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By way of introduction to the four papers that follow, we chart some key parameters of debate about finance and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In particular, we argue that the rise of discourses about "predatory lending" and "debt trap" (that feature in much commentary and reportage about BRI) merits critique and contextualization. The financing needs of BRI also raise important implications for the geography of financial markets and business services in Asia and other key locations in global financial networks. The networked nature of financial centers and the vital role of advanced business services bring into view actors, sites and spaces (such as law firms and offshore centers) that have been neglected by the geopolitical lenses most often applied to analyze BRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy and mineral resource base of Southeast Asia is relatively modest by international standards. Nevertheless, Chinese energy and mining companies have been investing heavily in the region over recent years, in comparison with multinational companies and state-backed companies from other Asian countries. This paper applies a framework derived from the field of business studies to analyze why the scale of China’s engagement in Southeast Asia has become so great and how the motivations vary between the different energy and resource industries. The motivations for these activities reflect a mix of corporate and state objectives. Corporate objectives include securing energy or resource supply chains, increasing or diversifying their asset base, and enhancing their profits or market share. The motivations of the government range from straightforward support of the companies for the purpose of industrial strategy and security of resource supply, to development assistance and regional strategic positioning. The different motivations of the oil and gas, hydropower, and mining industries arise from the particular character of each market, both within China and globally. Southeast Asia has the twin advantages of geographic and apparent cultural proximity to China. Nevertheless, inexperience and a desire to catch up with their international peers have resulted in companies applying low social and environmental standards in some high profile projects. The subsequent disputes, together with the current low level of resource prices, may constrain the further growth of Chinese investment in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction to the journal is presented which discusses various papers published within the issue, including one on Chinese investments in the energy and mineral industries of Southeast Asia, one on the role of nationalism in the suspension of the Myitsone dam in Myanmar, and another on Chinese farm enterprises in Tajikistan.

The article focuses on the status of electronic(e)-government in Asian countries and its implications. Topics discussed include the digital divide in Asia which is considered to be the major obstacle in implementing e-government, the two measures of e-government that was compiled by the United Nations (UN), and how the e-government varies among Asian countries. Moreover, it says successful e-government implementation occurred in countries where the government provides adequate support.

The article presents a medical geographic perspective on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia. Newly identified and reemerging infectious diseases have been cited as a rising global health threat and the SARS is the first severe and readily transmissible new disease to emerge in the 21st century. In this paper, within the context and framework of the epidemiologic transition, authors explore the medical geography of SARS, including the nature and etiology of the causative agent, theories pertaining to its origin and examples of local, regional, and international diffusion of the infection in Asia.

The article focuses on the bilateral economic cooperation between countries in Northeast Asia and the eight countries with territory north of the Arctic Circle under the Arctic Council. Topics discussed include the historical ties of the Arctic Council to the global markets, the bilateral relation between Asian countries and the Arctic Council member countries, and the possibilities for a mini-lateral cooperation in the North Pacific region.

In this article, the author discusses the geopolitical discourses in Kazakhstan through a case study of attitudes toward China and its influence in contemporary affairs. She explains that representatives of the two governments reached eight agreements in energy, transport, and infrastructure development during the visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to China in February 2011. Several charts are presented depicting Kazakhstan's imports and exports, and primary reasons for the capital change.

The article focuses on the global food crisis in context to Asia-Africa and green revolution. It mentions that famine in China from 1958 to 1961 led to the country to become self-reliant in agriculture by using fertilizers and states that Russia Federation also expanded domestic food production. It informs that West African cities imported large quantities of broken rice from Vietnam and Thailand.