Level In China Research Articles

Resilience analysis of cities' air accessibility under disruptions

Air transportation stands as an indispensable pillar of a city's economy. An effective and reliable air transport service plays an important role for the prosperity of a city. Moreover, in many cases, a city has multiple airports within its catchment area and the collaborative relationships under disruptions between these airport services have often been overlooked in prior studies. To bridge this gap, this paper firstly introduces the concept of “instant air accessibility” for a city and develops a resilience metric aimed at quantifying the impact of airport disruptions on a city's air accessibility, taking into account the perspective of a multi-airport system. We apply the metrics to a network with 48 cities at or above the second-tier level in China. Results of the air accessibility analysis show that some relatively small cities have high accessibility that are comparable to megacities in China, but some provincial capital cities have low accessibilities, although they maintain superior political and economic status among the cities. Most of the cities' accessibility are vulnerable to targeted disruptions. Additionally, we identify critical airports that wield significant influence over the overall accessibility performance of the entire network. The findings from this study offer valuable insights for the management of air transport resources and the enhancement of the resilience of cities' air accessibility.

How industrial robots affect labor income share in task model: Evidence from Chinese A-share listed companies

This paper analyses the impact of the use of industrial robots on labor income shares at both the theoretical and empirical levels. On the theoretical side, the role of induced technological progress, the creation of new tasks, and the penetration of industrial robots on labor income shares are systematically explored by incorporating industrial robots into task models and endogenizing the task induced technological progress. Empirically, industrial robot penetration at the regional level in China is constructed from the industrial robots data released by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), which is matched with Chinese A-share listed companies in 2011–2019, and the causal strategy of Bartik-style instrumental variables is used to analyze the impact of the penetration of industrial robots and task induced technological progress on the share of labor income. The study shows that the penetration of industrial robots significantly increases the share of labor income, but the task induced technological progress reduces the share of labor income, and that the impact of the penetration of industrial robots varies significantly external financing dependence, ownership, and regions. From the perspective of the impact mechanism, robot penetration increase the levels of inputs complementarity and hence reduce the elasticity of substitution between robots and labor. Meanwhile, robots can effectively increase the wage level of the labor force, thus increasing the labor income share. The findings of this paper provide a decision-making reference for how industrial robots can better serve human beings in the new era so that workers can share the fruits of economic development.

EFL Teachers’ Motivation of Professional Development at the University Level in China

The motivation of instructors has been found to have a significant impact on students' enthusiasm to learn a second language, but less attention has been paid to the motivation of English Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, especially in the Chinese environment where English plays a significant role. In order to lay the groundwork for the formulation of suggestions on how to increase teacher motivation and consequently boost the standard of instruction and student performance, this study explores the motivation of English instructors at the university level in China. 203 native Chinese EFL instructors who are currently employed at institutions in China’s mainland participated in the study. The motivation of EFL instructors for selecting a profession in teaching and the elements influencing that motivation was investigated using a quantitative approach design. For the purpose of evaluating the level of English writing skills of EFL instructors, a survey with close-ended questions that was founded on theories of motivation and modified from earlier research was utilized as the instrument. Then proportion, frequency, mean, and statistic tests were used to analyze the survey data. The findings indicate that the EFL instructors had a variety of motivations for deciding to work as teachers, with intrinsic motivation being the primary driver, followed by altruistic motivations like wanting to support English education in their own countries. The findings also showed that a variety of factors, such as positive student feedback, personal happiness, and a solid wage, had an impact on the motivation of EFL teachers. Demotivating variables were discovered to be extrinsic, such as poor pay and few other sources of money, uncomfortable working circumstances, and students' unfavorable attitudes.

How does business credit environment affect exports performance of small and medium-sized enterprises: Evidence in China

This paper uses matched data from the CSMAR database and the China City Statistical Yearbook through a fixed effects model to examine the impact of business credit environment on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exports at the city level in China. Considering the possible endogenous problems, this paper chooses the number of scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties as the instrumental variable of urban commercial credit environment. The empirical results show that: Firstly, the improvement of urban business credit environment has a significant contribution to the export growth of enterprises; Secondly, the mechanism of the role of urban business credit environment on SMEs exports is mainly expressed through promoting R&D investment and enhancing market dynamics; Thirdly, the business credit environment is more obvious to state-owned enterprises, eastern regions and cities with less trade freedom. With the development of urban business credit environment, individuals or companies join the competition in the industry through new start-ups to stimulate corporate exports, and existing SMEs promote corporate exports through local preferential policies, increased investment in R&D, and optimized innovation policies as well as resource allocation.

Regional differences, dynamic evolution and trend prediction of green manufacturing development levels in China

Green manufacturing has become a necessary way to promote new industrialization and realize the high-quality development of China’s manufacturing industry. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2022, this paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for the green manufacturing development level and introduces the TOPSIS- Gray correlation method to comprehensively measure the green manufacturing development level of China as a whole and the four major regions in the eastern, central, western, and northeastern parts of the country. The regional differences, distribution dynamics and evolutionary trends of China's green manufacturing development level are also explored with the help of the Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation and Markov chain methods. Research Findings: (1) The green manufacturing development level in China is on an upward trend, with an overall spatial distribution pattern of “East is superior and West is inferior”. (2) There are regional differences in the green manufacturing development level in China, and the differences are widening, with interregional differences being the main reason for this overall difference. (3) The country as a whole, the central region and the western region are polarized to varying degrees, with the rest of the country showing an improvement in polarization. (4) Without considering spatial factors, the development of green manufacturing in each province experiences “club convergence” in the short term, and it is difficult to realize rapid development. Considering spatial factors, China's green manufacturing development level is generally characterized by “elevated in proximity to high levels and suppressed in proximity to low levels”, and in the long run, it shows a distribution trend toward the concentration of high values. The findings of this study can provide new ideas for promoting synergistic efficient development of green manufacturing in China.

Evaluation of the Development Level of Green Transportation in National Central Cities

Green transportation is the core embodiment of ecological civilization and the concept of green development within the field of transportation, and it is an important strategic choice for sustainable urban development. National central cities represent the highest level in China’s urban system planning. This paper aims to evaluate the level of green transportation development in national central cities. It established a set of 29 specific evaluation indicators from five dimensions: basic indicators, green transportation infrastructure, traffic environmental protection, traffic travel, and traffic safety. It constructed an evaluation index system for the development level of green transportation. The entropy weight TOPSIS method was utilized to evaluate the development levels of green transportation in nine national central cities from 2020 to 2022. An obstacle degree model was constructed to identify key obstacle factors at both the criterion and indicator layers of the green transportation development level evaluation index system for national central cities. Suggestions were proposed from five aspects: establishing a comprehensive policy framework, promoting regional collaborative development, accelerating infrastructure construction, improving transportation service quality, and fostering the green upgrading of industries. The results showed that the comprehensive ranking of green transportation development levels among the national central cities from high to low for the years 2020–2022 was as follows: Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi’an, Zhengzhou. In terms of the regional spatial layout, the green transportation development levels of the nine national central cities generally exhibited a “high on the periphery, low in the center” distribution characteristic. The comprehensive ranking of the obstacle degree in the criterion layer was as follows: basic indicators, traffic travel, green transportation infrastructure, traffic environmental protection, traffic safety. After screening the criteria level where the obstacle degree calculation results are above 15%, traffic safety is eliminated. The nine cities, which were located in different regions, generally maintained consistent internal obstacle factors and their order. The top five indicators with the highest frequency of obstacle degrees at the indicator layer were as follows: total passenger transport volume, number of taxis, new energy vehicle production, expenditure for transportation, and total freight transport volume. The specific key obstacle factors at the indicator level were different in the nine cities.

Analysis of carbon peak achievement at the provincial level in China: Construction of ensemble prediction models and Monte Carlo simulation

As China advances toward its carbon peaking goals, many regions face the challenge of balancing rapid economic growth with sustainable development. Evaluating carbon emissions at the provincial level is crucial for formulating effective strategies to achieve China's carbon peak targets. This study aims to construct an accurate model for predicting carbon emissions and to explore the evolution of these emissions across Chinese provinces, as well as their contributions to national carbon peak targets. Using the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory, the 30 provinces were categorized into groups. An ensemble carbon emissions forecasting model was developed by integrating time-series models with multifactor models. Three scenarios were established within the framework of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Monte Carlo simulations were employed to explore potential pathways to achieve carbon peaks. The results indicate that China will reach its carbon emission peak between 2030 and 2031, with peak values expected to range between 11,499.65 and 11,629.51 Mt. Significant differences were observed among the provincial groups in their contributions to carbon peaking. Groups II and III are projected to peak in 2030 and 2022, respectively, while Groups I and IV face greater challenges, with peak years projected between 2032–2035 and 2031–2034, respectively. Four tiers with different emission reduction responsibilities were identified by comparing the peak times of the 30 provinces under the three scenarios, and optimal recommendations for achieving carbon peaks were proposed for each province. The accurate prediction models and Monte Carlo simulations provide reliable results for achieving carbon peak targets across Chinese provinces, offering a scientific basis for optimizing national carbon emission reduction policies.

China's progress in synergetic governance of climate change and multiple environmental issues.

Advancing the synergetic control of climate change and environmental crisis is crucial for achieving global sustainable development goals. This study evaluates synergetic governance levels over climate change and four environmental issues at the provincial level in China from 2009 to 2020. Our findings reveal significant progress in China's coordinated efforts to mitigate carbon emissions, reduce air pollutants, and conserve water resources. However, there remains room for improvement in managing solid waste and protecting ecological systems and overall progress in synergetic governance has slowed since 2015. Employing a random forest model, we identify socio-economic factors with great influence on synergetic climate change and environmental governance, such as energy intensity, service sector development, electronic equipment manufacturing, and transportation. Additionally, we reveal nonlinear relationships between some factors and performance of environmental subsystems, including both plateau effects (e.g. output in the smelting of ferrous metals) and U-shaped patterns (e.g. output in the manufacturing of metal products), possibly attributed to constraints in end-of-pipe treatment capacities and complexities in supply chain networks. Furthermore, through hierarchical clustering analysis, we classify provinces into four groups and provide tailored recommendations for policymakers to enhance synergetic governance levels in their respective regions. The framework established in this study also serves as a valuable reference for countries seeking to develop practical and context-specific solutions to mitigate climate and environmental risks.

The reinvention of “locality”: Imagining the local society with local media

In this essay, we draw on the history of internet-based local media at the county level in China to investigate the social implications of the internet for the local society. We take a “formative” approach and analyze the social processes of the reinvention of “locality” from the spatial, economic, and political aspects. We view “locality” not only as the assemblage of different places but also as a theoretical scaffolding that can stimulate a refreshed imagination of geography and media. The scales are reinvented, or redefined, by the digital fabrics of these social platforms which align geographical scales for content producers, including grassroots and official stakeholders. “Locality” is reimagined with internet-based local media. By discussing what is considered as “locality” in the spatial, economic, and political senses from a social perspective, we have explored the mutual shaping of internet-based media practices and the physical world. The social implications of the internet manifest themselves profoundly in the reinvention of “locality.”

Vertical fiscal imbalances, environmental regulations and resource allocation — in the Chinese context

ABSTRACT Vertical fiscal imbalances (VFI) in China have created significant challenges for resource allocation and environmental governance. This study investigates the impact of VFI on resource allocation in Chinese cities. Results show that VFI intensifies resource misallocation, particularly at the provincial compared to the municipal level. And VFI influences resource allocation via informal and formal environmental regulations, with public and administrative regulations mitigating effects, while supervisory regulations exacerbate them. The negative impact of VFI is especially pronounced in declining cities, non-industrial hubs, and regions with severe resource misallocation. Additionally, VFI and resource misallocation demonstrate negative spatial spillover effects. Our findings provide valuable insights into the influence of VFI across different administrative levels in China, highlighting the need for policy reforms to address these fiscal disparities.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Digital Economy Development Level in China Based on the TOPSIS Method

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Digital Economy Development Level in China Based on the TOPSIS Method

Spatial and temporal evolution of forestry ecological security level in China

Spatial and temporal evolution of forestry ecological security level in China

Research on the Content Validity of the English Reading Test in Harbin Senior High School Entrance Examination

The Academic Test for the Junior High School Students, as a kind of academic level examination, plays a crucial role in the selection and streaming of talents at the secondary school level in China. Reading is an essential skill that language learners need to master, and it has a large proportion in the English test of the High School Entrance Examination (HSEE). Therefore, studying the validity of English Reading Test in the HSEE can not only provide the examiner of the HSEE with data references for judging the validity of the reading test, but also provide references for English teachers to innovate teaching methods, as well as cultivating the students' English reading strategies and achieving the overall improvement of the reading ability. Focusing on English Reading Test in Harbin HSEE (2019-2023), this research selects the framework of test characteristics proposed by Bachman and Palmer and analyzes discourse input and expected response to explore the content validity by using textual, quantitative and comparative analyses. The results show that English Reading Test in Harbin HSEE (2019-2023) has a certain degree of content validity and basically meet the requirements of the exam syllabus, but problems still exist. The presentation form of the test text is monotonous, the difficulty gradient is unreasonable and the assessment of reading skills is insufficient.

Cumulative characteristics and ecological risk source analysis of soil potentially toxic elements in the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.

To understand the soil toxic and hazardous elements content, pollution level, and ecological risk status in the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, we collected and analyzed 8273 sets of surface soil samples. Evaluations were conducted using the single-factor pollution index, geo-accumulation, pollution load, and potential ecological risk indices, and source identification correlation and principal component analysis. The results revealed that, compared with the background levels in China, the accumulation of soil arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and chromium was greater in the surface soil of the study area. Additionally, in comparison with Qinghai Province, more mercury accumulated in the surface soil of the study area and owing to the influence of anthropogenic activities. Benchmarking against soil environmental quality standards, the study area exhibited pollution control zones primarily dominated by arsenic and cadmium (3.9%). The spatial distribution revealed distinct zones: a ridge mountain type characterized by arsenic-cadmium-chromium-nickel, a Daban mountain type with solely cadmium presence, and a Longyangxia-Jianzha South type dominated by arsenic. Compared with the Qinghai Province soil background values, evaluations using the Pollution loading index, Geological Cumulative Index, and Potential Ecological Risk Index methods revealed varying degrees of potentially toxic element content exceedance. From an ecological risk perspective, the individual element with the highest potential ecological risk coefficients were mercury, followed by cadmium and arsenic; however, the region's overall ecological risk index was classified as low. Three distinct sources were identified: natural sources leading to high background levels of chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, and mercury; mixed natural and industrial/agricultural sources contributing to elevated cadmium levels; and human activity-related mercury enrichment. Based on the evaluation results, synergistic monitoring of soil and biota in naturally occurring risk zones is recommended to ensure the safety of agricultural and pastoral products. Additionally, ecological impact assessments and pollution source mitigation studies should be conducted in regions influenced by human activities to curb the further degradation of soil ecological quality.

Advancing effective energy transition: The effects and mechanisms of China's dual-pilot energy policies

Quantifying energy transition (ET) and evaluating energy policies are crucial for global sustainable development. This study measures the energy transition index (ET−CCD) at the prefecture-level city level in China and evaluates the synergistic effects of the dual-pilot energy policy of New Energy Demonstration City (NEDC) and Low Carbon City Pilot (LCCP) based on the energy trilemma (ETR) of coordinated development in terms of security (ES), justice (EJ) and sustainability (ESU). The results show that the overall ET−CCD is increasing, with the eastern and central regions leading, the western region growing significantly, and the northeast fluctuating upward, indicating regional disparities. Compared to single policies, the dual-pilot energy policies have a more significant promoting effect on energy transition, especially in eastern, western, non-central cities, resource-based cities, and cities with high carbon emission reduction potential. Mechanism analysis reveals that the dual-pilot energy policies significantly promote ES and EJ , but have a negative impact on ESU in the short-term. Improvements in ES, EJ and ESU all significantly promote energy transition, with ES serving as a complete mediator, while EJ and ESU serving as partial mediators. Additionally, the findings remain stable in robustness tests and provide data support for a flexible mix of policy instruments to facilitate energy transition.

China clinical practice guideline for stage Ⅳ primary lung cancer (2024 edition)

Primary lung cancer (abbreviated as lung cancer) stands as the most prevalent malignant disease and the leading cause of cancer-related death in China, with an estimated 106.06×104 incident cases and 73.33×104 deaths in 2022. Due to the absence of effective early screening methods, most patients with lung cancer in China are in stage Ⅳ when diagnosed. Multi-disciplinary treatment based on systemic therapy is the treatment principle for patients with stage Ⅳ lung cancer. Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone, but its effectiveness is still unsatisfactory. In recent years, with the rapid development of molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the treatment concept for stage Ⅳ lung cancer has been continually evolving, leading to significant improvements in patient treatment outcomes. To ensure timely updates on the global progress in the treatment of stage Ⅳ lung cancer and further improve the level of standardized diagnosis and treatment of stage Ⅳ lung cancer in China, Medical Oncology Branch of China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care and Chinese Association for Clinical Oncologists organized experts to compile "China clinical practice guideline for stage Ⅳ primary lung cancer (2024 edition)". This guideline systematically and comprehensively updates epidemiological data, TNM staging, new drugs, treatment regimens, and new indications approved by China National Medical Products Administration before June 30, 2024, etc. Based on the " Clinical practice guideline for stage Ⅳ primary lung cancer in China(2021 version)" and the " Clinical practice guideline for stage Ⅳ lung cancer in China (2023 edition)." This guideline incorporates recommendation levels for therapeutic drugs and treatment flowcharts for stage Ⅳ lung cancer. The guideline covers common clinical issues and corresponding guidance in the diagnosis and treatment process of stage Ⅳ lung cancer. The guideline aims to guide the clinical practice of stage Ⅳ lung cancer, comprehensively improve the standardized diagnosis and treatment level in China, prolong the survival time of patients with stage Ⅳ lung cancer, and improve patients' quality of life.

Spatial-Temporal Coupling Coordination Relationship between Urban Green Infrastructure Construction and Economic Development in China

Urban green infrastructure construction and economic growth are necessary ways and important supports to promote sustainable development. Exploring their coupling coordination relationship is important for achieving high-quality economic development. This study uses the entropy method, coupling coordination degree, kernel density estimation, the Dagum Gini coefficient, and spatial autocorrelation to explore the spatial-temporal pattern characteristics and coupling coordination relationship between green infrastructure construction and economic development for 273 cities in Chinese mainland in 2010–2020. The results show that the level of China’s green infrastructure construction and economic development gradually increased during 2010–2020. There were significant regional differences in space, exhibiting a decreasing spatial pattern from east to west. The coupling coordination degree was constantly improving. The overall Gini coefficient shows an upward trend. Among the four regions, eastern China has the greatest intraregional variation. The uneven level of coupled coordination is mainly from interregional variation. There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation relationship, and cities that had a higher degree of coupling coordination tended to agglomeration development. Meanwhile, it also had certain spatial heterogeneity. China’s entire level of coupling coordination degree still has much room for improvement. The study is of great significance in reducing disparities between regions and strengthening regional spatial coordination development.

Can the Digital Economy Promote Sustainable Improvement in the Quality of Employment for Chinese Residents?—Moderated Mediation Effect Test Based on Innovation Environments

Employment significantly impacts the national economy and people’s livelihoods and affects millions of households. How to effectively and sustainably improve the quality of employment for the population has thus become a key issue facing China at present. In recent years, under the strategic background of “Digital China” and “Employment Priority”, the digital economy has brought about profound changes in the efficiency, dynamics, and distribution of social production. It affects the quality of employment by creating jobs, reshaping employment patterns, and improving labor quality, but its impact and transmission path are still unclear. This research employs a multi-dimensional evaluation approach to score the digital economy and employment quality at the provincial level in China, utilizing data from the country’s provincial panels between 2012 and 2022, and examines the feasibility and effect pathways of the digital economy in promoting sustainable improvement in the quality of residential employment. The empirical results provide ample evidence of the significant role played by the digital economy in the sustainable improvement of the employment quality of the inhabitants. Regions with more robust innovation environments tend to benefit more from this impact, and there are discernible regional variations in the impact. The upgrading of industrial structure mediates this process, and the influencing mechanism is regulated by the innovation environment—that is, the innovation environment exerts a facilitating influence on the process of industrial restructuring. The findings herein offer novel insights into the intrinsic mechanism of the digital economy in promoting sustainable improvement in the quality of residential employment.

Global estimates of ambient NO2 concentrations and long-term health effects during 2000–2019

High concentrations of ambient NO2 causes serious air pollution and could also pose great threats to human health. However, the long-term trends (20-year) and potential health effects of ambient NO2 exposure globally still shows high uncertainties. In this work, the field measurements, satellite dataset, GEOS-Chem output, and multiple geographical covariates were incorporated into the multi-stage model to investigate the global evolutions of ambient NO2 during 2000–2019. The results indicated that the cross-validation (CV) R2 values of ambient NO2 based on multi-stage model displayed satisfied performance (R2 = 0.78), which was superior to the individual model. Besides, the out-of-bag R2 was 0.75, which suggested the multi-stage model showed the better transferability. At the spatial scale, the NO2 concentrations followed the order of China (16.9 ± 9.0 μg/m3) > India (15.5 ± 5.6 μg/m3) > United States (10.7 ± 5.6 μg/m3) > Europe (7.7 ± 4.5 μg/m3), which was in consistent with the anthropogenic NOx emission. At the temporal scale, the ambient NO2 levels in China experienced persistent increases (0.29 μg/m3/year) during 2000–2013, whereas they showed slight decreases (−0.23 μg/m3/year) during 2013–2019. The ambient NO2 levels in the United States experienced continuous decreases during 2000–2019 (−0.20 μg/m3/year), while both of India and Europe remained relatively stable. Long-term NO2 exposure inevitably increased premature mortalities. The global premature all-cause mortalities associated with the excessive NO2 exposure increased from 288,169 (95% CI: 43,650, 527,971) to 461,301 (95% CI: 69,973, 843,996) in the past 20 years. This study would provide sufficient policy support for future ambient NO2 mitigation.

Examining the determinants of food waste behavior in China at the consumer level

Food loss and waste are global problems for food security, as one-third of all food produced globally does not reach the consumer’s table. These numbers seem unreasonable when the data presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2021 accounts for more than 800 million undernourished people and about 2.3 billion without access to adequate food throughout the year. This study examines the determinants of food waste behavior at the consumer level in China, the most populous country in the world. The survey used data from 3,857 online questionnaires of families living in selected Chinese metropolitan areas across all provinces. The research methodology used an ordered multinomial logit model to estimate the impact of the explanatory variables on the frequency and amount of household food waste. The results showed that food waste increased with income, age, and education but at a decreasing rate. Additionally, the demographic characteristics of households, food planning, and meal preparation had a statistically significant influence on food waste. The findings of this study, therefore, provide evidence that household food waste is highly dependent on people's behavior, and its reduction may depend on public policies and educational campaigns to make families aware of the problem.