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• Open Access Article Economics

  10 Pages Download PDF: An Asymmetrical Relationship Between Oil Price Fluctuations And Geopolitical Tensions Between China And The United States

  An Asymmetrical Relationship Between Oil Price Fluctuations And Geopolitical Tensions Between China And The United States

  Abdelkader Mohamed Sghaier Derbali

  2026-02-24 https://doi.org/10.36923/ie-frontiers.v29i1.408

  Oil remains a strategic asset at the heart of contemporary geopolitical rivalries. China’s rise to become the world’s largest importer and the United States’ transformation into a major producer and exporter have profoundly altered the energy balance of power, reinforcing the interdependence between oil markets and bilateral geopolitical tensions. This article examines the existence and nature of an asymmetric relationship between oil price fluctuations and geopolitical tensions between China and the United States, distinguishing the effects of price increases and decreases and their dependence on risk regimes. The analysis is based on monthly data covering 2000–2024 and employs a nonlinear econometric approach that combines an NARDL model for asymmetric cointegration, a Quantile VAR (QVAR) model to capture conditional effects by risk level, and an EGARCH model to analyze the asymmetric transmission of geopolitical uncertainty to oil volatility. The results show that rising oil prices significantly intensify Sino-American geopolitical tensions, while falling prices have a weaker and less persistent effect. This asymmetry is particularly pronounced during periods of high international instability. Furthermore, geopolitical tensions significantly increase oil price volatility, with a leverage effect indicating that negative geopolitical shocks have a disproportionate impact on energy markets. These results suggest that the asymmetry in the oil-geopolitical transmission reflects differentiated energy vulnerabilities and distinct strategic behaviors between China and the United States. The study underscores the importance of oil as a vector of asymmetric interdependence and as an amplifier of international tensions, with major implications for energy security policies, financial market stability, and global energy governance.

  pp. 01-10 Abstract views:790 Downloads:685

• Open Access Article Economics

  16 Pages Download PDF: When Green Accounting Fails to Drive Green Energy: Institutional Quality and China’s Renewable Energy Transition

  When Green Accounting Fails to Drive Green Energy: Institutional Quality and China’s Renewable Energy Transition

  Saqib Munir, Mushab Rashid, Abdul Ghaffar

  2026-05-17 https://doi.org/10.36923/ie-frontiers.v29i1.426

  This study examines how institutional quality, government R&D expenditure, and SEEA-aligned environmental asset indicators are associated with renewable energy adoption in China from 1999 to 2023. It addresses the puzzle that environmental accounting signals and innovation investment do not automatically translate into renewable energy use. Annual data from the World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators were analyzed using a hybrid empirical strategy. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach was applied to estimate short-run and long-run relationships, while Double Machine Learning, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and SHAP interpretability were used as supplementary tools for robustness and predictive importance. Given the limited sample size, machine-learning results are interpreted as orthogonalized associations and as predictive evidence rather than as definitive causal effects. ARDL results show that regulatory quality has a positive and statistically significant long-run association with renewable energy adoption. In contrast, government R&D expenditure and adjusted net savings show negative associations, suggesting that innovation spending and fiscal capacity may not support renewable energy adoption unless directed toward deployment and energy-system substitution. Energy resource depletion is statistically insignificant, while natural resource rents show a weak positive long-run association. Machine-learning results identify government R&D expenditure as the strongest predictor, although its direction remains negative. The findings indicate that China’s renewable energy transition depends less on fiscal or technological inputs alone and more on the institutional capacity to convert these inputs into adoption outcomes. The study implies that SEEA-based indicators should be integrated with regulatory mechanisms, deployment-oriented innovation policy, and outcome-based evaluation of energy transition.

  pp. 25-40 Abstract views:516 Downloads:170

• Open Access Article Digital Economy

  17 Pages Download PDF: Impact of Urban Digital Economy on ESG Performance: Do Technological and Business Model Innovation Matter

  Impact of Urban Digital Economy on ESG Performance: Do Technological and Business Model Innovation Matter

  Shuhua Zhang

  2024-11-27 https://doi.org/10.36923/iefrontiers.v28i1.278

  The rapid development of the digital economy is a critical national strategy for the Chinese government, with the establishment of digital economy platforms as a key component. Simultaneously, both the government and enterprises have embraced the concept of sustainable development. Since corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance serves as a crucial micro-indicator of sustainability, it is essential to investigate whether the digital economy platforms developed by the Chinese government can enhance the ESG performance of relevant companies. This paper first examines the impact of urban digital economy platform construction on corporate awareness of ecological and environmental protection, social responsibility, and governance practices. It then proposes two primary mechanisms—technological innovation and business model innovation. Finally, empirical evidence is presented based on a sample of 107 urban CSI 300-listed companies in China, using data from 2015 to 2019. The analysis yields three key findings: (1) the construction of urban digital economy platforms significantly improves the ESG performance of companies in the region; (2) the impact on the social subindex is not significant, but the effect is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, the manufacturing sector, and the eastern region; and (3) business model innovation plays a more significant role in driving ESG performance compared to technological innovation. This study contributes to the understanding of how digital economy platforms influence corporate ESG performance.

  pp. 14-30 Abstract views:702 Downloads:312