Asia Pacific Journal of Social Science Research

The Greater Bay Area as an Economic Powerhouse:

Liyan Cao — 2024-09-13

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a key economic region within China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), driving regional integration, innovation, and global connectivity. This paper critically examines the GBA's economic significance, highlighting its role in fostering technological advancements, financial integration, and international trade. The analysis reveals the strengths of the GBA, including its unique blend of high-tech industries, robust financial services, and advanced manufacturing, which collectively enhance China's economic resilience and global competitiveness. However, the paper also identifies significant challenges, including regulatory fragmentation, socio-political complexities, and environmental sustainability issues that hinder the GBA's seamless integration and long-term growth. The findings emphasize the need for a holistic approach to address these challenges, integrating economic, environmental, and social dimensions into the GBA's development strategy. Effective policy coordination, regulatory harmonization, and sustainability measures are essential for enhancing the GBA's role as a sustainable and inclusive economic powerhouse. The implications of this study are significant for policymakers and researchers, highlighting the importance of targeted reforms and further research on regulatory, socio-political, and environmental impacts. Addressing these critical gaps will strengthen the GBA's position within the BRI and provide a model for other regional economic zones aspiring to achieve similar success in driving sustainable and inclusive growth.

Literature Review of Competitive Advantage of Creative Economy in Guangdong-Hong Kong Macau Greater Bay Area

Liyan Cao — 2024-09-13

This literature review explores the competitive advantage of the creative economy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of competitive advantage, it examines key concepts such as the creative industry and the broader creative economy. The review highlights the unique attributes and strengths of the GBA, identifying how its strategic positioning and resources contribute to its competitive edge. Despite the region’s strengths, the review identifies significant research gaps, particularly in understanding the integration and collaboration among the GBA cities and the impact of global economic trends on the local creative economy. Future research can provide deeper insights into enhancing the GBA’s competitive position in the global creative landscape by addressing these gaps.

Underpinning Theory Key Concepts, Practical Applications, and Future Prospects

Affendy Abu Hassim — 2024-09-19

Underpinning theory is the foundational framework for understanding and guiding research across various disciplines. It provides the theoretical basis for explaining complex phenomena and informs practical applications. This article explores the essential role of underpinning theory, its development and evolution, and its practical applications. It explores key theories such as the Health Belief Model, Resource-Based View, Constructivist Theory, Social Learning Theory, and Innovation Diffusion Theory, highlighting their successful implementation in real-world contexts. Additionally, the article addresses the challenges and limitations associated with underpinning theory, including theoretical evolution, empirical validation, and practical applicability. Future directions are also discussed, emphasising the need for interdisciplinary research, emerging technology integration, and inclusive theoretical framework development. By examining case studies and theoretical advancements, this article underscores the significance of underpinning theory in shaping effective research and practice.

Malaysia Future Tourism: Awareness towards Aesthetic Medicine Tourism

Khairul Shahida Shabi — 2024-10-29

This paper introduced the concept of aesthetic tourism that could be potential in in generating future revenue to Malaysia. The awareness survey consists of online questionnaire responded by 133 public with 67% response rate in Selangor. Descriptive data were analyzed using SPSS 20. 0. The survey finding contributed in terms of allowing this study in understanding the public abour their awreness towards aesthehtic tourism. Besides, this study have seen to be extent in future in identifying the future pattern of tourism industry which is not limited to medical tourism.

China Aggression in Indo Pacific: U.S. Strategies Toward Institutionalized Regional Security Bloc

Noraini Zulkifli — 2024-11-01

China economic and military aggression in Indo Pacific has prompted the US to initiate strategic policy to strengthen its alliances in the region to a networked security architecture, capable of deterring aggression, maintaining stability, and ensuring free access to common domains, with possibility of Indo Pacific regional security alliance formation. For regional interest’s sake or preserving U.S. hegemony after humiliating withdrawal from the middle east, the research will ascertain real motives and proof the hypothesis with empirical evidence. This research highlights three objectives namely, to evaluate China aggression threat to Indo Pacific, study the institutionalized of Indo Pacific security alliance possibilities, and the impacts of alliance towards regional stability. It applies a qualitative method using empirical evidence from secondary data and performs content analysis from journal and document from official government and academic websites to proof the evidence validity before forming solid conclusion of the research findings. The research utilizes regional security complex and balance of power theory in ascertaining aggression validity and its’ relationship in influencing alliance formation that changes the geopolitics landscape, raising concern over its impact that will be analyzed to answer the research questions. Finding shows, the China threat is mere perception of the U.S concern about losing military hegemony and subsequently adversely impacting its economic might especially dollar as international currency while China coercion act is defensive act protecting its sovereignty. Justification for regional alliance is to preserve U.S. hegemony status quo at the expenses of regional member states. The U.S alliance would attract retaliation with China forming similar bloc that greatly impacted regional stability in four dimensions. The research concludes, China threats is self-defense act and manipulated by the U.S to justify its actions in forming regional alliance to remains a hegemonic at the cost of regional stability and members expenses.

The Impact of Financial Technology Adoption on System Performance: A Comprehensive Analysis

Nurul Syafiqah Azman — 2024-11-22

The focus of the present work is to establish the effects that the implementation of financial technology (fintech) has on system performance and financial management in the various sectors operating in Malaysia with an objective of improving the efficiency of operations alongside the productivity of the organization. The introduction of Fintech services such as e-payments, blockchain and artificial intelligence has helped in revolutionizing the provision of financial services thus enhancing customer satisfaction, ease of operation and assisting in reaching out to the unbanked population. The foregoing analysis indicates that there is no significant untapped positive effect on either financial or non-financial performance from FinTech adoption. However, as noted earlier, there are also rising dangers such as cyber risk, compliance risk, and the risk of lack of infrastructure to support digital markets. Trust, perceived service quality, and digital financial literacy are some of the factors that affect the adoption and use of FinTech solutions. The paper argues the need for improving the level of digital literacy, the existing regulatory landscape, and the relationship between the government and the FinTech companies so that the resulting risks are controllable. Implementation of such measures will ensure that the merits of In carrying out such steps, maximum impact can be derived from the adoption of FinTech in most areas with the aim of encouraging development as well as making financial systems accessible to all. These results highlight the importance of a well-thought-out strategy towards utilizing the various innovations brought about by FinTech without exposing the economy to dangers that would compromise the performance of the existing systems and financial management systems in the country