Journal of International Economics Research

The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has emerged as a transformative framework for enhancing regional connectivity and economic integration across South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. This study examines the role of CPEC in strengthening regional connectivity through infrastructure development, energy cooperation, trade facilitation, and strategic partnerships. Drawing on the conceptual relationship between infrastructure and regional integration, the chapter analyzes how investments in transportation networks, energy projects, Gwadar Port, and special economic zones have improved Pakistan’s internal connectivity and created opportunities for broader cross-border linkages. Particular attention is given to the potential of CPEC in fostering connectivity between Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The findings suggest that CPEC has significantly improved Pakistan’s energy and transport infrastructure, reduced logistical constraints, and established the foundations for regional economic cooperation. Furthermore, the corridor provides landlocked Central Asian states and Afghanistan with access to global markets through Gwadar Port while creating new prospects for trade, energy collaboration, and regional integration. The study concludes that although CPEC has laid the groundwork for enhanced regional connectivity, its long-term success depends on political stability, security cooperation, and sustained collaboration among participating countries. Overall, CPEC represents a strategic geo-economic initiative with the potential to reshape regional connectivity and promote shared economic development across a wider Eurasian landscape.

The formation of a coherent, statistically robust, and policy-relevant system of regional indicators for economic security assessment represents one of the most complex methodological challenges in contemporary regional science. This paper presents an original, multi-stage methodological framework for constructing such a system, grounding it in a synthesis of international practice, economic theory, and rigorous empirical validation. The proposed Regional Economic Security Index (RESI) integrates 30 indicators organized across 10 analytical dimensions all drawn from internationally standardized, publicly available data sources. The framework employs a two-tier aggregation architecture, combining weighted arithmetic and geometric means at the sub-index level before computing the overall composite score. Methodological robustness is demonstrated through Cronbach’s alpha reliability testing (α = 0.847), Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin adequacy assessment (KMO = 0.812), confirmatory factor analysis, Monte Carlo sensitivity simulation across 10,000 weight perturbation scenarios, and Delphi-based expert validation involving 34 specialists from 12 countries. The index is piloted across 10 illustrative regional cases spanning Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America, revealing substantial cross-regional heterogeneity and validating the framework’s discriminatory power. The study identifies seven archetypes of regional economic security vulnerability and recommends archetype-specific indicator prioritization strategies. The findings have direct implications for national statistical agencies, regional development authorities, and international organizations seeking to move beyond GDP-centric assessments toward multidimensional, early-warning-capable monitoring systems. The paper concludes with a replication protocol and open data framework to facilitate adoption in data-limited environments.

This study investigates how education and investment influence economic growth across selected Asian developing countries, with a particular focus on whether these relationships differ by income level and institutional context. Using panel data from 2010 to 2023, countries are divided into upper-middle-income (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan) and lower-middle-income (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Philippines) groups. The analysis employs multiple regression models to examine the effects of government education expenditure, school enrollment rate, gross capital formation, labor force participation, foreign direct investment, and population dynamics on GDP per capita. Diagnostic tests, including Variance Inflation Factor (VIF), are applied to ensure model reliability. The findings reveal that education plays a stronger role in promoting economic growth in upper-middle-income economies, while lower-middle-income countries experience weaker and less consistent relationships. The findings suggest that the growth effects of education and investment depend on development level and institutional quality, emphasizing the need for tailored policy approaches. In upper-middle-income countries, policies should prioritize improving education quality and aligning skills with labor market demands, while also strengthening the connection between investment and workforce capacity. In contrast, lower-middle-income countries require broader structural reforms, including better governance, improved education outcomes, and incentives for school completion.

The Paris Agreement (2015) marked a significant change in international climate regulation, as it does not have binding targets and instead contains a flexible, bottom-up system of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Although this construction ensured almost universal participation, its use of voluntary commitments and lax implementation schemes has constrained its capacity to achieve the profound, fair cuts in emissions to curb warming to 1.5C. This study critically analyzes the effectiveness of the Agreement, its institutional structure, the dynamics of ambition, transparency framework, Article 6 market mechanism and finance. Basing his analysis on the prominent scholarly works, global climatic evaluation, and documentation undertaken by the UN, the analysis recognizes political self-interest, economic inequalities, unresolved differentiation, and finance gaps as key obstacles to real international collaboration. These structural vices are more impactful in developing countries. By examining Uzbekistan, a climate-vulnerable, and lower-middle-income Central Asian nation engaged in Article 6, this paper shows how the global challenges are being reflected at national levels, such as conditional NDCs, MRV capacity limitations, and reliance on outside assistance. The results highlight that in the absence of enhanced accountability, scaled and predictable climate finance, operationalized equity under CBDRRC, and hybrid governance, the Paris framework may stay aspirational, as opposed to transformative. The policy recommendations aim to achieve convergence in Article 6, improve domestic surveillance, and apply the principles of just transition to bridge the ambition and equity gap.

The research shows the currently increasing role of the industry of sport tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan and how it impacts on the economic and social development of the state from 2018 to 2025. Based on secondary data from international and national organizations and analytical think centres, the paper analyses trends in tourist arrivals, tourism revenue and the impact of government reforms: visa liberalisation and investment in sport facilities. The results of this study shows that sport tourism is a crucial factor in economic diversification, aiding job creation, regional development and the growth of small and medium businesses. The different international competitions such as boxing or judo championships raise the country's status globally and also contribute to strengthening its strength and cultural interaction. Because of different reforms and because more people are now interested in active travel, tourism in Uzbekistan has recovered after the pandemic. However, scientists still have not studied enough how sport affects the economy of the country and small businesses. Overall, the results indicate that sport tourism is very important for the development of Uzbekistan. It can help the country to reach its long term goals and become one of the best places for active and sport tourism in Central Asia.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the role of Middle Corridor raised and this paper examines Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with ten partner countries that reflect the development prospects of the Middle Corridor. Using graphical methods, economic-statistical analysis, as well as explanatory analysis, the study identifies key factors influencing the development of the Middle Corridor. The research is based on data from the Bureau of National Statistics on the website of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan on investments and trade turnover from 2021 to 2025. This research argues that the growing interest in the Middle Corridor has influenced Kazakhstan’s economic trajectory, which, in turn, is shaping the country’s multi-vector foreign policy.