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Nexus of regional integration, socioeconomic determinants and sustainable development in belt and road initiative countries

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  • Atta Ullah
  • Chen Pinglu
  • Saif Ullah
  • Shujahat Haider Hashmi

Abstract

This study evaluates the nexus of regional integration, socioeconomic determinants and sustainable development (SD) by investigating the effect of health, humans and age structure on sustainable development, with the regional integration (RI) as the moderating variable. Socioeconomic determinants have an important role in sustainable development, while regional integration has fueled up the development process. The sample is based on 64 Belt and Road (BRI) countries from 2003–2018. Pair-wise correlation results indicate that human development, health expenditure and age structure showed a positive relationship with sustainable development. Two-step System-GMM direct effect outcomes are mixed and reveal that human development, health expenditure per capita, age structure, governance index and population size have a positive impact on sustainable development. On the other hand, e-government, government size, and globalization showed negative effects on SD. Apart from that, the moderating channel of regional integration (RI), interaction term with human development and health expenditure, showed a significant and positive impact on sustainable development. However, age structure interaction with regional integration showed a negative impact on SD. Other socio-economic factors, i.e., governance index and population contribute positively towards SD. It can be concluded that the dynamic nature of sustainable development is positive and the net present value is increasing. Therefore, BRI countries are on the sustainable path from 2003–2018, as suggested by economic and social welfare theory. The integration of BRI can be labeled as an entrance to successful sustainable development. However, weak e-government systems, globalization and government resources need to be utilized amicably in Belt and Road countries. Driscoll-Kraay standard-errors regression confirmed and validated the two-step System-GMM results. The findings of the current research have important policy implications for balanced and sustainable growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Atta Ullah & Chen Pinglu & Saif Ullah & Shujahat Haider Hashmi, 2021. "Nexus of regional integration, socioeconomic determinants and sustainable development in belt and road initiative countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-29, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0254298
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254298
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    Cited by:

    1. Simionescu, Mihaela & Radulescu, Magdalena & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier, 2024. "The role of natural resources rents and e-government in achieving sustainable development in the European Union," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    2. Muhammad Saifullah Khalid Malik & Zhanyong Qi & Mussarat Iqbal & Samina Zamir & Balqees Fatima Malik, 2023. "Education for sustainable development: Secondary school teacher's awareness and perception of integration," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1515-1525, June.
    3. Lyulyov, Oleksii & Pimonenko, Tetyana & Saura, Jose Ramon & Barbosa, Belem, 2024. "How do e-governance and e-business drive sustainable development goals?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    4. Muniba & Baorong Yu, 2023. "Does Innovative City Pilot Policy Stimulate the Chinese Regional Innovation: An Application of DID Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Lina Karabetyan, 2023. "Impact of Entrepreneurial Activity and ICT Development on Sustainable Development: Evidence from High-Income Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    6. Khan, Zeeshan & Chatti, Walid & Zhu, Xufeng, 2024. "Public energy R&D spending and green energy for sustainable development: COP28 perspective of G7 economies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    7. Na Wang & Atta Ullah & Xiaofeng Lin & Taiming Zhang & Jie Mao, 2022. "Dynamic Influence of Urbanization on Inclusive Green Growth in Belt and Road Countries: The Moderating Role of Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-18, September.
    8. Ullah, Atta & Pinglu, Chen & Ullah, Saif & Qaisar, Zahid Hussain & Qian, Ningyu, 2022. "The dynamic nexus of E-Government, and sustainable development: Moderating role of multi-dimensional regional integration index in Belt and Road partner countries," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    9. Muhammad Ahsan Ali Raza & Chen Yan & Hafiz Syed Mohsin Abbas & Sara Ilahi, 2024. "Do Remittance Inflows, Investment Attributes, and Regional Integration Accelerate Sustainable Economic Growth in Asia?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 1302-1317, March.
    10. Sainan Zhao & Yichao Zhang & Huma Iftikhar & Atta Ullah & Jie Mao & Tiantian Wang, 2022. "Dynamic Influence of Digital and Technological Advancement on Sustainable Economic Growth in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-16, November.
    11. Ram Nayan Yadava & Bhaskar Sinha, 2024. "Energy–poverty–climate vulnerability nexus: an approach to sustainable development for the poorest of poor," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 2245-2270, January.
    12. Svetlana Gutman & Marina Malashenko, 2025. "The Impact of Transport Infrastructure on Sustainable Economic Development of Russian Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-23, April.
    13. Titus A. Ojeyinka & Tolulope T. Osinubi, 2022. "The moderating role of financial development in the globalization-sustainable development nexus in some selected African Countries," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 2051-2080, November.
    14. Muhammad Waseem Shahzad & Muhammad Asif Khan & Mohammed Arshad Khan & Ahsanuddin Haider, 2024. "Regional integration and export performance of Pakistan: Empirical evidence from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(10), pages 1-19, October.

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