Robustness and the Paradox of Bridging Organizations: The Exit Problem in Regional Water Governance Networks in Central America

Bridging organizations facilitate a range of governance processes, including cooperation and social learning, and are theorized to be a key component of robust governance systems. In this article, we use node removal simulations to test structural hypotheses of robustness in a regional water governance network in Central America. We investigate the response of network measures supporting core governance processes to the targeted removal of bridging organizations and other actors, which we compare to random and centrality-based simulations. The results indicate removing bridging organizations has a greater impact on the network than any other type of actor, suggesting bridging organizations are critical to the robustness of the governance system. Furthermore, network structures supporting cooperation may be less robust than structures facilitating social learning. We conclude with policy implications of the research findings as they relate to the exit problem in governance systems with a large presence of international development actors.     

“一带一路”建设研究进展

“一带一路”经历了从中国倡议到国际共识的巨大转变,正在成为世界上越来越多国家和政治领袖们探索全球经济治理新模式的平台。伴随这种转变以及“一带一路”建设所取得的成就,“一带一路”研究已经深入到除了基础科学领域外的几乎所有学科。本文根据中国知网（CNKI）数据分析了4年多来“一带一路”研究文献的特征,而后总结了与地理学密切相关的“一带一路”核心议题的研究进展。研究发现：① 自2014年以来“一带一路”研究发文量迅速上升,由2014年的1000多篇飙升到2017年的20000多篇;② 文献比较庞杂,以宏观性、战略性和一般性文献为主,舆论性很高,基于深入研究的高水平学术文献少,还不能很好地支撑“一带一路”建设;③ 对外直接投资、互联互通、“走出去”、全球化、全球治理、命运共同体、人民币国际化等得到的关注较多;④ 地理学在“一带一路”的战略内涵和理论构建、地缘政治经济分析、“中欧班列”、海上航运战略支点、海外投资模式、经贸格局及其经济影响、资源环境问题等方面研究较为深入。最后,本文呼吁加强“一带一路”的理论建构以及建设机制和国别研究,并积极开展中外学者之间“一带一路”研究对话以及合作研究。     

基于消费责任制的碳排放核算及全球环境压力

因区域间贸易而转移的碳排放对于全球各个国家或者地区的碳排放核算及其减排责任划分具有重要而深远的影响。通过构建多区域投入产出分析模型和基于扩展的STIRPAT模型,本文核算了全球39个主要国家基于消费责任制的碳排放,并在此基础上深入探讨了全球环境压力的影响因素问题。研究发现：首先,从以净流出为主的中国和俄罗斯来看,尽管贸易给这些地区带来了大量的资源,但随之会产生严重的区域生态环境问题。而对于美国和欧盟等地区来说,这些国家或者地区通过全球贸易规避了大量的碳减排责任。此外,在全球贸易中,区域净流出的贸易隐含碳排放越小,基于消费责任制核算的区域碳排放量就越大,故而在全球减排目标分配中承担的减排任务也需相应地增加。全球贸易隐含碳排放净流出量较大的地区主要位于亚洲和东欧等地,而净流出量最小的地区主要是以西欧和北美等高度发达的经济体为主。其次,就基于消费责任制核算下的全球环境压力而言,人口因素和富裕程度是导致全球环境压力不断增加的两个重要因素,而提高生产技术水平以及逐渐提高清洁能源在总能源消费中的比重是推动全球节能减排、缓解全球环境压力的有效途径。     

The trade network of the Belt and Road Initiative and its topological relationship to the global trade network

Unimpeded trade is one of the cooperation priorities in the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. On 15 May 2017, the Joint Communique of the Leaders Roundtable of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation reaffirmed the participants’ shared commitment to build an open economy and ensure free and inclusive trade. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not only China's new action to drive its open and global development, but also a platform for an increasing number of countries to explore free and inclusive trade and promote a universal, rule-based, open, non-discriminatory, and equitable multilateral trade system. It is therefore important to examine the topological relationship between the BRI and global trade networks. More specifically, this article first analyzes the community structure of trade networks using a community detection algorithm, and then estimates the topological relationship between different trade communities. The findings of this article are as follows. First, this research identified three trade communities and two sub-communities in the BRI trade network, in which China is the core, Russia is the sub-core of the biggest trade community, and India, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are cores of the second trade community (South Asia-West Asia). Second, it identified five trade communities in the global trade network, centred on China, USA, Russia, India-United Arab Emirates, and Germany- Netherlands-France-Britain and other European developed countries. Third, the topological analysis indicated that in the global trade network, most BRI countries are attracted by the core nodes of the BRI regions, such as the China, Russia and India-United Arab Emirates core nodes, and have strong trade contacts with BRI countries. Most Central-East European countries are mainly attracted by Germany-Netherlands-France-Britain and other developed European countries with a low penetration of BRI trade. Although some Southeast Asian countries are incorporated into the Asia-Australia-South Africa community with China as the core, they still need to strengthen trade linkages with BRI countries.     

Maritime network dynamics before and after international events

Investigating the influence of international events on global maritime networks is a challenging task that must comprehensively incorporate geographical, political, and maritime sciences. Understanding global maritime network dynamics is an initial and critical step in this investigation. This study proposes an automatic identification system (AIS)-based approach to understanding maritime network dynamics before and after international events. In this approach, a spatiotemporal modeling method is introduced to measure the similarity in shipping trends before and after international events. Then, a spatiotemporal analytic framework is proposed to understand the maritime network dynamics by grouping similar situation, and assessing possible indirect effects within a network. Finally, three case studies of international events, military conflict, lifted economic sanctions, and government elections, were used to investigate the observed network dynamics possibly affected by international events. The results indicate that container, tanker, and bulk shipping between India and its connected countries all declined more than 69% after military conflicts between India and Pakistan in August 2015. Tanker shipping between Iran and the United Arab Emirates increased 51% after economic sanctions on Iran were lifted. Container shipping between Sri Lanka and Singapore, Malaysia, and India increased more than 74% after the general election in Sri Lanka. These investigations demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach in assessing the possible effects of international events on maritime network dynamics.     

Quantitative Analysis of Central Asian Countries’ Energy Security and Its Political Influence Factors

Central Asian countries are located in the heartland of the Eurasian Continent. Their geographic location puts their energy flows under tremendous geopolitical pressure from the countries along their limited number of pipelines. With energy trade data from the United Nations Comtrade Statistics Database in the period from 2005 to 2016, this paper evaluates energy security of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan (exporter) and Kyrgyzstan (importer) using three standards: correlativeness, diversity, and the impact of international relations. It concludes that Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan’s oil markets are balanced in terms of correlation and diversification, and thus less subject to geopolitical pressure. Turkmenistan’s gas markets, on the other hand, still have tremendous exposure to geopolitical risks for lack of diversification. Kyrgyzstan, as an energy importer, could rely on a few neighboring countries for energy supply. We found out that the three Central Asian countries’ energy security is largely determined by four political factors: the relationship with Russia, the new “great game” in Eurasia, the rise of China, and Central Asian regional geopolitical configuration.     

全球整车及其零部件贸易格局演化特征

以汽车产业为例,采用中心性、E-I指数和核心-边缘模型等网络分析方法,分析2003~2013年间,全球整车及零部件贸易在全球化和区域化力量共同作用下的演化特征。结果显示：① 整车贸易和零部件贸易的全球化程度和区域化程度均有所提高,但贸易全球化特征相对更明显;② 整车贸易网络核心一直为德、日、美3国,零部件贸易网络核心则由美、日变为中、德;亚洲汽车零部件贸易网络以中国为核心迅速发展,欧洲汽车零部件贸易网络重心向东欧和南欧转移明显;③ 发动机系统组件贸易向以德国为首的欧洲国家集中,电子电器组件贸易向以中国为中心的东亚地区集中,附加值低的轮胎和内胎组件贸易向中国、印度、巴西等新兴市场分散。     

当代中国的全球观念与全球战略

简要叙述了“一带一路”战略对于中国崛起的重大意义,分析了当今全球地缘政治的基本格局、重要区域（国家）的地缘政治倾向及与中国发展经贸和产能合作可能的前景,指出了“一带一路”战略实施中可能将遇到的问题,并就加强“一带一路”研究及资料收集、整理、管理工作提了建议。     

国际游客凝视与旅游文明——基于“印象·刘三姐”的实证研究

在旅游场景中,旅游交往与凝视无处不在。国际游客来华旅行,接触普通的中国游客、百姓,在最生活化的凝视中强化对中国社会、生活、文明各个方面的认知。本研究以中国最知名的山水实景演出——"印象·刘三姐",为研究场景,以国际游客的自由评论为数据来源,利用Leximancer分析国际游客的"印象·刘三姐"观看体验。研究表明,东道主与在场观众的互动是国际游客体验的重要部分。进一步分析发现,国际游客对演出感到满意,对东道主(当地农民、渔民)的表演大加赞赏。可是,不少国际游客对在场的部分中国游客行为,特别是观演礼仪,感到不满。本研究对旅游资源开发、游客教育、塑造公民文明旅游行为起一定的借鉴意义。     

“全球—国家—地方”尺度下的国际贸易环境效应研究进展

贸易与环境关系是理解人地关系的重要方面,是“人—地”相互作用复杂性与不确定性的集中体现。国际贸易环境效应研究旨在探究自由贸易和环境保护之间的互补或互斥关系,由此催生了一系列具有关联性和竞争性的理论假说。本文结合全球化过程中全球联系强化、地方力量崛起和国家力量变革等特征,分别从全球联系、国家力量和地方发展3个层面梳理了现有贸易环境效应理论假说和实证研究,指出贸易环境效应是贸易过程(流量变化)与贸易影响(存量累积)共同作用下的结果。建立在比较优势基础上的存量因素包括经济增长、环境规制与地理区位,而贸易与投资一体化的特征则揭示了产业内贸易的重要性。由此,本文发现既有研究更多地建立在比较优势的基础上探讨全球与国家层面的贸易环境效应,表现出“自上而下”的特征,强调环境规制的作用。同时,也存在局限于南北国家关系、对地方化特征关注较少、对贸易政策与环境规制协调机制的理解有待深化等不足。据此,本文提出全球地方化进程中的区域发展分析将为贸易环境效应研究提供有益补充,其作用为：①实现对贸易引致的区域不均衡性的考量;②满足产业内与产业间贸易并存的分析需要;③为协调环境规制与贸易政策提供合宜的尺度。