Majority Of China Research Articles

Human activities increased compound drought and heat events over China during 1961–2014

AbstractCompared to independent drought or extreme heat events, compound drought and heat events (CDHEs) can pose more adverse impacts on ecosystems and human society. As the anthropogenic influence on CDHEs in China remains largely unquantified, we analyse both observed and simulated changes in the occurrence of CDHEs over China from 1961 to 2014, and perform detection and attribution analyses utilizing an optimal fingerprinting method, based on observations, reanalysis data and numerical experiments from seven Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models. Upward trends are found in observed CDHEs during 1961–2014 over the majority of China, especially in the last two decades. The increase in CDHEs is largely attributed to human influence. Anthropogenic forcing is detectable in the observed CDHEs changes in the whole China and its eastern region. Furthermore, a three‐signal analysis indicates that greenhouse gases play a key role in increasing CDHEs over China, while natural forcing has a negligible effect. Anthropogenic aerosol emissions also play a detectable role in offsetting the greenhouse gas‐induced increase of CDHEs over China.

Spatiotemporal trajectory of energy efficiency in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and implications on the route of economic transformation.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has attracted attention for its extraordinary pace of economic development and is considered to be leading the way in China's transformation from a manufacturing to an innovation cluster. However, due to rapid economic expansion and rapid urbanization, the Great Bay Area still struggles with low energy efficiency and environmental degradation, which has slowed down the pace of development. Therefore, in order to alleviate energy pressure, promote the country's sustainable development and gain a competitive advantage in the global market, researching energy efficiency and improving energy utilization efficiency is crucial. In this study, macro-level energy efficiency indicators are constructed using energy consumption data from various cities in the Greater Bay Area for the period from 2000 to 2020, and the spatio-temporal evolution of energy efficiency is analysed. The results show that all cities in the Greater Bay Area experienced an increasing trend in energy efficiency from 2000 to 2019, with significant variation in growth rates and magnitudes between cities. Compared to the nine cities in Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao exhibited significantly superior energy efficiency, with Foshan recording the highest growth rate of 14%. In 2020, most cities experienced a decline in energy efficiency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Macao experiencing the greatest decrease at 57%. Hong Kong and Macao are both in the "low consumption and high efficiency" target region, while Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai are consistently in the "both high" region. Changes in the industrial upgrading index correspond significantly with changes in energy efficiency trajectories, with the transition from primary to secondary and tertiary industries playing a more substantial role. There is no significant association found between the strength of environmental regulation and changes in energy efficiency. The study's findings indicate that the most effective way to achieve economic transformation in the majority of China's regions is to combine adequate environmental legislation with industrial structural adjustment.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and determinants of medical service efficiency in China

BackgroundMedical service efficiency is an important indicator for measuring the equity of medical services. Therefore, this study primarily focuses on investigating the spatiotemporal domain to explore both spatial and temporal characteristics, as well as influencing factors that affect medical service efficiency across diverse provinces in China.MethodsThe super Epsilon-based Measure (EBM) unexpected model has previously been utilized to quantify energy eco-efficiency, carbon emission efficiency, and green development efficiency. However, limited studies have applied this method to assess the efficiency of healthcare services. Therefore, this study investigates the application of the super-EBM-unexpected model in evaluating medical service efficiency, and further integrates spatial econometric models to explore the influencing factors of medical service efficiency and aims to identify potential avenues for improvement.ResultsThe average efficiency of medical services in the 31 provinces of China ranges from 0.6 to 0.7, indicating predominantly low efficiency values. However, economically developed coastal areas exhibit relatively high efficiency levels above 1. Conversely, regions with relatively lower levels of economic development demonstrate lower efficiency rates at approximately 0.3. Evidently, substantial regional disparities exist. For the influencing factors, the enhancement of residents' living standards can effectively foster the medical service efficiency, while residential living standards of nearby areas can also exert an impact in this region. The influence of educational attainment on medical service efficiency exhibits a significant inhibitory effect.ConclusionsThe majority of China's 31 provinces exhibit suboptimal medical service efficiency, with notable regional disparities. Future policy initiatives should be tailored to address the unique challenges faced by regions with lower levels of economic development, prioritizing enhancements in both the efficacy and quality of their healthcare systems.

Research on the Redesign of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Based on Sustainable Livelihood—The Case of Luanzhou Shadow Play Empowering Its Rural Development

The majority of China’s intangible cultural heritage is rooted in rural areas, and the integration of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) with rural resources has potential for sustainable development. This study develops a theory of sustainable livelihoods for ICH rural areas, employing design intervention strategies to strengthen core capital, thereby promoting the protection of ICH and the sustainable development of rural areas. Through a case study of China’s ICH, specifically Luanzhou shadow play, this study focuses on core livelihoods capital: design capital and cultural capital. The key elements of the two were analyzed through the use of interviews and questionnaires. The Luanzhou shadow play was redesigned for cultural and creative products and digital application innovation. This approach effectively meets the needs of the target groups and meets the requirements of rural revitalization and ICH, thereby enhancing the adaptability and resilience of rural areas. This study offers a new development path for the heritage of Luanzhou shadow play and local rural areas while also providing a reference for the differentiated development of other non-legacy rural areas.

An Analytical Model Coupled with Orthogonal Experimental Design Is Used to Analyze the Main Controlling Factors of Multi-Layer Commingled Gas Reservoirs

The majority of China’s multi-layer low permeability tight gas reservoirs are currently being extracted through the method of multi-layer co-production. However, due to the significant disparity in physical properties and varying degrees of pressure depletion among the production layers, elucidating the primary factors influencing the productivity contribution of each gas layer remains challenging. A multi-factor analytical model is proposed for commingled gas wells with multiple layers. An unstable model is established for the production of commingled layers, and the problem of flow distribution is addressed using the Duhamel convolution principle. The Laplace transform is subsequently employed to derive the solution in the Laplace domain, which can be inverted utilizing the Stehfest inversion algorithm to obtain a real-time domain solution. The influence of reservoir factors on the stratification contribution rate has been comprehensively analyzed, encompassing permeability, porosity, initial pressure, drainage radius, and layer thickness. The orthogonal test design was employed to conduct range analysis and variance analysis separately, yielding the primary and secondary order as well as influence weight of the five factors. The findings demonstrate that, within this gas reservoir, the discharge radius, thickness, and porosity are identified as the primary factors influencing gas well productivity. Furthermore, seven horizontal flow charts illustrating the double-layer gas reservoir and five horizontal flow charts depicting single-factor variations in the double-layer gas reservoir were constructed. These charts provide a clear visualization of the impact of each reservoir factor on stratification’s contribution rate. In contrast to previous studies, this novel approach presents a comprehensive optimization framework that ranks the influence weights of individual factors and identifies the most significant factors impacting multi-layer gas reservoirs. The presented method also serves as a foundation for the subsequent selection of multi-layer gas reservoirs, formulation of gas well stimulation measures, and efficient development.

Drought characteristics and dominant factors across China: Insights from high-resolution daily SPEI dataset between 1979 and 2018

Drought, a complex phenomenon exacerbated by climate change, is influenced by various climate factors. The escalating global temperatures associated with climate change, impact precipitation patterns and water cycle processes, consequently intensifying the occurrence and severity of droughts. To effectively address and adapt to these challenges, it is crucial to identify the dominant climate factors driving drought events. In this study, we utilized the 1979–2018 Chinese meteorological forcing dataset to calculate the daily Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The Theil-Sen and Mann-Kendall (M-K) tests were employed to analyze the spatial and temporal trends of drought severity and duration. Additionally, partial correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between climate factors (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET)) and drought characteristic (drought severity and duration). Through this comprehensive analysis, we aimed to identify the primary factors influencing drought severity and duration. The findings revealed the following key results: (1) Over the 40-year period from 1979 to 2018, drought trends in China and its seven climate divisions exhibited an increasing pattern. (2) During drought periods, most regions exhibited a positive correlation between PET and drought severity and duration, while precipitation demonstrated a negative correlation. However, certain areas experiencing severe drought displayed a negative correlation between PET and drought severity and duration, precipitation demonstrated a positive correlation with drought severity and duration. (3) PET emerged as the dominant climatic factor for meteorological drought in the majority of China. These findings contribute valuable insights for policymakers in the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. By understanding the dominant climate factors driving drought events, policymakers can implement effective measures to mitigate the adverse socioeconomic and environmental impacts associated with climate change.

Tariff cost and cross-border M&A affiliate sales: Evidence from China

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is a major form of foreign direct investment (FDI). In contrast to many developed countries, the majority of China’s cross-border M&As are vertical rather than horizontal. I study the difference in the reaction to tariff of horizontal and vertical M&A subsidiary sales. The baseline OLS regressions show that as export tariff cost increases, cross-border M&A affiliate sales relative to export rises, and the effect mainly comes from vertical affiliates, especially in downstream subsidiaries. The main results are robust to the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood (PPML) regressions and an instrumental variable (IV) approach. A simple model is developed to reconcile the empirical findings when horizontal and vertical M&As co-exist in the same market and further tested at both the extensive and intensive margins. The results offer new insights to understanding the performance of M&As from developing economies.

Quantitative assessment of vegetation suitability in China based on carbon-water balance

Driven by climate change and ecological restoration, the contradiction between rising vegetation water consumption and declining terrestrial water availability becomes more apparent in non-humid regions in China, putting significant strain on the stability of water balance pattern. Thus, evaluating scientifically the suitability of plant coverage and types from the standpoint water balance is crucial to preserve or construct a relatively stable pattern of “carbon-water balance”, while which has not been investigated thoroughly. Here the study quantified the appropriate vegetation coverage of forest, shrubland and grassland, and identified unsuitable vegetation types over China in 2018 under 2 constraints of water balance (land-atmosphere water balance and terrestrial water storage stability). The findings revealed that, majority of China was across a stable state of "carbon-water balance" in 2018, but there was still a space to lower plant coverage in about 345,052 km2 (14.87%) of China with the declines mostly falling within 0.3, in 8.94% of which vegetation types were unsustainable; vegetation adjustment is advised to be prioritized in the locations (final hotspot regions, accounting for 7.43% of vegetation area of China) with water deficit, descending terrestrial water storage and the artificial vegetation areas. This study proposed a new quantitative assessment method for vegetation suitability aiming at “carbon-water balance” and provided scientific basis and practical value for maintaining the balance between the vegetation restoration and sustainable utilization of water resources.

Quantitative Analysis on NCDs Prevention and Control Policies Based on the Perspective of Policy Instruments - China, 1990-2020.

What is already known about this topic?Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health problem in the world. NCDs are the leading cause of premature deaths and disabilities among Chinese residents, resulting in heavy economic and health burdens.What is added by this report?This study conducted a quantitative analysis of the policy texts on NCDs prevention and control in China from 1990 to 2020, based on the perspective of policy instruments. It was discovered that China’s NCDs prevention and control policies developed rapidly from the ground up over the 30 years from 1990 to 2020 and that the majority of China’s NCDs prevention and control policies were environment-oriented, while supply-oriented and demand-oriented policies were insufficient.What are the implications for public health practice?The findings of this study suggested that increasing supply-oriented and demand-oriented strategies should be prioritized in the future formulation and revision of NCDs prevention and control policies.

A green expansion: China's role in the global deployment and transfer of solar photovoltaic technology

Chinese investment and technology will play an important role in meeting growing global demand for new low carbon energy infrastructure, and Chinese companies are increasingly looking outward for market development opportunities. This outward expansion is directly connected to larger trends within China to promote overseas investments, primarily through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Using an original dataset comprised of trade data and firm level data from primary source material and expert interviews, we examine the means by which Chinese companies are deploying solar energy technology abroad, and assess the potential of these activities to facilitate technology transfer to China's trading partners. We find that Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) firms are primarily engaging in downstream activities overseas, along with some manufacturing activities, and minimal upstream activities. We also find that there are opportunities for technology transfer within all segments of the solar value chain characterizing overseas activities. Therefore, even as the majority of China's solar activities abroad are in the downstream segments of solar product sales and project development, there are still opportunities for South-South transfer of solar photovoltaic technology within these activities. Chinese companies are reaching a broad consumer base in emerging and developed markets through the export of solar panels, manufacturing bases, and services, causing a shift in the traditional models of technology transfer flows. As China will continue play a large role in deploying solar technology abroad in the coming years, its partners must continue to engage with China to build a deeper and stronger capacity for sustainable development.

Динамика становления спортивного мастерства тяжелоатлетов Китая элитной группы

The paper considers the dynamics and pace of development of sportsmanship of China's strongest weightlifters of the elite group of different sexes by analyzing the age limits and characteristics of training at the main stages of long-term improvement. The age limits for the start of weightlifting classes for boys and girls in China, the age limits in which they became winners of the National Weightlifting Championships, the age limits for these athletes to be among the world leaders in weightlifting in their weight class, the age limits for achieving their best athletic performance in the training stages, and the age limits for ending their athletic careers. The terms of preservation of the highest achievements of Chinese weightlifters of different groups of weight categories and sex during their sports career are given. Results and discussion. The period of entry of Chinese male and female weightlifters into the group of world leaders after participating in national championships begins in men aged 22-23 (on average after 1-2 years), and among women aged 18-21, respectively (on average after 0.5-1 year). The age at which weightlifters of the elite group of different genders maintain high sports results and end their careers were studied. For men, it is in the groups of weight categories at 28-31 years, while for women, respectively, it is 2-3 years less, i.e. at 26-28 years, respectively. If we count the number of years during which weightlifters of different sexes of the elite group of China retain their athletic achievements, then they are: 17-18 years for men, and 15.5-16.5 years for women. The ratio of achievements in the snatch to the clean and jerk (within the amount of total) in weightlifters of the elite group of different groups of weight categories and sex is analyzed to determine the predominant focus of training at the stage of maximum realization of individual capabilities. It is established that the increase in competitive results of male weightlifters of the elite group of China is carried out mainly due to the growth of achievements in the exercise of speed snatch, and female weightlifters, respectively, due to the growth of achievements in strength training – the clean and jerk. The majority of China's elite male weightlifters (44.0%) reach the highest results for a sports career at the age of 20-23 years, and 35.0% of athletes reach them at the age of 24-27 years. The majority of elite athletes in China achieve the highest results at a younger age of 20-23 (60.0%) years, at the age of 16-19 years (27.0%). Conclusion. Different age limits and rates of development of sportsmanship in men and women of China's elite group involves the choice of different approaches to modeling and control of the main characteristics of training at the main stages of long-term improvement

Do the performance and efficiency of China's carbon emission trading market change over time?

Whether or not China can succeed at the forefront of international development in the coming decades will largely hinge on its ability to adapt to low-carbon economic development and its efforts to promote the Unified National Emission Trading System (UNETS). To understand the evolution of China's carbon market, this paper firstly divides the development of China's regional carbon markets into three phases: pilot construction (phase 1, before 31 May 2015), preparation for the UNETS (phase 2, 1 June 2015-19 December 2017), and formal construction of the UNETS (phase 3, 20 December 2017-present). Then this research reviews the trading performance and employs four robust variance ratio (VR) tests to capture structural changes and examine the efficiency of China's eight regional carbon markets in different periods. Results show that compared to phase 1, smaller price volatility, larger daily trading volume, and higher market liquidity are more frequent at the later stages of majority markets. Despite these improvements, results from the VR tests indicate that the statistic in majority of China's regional carbon markets is insignificant in any given period and, therefore, they are not weak-form efficient. The additional detrended cross-correlation analysis demonstrates that market liquidity affects market efficiency in the Hubei market only, which implies that Hubei, where the market liquidity reaches almost 100% in phase 3, is highly likely to be weak-form efficient shortly. Finally, several recommendations are provided to improve the efficiency and maturity of China's carbon markets, including strengthening legislation, improving the market design, and constructing information platforms.

Does a universal non‐contributory social pension make sense for rural China?

AbstractChina’s pension reform during the past three decades has allowed a majority of China’s population to be covered by a pension scheme. Of particular note has been the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS), a voluntary programme introduced starting in 2009. One goal of our analysis is to assess that pension scheme, using a variety of sources of information including data drawn from recent (2013 and 2015) nationwide China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Surveys (CHARLS). Our analysis involves an exploration of differences between the generosity and structure of the NRPS and other pension schemes currently in place. We also explore the feasibility of reforming the current “quasi‐social pension” component of the NRPS by substituting a universal non‐contributory social pension pillar. In connection with our assessment of the NRPS, we note the unusually low benefit levels for rural China.

A method for improving the methane extraction concentrations of in-seam boreholes

The methane extraction concentrations of in-seam boreholes are generally attenuated at a relatively fast rate in the majority of China's coal mines, which seriously restricts the efficiency of methane extractions in underground coal mines. The rapid decrease in methane extraction concentration is mainly due to air leakages of the in-seam boreholes. In the present study, the air leakages mechanism of in-seam boreholes was analyzed. Then, based on the mechanism of air leakages, a method for increasing methane extraction concentrations of the in-seam boreholes was proposed. Moreover, the key equipment related to this proposed method was successfully developed, and the specific processes of this method were described in detail. Finally, the proposed method was applied in China’s Guozhuang Coal Mine. It was found that the field test results indicated that after using the newly introduced method, the average methane extraction concentration of the in-seam boreholes had exceeded 30%, which was higher than methane concentrations in the boreholes when the previous method was adopted. Furthermore, when compared with the previous method, the effective extraction life of the borehole using the new method introduced in this study was extended by more than 2.1 times.

Better Government, Happier Residents? Quality of Government and Life Satisfaction in China

How quality of government affects residents’ life satisfaction is a seldom discussed subject, especially in a non-democratic context. This research aims to address that gap by focusing on the case of China. It investigates the relation between different aspects of quality of government and Chinese residents’ happiness. Our data was provided by telephone interviews of 5015 residents in Shandong Province. The findings indicate that the majority of China’s citizens consider their lives offer them a high level of satisfaction. Positively and significantly contributing to their life satisfaction are the government’s trustworthiness and responsiveness, and its performance in public service delivery. This result implies that the quality of government has a positive and important impact on Chinese citizens’ happiness, both technically in terms of its ability to deliver public services efficiently, and politically in terms of the extent of democracy involved. But of these, it seems that the former is the more significant. The reasons for this lie in the country’s level of economic development, in China’s political culture, and in the policing mechanisms of the regime.

Sulfur dioxide pollution and energy justice in Northwestern China embodied in West-East Energy Transmission of China

Severe air pollution in China is primarily caused by heavy demands for energy, especially from fossil fuels. Having the majority of China’s energy resources, northwestern China played an increasingly significant role in China’s energy supply over the past two decades, but the associated environmental consequences and energy justice are almost unknown or ignored. Here we conduct extensive model simulations using a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model to measure sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions resulting from the interprovincial trade associated with the west-east energy transmission in China. We examine the environmental consequences using a coupled weather forecast–atmospheric chemistry model. We show that SO2 emissions from the virtual west-east energy transmission accounted for over 40% of total SO2 emissions in northwestern China in the 2000s. Accordingly, 35–52% of SO2 atmospheric concentrations in this region could be attributed to the virtual west-east energy transmission for the same period. At some of the large-scale national energy and chemical industry bases in northwestern China, SO2 concentrations induced by the energy supply due to the demand from eastern China exceeded 60%. A tagging technique was employed to identify the source-receptor relationship of SO2 emissions embodied in west-east energy transmission by estimating the sensitivity and efficiency of the energy demanding regions to energy and heavy industry products. The results discerned eastern China to be a major sensitive energy demand region causing SO2 emission from the energy and high energy consuming industries in northwestern China. We propose that the Chinese authorities should subsidize the environmental losses in northwestern China subject to the virtual west-east energy transmission to promote energy justice.

China's Development Finance to Asia

This study empirically examines China's development finance to developing countries with a focus on Asia from 2000 to 2012. It uses AidData's Global Chinese Official Finance Dataset, one of the most reliable and publicly available data sources that systematically collects and differentiates different types of China's official development financial flows, to produce descriptive and inferential statistics for Asia, a world region where the rise of China poses unique challenges. Descriptive statistical analysis indicates that South Asia was the largest recipient of China's ODA-like flows in Asia for the period under study while the majority of China's OOF-like flows to Asia went to Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In both types of flows, energy, transport, and mining sectors received the bulk of financing. The estimation results show that China's allocation decisions for its concessional flows in the region have strong motives of pursuing strategic interests while its less concessional flows are committed to more governance-challenged countries. This study also provides detailed discussion of the trends in China's development finance to Southeast Asia, a subregion which is critical to China's strategic and economic interests.

Design and construction of low-volume concrete road: experiences from China

Low-volume roads in rural areas constitute the majority of China’s road network. Such roads have important social and economic functions; however, the budget available for their construction and maintenance is insufficient. Therefore, there is a need to explore design and construction methods for durable and low-cost low-volume roads. In this study, the experiences of design, construction, and performance evaluation of a low-volume road (LVR) constructed in a mountainous area in southwest China are introduced. A small-sized slab with size of 2.0 m × 2.0 m or less that bears wheel load instead of axle load is found appropriate for application to low-volume roads. The thickness of the small-sized slab ranges from 10 cm to 20 cm, which is related to the slab size. This type of slab broadens the application of concrete pavements to low-cost and durable low-volume roads. It is expected that the results of this study will serve as a demonstration for the design and construction of low-volume roads.

Sustainable Rural Development in Northern China: Caught in a Vice between Poverty, Urban Attractions, and Migration

For a long time, the majority of China, which has the world’s largest population, has been immobile and lived in rural areas. However, over recent decades, with the economic rise of China, rural labor has demonstrated a trend of moving to rapidly industrializing regions in search of higher income and better employment opportunities. Along with the labor cutback, out-migration introduces negatives to the sustainable development of rural areas, i.e., depopulation, the abandonment of rural settlements and agricultural lands, and the aging of the population, among others. Due to the threats of labor outflow to sustainability, studying the causes of China’s rural out-migration can reveal lessons on how state policies can be designed to reduce the negative impacts of out-migration on rural communities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the major causes of migration movements among the rural areas of northern China that are considered to be the best-performing among the provinces of the country in terms of rural development, agricultural production, and the wealth of rural dwellers. A two-stage survey of a panel of experts involved: (1) respondents representing government officials and universities of the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and (2) regional and district levels of administration, and research and public establishments of Heilongjiang Province. In stage three, drawing on the authors’ own survey of 128 rural households in three counties of Heilongjiang Province, the major migration drivers have been identified, and the portfolio of a typical rural migrant has been developed. Some of the key findings are that migration intentions are fueled by the rural–urban income gap, poverty, a reduction of demand for labor in rural areas, underdeveloped infrastructure, the low quality of social services in rural settlements, and the low social standing of rural dwellers. The approach allows monitoring the dynamics of migration attitudes as responses to the policy interventions that are aimed at the sustainable development of rural areas.

“American Public Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics: The Genesis of the China Lobby in the United States, and how Missionaries Shifted American Foreign Policy between 1938 and 1941”

The China Lobby in the United States attracted much scholarly attention after 1945, yet it found its footing in the late 1930s and played a critical role in re-shaping American public opinion prior to World War ii. Historians have devoted relatively little time to investigating this earlier period. The overwhelming majority of China’s lobbyists during these early years were American missionaries who the Chinese government often funded and managed. This article examines the role of two of those missionaries—Frank and Harry Price—and their American Committee for Non-Participation in Japanese Aggression. It relies on research in Taiwan, China, and in archives across the United States. The author also has interviewed members of the Price family, as well as former associates of Frank Price in the United States, Taiwan, and China. The evidence this article presents demonstrates that while difficult to quantify, the Price brothers played a crucial role in helping to re-shape American public opinion about China between 1938 and 1941.