The establishment of country and area studies as an interdisciplinary first-level discipline has sparked widespread attention and lively discussions in fields such as Foreign Language and Literature, Political Science, and World History. However, Geography has not received sufficient attention from scholars in country and area studies, nor have geographers deeply engaged in related discussions on this discipline. Taking the opportunity of the "Geography and Country & Area Studies" special issue organized by World Regional Studies, this article brings together young scholars from various universities across China who focus on issues related to country and area studies. The discussion revolves around how geography and country and area studies can mutually learn from each other in terms of disciplinary development, theoretical frameworks, research methods, and practical applications. The article argues that geography, with its long-standing tradition of regional studies and its integrative disciplinary attributes, shares significant similarities with and offers valuable lessons for country and area studies. Furthermore, Geography's techniques in geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis methods, and its tradition of studying human-environment interactions provide unique perspectives and tools for country and area studies. The historical development of geography, along with the debates it has undergone, offers insights for country and area studies in addressing tensions between universality and specificity, as well as between theoretical innovation and information collection. In the future, it will be essential to involve more scholars from other related disciplines in these discussions, introduce more core concepts and foundational theoretical perspectives from geography, and think about mechanisms for knowledge integration and theoretical synthesis in regional studies from a transdisciplinary perspective.

After being established as a first-level interdisciplinary discipline, country and area studies have garnered rising attention and heated discussions among scholars from foreign languages and literature, political science, world history, economics, and anthropology. However, geographers have relatively less involvement in these discussions. This paper argues that geographers should actively engage in the discourse surrounding the development of country and area studies and strengthen the dialogue between geography and this emerging field. Based on a systematic review of current discussions on the construction of country and area studies as a discipline, the paper redefines its nature and research scope from the perspective of geography and its disciplinary evolution. It posits that country and area studies represent a combination of interdisciplinary intelligence gathering and strategic analysis for specific regions or countries, oriented toward specific interests or threats. The research objects of this field can be delineated along three dimensions: regional delineation, factor (or domain) analysis, and application-driven demands. The paper further reflects on four major contradictions in the construction of country and area studies as a discipline: The tension between breaking disciplinary boundaries through an interdisciplinary perspective and the need to define clear boundaries as an independent discipline, the challenges in selecting the scope and scale of regions, the contradiction between producing background-specific knowledge emphasizing regional particularity and conducting universal theoretical research that transcends exceptionalism, and the conflict between emphasizing fieldwork and overcoming the cost and scalar traps of such investigations. Drawing on geography's integrative and scalar approach, the paper offers suggestions to address these contradictions. It further explores solutions through dialectical thinking, dialogue between Western and Chinese theories, and reforms in student training systems.

In light of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is critical for China to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution features of the global energy trade pattern and the level of energy security. Based on the energy bilateral trade and socio-economic data of each country from 2016 to 2022, this paper establishes the world energy trade network, and energy security evaluation indexes from three dimensions of security of supply, security of use and social development environment, and utilizes the metabolic GM(1,1) model to simulate the world energy security pattern under the situation of non-outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict; and through the comparison of the actual situation, explore the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on world's energy security. The results shows: ① The world energy network has grown more consolidated since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, its connectivity has decreased over time. The energy trade network is more vulnerable to sporadic disruptions and less stable, but it is also more resilient against deliberate assaults. A monocentric "core-edge" structure, with the United States as the strong core and other nations developing in a balanced manner, characterizes the global energy trading network. ② Russia's energy exports have suffered tremendously; the export pattern gradually shows a "eastward" tendency toward the Asia-Pacific area. The degree of reliance on Russian energy has considerably dropped for Germany, Finland, and Poland as a result of the sanctions imposed on Russia; on the other hand, the level of reliance on Russian energy has increased for Hungary, India, and China as a result of the country's growing energy cooperation with Russia. ③ Asian countries are more obviously affected by the negative impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the danger has increased; the energy security level of the European region is developing positively; the African region, constrained by the conditions of its own economic development, is still the world's most dangerous region in terms of energy security; and North America, South America and Oceania, due to their long distance, are less affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. ④ Among the sub-dimensions, the "primary energy production-to-consumption ratio" indicator in the security of supply dimension has the greatest impact on energy security. The security of use dimension's indicator weights have been rising annually, meaning that the green transformation of energy sources is becoming more and more crucial for raising the level of energy security.

ASEAN is a key region and priority direction for China's foreign economic and trade cooperation. Studying the relationship between cultural diversity and national political risks within ASEAN, and exploring thier effect mechanism on export trade, is of great significance. This paper takes the China-ASEAN region as the research object, to measure the cultural diversity index and political risk index of ASEAN countries, and explores the correlation between the two. It is found that: ①ASEAN countries have high cultural diversity, and show a regional spatial distribution pattern where the cultural diversity of island or island semi island countries near the equator is higher than that of peninsula and inland countries; ②The political risks faced by ASEAN countries are significant different, with high political risks in Indonesia and countries on the Indochinese Peninsula, and low political risks in Brunei, Singapore, ect. Cultural diversity and political risks have a clear coupling and coordination, and the correlation between the two is strong. Furthermore, based on the country-level data from 1992 to 2017, we empirically research on the impact and action mechanism of cultural diversity on export trade, and find that: ①Cultural diversity in ASEAN countries has a significant inhibitory effect on China's exports to ASEAN, but the impact of cultural diversity on export trade is non-linear; ②The mechanism test shows that national political risks play an important mediating role in the impact of cultural diversity on export trade. Therefore, China should pay attention to the role of culture in its economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN, and pay attention to unlocking the economic potential of culture. At the same time, it should strengthen its awareness of international cooperation risks and establish a sound risk response mechanism.

Against the backdrop of "Great Changes Unseen in a Century", due to its unique geopolitical value, South Asia has become a crucial region for the geopolitical competition and power projection of China and the United States. Currently, geography and area studies are contextualised theoretically through the intertwinement between globalisation and borderisation, the overlapping between territorial logic and relational logic, and the power game in the space of both places and flows. In this article, we introduced the concept of "space of flows" to establish the geo-potential model. Taking China, the United States, and South Asia as case studies, we shed lighted on the spatio-temporal evolution and its geo-potential mechanism of China and the U.S. in South Asia. We find that: ①The space of flows endows geo-potential with the attributes of spatio-temporal coupling, thereby it can be considered as the spatial accumulation of power flows, providing a theoretical foundation for the dynamic assessment of geo-potential. ②The temporal characteristics of the geo-potential of China and the U.S. in South Asia can be divided into five types: China's high position type, Sino-U.S. fluctuation type, U.S. high position type, and Sino-U.S. alternating type. The spatial evolution demonstrates an expansion of China's power space and a contraction of U.S. power space, which reflects the trend of "East rising, West declining" amid the great changes of the century. ③The driving mechanisms underlying the evolution of China-U.S. geo-potential in South Asia involve two layers: space of places and space of flows, covering four dimensions: the restrictive effect of geo-location, the complementary effect of geo-economics, the dominant effect of geopolitics, and the recognition effect of geo-culture. This paper seeks to enrich the knowledge system of China's area studies and provide insights for China to clarify its diplomatic geopolitical landscape.

Since the comprehensive escalation of the Ukraine crisis, the geopolitical dynamics in the Western Balkans have undergone notable shifts. The region has transitioned from being a "bridge" between the U.S., the EU and Russia to a "zone of contestation." U.S. and EU policy shifts in the Western Balkans are closely synchronized, characterized by efforts to maintain so-called regional stability, accelerate the EU accession of regional countries, and pursue a simultaneous strategy of engagement with and division of Serbia, aiming to weaken Russia's regional influence. Russia, in turn, has actively leveraged Serbia as a strategic foothold to counter U.S. and EU sanctions and pressures. The geopolitical competition among the U.S., EU, and Russia in the Western Balkans reveals three new features: the spillover of security issues, the emergence of discourse competition as a focal point, and significant cross-regional linkages. Overall, the intensification of geopolitical rivalry will accelerate the fragmentation of diplomatic attitudes in the region, with most states facing pressure to lean towards the U.S. and EU. This shift introduces new challenges for China's cooperation with these countries. However, differences in how the U.S. and EU position themselves toward China, as well as the positive attitude and economic needs of Western Balkan countries towards China, offer potential opportunities for further cooperation.

Analyzing population and economic dynamics in cities along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provides insights about regional development heterogeneity, and helps develop targeted investment and cooperation plans. This study constructs a growth-shrinkage matrix and utilizes LandScan population grid data and GDP estimates derived from NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data to analyze the growth and shrinkage types of 4 269 cities across 63 countries included in the first batch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation list. We adopt geographic weighted regression (GWR) to analyze factors influencing population and economic changes from six aspects: city size, economic level, national aging and urbanization levels, locational conditions, disaster risk, and battle risk. Based on this, the main characteristics of different types of cities are summarized. The findings reveal that: ①Between 2013 and 2021, cities in the study region exhibit a trend of "slight population shrinkage and rapid economic growth"; ②4,269 cities are classified into eight types: population-driven growth, economy-driven growth, economic-smart-growth, Malthusian type, population-mitigated-shrinkage, economic crisis, economic recession, and population recession. ③Regional and national heterogeneity in urban population and economic changes along the route are evident. In Europe, the population-economy types are predominantly classified as economic-smart-growth or population-mitigated-shrinkage types. In rapidly urbanizing regions such as Egypt and Pakistan, cities are mostly classified as population-driven growth or Malthusian types. Southeast Asian countries show significant internal variation, with cities of various growth and shrinkage types interspersed. In conflict-prone areas like Syria and the Russia-Ukraine border, a unique pattern emerges: central areas are predominantly classified as population recession types, while peripheral zones are categorized as population-driven growth or Malthusian types. This study provides valuable insights into the national contexts and regional differences along the route, serving as a reference for formulating targeted investment and cooperation plans.

With the rapid development of population and urbanization, the structural characteristics of urban networks in underdeveloped areas like Africa have attracted attention. Based on data such as air flow, urban population, and road grades, this study constructed the regional urban network of the East African Community, analyzed its structural characteristics, and evaluated the centrality and power of cities. The results indicate: ①The gravity simulation network, consisting of 77 nodes and 543 edges, forms a semi-arc structure connected by multiple central hubs.The top 25% of nodes are primarily located in the central region, including Nairobi and its surrounding small and medium towns, as well as major cities like Kampala, Kigali, Arusha, Mwanza, and Mombasa. ②The airline network with 51 nodes and 147 routes, differs from the simulation network by strengthening the prominence of key cities such as Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Kampala, while also increased and enhanced alter-based centrality of tourist cities like Maasai Mara. ③The composite network categorizes 91 nodes based on alter-based centrality and power value into regional, national, and local levels, with the distribution of nodes following a pyramid structure in a ratio of 1:6:84. Maasai Mara emerges as the node closest to becoming a regional hub, Dar es Salaam is approaching regional gateway status, and sub-regional centers like Dodoma and Mwanza show potential for further development.

"Peninsular Fatalism" is a classic geopolitical concept used to explain the historical fate and future trajectory of the Korean Peninsula. It asserts that the Korean Peninsula, due to its unique geographic position—situated "between land and sea"—has historically been subject to the influence of surrounding great powers. This positioning has rendered it vulnerable to becoming a victim of "land-sea conflicts". At its core, Peninsular Fatalism is rooted in colonial and Cold War rhetoric, with ideological origins tracing back to late 19th-century European geopolitical theories that promoted the idea of "land-sea conflict". It was initially articulated by early 20th-century Japanese colonial historians to legitimize Japan's invasion of the Korean Peninsula. The U.S.-Soviet Cold War rivalry, along with the subsequent era of American unipolar hegemony, gradually internalizing it as a common understanding within Republic of Korean society amid the division of the peninsula. As a geopolitical fear manufactured by hegemonic states, Peninsular Fatalism has constrained Republic of Korea's autonomy in foreign policy and impeded stability on the Korean Peninsula, as well as peace in Northeast Asia. In the context of global multipolarity, transcending the land-sea dichotomy and preventing the resurgence of geographical determinism is essential for fostering a new vision of peace for Northeast Asia.

Globalization has brought about both development and challenges, leading to a reshaping of the world order. In light of these significant changes, China, in pursuit of development, must possess knowledge about international actors and their rivalries. This necessitates a deep understanding of international and regional studies. Given that the new spatial pattern and governance are essential requirements for our times, geography should actively engage in studying "spatial power" to contribute to the discipline construction of international and regional studies. This study commences with an exploration of French geopolitics' development and core ideas, examining how French geographers employ research reasoning and methods to address issues related to spatial power rivalries in the world. The aim is to provide an alternative perspective from mainstream British and American views on geography's involvement in political discussions while analyzing great power competition within specific contexts. Additionally, the research methods advocated by French geopolitics such as multi-scale analysis, cross-scale examination, multidisciplinary approaches, and actors' representations offer comprehensive tools for interpreting global patterns and major conflicts within international and regional studies. French geopolitical scientists are actively involved in politics and society, interpreting world changes through the prism of geopolitics, providing intellectual support for scientific assessments of the world situation, and guiding the development of countries and regions.This could also shed light on China's geopolitics participation in international and area studies.

Spatial polarization has emerged as the primary trend in Russia's spatial development over the past three decades, prompting the implementation of policies aimed at achieving spatial equilibrium. These efforts have contributed to the economic recovery and growth in Russia's Far East region. This study conducts a quantitative analysis of the comprehensive regional development index(CRDI) across Russia's eight federal districts, along with the geo-locational potential of the constituent entities in the Far East. The findings reveal: ① The CRDI of Russia's eight federal districts exhibits a gradual upward trend, with the Central Federal District experiencing the most pronounced growth, while the Far East region lagging behind with slow growth, indicating the persistence and intensification of spatial polarization. ②The geo-locational potential of various federal subjects in Russia's Far East experienced a period of decline from 1995 to 2000, a period of stability from 2000 to 2010, and a period of sustained growth from 2010 to 2020. ③ The variation in geo-locational potential in the Far East region exhibits distinct spatial differentiation characteristics, with areas adjacent to the Sino-Russian border maintaining growth first, followed by non-adjacent areas. The Primorsky Krai, which borders China, has the highest geo-locational potential, while the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, located at the northernmost end, has the lowest geo-locational potential. ④Interstate geopolitical relations, policy institutions, geo-demographic factors, geo-economics, and infrastructure are the primary influencing factors that affect the changes in the geo-locational potential of Russia's Far East, interacting with each other and collectively impacting the transformation of the region's geo-locational potential. This study enhances understanding of the Far East's developmental trajectory over the past 25 years and contributes to enriching borderland research theories.

As the world's most populous country and the fifth-largest economy, India is undergoing rapid urbanization while facing significant challenges in urban expansion. Current studies on urban expansion are primarily focused on developed countries, with relatively less attention on developing nations. Using physical urban areas as urban space extracted from impervious surface data from 2000 to 2020, we characterize the spatio-temporal patterns of India's urban expansion and analyze the influencing factors from the perspectives of city size and regional differences. The results show: ①The intensity of India's urban expansion exhibits a phased trend, first increasing and then decreasing, with large cities being the main contributors. Since 2010, the overall expansion intensity of small and medium-sized cities has surpassed that of large cities, indicating a gradual shift toward balanced urban development. The spatial pattern of urban expansion has shifted from "higher in the south and lower in the north" to "lower in the south and higher in the north." Cities with rapid expansion show a distinct coastal and transportation-oriented pattern, shifting from coastal areas to inland transportation corridors. ②In large cities, compact expansion is more prevalent, concentrated in the southern and western regions of India, while small and medium-sized cities exhibit sprawling expansion, predominantly in the central, northern, and eastern regions. ③Elevation is the primary influencing factor for India's urban expansion, especially for medium-sized cities, followed by large cities. Regionally, the impact is most significant in the southern region, followed by the central region. In contrast, population density has only a localized impact on the central and eastern regions.

Reflexive ethnography represents a novel methodology within the field of postmodernism. It places particular emphasis on the author's reflexive perspective, offering a distinctive academic value about the practice of fieldwork in Chinese human geography. In light of the aforementioned significance, we re-examined the fieldwork conducted with the Chinese community in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, we developed the study of reflexive ethnography along two distinct threads, namely spatial and community surveys. Finally, we proposed a structure for producing reflexive ethnographies within the context of human geography research. ①It is found that Zimbabwe is constructed as a dangerous place under the dual influence of popular geopolitics and everyday embodied practices, which in turn influences the interactive rituals of making peace between the research team and their social network. ②The Chinese community in Zimbabwe is the inner other of the Chinese society, but the research team also becomes the inner other of the local Chinese community during the fieldwork. ③The reflexive ethnography of human geography must consider how the researcher and the interviewee, who are both subjects and objects of each other, co-produce the space of the field. It must also examine the characteristics of their relationship and interactions with the local place. The objective of promoting the construction of a reflexive theoretical system of overseas fieldwork methods in Chinese human geography is to facilitate the development of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese geography.