool that can develop LCS pathways and analyze the effectiveness of policies to achieve them under different scenarios. The Asia-Pacific Integrated Assessment Model (AIM) is an effective tool to support these analyses. It has been developed by researchers in Asia and used in policymaking processes in Asia. It can provide comprehensive and consistent assessment of various policies, including macro-economic policies and technological measures. It can analyze trade-offs between rapid economic growth in Asia and its environmental impact and assess sustainable development policies. This paper presents the processes of designing LCS policies and how modeling tools can support the analyses of the leapfrog pathways to a LCS. As a modeling tool, the family of AIM models is explained and their applications in Asia are presented. Procedures to design and implement low carbon policies together with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle are also presented.

Poisk transregional’nykh al’ternativ v Evrazii: fenomen MIKTA (In Search for Transregional Alternatives in Eurasia: the Phenomenon of MIKTA)

The papers analyses new integration initiative of the middle powers namely MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, Australia) against the background of evolution of trans-regional integration processes in Asia and Europe. The phenomenon of MIKTA is analyzed in comparison with other most successful trans-regional integration projects like G20, BRICS and IBSA (Dialogue forum of India, Brazil and South Africa). MIKTA represents a very interesting pattern of middle powers’ aspiration to create multilateral international institutions which they can use to produce much stronger infl uence on the global politics in comparison with a simple sum of these countries’ individual efforts outside the framework of such trans-regional institutions. The key question is how trans-regional integration initiatives similar to MIKTA could infl uence political and economic processes on the regional and macro-regional levels and whether it is possible to speak about new format of trans-regional integration models. Unlike other integration projects of middle powers MIKTA is not a formal association of different countries according to some common features (like N-11 or the Next Eleven Group or MIST/MIKT). On the contrary MIKTA represents a joint voluntary initiative for creation of multilateral trans-regional institution fostering fi nancial, economic, political and diplomatic cooperation. For South Korea MIKTA should have become a mechanism for increasing its infl uence in the international organizations, Indonesia expected MIKTA to make it stronger politically and diplomatically in the world affairs, both Turkey and Mexico wanted MIKTA to perform an instrument for solving their economic problems (increase international trade volume, attract foreign investments etc.). Special political, diplomatic, trade and economical potential of MIKTA is based on the fact that its member countries claim to play a role of regional pivots which are located as bridges among various continents and geographies like Turkey (between Europe and Asia) and Mexico (between North and South America) or serve as a sort of a portal for the West to the region of Southeast Asia, specifi cally to its Muslim populated part, (Indonesia) and Asia-Pacifi c (Australia).

Великобритания, процессы деколонизации в Азии и План Коломбо (1945-1951 гг.)

After World War II, European metropolises were forced to go the way to decolonization. Processes of the collapses of European empires were caused by a surge of the national-liberation movement in the colonies during and after the war, an increase of the influence of the world's public opinion and the anti-colonial activities of the United Nations established in 1945. The Cabinet of Clement Attlee, which came to power in 1945, headed for a withdrawal from some territories of the British Empire. The article is devoted to a little-known episode in the Russian historiography connected with the establishment of the Organization of the Colombo Plan. The initiative to institute such a structure was initially sounded in India, and Britain supported and developed the Indian idea. The British governmental circles in the circumstances of decolonization processes in Asia after World War II sought to prevent the collapse of relations with the dominions and colonies that became independent. In 1947, the largest British colony in Asia, India, gained independence and two conflicting republics, India and Pakistan, appeared. In 1948, Burma and Ceylon became sovereign states. In 1947, the Attlee Cabinet handed the Palestinian question to the UN. In February 1950, a conference of foreign affairs ministers of the Commonwealth countries was held in Colombo, Ceylon. India made an initiative for such a meeting a year earlier, London willingly supported this initiative on its grounds. The Attlee Government hoped to strengthen relations with the recent colonies and dominions in the Commonwealth format by increasing spending on Asian territories under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act 1945. London also made a lot of diplomatic efforts to convince the United States in the necessity of their participation in the Colombo Plan. The White House expressed interest in the Plan after the start of the Korean War on 25 June 1950. US officially joined the Colombo Plan of the organization in 1951. The essence of the Colombo Plan included two related elements. The first was a course for the implementation of programs of technical and educational cooperation of the member states. The second element of the plan was a broad program of economic development, including the financing of infrastructure projects (roads, railways, irrigation and other activities). In 1951, Conservatives came to power and continued the Labor policy of strengthening ties with the Commonwealth through the Colombo Plan. However, on the one hand, the financial problems of the United Kingdom did not allow to significantly expand the amount of aid to Asian countries, on the other hand, the attention of the British Conservatives in the 1950s was switched to the unfolding decolonization processes in Africa, which became a field of rivalry, along with the Asian region, of two superpowers in the Cold War.

The latest geodynamics in Asia: Synthesis of data on volcanic evolution, lithosphere motion, and mantle velocities in the Baikal-Mongolian region

From a synthesis of data on volcanic evolution, movement of the lithosphere, and mantle velocities in the Baikal-Mongolian region, we propose a comprehensive model for deep dynamics of Asia that assumes an important role of the Gobi, Baikal, and North Transbaikal transition-layer melting anomalies. This layer was distorted by lower-mantle fluxes at the beginning of the latest geodynamic stage (i.e. in the early late Cretaceous) due to avalanches of slab material that were stagnated beneath the closed fragments of the Solonker, Ural-Mongolian paleoceans and Mongol-Okhotsk Gulf of Paleo-Pacific. At the latest geodynamic stage, Asia was involved in east–southeast movement, and the Pacific plate moved in the opposite direction with subduction under Asia. The weakened upper mantle region of the Gobi melting anomaly provided a counterflow connected with rollback in the Japan Sea area. These dynamics resulted in the formation of the Honshu-Korea flexure of the Pacific slab. A similar weakened upper mantle region of the North Transbaikal melting anomaly was associated with the formation of the Hokkaido-Amur flexure of the Pacific slab, formed due to progressive pull-down of the slab material into the transition layer in the direction of the Pacific plate and Asia convergence. The early–middle Miocene structural reorganization of the mantle processes in Asia resulted in the development of upper mantle low-velocity domains associated with the development of rifts and orogens. We propose that extension at the Baikal Rift was caused by deviator flowing mantle material, initiated under the moving lithosphere in the Baikal melting anomaly. Contraction at the Hangay orogen was created by facilitation of the tectonic stress transfer from the Indo-Asian interaction zone due to the low-viscosity mantle in the Gobi melting anomaly.

Frameworks for CentrallLocal Government Relations and Fiscal Sustainability

Sustainable and inclusive growth in emerging Asian economies requires continued high levels of public sector investment in areas such as infrastructure, education, health, and social services. These responsibilities, especially with regard to infrastructure investment, need to be devolved increasingly to the regional government level. However, growth of sources of revenue and financing for local governments has not necessarily kept pace, forcing them, in some cases, to increase borrowing or cut spending below needed levels.This paper reviews alternative models of the relationship between central and local governments, and provides an overview and assessment of different financing mechanisms for local governments, including tax revenues, central government transfers, bank loans, and bond issuance, with a focus on the context of emerging Asian economies. The paper also reviews financing mechanisms for local governments and mechanisms for maintaining fiscal stability and sustainability at both the central and local government levels. Based upon the evidence on the decentralization process in Asia, it proposes some policy implications for improving central-local government relations and fiscal sustainability.