Foreign Trade University

This study examines the impact of economic growth, CO2 emissions, trade openness, and financial development on renewable energy consumption from 1998 to 2020 in 30 Asian countries, divided into two groups of low institutional quality and high institutional quality. The research methods include two-step Generalized Method of Moments, Panel-Corrected Standard Errors, and Feasible Generalized Least Square estimation methods for linear empirical investigation and the dynamic panel threshold model for non-linear investigation. The results show that there is a positive relationship between economic growth and institutional quality with renewable energy consumption. Specifically, countries with high economic growth, financial development, and institutional quality will have higher renewable energy consumption. In contrast, countries with low institutional quality that increase CO2 emissions tend to hinder renewable energy consumption. Meanwhile, trade openness has no significant impact on renewable energy consumption regardless of the institutional quality of the country.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled perceived brand transparency and self-brand connections, examining the mediating role of social media brand trust and the moderating effects of AI-assisted digital remedy and digital learning paradox.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a mixed-method approach combining qualitative interviews, experimental manipulation, and quantitative surveys. Study 1 conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 retail consumers, Study 2 employed a between-subjects experiment with controlled transparency manipulation, and Study 3 collected survey data from 688 retail consumers analyzed through structural equation modeling to assess the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results reveal that AI-enabled perceived brand transparency directly enhances self-brand connections and indirectly through social media brand trust. AI-assisted digital remedy positively moderates both the direct transparency-connection relationship and the mediated pathway through trust. Conversely, digital learning paradox negatively moderates the trust-mediated relationship, weakening the positive effects of transparency on self-brand connections.Originality/valueThis study extends social identity theory by positioning AI-enabled brand transparency as a critical signaling mechanism for identity construction and relationship building in resource-constrained emerging market environments. The integration of signaling theory and trust theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding transparency-driven consumer-brand relationships in developing countries. The findings offer actionable insights for retail managers seeking to enhance consumer engagement through strategic AI-enabled transparency initiatives in emerging markets.

This study examines output divergence and club convergence among 34 newly established provinces in Vietnam from 2010 to 2023. Applying the Phillips and Sul (Econometrica 75:1771–1855, 2007; J Appl Econom 24:1153–1185, 2009)’s methodology to panel data at both aggregate and sectoral levels, the analysis reveals significant divergence in real GDP per capita across provinces. The results also identify multiple convergence clubs, with notable differences in club membership across economic sectors. At the aggregate level, four convergence clubs are observed. In a first-of-its-kind sectoral analysis for Vietnam, the study uncovers six convergence clubs in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery sector, and four clubs each in the Industry and Construction, and Services sectors. Additionally, results from an ordered probit model show that initial GDP per capita, investment, labour force size, human capital, sectoral output shares, and population growth significantly influence club membership. Policy recommendations are derived from these findings.

Purpose This study aims to examine how e-government service quality influences citizen-based nation brand perception in an emerging digital government context. Specifically, it investigates the mediating roles of perceived value and public trust, as well as the moderating role of digital literacy, in explaining how micro-level digital service experiences translate into macro-level governance evaluations. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the E-GovQual model, customer value theory, institutional trust theory, public value theory and the Nation Brand Hexagon, this study proposes a process-oriented research model. Survey data were collected from 600 Vietnamese citizens with recent experience using e-government platforms. The proposed relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), incorporating mediation and moderation analyses. Findings The results reveal a structured evaluative mechanism in which e-government service quality enhances perceived value, which subsequently strengthens public trust, ultimately shaping citizen-based nation brand perception. This indicates that citizens interpret digital service experiences through value-based assessments before forming broader institutional and national-level evaluations. Additionally, digital literacy negatively moderates the relationship between service quality and perceived value, suggesting diminishing marginal returns of service improvements among more digitally skilled users. Research limitations/implications This study relies on cross-sectional data and a non-probability, urban-oriented sample, which may limit causal inference and generalizability. Future research could use longitudinal designs, probability sampling and comparative cross-country approaches to further validate the proposed model. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of improving the reliability, efficiency and support functions of digital public services, alongside enhancing citizens’ digital literacy, to strengthen public trust and governance-related reputation. Originality/value This study contributes by linking micro-level digital service experiences to macro-level nation brand perceptions, introducing citizen-based nation brand as a novel outcome in e-government research. By validating a sequential value–trust mechanism, this study offers a new perspective on how digital governance performance shapes broader perceptions of state capability and modernization in emerging economies.

Investor-state arbitration has long been criticized as an asymmetric mechanism that disproportionately favours private investors at the expense of host states. Consequently, scholars have advocated for the promotion of counterclaims in investor-state arbitration, aiming to address the asymmetry of the system. However, counterclaims remain constrained by restrictive arbitral practices. Thus, explicit counterclaim provisions in international investment agreements (hereinafter `IIAs") have been proposed and incorporated into several recent IIAs and model bilateral investment treaties (hereinafter `BITs"). This article critically analyses counterclaim-related provisions across more than 3,000 IIAs and model BITs. It highlights the practical challenges surrounding counterclaims in investor-state arbitration, arguing that treaty practices have yet to provide a comprehensive framework for the successful application of counterclaims. This article provides recommendations for future treaty reforms, with a focus on the Draft Provision on Counterclaims currently under discussion within the United Nations Commission on International Trade Laws' Working Group III.