National Strategic Interests Research Articles

Assessment and Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Marine Fisheries’ Carbon Sink Capacity in China’s Three Marine Economic Circles

With the increasing pressure of resource decline and environmental pollution faced by the green transformation of marine fisheries, marine fishery carbon sinks are an increasingly close link to national strategic interests and economic lifelines. It is, therefore, necessary to explore paths for the enhancement and development of the carbon sink capacity of marine fisheries. Based on the economic data of marine fisheries from 2002 to 2021, this paper measures the capacity and characteristics of marine fishery carbon sinks in provincial areas, applies the kernel density estimation method to depict the dynamic evolution of the distribution of absolute differences in marine fishery carbon sinks, and at the same time, identifies the factors influencing the spatial imbalance in the development of marine fishery carbon sinks as well as the spatial spillover effects. The results show the following: (1) From the total amount, the fishery carbon sink capacity of China’s three marine economic circles has fluctuated and increased over the past 20 years, with obvious differences among different circles, and the marine fishery carbon sink capacity of the eastern, northern, and southern marine economic circles has risen sequentially. This trend corresponds to the economic disparities among the three circles, demonstrating a transition from economic to industrial driving effects. (2) From the spatial point of view, the fishery carbon sink capacity shows a trend of increasing year by year, concentrating in the circles, and overflowing between the circles. (3) The results of a partial derivative test further show that among the main influencing factors of marine fishery carbon sinks, capital, labor, and market openness have direct positive effects on marine fishery carbon sinks, and the direct effect of innovation is the strongest, and the significance of the indirect effect of the three circles is weaker compared to the direct effect and total effect. As a result, the carbon sink of China’s marine fisheries has a large room for improvement, and in order to promote the high-quality development of China’s marine fisheries, it is still necessary to accelerate the circulation of resources within the marine economic circle, accelerate the research of fishery technology, actively develop the carbon sink fishery, and enhance the specialization of aquatic product processing.

Особенности правоприменительной практики по делам о пропаганде либо публичном демонстрировании нацистской атрибутики или символики (на примере административной ответственности)

The fight against extremist manifestations requires proper legal regulation and uniform law enforcement practice, careful study and proper methodological support. The paper reveals the peculiarities of law enforcement practice in cases of administrative offenses on propaganda or public display of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols. Based on the provisions enshrined in the strategic national interests, it is concluded that improving the legal regulation of the prevention of extremism is a key area of ensuring state and public security, in connection with which, the work formulated relevant proposals to minimize illegal actions of an extremist orientation, including among young people

Behind the Huawei sanction: national security, ideological prejudices or something else?

Digital supremacy is fundamental to national security and global economic competitiveness. An imperative of protecting critical information infrastructure (CII) is the theoretical basis for cybersecurity policies. The cyber competition has the potential to reshape global tech supply chains and international economic governance. The winner will make standards and rules that can take the most advantage of a first mover. The assumption that governments across jurisdictions embrace similar policies, regardless of their ideologies, is not a paradoxical proposition any more in the time of globalisation 2.0. Both the US and China use law enforcement power to advance their national strategic interests. The imposition of sanctions against Huawei is an epitome of the current US–China cyber competition game far beyond the mere economic scenario. This study seeks to explore whether the unilateral approaches would be well justified in a new normal of the decoupling era and how to establish a viable global cyber governance regime.

Концептуальные основы внешней политики Италии в регионе Большого Средиземноморья

The article is devoted to determining the role of the Greater (or, in its Italian version — Expanded) Mediterranean in Italian contemporary foreign policy doctrine. In the theoretical part of the study, a comprehensive analysis of the concept of the “Greater Mediterranean” is presented via consistently examining its interpretations, such as macro-region, regional security complex, space-time (place of development) and subsystem of international relations (international political region). The practical part opens with an excursion into the history of the penetration of this concept into Italian political thought, showing that it has undergone a significant evolution. The first attempts to consider the Mediterranean beyond its geographical boundaries were associated with the confrontation with Great Britain and searching for theoretical justifications for the “defensive imperialism” of Mussolini’s regime. During the Cold War an expanded Mediterranean was seen as a territory that Italy's national security directly depended on. The development of the geopolitical concept of the Expanded Mediterranean in its current form falls on the 1980s. Initially, the corresponding notion was used only within the expert community, but in the second decade of the 21st century it became entrenched in the country's military-strategic documents, more and more often replacing the wording “European-Mediterranean region”. These documents interpret the Expanded Mediterranean as a priority zone of national strategic interests, a geopolitical space where Italy should play a leading role in the fight against challenges and threats, as well as in establishing cooperation with regional players. However, such positioning of Rome is fraught with the difficulties of both economic and political nature, including those related to its membership in the EU and NATO.

The Formation of the New Autonomous Region of Papua and Welfare Guarantees in the Decentralization Policy

The instrument for regional structuring, particularly regional expansion leading to new autonomous regions, can be seen as a rational and logical implication of decentralization implementation. Decentralization, in turn, played a pivotal role in shaping the grand design of regional planning (Desertada) up until the imposition of a regional expansion moratorium in late 2009. This research employs a qualitative methodology, a case study approach, chosen due to its adaptability and effectiveness in addressing dynamic and unpredictable social contexts. The focal point of this study revolved around the narratives underlying the formation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua, particularly emphasizing the discourse on welfare. The government has actively promoted narratives of welfare motives and national strategic interests. The government has actively promoted narratives of welfare motives and national strategic interests. Despite the expansion of the Papua region and the implementation of special autonomy, it is observed that these initiatives have not significantly contributed to development. Notably, the expansion process in Papua, marred by alleged procedural and material deficiencies, took place without indigenous Papuans' meaningful participation and consultation.

Dynamic relationship between marine fisheries economic development, environmental protection and fisheries technological Progress—A case of coastal provinces in China

With the deepening of economic globalization and regional economic integration, as well as the emergence of “black swan” events such as the novel coronavirus epidemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, marine fisheries is increasingly linked to national strategic interests and economic lifeblood. Under the new situation, it is necessary to explore the synergistic evolution of marine fisheries economic development, environmental protection and fisheries technological progress, so as to help the sustainable and healthy development of marine fisheries. Based on the panel data of 11 coastal provinces and cities in China, from 2006 to 2020, this study constructs an integrated framework of a marine fisheries economy–environment–technology system and utilizes methods such as entropy method, Tapio decoupling index, coupling coordination degree model, and panel vector autoregressive model to analyze its comprehensive development, collaborative evolution, and dynamic correlation mechanism. Results show the following: (1) The comprehensive development index of the fisheries economy and technology subsystems was generally on the rise, but that of the marine environment subsystem was on the decline and fluctuating. (2) The development of the marine fisheries economy–technology subsystem was relatively coordinated, but the decoupling of marine environment from fisheries economy and technology was relatively obvious. The three marine fisheries subsystems reached reluctant coordination, but most of the regions shifted from being driven by economy–environment coupling to leading by economy–technology coupling, which indicates that the deteriorating marine environment hindered the marine fisheries system from achieving high-level coordinated symbiosis. (3) The three marine fisheries subsystems possessed self-reinforcing mechanisms, but the positive effect was relatively limited in long-term development. Moreover, the marine fisheries environment subsystem has yet to achieve sustainable and benign interaction with the economy and technology subsystems. Therefore, it is urgent to take quality and efficiency improvement as the core, facilitating the leap of marine fisheries economy, adopt green environmental protection as the key, consolidating the bearing foundation of marine environment, and employ scientific innovation as the sail, effectively playing the leading role of fisheries technology.

Exploring social justice in marine spatial planning: planner and stakeholder perspectives and experiences in the Baltic Sea Region

This article contributes to the increasing traction of social justice in marine spatial planning (MSP) by exploring perceptions and experiences of social justice from the viewpoint of planners and different social groups who were included and (self)excluded in MSP processes. The study builds on empirical material from Poland, Latvia, and Germany consisting of interviews, MSP legislation, and documents that were analysed through the lens of a multidimensional social justice framework centring on recognition, representation, distribution, and capabilities. Results indicate that MSP institutional arrangements constrain possibilities for marginalised and less consolidated actor groups (residents, coastal tourism, and small-scale fisheries) to enjoy the same degree of recognition that is given to groups representing strategic national interests (renewable energy and shipping). We also highlight the role of planners’ self-reflectivity in enhancing/depriving capabilities of vulnerable social groups whose wellbeing and multidimensional relationships with the sea call for institutional responses adaptive to specific planning contexts.

Internationalising Spanish Firms to the East: Business Strategies of the National Institute of Industry towards the Soviet Union (late 1950s to 1991)

This article examines the internationalisation of Spanish firms, promoted by the National Institute of Industry (Instituto Nacional de Industria, INI), to the Soviet Union market within the context of the Cold War and East-West economic collaboration. Backed by the Business History methodology and the primary sources of the National Institute of Industry, this paper argues the following. First, the National Institute of Industry’s approach to the Soviet Union was dictated by national strategic interests, such as industrial policy goals, resource-seeking, technology-seeking investment, or profit-seeking attitudes. Second, the INI’s approach to the Soviet Union was dictated by political purposes such as establishing or maintaining relations with Spain and the Soviet Union. Third, before the restoration of diplomatic ties in 1977, the ‘stateness’ of INI was considered a disadvantage. Finally, after restoring diplomatic relations, the ‘stateness’ of INI was deemed an advantage.

Economic perspective of establishing strategic partnership between China and Georgia

The field of interest of this article is the detection and definition of modern challenges and perspectives of protection of strategic national interests. Interest in the topic is due to the fact that no country can deal with the most pressing problems of our time in isolation from other countries. They can be overcome only within the framework of close international cooperation. Georgia's progress depends to a significant extent on the establishment of strategic partnerships with other countries, the purpose of which is to promote joint development. The purpose of the research carried out within the article is to reveal and define the main aspects of the economic prospects of establishing a strategic partnership between the People's Republic of China and Georgia. The subject of the research is the analysis of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Georgia, the evaluation and systematization of its modern manifestations. It has been revealed what results the connections between the countries have brought, what challenges and opportunities are emerging in the future. The object of the research is the state of economic cooperation established between China and Georgia at the present stage and the creation of favorable conditions for their stable long-term development. Among the main research methods used, the general scientific methods of induction and deduction, the method of theoretical systematic analysis and the monographic (descriptive) method should be noted. The research is of practical importance in terms of creating favorable conditions for the long-term development of mutually beneficial economic cooperation between China and Georgia. Key words: China, Georgia, strategic national interests, strategic partnership, economic dimension.

Environmental conflicts in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the field of energy, economic and environmental security

The subject of the article is the provisions of strategic planning documents in the field of ensuring national, environmental, energy and economic security, as well as the provisions of strategic planning documents dedicated to the Russian Arctic. The purpose of the work is to study the above-mentioned documents, identify environmental conflicts consisting in their provisions and develop proposals for their resolution and prevention. The methodological basis of the study is based on the system of methods, means of cognition and logical techniques, in the process of work general scientific, private and special methods were used. Such as synthesis, analysis, deduction, analogy, induction, formal legal and others. The relevance of the research topic is indicated by the fact that the Arctic plays an important role in ensuring Russia's strategic national interests in such areas as the economy, transport, environmental protection, defense, and a number of others. Many aspects of Russia's national security depend on the state of the environment of the Russian Arctic, as well as on the implementation of economic activities on its territory, therefore, the resolution and prevention of environmental conflicts concerning this region is an important and urgent task, since without a balance of interests in this area, both the sustainable development of the Russian Arctic and preservation of its unique natural environment seems unlikely. The paper concludes that in order to resolve the main law-making environmental conflict that takes place in the strategic documents under consideration, it is necessary to exclude from the list of threats (challenges) to economic and energy security such a factor as redundancy of requirements in the field of environmental safety and the increase in the costs of their implementation. In turn, in order to ensure a balance of interests in the implementation of nature management and environmental protection in the Russian Arctic, it is proposed to use the best available technologies, as well as the natural and ecological framework of the territory.

НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВА ОСНОВА ЗДІЙСНЕННЯ ЕНЕРГЕТИЧНОЇ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ

The article is devoted to the retrospective analysis and assessment of the current state regulatory and legal basis of energy transformation as a process of direction dynamics of the energy policy of Ukraine. Periods classification of the energy transformation of Ukraine has been developed, based on the temporary effect of the relevant legal framework in the field of energy policy, determined by the peculiarities of the internal energy course and the existing factors of external influence: the 1st post-Soviet period (1990—1996): the first stage (1990—1994); the second stage (1994—1996); II stabilization period (1996—2006); III early European integration period (2006—2013); IV latest European integration period (2013—2023): first stage (2013—2017); the second stage (2017—2022); the third stage (approximately 2022—2023); 5th early post-military period (approximately 2023—2050). It was established that such regulatory and legal framework for the implementation of Ukrainian energy transformation based on previous multi-term concepts, programs, and energy policy strategies was developed separately, reacting mainly to current intra-industry problems and, at the same time declared, did not take into account or insufficiently regulated not only the energy itself but related relations with them. It is proposed to form the provisions of the latest post-military Energy Strategy based on: cross-industry harmonization and synchronization of sectoral programs of related spheres of the economy; through consideration of the best foreign practices, Ukraine's international obligations and its strategic national interests in sustainable development; increasing energy efficiency of the national economy and establishing an energy-saving mentality in Ukrainian society; economically justified development, first of all, of those industries where there will be a permanent decrease in the share of imported of fuel and energy resources; regulation of new and strengthening provisions regarding existing energy-related relations of a European integration nature.

Oil Price Volatility, Macroeconomic Policy & Economic Growth

Since oil entered the production and life of mankind, it has profoundly affected and changed the whole world. With the continuous development of society, oil has become one of the indispensable energy sources for modern industrial production and life. At the same time, petroleum, with its special commodity attribute, is closely linked with national strategic interests and is an important strategic material for all countries in the world. The fluctuation of the international oil market and the change in the oil price are pulling the development of the global economy, even contributing to the outbreak of the financial crisis. In this paper, the three major oil crises in history as a starting point, from the nature of oil to seek the international oil price fluctuations, and fluctuations of the theoretical basis to build a new theoretical analysis of international oil price fluctuations path. From the aggregate supply, aggregate demand, and other, specific aspects of the impact of international oil price fluctuations on the macroeconomy. At the same time, an analysis of China and the west monetary policy explores the national currency, monetary policy, and international crude oil price fluctuations between the relationship. Finally, the paper discusses the influence of the fluctuation of international crude oil prices on the national macro-economy, and takes China as an example, drawing the conclusion that the change in oil prices will have many influences on the national macro-economy.

A Whole-of-Society Approach to Organise for Offensive Cyberspace Operations: The Case of the Smart State Sweden

Threat actors conduct offensive cyberspace operations for many purposes, such as espionage, to destroy information assets, and cybercrime. These operations are possible thanks to the innovation and development of information and communications technologies (ICT). Interconnected information systems have transformed societies positively. However, specific states exploit these systems' vulnerabilities to advance their strategic national interests. Therefore, it is important to know how a state can organise itself to defend against threat actors. The purpose of this research is to present how the smart state Sweden can through a whole-of-society approach organise for Offensive Cyberspace Operations. The intent is to conduct an active and independent foreign-, security- and defence policy, but also as a base for deterrence and defence. This article is based on a mixed methods approach. It uses the case study research strategy to discover new information. Fourteen men and women participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The respondents ranged in age from 40 to 65 with more than 20 years of experience in cyberspace operations, intelligence operations, military operations, special forces operations, and knowledge and understanding about information warfare and information operations. The analytic strategies include thematic analysis and quantitative methods to interpret the data. The results show many themes, but the article is especially focused on the themes of Operations, Capability, Policy & Governance, and Legal Frameworks. Finally, a conceptual map of a whole-of-society approach to organise for offensive cyberspace operations is presented inferred from the themes, codes, and content, and mapped to each responsible agency based on the interviews and codes. The answer to the research question is that Sweden should have a whole-of-society approach to organise for Offensive Cyberspace Operations to project power in and through cyberspace with the intent to conduct an active and independent foreign, security and defence policy and for deterrence, as described in Figure 2.

Social Policy in the Implementation of Concurrent Government Affairs in the Nias Archipelago Area, Indonesia

The implementation of social policies for Concurrent Government Affairs in the Nias Archipelago Area, Sumatera Utara Province, is still experiencing inequality, especially from the aspect of budget allocation. This article aims to analyze these problems, using a qualitative descriptive method, data sourced from the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia (2022). We use data analysis techniques through data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results showed that (1) out of 33 regencies/cities in Sumatera Utara Province, 5 regencies/cities in the Nias Archipelago Area, namely Nias Regency, Nias Selatan Regency, Nias Utara Regency, Nias Barat Regency, and Gunungsitoli City experienced significant imbalances in budget extreme allocations with 28 non-island (mainland) regions and below the provincial average. The lack of social policies will have a significant effect on the implementation of Optional Concurrent Government Affairs in the archipelago; and (2) Conceptually, it is important to pay attention to the principles of accountability, efficiency, externality, and national strategic interests in treating archipelagic areas through increased transfer funds – including the General Allocation Fund (DAU) and the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) - as specifically regulated in Law Number 23 of 2014 concerning Local Government. It is hoped that the novelty of this research can become material for evaluating policies of the central and provincial governments. This research can have implications for accelerating development, especially in island areas.

Quo Vadis ASEAN Security Amidst the United States-China Rivalry in the Southeast Asia Region

Tensions between the United States and China intensify globally, particularly in Southeast Asia. Therefore, ASEAN countries should re-assess the ties between these two great powers, both within the ASEAN region and with external counterparts. Given the strategic value of the region, Southeast Asia has become the venue for strategic competition between the United States and China over the past decade. Therefore, rowing the ASEAN's boat among the two gigantic reefs in the ocean requires ASEAN resilience as a Community to overcome the current and future challenges. Potential conflicts intra-ASEAN could be entry points for major powers to weaken ASEAN's unity. The study aims to analyze the most suitable approach for ASEAN regionally to deal with the challenges and to meet the expectations for a sustainable ASEAN Community and assess whether ASEAN's orientation in maintaining neutrality against major powers remains suitable to serve the strategic interests of the member states in the current environment. In this regard, a qualitative method and concepts of Amalgamated Security Community and Pluralistic Security Community are applied to analyze the study. The results of the study show realistic calculation can never be overlooked to preserve sustainable common strategic interests for the member states, which include economic growth on the one hand, and stable regional peace on the other hand. In this regard, “a manageable United States-China rivalry” by a solid ASEAN Pluralistic Security Community in the region guarantees more sustainability of national strategic interests for its member states and ASEAN.

The Russian еconomy: Challenges and ways for leveling and mitigation of their negative impact

The article examines the problems of the development of the domestic economy in non-standard conditions for the formation of market relations, when the implementation of market mechanisms is limited by the total non-market behavior of hostile countries, that is why the tasks of further scientific developments aimed at developing new anti-crisis approaches to the development of the Russian economy are updated and focused on ensuring national economic security in response to new challenges and threats in accordance with highly prioritized strategic national interests. The purpose of the study is to analyze the measures taken by the Government of the Russian Federation to ensure sustainable economic development and to substantiate new anti-crisis mobilizational approaches to regulating the Russian economy in the context of blocking total sanctions of the collective West. The research process was based on a set of general scientific methods, including analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, generalization and analogy, methods of comparison, matching, historical and logical method, interpretation, and others. It is concluded that it is possible and necessary to strengthen anti-crisis state regulation of the economy with its reorientation to a mobilization economic model and the formation of a balanced mechanism for the interaction of production and consumption in key sectors of the real sector of the Russian economy, taking into account Russia’s strategic priorities in modern business conditions. The practical significance of the results of the study lies in the possibility of their use in the field of state anti-crisis management and the development of strategies for the development of the national economy.

GEOECONOMICS AS A TOOL OF MODERN GEOSTRATEGY

The scholarly article presents different analytical approaches to modern understanding and manifestation forms of geoeconomics as a tool of geostrategy. It contains a comprehensive list of conceptual tools, empirical roots, and case studies on the political-economic essence of geoeconomics. The paper’s particular contribution is its direct connection with the practice and rooting of international political economy and poorly studied determination of geoeconomics with geostrategy in the evolving structure of the global world order and new vectors of geoeconomic dynamics of Ukraine. Based on the evolutionary method, the author has developed a matrix of approaches to understanding geoeconomics, demonstrated its progress, conducted a critical analysis of each of them, and put forward an original version and model of interpreting the relevant dynamic phenomenon following the strategic national interests of Ukraine. The myth of static assumptions about the existence of geoeconomics as a self-sufficient system that should have replaced geopolitics was debunked. Using the case study method, the key factors facilitating the geoeconomic expansion of China, the USA, and Russia are highlighted. Emphasis is placed on the role of other states in the formation of geoeconomics, and the issue of strategic autonomy is elucidated. The author justifies the genuine interest in geoeconomics as a component of geostrategy, demonstrates its determination, and specifies the main modern tools of geoeconomics. The impact of the military discourse on geoeconomics is proven, and the vectors of geoeconomic de-sovereignization of some countries in the context of economic globalization, geosecurity expansion, and the growing role of services in the GDP structure. The importance of studying the role of artificial intelligence, android robots and humanoids in GDP formation was separately emphasized; options of their influence on the world’s geoeconomics and the development of humanity as a whole amidst neo-economics are modeled.

Davids and Goliaths: Hidden Champions in an Age of Industrial Policy

Abstract We review the state of the current industrial champions debate and make the case for nimble, innovative ‘Davids’, rather than resource-hungry ‘Goliaths’. These export-based firms have shown robust performance in recent years and may help economies increase their resilience in times of significant uncertainty. They are more autonomous than traditional champions and they are already in our midst. The challenge for policymakers is how to foster an environment that supports Davids while keeping an eye on national strategic interests.

From Jakarta to Oceania: Indonesia’s Cultural Diplomacy with the South Pacific

The South Pacific region has become a top foreign policy priority for Jakarta. This essay explains Indonesia’s utilisation of the cultural approach in its diplomatic engagement with the South Pacific. Cultural dissemination as a tool of international relations is scantly studied even though its use in diplomacy has successfully forged mutual understanding between people of discrete backgrounds. Indonesia uses a cultural approach to catch up diplomatically in its neighbouring, but previously overlooked, region and to address its ‘poor image’ problem that has persisted there for more than three decades. The cultural approach is intended to complement political and economic approaches. This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature vis-à-vis the role of culture in shaping foreign policy goals. Indonesia undertakes this ‘soft diplomacy’ based on its long-term orientation toward its national identity, politico-business and strategic interests. The Indonesian government is optimistic that cultural diplomacy will succeed in enhancing Indonesia’s status in this zone.

The political economy of vaccine distribution and China's Belt and Road Initiative

AbstractTo what extent do national strategic interests influence countries’ distribution of health assistance during a global health crisis? We examine China's global COVID-19 vaccine allocation, focusing on the relationship between its vaccine prioritization and its geopolitical expansion through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). We claim China uses its vaccine diplomacy as a comprehensive tool to promote its grand strategy and expand its global leadership and influence. Employing a newly available dataset on Chinese COVID-19 vaccine deliveries for a cross-section of 108 BRI member countries, our study shows that countries with foreign direct investment flows into BRI projects have received more vaccines from China. Our findings confirm that donor strategic concerns affect bilateral foreign assistance. Our results remain robust to several robustness checks, including endogeneity concerns.