Security In China Research Articles

Analysis of Interactions among Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Carbon Sinks, and Food Security in China’s Agricultural Systems

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing the size of carbon sinks are closely related to food security in agricultural systems. This study conducted an in-depth data analysis of previous studies to explore the dynamic causal relationships among the reduction of emissions, carbon sink increases, and food security in agricultural systems. The fixed-effect regression model, causality tests, PVAR model, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition were used to explore correlations among the three variables. The results show that the national average carbon sinks surged from 2662.194 Mg in 2000 to 4010.613 Mg in 2020, with the food security index concurrently climbing from 0.198 to 0.308. Moreover, GHG emissions exhibited a negative growth rate from 2016 onwards, yet the 2020 mean remained 142.625 Mg above the 2000 baseline. The agricultural “three subsidies” reform has not directly promoted food security, but significantly inhibited GHG emissions. However, conflicts exist between emissions reduction and carbon sinks increase in agricultural systems and food security. At the whole level, changes in carbon sinks only have a positive effect on the increase in GHG emissions, whereas changes in GHG emissions have a positive effect on both carbon sinks and food security. Changes in food security strongly inhibit the increase in carbon sinks. This relationship varies among distinct grain functional zones. Policy objectives should be coordinated, target thresholds set, and policies classified according to different functional orientations, to achieve a win–win situation for food supply and low-carbon development.

Security evaluation of China's indium industrial chain: Perspective on substance flow throughout the whole life cycle

As the world's largest supplier of primary indium, China's indium industrial chain structure and demand change affect global supply. It is necessary to evaluate the security of China's indium industrial chain and determine the reasons that affect security. The past substance flow analysis (SFA) of indium and mineral industrial chain security evaluation has problems such as a lack of timeliness, a single dimension mainly focusing on the upstream, and simple evaluation methods. In this paper, based on the SFA, an integrated evaluation system for the whole life cycle is constructed from 2000 to 2022 according to mineral industrial chain security characteristics. The results show that since introducing liquid crystal in 2003, China's indium industrial chain security level has been low despite a slight increase. Although China has gradually broken through the production technology of high-purity indium and indium tin oxide (ITO) targets, the large consumption and export of refined indium has reduced China's indium metal stock to 2214 t, while the resource reserves advantage is also diminishing. Mass consumption has also led China to import more ores, while China still imports high-end products from other countries with high import source concentrations. The pollutants emitted by the large production and the declining environmental governance level pose a significant environmental threat. Finally, suggestions for strengthening international cooperation, increasing technological research, establishing a reserve system, risk monitoring mechanisms, and strict emission standards can improve China's indium industrial chain security.

The impact of Chinese rice support policies on rice acreages

Declining arable land and yield stagnation pose serious challenges to food security in China. Since 2004, the Chinese government has introduced rice support policies to stimulate rice production. A bundle of incentives, including a minimum procurement price, were introduced. Whether they were effective? Rice acreages have increased since the start of this policy, which could also result from rising rice price levels both nationally and globally. Using a natural experiment created by the minimum procurement price policy being introduced in a selected set of Chinese regions, we use a dynamic fixed effects model to perform a difference-in-differences analysis on the effectiveness of these rice support policies. We find that indica rice acreages do respond to changes in the rice prices, and, controlling for rice prices, that China’s rice support policies were effective in increasing rice acreages of both early and late indica after 2004. The paper concludes with policy implications.

Exploring energy security in China: our distance to energy justice

Energy justice serves as a pivotal factor in the global shift towards energy transition. A comprehensive evaluation of energy security necessitates the integration of energy justice principles. Accordingly, this study introduces an energy security index (ESI) from the perspective of energy justice and assesses the energy security of 30 provinces in mainland China. The analysis, covering data from 2001 to 2020, explores the spatiotemporal variations of ESI across these provinces. It also examines their spatial relationships and clustering tendencies using Moran's I analysis. The findings indicate that, when viewed through the lens of energy justice, the majority of provinces display a low ESI, characterized by modest enhancements and persistent low-value conditions from 2001 to 2020. This trend primarily results from the inadequate emphasis on justice components in China's energy transition and the continuous failure to significantly boost regional energy supply capabilities. Additionally, this study highlights significant spatial disparities and positive correlations in ESI values across provinces. Regions abundant in resources tend to register higher ESI values, whereas resource-scarce but economically advanced areas show lower values. These insights are crucial for the formulation and adaptation of differentiated energy strategies, especially those focused on achieving energy justice and fostering a balance between regional energy supply and demand.

A non‐grain production on cropland spatiotemporal change detection method based on Landsat time‐series data

AbstractGlobal food security is being threatened by the reduction of high‐quality cropland, extreme weather events, and the uncertainty of food supply chains. The globalization of agricultural trade has elevated the diversification of non‐grain production (NGP) on cultivated land to a prominent strategy for poverty alleviation in numerous developing nations. Its rapid expansion has engendered a multitude of deleterious consequences on both food security and ecological stability. NGP in China is becoming very common in the process of rapid urbanization, threatening national food security. To better understand the causal mechanisms and enable governments to balance food security and rural development, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of NGP using remote sensing. Yet knowledge gaps remain concerning how to use remote sensing to track human‐dominated or ‐induced long‐term cultivated land changes. Our study proposed a method for detecting the spatiotemporal evolution of NGP based on Landsat time‐series data under the Google Earth Engine platform. This approach was proposed by (1) obtaining the union of cultivated lands from multiple landcover products to minimize the cultivated land omission, (2) constructing multi‐index dynamic trend rules for 3 representative types of NGP and obtaining results at the pixel level, while adopting the continuous change detection and classification algorithm to Landsat time series (1986–2022) to determine when the most recent change occurred, (3) minimizing the noise by object‐oriented land use–land cover classification and mode filter approaches, and (4) mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of NGP. The proposed methodology was tested in Jiashan, located in Zhejiang Province (eastern China), where NGP is widespread. We achieved a high overall accuracy of 95.67% for NGP type detection and an overall accuracy of 85.26% for change detection of time. The results indicated a continued increasing pattern of NGP in Jiashan from 1986 to 2022, with the cumulative percentage of NGP increasing from 0.02% to 20.69%. This study highlights the utilization of time‐series data to document essential NGP information for evaluating food security in China and the method is well‐suited for large‐scale mapping due to its automatic manner.

Aquatic protected area system in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: establishment, challenges and prospects

Conservation of wetlands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is vital to the ecological security of China and even all of Asia. In this study, we investigated the aquatic protected area system established by the Chinese government in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. In general, 9 categories of aquatic protected areas have been established in this area, linked to the International Union for Conservation of Nature classification system of protected areas. The diverse main protection objectives of different protected areas have played a key role in wetland conservation. However, the protection of wetland environments and aquatic organisms has been insufficient in some atypical protected areas and local protected areas. We further constructed a list of important aquatic organisms in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and analyzed the protected status of those important species through gap analysis. A total of 156 important aquatic species were identified, with 8 gap species and 18 inadequately protected species. It is encouraging that none of the national key protected species are gap species, but there are 4 gap species that are threatened species on “China’s red list”. In addition, we found that 17 important species are designated as Data Deficient or Not Evaluated on “China’s red list”, including 8 national key protected species. Finally, we propose the prospects for solving the existing problems of aquatic protected area systems: integrating aquatic protected areas, enhancing the status of community-based conservation, and increasing investment in important aquatic organism research.

Modernizing smallholder agriculture and achieving food security: An exploration in machinery services and labor reallocation in China

AbstractThis study discusses the modernization of smallholder agriculture in China, where most farms are small, and farms' parcels are fragmented. The study puts forward a framework of agricultural modernization by vertical division of labor and specialized production in agriculture. We posit that hiring machinery services could be a pathway to connect smallholders with modern agriculture and achieve food security in China. Using household‐level data from China, this study examines how hiring machinery services affects farm productivity and rural households' welfare. Findings show that mechanization services increased rural Chinese families' food security and agricultural productivity. Hiring machinery services improves smallholders' income by influencing the input efficiency of maize production and increasing participation in off‐farm work. Our findings highlight the importance of technology to improve smallholder agriculture and food security, not only in China but also in other South and Southeast Asian countries.

Multi-Dimensional Impacts of Climate Change on China’s Food Security during 2002–2021

Climate change poses a significant threat to food security, necessitating a thorough examination across multiple dimensions. Establishing appropriate food security evaluation indicators that align with the evolving concept of food security is imperative. This study enhances food security evaluation by designing a multi-dimensional framework and analyzing the impact of climate variations across various regions from 2002 to 2021. By constructing a food security evaluation system that encompasses the production quantity and quality, sustainability, affordability, and resources, and utilizing the entropy method for accurate weighting, the impacts of climate variations on food security are accessed using a climate–economic model. The food security structure in China largely mirrors the regional division of grain, with the production quantity being the primary contributor. Overall, China’s food security has generally demonstrated improvements across various dimensions, with the exception of production quality. Regarding climate change, which encompasses variations in mean states and climate extremes, the panel regression analysis uncovers a negative linear relationship between food security and temperature. Conversely, the impact of precipitation on food security is non-linear, manifesting as inverse U-shaped patterns. In regions with balanced production and consumption, both accumulated temperatures and extreme high temperatures have a negative linear effect on food security. On the other hand, both accumulated and extreme precipitation exhibit inverse U-shaped non-linear impacts on food security in the main production and main consumption regions. These findings highlight the intricate interplay between climate change, regional disparities, and food security in China, emphasizing the need to consider multi-dimensional factors and regional variations in addressing food security challenges. These insights are invaluable for policymaking and planning aimed at enhancing food security in China.

Observation of ozone deposition flux and its contribution to stomatal uptake over a winter wheat field in eastern China

Ground-level ozone (O3) poses a significant threat to food security in China. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive scientific evaluation of the potential hazards posed by O3 to agricultural crops. This study continuously observed variation in meteorological factors, O3 concentration, O3 deposition rate and flux, and quantified the distribution characteristics of O3 deposition flux in stomatal and non-stomatal pathways. Results suggested that the O3 dry deposition rate and flux in winter wheat fields exhibited relatively stable variations at night but pronounced fluctuations during the day. Their mean values were 0.31 cm s−1 and -0.0044 μmol m−2·s−1, respectively, with peak values occurring at 08:30 and 14:00. The cumulative O3 total flux during the main growth season of winter wheat was 26.1 mmol m−2, with stomatal and non-stomatal fluxes accounting for 7.7 mmol m−2 and 18.4 mmol m−2, respectively. The proportions of total O3 flux in stomatal and non-stomatal channels were 29.5% and 70.5%, respectively, with daytime proportions being 39.7% and 60.3%, respectively. These findings provide crucial insights for future accurate assessments of crop yield loss due to O3 at the earth's surface.

The security of energy import: Do economic policy uncertainty and geopolitical risk really matter?

Examining the roles of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and geopolitical risk (GPR) in energy import (EI) is vital to ensuring energy security in China. The exploration utilises the TVP-SV-VAR methodology to seize the time-varying connection among EPU, GPR and EI. In light of the quantitative discussion, we discover that EPU exerts an adverse effect on EI, emphasising that the uncertainties in economic policies would reduce energy imports in China, which conforms to the theoretical hypothesis. GPR had a favourable impact on EI before COVID-19, primarily due to the changes in energy prices and diversification of imports, which turned negative after this epidemic because of economic recovery and more severe geopolitical events, which is not perfectly consistent with the qualitative analysis. Besides, the exploration replaces EI with oil import (OI) and ascertains the robustness of the reported conclusion. By comparing, the influences from EPU and GPR on coal import (CI) and natural gas import (NGI) are entirely different from OI primarily due to the substitution effect and geopolitical property. In the increasingly challenging economic and political environment context, the exploration will offer significant lessons for China to ensure the security of energy imports.

Construction of China's food security evaluation index system and spatiotemporal evolution.

Food security is a vital material foundation for a nation's development and has been a topic of significant concern on the international stage in recent years. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, China is not only a major producer but also a substantial consumer of food. Ensuring food security in China is not only a top priority for its socio-economic development but also a driving force in maintaining the stability of the global food supply chain and reducing the number of hungry people worldwide. However, a lack of comprehensive research into the Chinese food security system remains. This study addresses this gap by constructing a comprehensive evaluation framework encompassing four dimensions: food supply, accessibility, production stability, and sustainability. Utilizing the Moran's Index and generating LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association) maps, we analyze the spatial correlations of food security. The Dagum Gini coefficient and kernel density estimation are applied to assess heterogeneity and spatial disparities. Furthermore, this research employs the Exponential Smoothing (ETS) model to forecast food security trends. The findings reveal that the overall composite food security score exhibited fluctuations, initially increasing and reaching its peak of 0.407 in 2003, followed by a subsequent sharp decline after 2019. Spatially, food security exhibits correlations, with the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain and Northeast regions consistently showing high-high clustering. In contrast, the Western and Southern regions exhibit low-low clustering at specific periods. The Dagum Gini coefficient indicates that overall food security disparities are relatively small. However, these disparities have gradually expanded in recent years, with inter-group differences becoming predominant after 2005. As indicated by the kernel density estimation, the dynamic distribution of food security initially widens and then narrows, suggesting a shift from dispersed to concentrated data distribution. This phenomenon is accompanied by polarization and convergence trends, particularly evident after 2015. According to the ETS model, the study forecasts a substantial risk of declining food security in China over the next decade, largely influenced by the ongoing pandemic. In conclusion, this research provides a comprehensive assessment of the changing status of food security in China. It offers early warnings through predictive analysis, addressing the existing research gaps in the field of food security.

Dynamic connectedness and hedging opportunities of the commodity and stock markets in China: evidence from the TVP-VAR and cDCC-FIAPARCH

This study examines the dynamic connectedness and hedging opportunities between CSI300 (China Security Index 300) and copper, gold, PTA (purified terephthalic acid), and soybean in China from January 09, 2008, to June 30, 2023. A TVP-VAR and cDCC-FIAPARCH modeling framework was used for the empirical investigation. The results show that the total connectedness index can effectively capture cross-asset information transmission in China’s financial markets. Copper returns are the dominant volatility transmitters, while CSI300, gold, and soybean returns are net recipients. The Russian–Ukraine war reinforced the safe-haven role of gold. Finally, investors with CSI300 long positions may benefit from prioritizing gold for hedging, while those with CSI300 short positions profit more from allocating gold to PTA. Portfolio managers and investors can use the findings to track the dynamics of systemic risk and adjust their long/short positions when investing in China's stock and commodity markets.

A study of the impact of digital financial inclusion on multidimensional food security in China

With frequent occurrences of global public events, the prices of national grains continue to soar. As one of the countries with the largest populations globally, China has always regarded food security as a fundamental cornerstone of its development. However, with the continuous emergence of factors such as urbanization, scarcity of land resources, and climate change, China’s food security faces unprecedented challenges. Hence, this study empirically examines the impact of digital inclusive finance on multi-dimensional food security based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2011–2020. The research found that China’s multi-dimensional food security level from 2011–2020 showed a stable yet rising trend, with the spatial pattern of each location generally consistent with the overall trend. The Theil index for China’s multi-dimensional food security showed an upward trend from 2011–2020. Digital inclusive finance can promote multi-dimensional food security. The breadth of coverage and depth of use of digital inclusive finance have a significant promoting effect on safeguarding multi-dimensional food security, while the degree of digitization has not played a promoting role. Digital inclusive finance mainly ensures multi-dimensional food security through two pathways: promoting urbanization levels and enhancing marketization levels.

Virtual land trade and associated risks to food security in China

International trade can help alleviate the scarcity of arable land by importing agricultural and food products. In the context of climate change and socioeconomic development, the patterns in economic and resource flow embodied in the global food trade may be subject to further changes that present risks for economies with scarce land resources, such as China. These conditions exacerbate ongoing food security challenges, yet have so far not been well understood. Here, we combined the environmentally extended multiregional input-output (EE-MRIO) model, Geopolitical Supply Risk (GeoPolRisk) method, and scenario analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of global, virtual land trade patterns caused by China's food consumption and associated virtual land supply risk faced by China. Our results show that, from 1995 to 2015, China has experienced increasing GeoPolRisk of virtual land supply related to food consumption, roughly fivefold, mainly due to growth in total virtual land consumption and changes in trade structure. From 1995 to 2015, total food consumption-related virtual land in China has increased by approximately 35.1%, and the share of foreign land has increased from 6.3% to 43.3%, with the largest land sources shifting from low-income regions (such as Asia and Africa) to more industrialized regions (such as the United States and Australia). Meanwhile, socioeconomic development and dietary changes are the main antecedents to total virtual land consumption, potentially affecting GeoPolRisk. Our results suggest the need for urgent adjustments for a balanced distribution of virtual land sources and to promote healthy dietary transitions and improve agricultural productivity in the future. Our study offers significant information that can guide potential solutions to the sustainable use of land resources and reduce the GeoPolRisk of virtual land trade for decision-makers, thereby facilitating food security.

Emotional inhibition mediates the relationship between maternal postpartum security and pregnancy distress in China: A cross-sectional study.

Pregnancy and childbirth bring not only joy but also a concomitant sense of insecurity, which may adversely affect health, role adaptation, and relationships. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for postpartum mothers' sense of security. This cross-sectional study used questionnaires on Parents' Postnatal Sense of Security, Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale, and the Emotional Inhibition Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to calculate the mediating effect. The mean postnatal maternal security value was 44.77 ± 9.02. Multiple regression analyses revealed that several factors, including companionship of the partner during pregnancy, number of prenatal visits accompanied by the partner, complications during pregnancy, pregnancy distress, and emotional inhibition, independently predicted maternal security. Moreover, our structural equation model revealed that emotional inhibition significantly influenced maternal postpartum security directly (β = -0.30, P < 0.001). In addition, pregnancy distress affected maternal security directly (β = -0.45, P < 0.001) and indirectly (β = -0.129, P < 0.001) through emotional inhibition. This study indicated a lower level of postpartum maternal sense of security. Emotional inhibition partially mediates the relationship between postpartum maternal sense of security and pregnancy distress. Therefore, health care professionals providing guidance to pregnant and postpartum women on proper emotional regulation and early identification of pregnancy distress may be more effective in enhancing their postpartum sense of security.

Soybean maize strip intercropping: A solution for maintaining food security in China

The practice of intercropping leguminous and gramineous crops is used for promoting sustainable agriculture, optimizing resource utilization, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing reliance on petroleum products. However, promoting conventional intercropping strategies in modern agriculture can prove challenging. The innovative technology of soybean maize strip intercropping (SMSI) has been proposed as a solution. This system has produced remarkable results in improving domestic soybean and maize production for both food security and sustainable agriculture. In this article, we provide an overview of SMSI and explain how it differs from traditional intercropping. We also discuss the core principles that foster higher yields and the prospects for its future development.

The Impact of Japan’s Discharge of Nuclear-Contaminated Water on Aquaculture Production, Trade, and Food Security in China and Japan

The aquaculture and fisheries sectors play critical roles in promoting a global nutritious and climate-friendly food system. The Japanese government started implementing the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water (NCW) into the Pacific Ocean in August 2023, which was followed by stopping the import of seafood from Japan to ensure the safety of imported food for Chinese citizens. The discharge of NCW into the ocean by Japan will directly harm the marine ecological environment and the global ecosystem due to the importance of China as the largest producer, processor, and exporter of aquatic products (APs). This paper employs the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model to simulate the future impacts of discharging the NCW under three different scenarios. The results showed that discharging NCW will lead to a global decline in AP production and also has negative repercussions on the macroeconomic landscape. Japan will face the most significant negative impact on its national macroeconomy, e.g., Japan’s GDP, total imports, total exports, household income, and social welfare will decrease by 2.18%, 3.84%, 8.30%, 2.61%, and $130.07 billion; similarly, for China, the decrease will be 0.03%, 1.21%, 0.08%, and $728.15 billion, respectively. If China’s AP consumption decreases by 10% and 20%, it will result in protein deficits of 1.536 million tons and 3.132 million tons, respectively. Japan’s deficit will reach 138,000 tons and 276,000 tons. This necessitates supplementation via the consumption of other protein-rich foods, posing a significant threat to the nutritional security of food in both China and Japan.

The influencing factors of residents’ willingness to pay in marine ecological restoration: The integration of the theory of planned behavior and social capital theory

Public participation in marine ecological restoration is of great significance to marine environmental protection and ecological security in China. Based on the contingent valuation method, this paper evaluates residents’ preference for marine ecological restoration, and shows that residents show the strongest preference for the increase in the number of intertidal organisms, followed by the improvement in coastal environment and seawater quality. The mean willingness to pay (WTP) for a large improvement in marine environment is predicted and is 108.96 CNY/a. Additionally, a comprehensive framework, which integrates social capital theory and the theory of planned behavior, is constructed to explore the influencing factors of residents’ WTP from the social and psychological levels. The results suggest that behavioral attitude, perceived behavioral control, and social network show a significantly direct impact on residents’ WTP. Furthermore, a mechanism is constructed from pushing power and pulling power to effectively promote public participation. This paper reveals public’s preference for marine ecological restoration and its formation mechanism, which can provide theoretical basis and empirical reference for promoting the public participation in marine ecological restoration.

Analysis of Abnormal Phenomena in China Securities Market Based on Behavioral Finance

Compared with western mature markets, China securities market started late and has some obvious deficiencies, which leads to traders, especially individual investors, easy to make irrational investment decisions which cannot be explained by traditional finance. Based on the relevant facts and references, this paper believes that there are overtrade and exceptional open-style fund redemption in the fund market, dramatic fluctuation, and Irrational reaction in the stock market. The main reasons based on behavioral finance are: noise trading, herd behavior, prospect theory and disposal effect and overreaction. Finding out the typical anomalies and reasons of the two markets is conducive to study how to improve the efficiency and stability of China security market. This paper innovatively puts forward the background reasons and gives three suggestions in the conclusion: imitating trading, avoiding duplication of decision-making, and increasing the development of financial derivatives, which also has a certain reference significance for the improvement of policies and systems.

Exploring China's water scarcity incorporating surface water quality and multiple existing solutions

Water scarcity has threatened the sustainability of human life, ecosystem evolution, and socio-economic development. However, previous studies have often lacked a comprehensive consideration of the impact of water quality and existing solutions, such as inter-basin water transfer and unconventional water resources, on water scarcity. In this paper, an improved approach was proposed to quantify water scarcity levels by comprehensively considering surface water quality and multiple solutions. China's water scarcity was first assessed at a high spatial resolution on a monthly basis over the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018. Then, the driving factors including water quality and solutions were identified by a geographic detector model. Finally, an in-depth investigation was conducted to unravel the effects of water quantity solutions (i.e., inter-basin water transfer and unconventional water use), and water quality solutions (i.e., improving surface water quality) on alleviating water scarcity. Based on monthly assessments considering water quality and multiple existing solutions, the results showed that over half of the national population (∼777 million) faced water scarcity for at least one month of the year. Agricultural water use and inadequate water quality were the main driving factors responsible for China's water scarcity. Over four-fifths of the national population (∼1.10 billion) could benefit from alleviated water scarcity through a combination of water quantity and quality solutions. However, the existing solutions considered were insufficient to completely resolve water scarcity in China, especially in Northern China, persisting as a challenging issue. The results obtained from this study provided a better understanding of China's water scarcity, which could contribute to guiding future efforts aimed at alleviating water scarcity and ensuring water security in China.