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This chapter focuses on Chinese investments in Tajikistan's transportation and logistics infrastructure. This chapter studies the role and place of Chinese investments in the development of the transport and logistics infrastructure of Tajikistan, the country's exit from the transport and communication deadlock, and the transformation of Tajikistan into a transit country of the Central Asian region. The research raises the issues of the economic efficiency of these investments. The authors apply general scientific methods. Statistical and comparative methods are used to examine the investment cooperation between China and Tajikistan. Compared to other strategic partners of Tajikistan, China greatly contributes to the development of the Tajik economy and ranks first in the list of major investors. Chinese investment in transport made it possible to logistically connect Tajikistan to four neighboring countries through roads and railroads built and reconstructed by Chinese investors and companies. According to the analysis of the research topic, the effective use of Chinese investments for repairing and reconstructing the transport infrastructure of Tajikistan is important for improving the country's transport and logistics system. The two neighboring countries are using economic mechanisms to increase the effectiveness of direct financing by the Chinese government and private companies for transport projects to help Tajikistan overcome its communication isolation and become a transit country in the Central Asian region. This chapter analyzes the experience of successful transport projects with Chinese investments. The analysis showed that Chinese investments in transport have played a key role in improving Tajikistan's economic and social environment.

This study employs Stein Rokkan's methodological approach to analyse state formation in the Greater Middle East. It develops a conceptual framework distinguishing colonial, populist and democratic pacts, suitable for analysis of state formation and nation-building through to the present period. The framework relies on historical institutionalism. The methodology, however, is Rokkan's. The initial conceptual analysis also specifies differences between European and the Middle Eastern state formation processes. It is followed by a brief and selective discussion of historical preconditions. Next, the method of plotting singular cases into conceptual-typological maps is applied to 20 cases in the Greater Middle East (including Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey). For reasons of space, the empirical analysis is limited to the colonial period (1870s to the end of World War 1). Three typologies are combined into one conceptual-typological map of this period. The vertical left-hand axis provides a composite typology that clarifies cultural-territorial preconditions. The horizontal axis specifies transformations of the region's agrarian class structures since the mid-19th century reforms. The right-hand vertical axis provides a four-layered typology of processes of external intervention. A final section presents selected comparative case reconstructions. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time such a Rokkan-style conceptual-typological map has been constructed for a non-European region.

In the past 10 years, the scale of running events in China has increased dramatically, and the forms of running events have also become rich and diverse. Running is not only a social phenomenon but also a historical and cultural phenomenon as an organic part of human culture with its own sociological values in China. This chapter offers insight into the development of Chinese running culture and how this has emerged from ancient and modern Chinese running cultures based on Foucault's disciplinary power theory, biopower and the technologies of the self. This chapter argues that running culture in China constructs the subjectivity of the Chinese runners under the joint action of the technologies of power and the technologies of the self. The findings acknowledge how Chinese Runners present and express themselves by showing a ‘sense of presence’. Runners illustrate the implicit or explicit meaning and value of a particular way of life through running. Runners regard running as the technology of the self for self-expression and self-creation so that individuals can control their bodies and soul, thoughts, behaviours and ways of existence. Emerging technologies of power provide possibilities for the production of running culture in China, and the current policy under the technologies of power meets the needs of runners. In Chinese running culture, power was not oppressive but productive.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) stands as a significant player in the hydrocarbon landscape of the Middle East, necessitating an in-depth analysis of its role in the exportation process to Turkey and Mediterranean ports, thereby fostering economic and political ties and projecting toward the future. Situated as a semi-autonomous entity in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Region boasts abundant natural gas resources, attracting interest from Russian firms and Turkish stakeholders. However, Iran’s influence in Iraq and the wider region poses a regional threat to the Kurdistan Region’s natural resources. This chapter meticulously examines the oil and gas blocks within the Kurdistan Region amidst the backdrop of transformative global energy market shifts, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian–Ukrainian conflict. Through this lens, it seeks to delineate the Kurdistan Region’s political and economic positioning within the evolving regional order.

Using different trade indices spanning 2018–2021, this chapter investigates Afghanistan's current patterns, prospects and barriers for intra- and inter-regional trade perspectives, emphasising the different pathways by which Afghanistan trades with Central Asian economies. The empirical findings demonstrate that the anticipated significance of trade between Afghanistan and Central Asia is double compared to the existing levels of trade. Furthermore, the analysis encompasses the categorisation of sectors based on the intensity of usage of production factors like resource, labour and technology. The analysis further elaborates on Afghanistan's trade potential with Central Asia and vice versa by highlighting the comparative advantage, diversification, complementarity and similarity in trade. The findings suggest that larger economies are rated higher than smaller ones as size and development level are essential factors in regional trade development. The most effective channels of regional trade development are price competitiveness measures, intra-industry trade and trade complementarities. These findings have a substantial influence on the development of different trade policy efforts to stimulate investment and trade within and among the two regions.

Sustainable development is inseparable from rational and responsible use of resources and promotion of green entrepreneurship. The contemporary green development agenda encompasses climate, economic, technical, social, cultural, and political dimensions. International efforts to greening the global development are conducted by the major economies, including China as the world’s largest consumer of energy and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China is aware of its environmental problems, as well as of its part of the overall responsibility for the accomplishment of the sustainable development goals. By means of the decarbonization efforts, the latter are integrated both into the national development agenda (the concept of ecological civilization) and China’s international initiatives (the greening narrative within the Belt and Road Initiative). Over the past decade, China has made a breakthrough on the way to promoting green entrepreneurship and greening of its development (better quality of air and water, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and organic farming). On the other hand, emissions remain high, agricultural land loses productivity, and freshwater resources degrade due to climate change. In conventional industries (oil, coal mining, and electric and thermal energy), decarbonization faces an array of impediments. In this chapter, the authors summarize fundamental provisions of China’s approach to building an ecological civilization and measures to reduce emissions and achieve the carbon neutrality status within the nearest decades. The analysis of obstacles to the decarbonization of the economy and possible prospects for the development of green entrepreneurship summarizes China’s practices for possible use in other countries.

Regional economic integrations bring many economic benefits to member countries. In international competition, there are integrations that make it easier for countries to reach their goals and attract attention with their effectiveness today. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is one of the main important regional economic integrations. This chapter details the relations Turkey can establish with the EAEU by considering the import and export data between Turkey and Russia. The research of recent data will discuss how Turkey's trade relations with Russia strengthen the EAEU and what kind of relationship will be possible in the future, considering commercial and economic integrations that are already included, as well as geographical and historical elements. This chapter will assess the potential relationship that can be established with the EAEU, given the strengthening of trade ties between Turkey and Russia. This chapter highlights the alternatives for the harmonization of Turkey's potential cooperation with the EAEU, which is planning a development strategy.

The research aims to define staffing that contributes to the transition to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The goal of this research is achieved by conducting a factor analysis of the transition to IFRS using the regression analysis based on Institute for Management Development (IMD) statistics for 52 countries in 2020–2023. As a result, the author builds an economic and mathematical model revealing the dependence between the success of the transition to IFRS and the influence of factors related to business staffing and provides a forecast on accelerating the pace of transition to IFRS for enterprises worldwide due to the business staffing management. The author emphasizes the importance of pedagogical skills as the key factors for transitioning to IFRS. The theoretical significance of the results obtained is that they make it possible to rethink the transition to IFRS from a pedagogical point of view. The author's conclusions specify the staffing problem in terms of transition to IFRS. The practical significance is expressed in the author's conclusions and recommendations that will help accelerate the transition of the business to IFRS – more fully reveal the export potential of the business, strengthen national brands on the world stage, and improve the efficiency of corporate accounting by optimizing its staffing. The managerial significance is expressed in recommendations to make it possible to improve the practice of human resource management for more complete and reliable staffing for the transition of a business to IFRS. The social significance lies in the proven key role of pedagogical skills in staffing for the transition to IFRS.

The research aims to assess the Russian automobile market before and after the imposition of sanctions, analyze the positions of Chinese automobile brands in the Russian market, and assess trends and prospects for the development of China's presence in this segment. The authors use the statistical method and the method of comparative analysis to determine the position of Chinese automakers in the Russian automotive market. The research determines that most Western and Japanese brands left the Russian market due to the strengthening of sanctions in 2022. Due to problems in the supply of components and spare parts, most of the Russian automotive market was filled with Chinese automobile companies planning to expand their presence. This research examines the trend of the presence of Chinese automobile brands in the automotive industry of Russia. Under sanctions, the economy of the Russian Federation is forced to look for other opportunities to develop technology and production. The relevance of this topic is due to the significant role of the automotive industry in the economy of any country, as well as the importance of this industry for the employment of the able-bodied population. To achieve this goal, the authors formulated the tasks to assess the automotive market before and after the imposition of sanctions, to analyze the Chinese automotive market, and to assess the prospects for its development in Russia.