China Policy Research Articles

Периодизация внешней политики КНР в отношении Центрально-Азиатского региона (1990–2024 гг.)

This article provides an overview of China's foreign policy strategies towards Central Asian countries, focusing on changes and transformations that have occurred over the past three decades. The author emphasizes the identification of various aspects of the evolution and gradual strengthening of China's policy towards Central Asian countries. Four key stages of development and transformation in China's foreign policy towards the region over the last 30 years are identified and examined. The article explores the development of China's foreign policy aspirations related to infrastructure projects, the reinforcement of economic ties, and the intensification of cooperation with Central Asia in maintaining regional security. It is argued that, starting from 2022, amidst growing international tensions, China and Central Asian countries are entering a new phase in the development of their political and trade-economic relations. It is noted that the fourth stage is characterized not only by the consolidation of traditional areas of cooperation but also by the emergence of new challenges and opportunities that shape the future dynamics of relations between China and the Central Asian region.

Emergency Language Services in the China-Myanmar Borderland: A Case of Multilingual Translation Center at Mengding

Emergency language services (ELS) have gained increasing importance in China. Given the shifting multilingual profile in Yunnan, it is of great significance to investigate how language facilitates the access of linguistic minorities to public health information and other key messages in times of crisis. Based on the fieldwork conducted in January 2024 in Mengding, this study examines how a Translation and Interpreting Association (TIA) offers ELS in China’s border town. The findings indicate that both foreign languages and cross-border ethnic groups’ languages are frequently needed for crisis translation and interpreting. In particular, Myanmar is the most frequently needed foreign language, followed by Thai and English, and two cross-border ethnic groups’ languages (Tai and Kokang) are also needed for crisis communication. The findings also reveal that TIA acts as a language broker for offering non-standard Myanmar translation and interpreting services for various crisis events including the COVID-19 pandemic, mitigating border conflicts, and participating in different types of public health emergencies. Based on the findings, it is suggested that effective emergency translation and interpreting services at China’s border towns should take into consideration the multilingual profiles of border migrants of diverse backgrounds. This study can shed lights on emergency language policy and planning in China’s border provinces.

Association of Air Quality Improvement and Frailty Progression: A National Study across China.

Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that exposure to ambient air pollution is linked with increased frailty. However, little is known about the effect of improved air quality on frailty progression. We aimed to investigate whether improvements in air quality (PM1, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3) can alleviate frailty progression, particularly in the aftermath of implementation of the "Clean Air Action" policy in China. The study involved 12,891 participants with geocoded environmental data from the nationwide China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) during the period from May 2011 to August 2015. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of air pollution improvements and frailty progression. The protective effects were noted for PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 indices, with an aOR (adjusted odds ratio) ranging from 0.72 to 0.79. Air quality improvement in PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 could alleviate the progression of frailty. The study is the first to examine the association between the improvement of air quality and the progression of frailty, setting a precedent for the importance of a nationwide clean air policy and its impact on healthy ageing.

Targeting social welfare for people with severe mental illness: A review of policies in China and a call for further action

Targeting social welfare for people with severe mental illness: A review of policies in China and a call for further action

Evaluating the synergistic effects of the digital economy and carbon emission trade exchange on enterprise high-quality development

Digital economy and carbon reduction are the keys to sustainable development. However, whether these two policy tools synergistically affect enterprise remains inconclusive. The implementation of the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone and the Carbon Emission Trading Pilot Policy in China provides a unique opportunity for empirical examination. Building on a panel dataset of A-share-listed manufacturing enterprises from 2010 to 2021 in China, this study investigates the synergistic effects of the two pilot policies on enterprise high-quality development (HQD). The empirical results indicate the following: 1. The implementation of the two pilot policies has positive effects on enterprise HQD. 2. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the two pilot policies exhibit stronger effects on non-state-owned enterprises, high-tech enterprises, heavy-polluting enterprises, and enterprises registered in the core cities. 3. Carbon reduction can synergize with the digital economy to effectively promote enterprise HQD. 4. The synergistic effects can be further strengthened by the digital development environment, the level of data utilization, and resource allocation efficiency. These findings provide both theoretical and practical implications for shaping policy frameworks to consolidate sustainable development.

Research on the presentation of the national image of China in the German magazine APuZ

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This study examines the portrayal of China in the German Federal Centre for Political Education magazine APuZ (<span style="font-family: 宋体;">“</span>Politics and Current Affairs<span style="font-family: 宋体;">”</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">in German</span>) from 2020 to 2023. The objective is to observe and describe the manner in which the magazine portrays the image of China. A targeted literature analysis reveals the multi-dimensional evolution trend and dynamic distribution of China's image in the magazine. The study revealed that the magazine presents a comprehensive portrayal of China's political, economic and cultural images, incorporating descriptions of China's policies and international positions from a traditional Western perspective. The content of the magazine reveals changes in the image of China from the perspective of German official media, as well as the diversity of Chinese perceptions among academics and intellectuals in the German-speaking world. In summary, China is depicted as a politically traditional emerging communist power, an economically globally connected and rapidly developing country, and a culturally rich and profound country. The study aims to provide new insights into the formation of China's image in Sino-German cross-cultural communication and to contribute to the existing academic literature on the subject.</p>

Can the energy transition drive economic development? Empirical analysis of China's provincial panel data

With the rise of global environmental awareness and increasing concern about the impacts of climate change, the energy transition has become a pressing issue worldwide. However, in existing studies, the conclusions on the impact of the energy transition on economic development are not consistent. Given these discrepancies and the complexity of the influencing factors in the process of energy transition, the study of the relationship between energy transition and economic development has important theoretical and practical significance for energy policy and economic planning in China and globally. By utilizing provincial panel data from 2000 to 2019 in China and constructing an econometric model, this study empirically examines the influence of the energy transition on economic development. The results show that the energy transition is beneficial for China's economic development. Furthermore, regional heterogeneity significantly stimulates economic development through the upgrading of industrial structure, technological innovation, and environmental regulation. This study provides important empirical evidence and a quantitative basis for actively and steadily promoting the energy transition while considering economic growth.

Evaluating social governance innovation policy in China: A study based on fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

Social governance is an important aspect of national governance. Strengthening and innovating social governance is an important task to promote social construction, and the necessary policy support is an important means to achieve governance innovation. Based on the policy texts of 31 urban districts (including 22 provincial capitals, 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government and 5 capitals of autonomous regions), the innovation policy of social governance is divided into five dimensions: organizational mobilization policy, public service policy, social regulatory policy, community constructive policy and data informative policy. Using the fs-QCA method, the path of social governance innovation policy on governance performance is discussed. The study finds that the supply mode of two innovative policy combinations have a significant effect on the improvement of social governance performance: One is organizational mobilization policy, public service policy and community constructive policy, and the other is organizational mobilization policy, social regulatory policy and data informative policy.

Exploring the Sustainability of Integrated Elderly Care and Medical Services Policies in China from the Perspective of Policy Tools

The trend of increasing population aging has led to an international and Chinese domestic consensus on the need to integrate elderly care and medical services. Against this background, China's existing policies address the integration of elderly care and medical services (IECMS) successively. However, it is worth pondering whether China's policies on the IECMS have been effectively developed. Previous studies on the IECMS policies in China have mostly focused on the national level, and the evaluation dimensions of these studies are not comprehensive enough. Based on this, this study took the policy tools as primary perspective, constructed a three-dimensional analysis framework that included time and specific models of IECMS, and used content analysis to analyze and evaluate the policy texts related to the IECMS in Jinan City. The aim is to explore policy tools to improve integrated elderly care and medical services, promote the sustainable development of integrated elderly care and medical services in China, and provide Chinese experience for other countries. This study found that the use of policy tools in Jinan City had a trend toward comprehensiveness and diversification, but there is still room for further comprehensiveness and diversification. Moreover, there is an apparent preference in the use of policy tools, as evidenced by the most frequent use of environmental policy tools, and at the same time an imbalance in the internal structure of the three types of policy tools. Furthermore, the policies of Jinan City were not sufficiently targeted to operationalize policy tools into specific models of IECMS. Accordingly, we provide corresponding recommendations, including stating that the IECMS policies should be multifaceted and innovative, even-handed, precise, and timely to restore policy order in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Falling Leaves Not Returning to the Roots: Agency, Meaning and Complex Emotions in Chinese Women’s Narratives of Settling in Britain Since 1978

ABSTRACT Within the historiography of post-war migration to Britain, many authors have used oral history to explore women’s history of migration to and their lived experiences in Britain. However, current historiographical attention to the Chinese in Britain neglects post-war experiences, particularly those of women, and is yet to engage with rich oral history collections. Drawing on the voices of twelve women, this paper argues that, against the backdrop of relaxing exit controls in post-1978 China, women utilised socioeconomic resources and navigated accessible routes for crossing regional and national borders, displaying their will and resilience to use migration as a means of personal development, and, in some cases, showed pragmatism in seeking to emigrate. This paper expands the historiography of Chinese migration to Britain and adds to our understanding of gender and migration. It indicates that, despite their seeking personal development, Chinese women’s migration was conditioned by family responsibilities, and their narratives of migration incorporated consideration of family members. It highlights how changing policies in China enabled and motivated women’s migration to and permanent settlement in Britain. Teasing out these rationales helps us to rethink the history of ethnic minorities in Britain, moving beyond a (post)imperial framing.

Impact of digital infrastructure construction on the migrants’ utilization of basic public health services in China

BackgroundGlobal digitalization significantly impacts public health by improving healthcare access for marginalized populations. In China, socioeconomic disparities and the Hukou system create significant barriers for the migrant population to access basic public health services (BPHS). This study aimed to assess how digital infrastructure construction (DIC) affects BPHS utilization among China’s migrant populations, filling a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between digital advancements and health service accessibility.MethodsThis research used micro-level data from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and incorporated variables aligned with the Broadband China policy to employ a comprehensive empirical strategy. It included baseline regressions, robustness checks through propensity score matching and machine learning techniques, and heterogeneity analysis to explore the differential impacts of DIC based on gender, age, education level, and Hukou status.ResultsThe findings revealed that DIC significantly enhances the likelihood of migrants establishing health records and registering with family doctors, demonstrating quantifiable improvements in health service utilization. Heterogeneity analysis further indicated that the beneficial impacts of DIC were more pronounced among female migrants, those with higher education levels, younger populations, and urban Hukou holders.ConclusionsDIC plays a crucial role in bridging the accessibility gap to BPHS for migrant populations in China, contributing to narrowing health disparities and advancing social equity. These results emphasize the significance of digital infrastructure in public health strategies and offer valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies on the sustained effects of DIC and tailor digital health initiatives to meet the unique needs of migrant populations, promoting inclusive health policy planning and implementation.

Family Planning Policy in China and the Gender Equality in Family and Labor Market

This article examines the effects of China’s Family Planning Policy (FPP) on the gender wealth gap and the division of housework within Chinese families. Initially, the study applies dependency theory to analyze the influence of the FPP on Chinese families. Firstly, we find that there was no significant gender wealth gap during the One-Child Policy (OCP) period, which indicates that the OCP indirectly reduced the economic dependence of Chinese women on their husbands by narrowing the gender wealth gap. Secondly, despite an increase in male participation in housework during the OCP, the dependency of males on females for housework and childcare remained unchanged. These factors exerted pressure on Chinese women and influenced their overall life satisfaction.

Strategies of China and India in the Indo-Pacific region

The article explores and assesses the strategic initiatives of China and India in the Indo-Pacific region, identifies new geopolitical problems and strategic dilemmas, and discusses emerging opportunities and options to address evolving threats and challenges. Special attention has been paid to the policies of China, whose geopolitical interest revolves around three maritime zones such as the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. China has been generally successful in achieving its regional objectives, but it is precisely because of this that it faces growing challenges for itself since defensive security measures are interpreted by regional states as offensive, which in practice converts into a rather fragile “balance of threats.” India has focused on defending its territory with a strong network of allies, which represents an advantage for the country both commercially and militarily, as well as a crucial element in containing Chinese influence in the region. That said, India is not seeking to become a balancing force in the Indo-Pacific region, but is using the current tensions between the United States and China as a real chance to counter Chinese expansion. In the author’s opinion, the steady trend of military buildup (including in disputed territories), infrastructure network densification, and “special strategic and global partnerships” formation point to the strategic competition growth and increase the likelihood of confrontation escalation in the coming decades.

The essence of dance. A study of Chinese and Western dance philosophy: socio-cultural, historical and educational aspects

ABSTRACT The art of dance is an intangible cultural heritage that occupies a special place in the social and cultural policy of China. The purpose of this research is to identify the specifics of Chinese and Western dance philosophy. The dance philosophy is a complex notion, which is possible to study through various research methods, including the following: dialectical, semiotic, specific historical, socio-cultural and analytical as well as expert evaluation. This study concludes that the philosophical framework of Chinese and Western dance art plays an essential role. The authors developed a conceptual framework for understanding Chinese and Western dance philosophies. The research revealed that the unique traditions of Chinese national dance are an integral part of the country’s cultural heritage and reflect the philosophical aspects of dance within the multicultural environment. The research results can be used in dance pedagogy, choreography, and dance lessons to improve the techniques and skills of dancers. Further research is needed to compare the philosophies of Chinese folk dances and Western folk dances from different countries and historical periods.

Research on Enhancement of Gov't Functions in Regional Tech Achievements Transformation

The transformation of regional scientific and technological achievements is an important process of converting scientific research achievements into real productive forces, and the uneven distribution of regional resources is an inevitable problem in cross-regional innovation cooperation. To make up for the gap in scientific and technological resources, the cross-regional flow of technology has become an inevitable trend. While giving full play to the role of the market in resource allocation, it is even more necessary to give full play to the leading role of the government. With the introduction of a series of relevant laws and policies in China, the function of the government in the cross-regional transformation of scientific and technological achievements has been increasingly enhanced, but in this process, there are still deficiencies in the government's role positioning, relevant policies for interest balance, and the inter-governmental cooperation mechanism among regions. Based on this, it is necessary to optimize the function of the government in the transformation of regional scientific and technological achievements, effectively play the leading role of the government, construct an efficient and collaborative scientific and technological transformation mechanism, and cultivate the cooperation awareness of various participating subjects, so as to provide useful thinking for improving the function of the government in regional scientific and technological transformation.

Collaborative effect of the energy conservation and emission reduction fiscal policy in China

Government-led national comprehensive demonstration cities for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Fiscal Policy (ECERFP) are pivotal for China in addressing environmental governance. Using a panel dataset covering 278 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019, this study adopts the staggered difference-in-differences (DID) approach to investigate the synergistic impacts of ECERFP on pollution and carbon reduction. The findings indicate that ECERFP contributes to a 3% improvement in pollution reduction performance, a 1.5% enhancement in carbon reduction performance, and a 4% overall increase in combined pollution and carbon reduction efforts. Furthermore, the study examines the heterogeneous effects of ECERFP on environmental performance. ECERFP significantly influences the synergistic efforts in pollution and carbon reduction by fostering green innovation, enhancing energy allocation, and optimizing industrial structures. This study both theoretically and empirically outlines the specific pathways and mechanisms through which “incentive-based” green fiscal policy promotes synergistic pollution and carbon reduction, thus providing a pragmatic foundation for enhancing the role of fiscal policy in environmental governance.

The Medical-Care-Integrated Elderly Care Services Policy in China based on Policy Tools: A Content Analysis

The Medical-Care-Integrated Elderly Care Services Policy in China based on Policy Tools: A Content Analysis

Inter-city housing spillovers and monetary policy in China

While a great deal of effort over the past few decades has been devoted to the study of housing spillovers, much of the work has failed to grasp the critical role played by monetary policy. This study aims to investigate the full version of housing spillovers across monetary policy and local housing markets by introducing a hybrid structural vector autoregression (VAR) followed by a “two-sector” spillover account. Using monthly data for national M2 and city-level housing prices in China, we find that monetary policy has since 2019 played a key role in combating housing systemic risk by lowering inter-city ripple effects. At the same time, the pivotal position of Shenzhen in coordinating monetary policy with residential markets deserves explicit emphasis.

Accelerated depreciation tax policy and multiple-product firms’ export behaviour: evidence from China

ABSTRACT Using the 2014 accelerated depreciation tax policy (ADP) in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this study examines ADP’s impact on multiple-product firms’ export behaviour. Using data on Chinese A-share listed multiple-product companies from 2011 to 2016, we find that ADP enhances export product quality and reduces the unit price of export products by increasing enterprise innovation, accelerating ‘machine replacing labours’, and realizing the ‘economies of scale effect’. Notably, these effects are pronounced in cost-based competence firm. These findings provide developing countries with insights into the use of ADP to encourage high-quality export development.

Unpacking the path-dependent process of academic burden reduction policy in China (1978–2021)

Unpacking the path-dependent process of academic burden reduction policy in China (1978–2021)