Scheme In China Research Articles

Eco-labelled product consumption analysis and incentive-penalty mechanism design by using a system dynamics approach

Eco-labelling scheme is viewed as an effective way to prompt the development of green consumption. However, the conflicting interests among different stakeholders have impeded its application to a great extent. To prompt a better development of the eco-labelling scheme, in this paper, in terms of the Chinese Environmental Labeling scheme which is one of the most influential and authoritative eco-labelling schemes in China, we use the evolutionary game theory to describe the interactions among the government agency, the eco-labelled enterprise and the consumer which are three major participants in the eco-labelling scheme. Next, we apply system dynamics simulation to analyze the stability of equilibrium strategy solutions of the game. The simulation results show that no stable equilibrium strategy solution exists in the current interactions among three players. Motivated by the development of mobile consumption and application of new information technologies like real-time location and mobile payment, we propose a dynamic incentive-penalty mechanism and verify its effectiveness to achieve the evolution stable state in which with less supervisions from the government side, the eco-labelled enterprises implement the standards strictly and consumers choose to buy eco-labelled products. Our results are helpful for the further development of eco-labelling schemes as well as the government environmental policymaking.

Examining the Impact and Influencing Channels of Emission Trading Pilot Markets in China

The global warming has become a serious issue in the world since the 1980s. The targets for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gasses (GHGs). China is the world's largest CO2 emitter and coal consumer and was responsible for 27.3 percent of the global total CO2 emission and 50.6 percent of the global total coal consumption in 2016 (BP, 2017). As China plays an important role in the global climate change, China has set goals to improve its environmental efficiency and performance. In 2011, the Chinese government for the first time announced an intent to establish carbon emission trading market in China. Eight regional emission trading schemes have been operating since 2013 (seven pilot markets during the 12th Five Year Plan period and one pilot market during the 13th Five Year Plan period) including provinces of Guangdong, Hubei, and Fujian, and cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chongqing. The goal of these regional emission trading pilot markets is to help the government establish an efficient carbon emission trading scheme at national level. Some researchers have been focused on examining the impact of emission trading schemes in China using CGE model by constructing different scenarios and ex-ante analysis using data prior to emission trading pilot markets implementation. While this paper tries to conduct an ex-post analysis with data of 2005-2017 to evaluate the impact of emission trading pilot markets in China at provincial level using difference-in-difference (DID) model. By including both CO2 and SO2 as undesirable outputs to calculate Malmquist-Luenberger (ML) Index to measure green total factor productivity, this paper plans to evaluate the impact of carbon emission trading pilot markets in China via emission reduction, regional green development, synergy effect and influencing channels. This paper tries to answer the following research questions: (1) Do emission trading pilot markets reduce CO2 emission and increase regional green total factor productivity? (2) Is there any synergy effect from emission trading pilot markets? (3) What are the influencing channels of emission trading pilot markets? Keywords: Emission trading, CO2 emissions, Different-in-difference

Examining the economic effects of emissions trading scheme in China

This paper examined the economic impacts of China’s emissions trading system (ETS), implemented in 2013, in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP. The methodology drew on a difference-in-differences (DID) method using dynamic panel data for 30 provincial regions. The estimation results show that implementing an ETS policy has statistically significant negative effects on economic growth. When considering the additional control variables, these effects are still statistically significant. Furthermore, these negative impacts increase over time with respect to both GDP and per capita GDP. The counterfactual tests confirm the robustness of our DID estimation results. The specific influence mechanism of China’s ETS policy was finally discussed. Our findings provide a quantitative decision-making support for popularizing ETS policy in China. Based on our DID model, empirical investigations of the ETS policy, especially concerning economic growth in other regions would produce prolific contributions to the literature.

A case study of the pyramid scheme in China based on communication network

This paper discusses the structure and endogenous process of a pyramid scheme organization. While most previous studies focus on the operation mode of pyramid scheme and its destruction to social economy, we investigate the non-trivial microstructure and endogenous interaction within the pyramid scheme. By using the motif analysis and the exponential random graph model (ERGM), we conducted an in-depth study on the communication network of a specific pyramid scheme organizations. Through integration of the communication networks with the organizational hierarchical structure, we explore what is the typical structure of a pyramid scheme organization and how do people interact with each other in the organization. The results show that the pyramid scheme communication network is a sparse network and obeys a core–peripheral structure. In terms of personnel interactions, pyramid scheme communication network presents significant homogeneity, with minimal cross-community and cross-hierarchy interactions.

How does stock market liberalization influence corporate innovation? Evidence from Stock Connect scheme in China

Using China's Stock Connect program as a quasi-natural experiment, we assess the impact of stock market liberalization on corporate innovation. The baseline result based on a difference-in-differences (DID) estimation suggests that allowing foreign investors to buy domestic stocks has a beneficial effect on Chinese firms' innovative outputs. Specifically, eligible firms affected by the Stock Connect scheme generate more and higher quality patents than other unaffected firms subsequently. Furthermore, we explore potential channels that may explain this beneficial effect in terms of improving corporate governance, reducing information asymmetry, and mitigating financial constraints. In addition, the effect is more pronounced for firms in high-tech industries. However, we find that the influence of stock market liberalization is insignificant in state-owned firms. Besides, the findings are generally robust to different measures of innovation and different methods of estimation. Overall, this paper provides new insights into understanding the positive effect of stock market liberalization in emerging market economies.

The influence of integration of health-insurance schemes on catastrophic health expenditure in China: a cohort study

BackgroundFragmented health-insurance schemes led to inefficiency and inequality in financial protection for universal health-care coverage. The Chinese government proceeded to consolidate the urban and rural health-insurance schemes with a unified fund collection, pooling, and payment system in 2016. Our study aims to establish the effects of the integration policy on incidence and distribution of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) in China. MethodsWe obtained nationally representative cohort data for analysis from five China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2018, which included 17 858 households from 23 provinces. Families were selected using a probability proportional to size sampling technique with implicit stratification from 25 provinces in mainland China. In this natural experimental design, the five provinces with integrated health-insurance schemes before 2016 were considered to be the treatment group, and the other 18 provinces were considered to be the control group. We used a differences-in-differences method to capture the effects of integration policy on CHE incidence, measured by whether the out-of-pocket health expenditure exceeded 25% of the total household non-food expenditure, controlling for both household characteristics and geographical fixed effects. Further, we used the concentration index to investigate changes in the distribution of CHE. FindingsThe incidence of CHE for total population decreased from 17·4% (95% CI 16·7–18·0, SE 0·0034) in 2010 to 13·0% (12·4–13·6, 0·0031) in 2018. The incidence of CHE in urban areas decreased from 14·1% (13·3–15·0, 0·0045) in 2010 to 9·6% (8·8–10·3, 0·0038) in 2018, whereas it declined from 20·3% (19·3–21·3, 0·0050) to 16·6% (15·7–17·6, 0·0049) in rural areas. The incidence of CHE in treatment groups reduced from 15·2% (14·0–16·5, 0·0063) in 2010 to 10·1% (9·0–11·2, 0·0057) in 2018, whereas it decreased from 18·1% (17·3–18·9, 0·0040) in 2010 to 14·0% (13·2–14·7, 0·0036) in 2018 in control groups. In addition, consolidation of health-insurance schemes decreased the incidence of CHE by 1·7% (0·68–2·73, p<0·0001) in the treatment group, compared with the control group. The concentration index for CHE was –0·26 (treatment vs control group, p<0·0001) in the total population in 2018, –0·24 (treatment vs control group, p<0·0001) in the unconsolidated provinces, and –0·34 (treatment vs control group, p<0·0001) in consolidated provinces. InterpretationThe integration of different public health-insurance schemes in China might have increased the financial protection of residents covered by these schemes. However, urban–rural disparity in health insurance and unequal distribution of CHE among poor households have not altered. This study suggests that bulk purchasing and payment reform can be implemented to contain health-care costs and to refrain out-of-pocket payments, particularly for rural and population with low incomes. FundingNHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research, Shandong University (grant NHC-HEPR2019017).

Analysis of Chinese Herbal Formulae Recommended for COVID-19 in Different Schemes in China: A Data Mining Approach.

Novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a worldwide health threat that has affected millions of people globally. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been introduced for the treatment of COVID-19. However, efficacy differs among herbal medicines, and the ideal prescription pattern for TCM herbal formulae for COVID-19 treatment needs to be explored. Therefore, the data mining method has been used in this study to analyze the TCM prescription pattern for COVID-19. The aim of this study was to analyze the TCM prescription pattern in Regional Schemes in China for COVID-19 in order to provide a new reference for the use of TCM in COVID-19 treatment. By searching the TCM treatment protocols of COVID-19 in 23 Regional Schemes, TCM syndromes and herbal medicines were analyzed by data mining. The Ancient and Modern Medical Case Cloud Platform (V2.1 personal Edition) was used to perform frequency statistics, correlation analysis, and cluster analysis. A total of 82 TCM syndromes and 171 Chinese herbal medicines were found. The course of the disease can be divided into the early stage, middle stage, severe stage, and recovery stage. In the early stage, the focus is primarily on resolving dampness, dispelling cold, and diffusing the lungs. In the middle stage, the treatment priority is clearing heat and resolving toxins, promoting lung function, and relieving asthma. In the severe stage, the focus is on tonifying Qi, restoring Yang, and relieving the depletion of Yin and Yang. In the recovery stage, the main treatment is to invigorate the spleen and regulate Qi, tonify Qi, nourish Yin, and clear residual disease. There are certain differences between the Regional Schemes and the Nation Schemes, but the core prescription pattern of the former is consistent with the latter. The effectiveness of these 171 Chinese herbs include but are not limited to inhibiting COVID-19, strengthening immune system function, preventing heart failure, acting as antioxidants, oxidative stress inhibitory effects, maintaining organ function, and improving leukocyte survival. This study may help to improve understanding of TCM herbal prescription pattern, practices, reveal the efficacy of combinations of Chinese herbs, and provide new ideas for TCM treatment for COVID-19.

The Transplanted Appropriate Adult Scheme in China

AbstractBorrowed from England and Wales, the Chinese Appropriate Adult Scheme involves a dynamic of selective adaptation. This article analyses two salient features of the appropriate adult scheme within the Chinese context, in comparison with its counterpart in England and Wales: its complementarity of the juvenile's parent, and the passive role that appropriate adults play during pretrial interrogations. Drawing upon empirical evidence, the article argues that the transplanted Chinese appropriate adult scheme has failed to oversee the legality of interrogations, nor does it provide adequate safeguards for juvenile suspects. The concept of vulnerability that lies at the heart of the appropriate adult safeguard in England and Wales appears to be lost in translation. Rather than providing a safeguard for juveniles at their most vulnerable, the appropriate adult is more concerned with indulging the needs of the interrogators in China.

Institutional reform and irrigation water pricing in China*

AbstractThe management of irrigation schemes in China mainly adopts a management mode of combining professional management by irrigation scheme administration (an irrigation scheme management agency) and self‐independent management by farmers (a water users’ association). This paper summarizes the basic situation of the management system of irrigation schemes and water pricing of irrigation in China, the challenges faced, the progress of reform and the results obtained. Analyses are also given on the reform of professional management organizations of irrigation schemes, the development and roles of water users’ associations, and government support and policy safeguarding measures for the reform. An irrigation water fee is an important source of funds for the operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes. At present, the overall irrigation water price is far lower than the operation and maintenance cost of irrigation schemes, and the collection rate of water fees is relatively low. The comprehensive reform of irrigation water pricing and its progress are presented in this paper. © 2020 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Assessment and optimization of provincial CO2 emission reduction scheme in China: An improved ZSG-DEA approach

This paper applies the zero-sum gains data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA) model to assess the provincial CO2 emission reduction scheme of China in 2020 and then calculates optimized values for the provinces in 2030. Results from two standard optimization procedures to solve the ZSG-DEA model are compared. We also extend the current methods by improving the iterative approach and then introduce fairness to the efficiency-oriented approach for the 2030 case. We found that the choice of optimization procedures has only a minimal impact on the results, but the specification of model does matter. For 2020, a standard DEA approach shows that only 2 provinces out of 30 are efficient. According to the estimation results of the ZSG-DEA model, 12 provinces need to set higher reduction targets, whereas the other 18 provinces could have lower target values to achieve overall efficiency. These results are generally consistent across different optimization approaches. The improved approach is applied to further evaluate a number of scenarios in 2030, in which the adjustment values towards optimum can be calculated for each scenario. Furthermore, we show that the inclusion of fairness can significantly affect the adjustment targets, which is of great importance to policymakers

Carbon emission-compliance green location-inventory problem with demand and carbon price uncertainties

In emerging markets, the growth of supply chain networks and logistics industry leads to a significant increase in energy consumption and induces high carbon emissions. To design a sustainable low-carbon supply chain network, we consider a carbon emission-compliance green location-inventory problem. It is characterized by uncertain demand and volatile carbon prices under a multi-year emission regulation, inspired from the carbon-trading scheme in China. A two-stage stochastic mathematical model is built and is solved with a three-phase hierarchical metaheuristic on extensive numerical experiments, which mimic the business context of a supply chain network operated in China. The results show to which extent the carbon-trading emission-compliance scheme, with uncertainties in demand and carbon price, impacts the strategic decisions. Besides, carbon emissions and supply chain profits of the design solutions produced under alternative emission regulations are evaluated and discussed. We also underline the sensitivity of the amount of carbon emissions to the demand uncertainty, and to the level and volatility of the carbon price in the carbon-trading system. These results provide managerial insights for supply chain emitters, and indicate that reasonable and stable carbon prices should be maintained by governments in emerging markets.

Sustainability of the Adjustment Schemes in China’s Grain Price Support Policy—An Empirical Analysis Based on the Partial Equilibrium Model of Wheat

The minimum purchase price policy for wheat and rice implemented by the Chinese government has achieved the fundamental goals of stabilizing grain prices, promoting production, and ensuring food security. This policy has also had negative impacts such as domestic and foreign price spreads and continuous increases in stocks and imports, which are not conducive to China’s grain security development and thus unsustainable. Therefore, this paper builds a partial equilibrium model of China’s grain market by simulating the effects of canceling or reducing the minimum purchase price on the market price, production, consumption, stock, and net import of wheat and then evaluates the sustainability of various adjustment programs. The research results show that first, lowering the minimum purchase price of wheat can reduce the domestic and foreign price spread, stock, and imports to a certain extent; however, it cannot fundamentally solve the negative impact of this policy. Second, cancellation of the minimum wheat purchase price policy can significantly reduce domestic and foreign price spread, stock, and imports; however, it will also significantly reduce wheat production and threaten China’s grain security. Third, cancellation of the minimum wheat purchase price and the increase in agricultural production subsidies can solve the negative impact of the minimum purchase price policy and reduce the impact of the cancellation of the minimum purchase price policy on grain supply security. This policy adjustment is more sustainable than China’s current policy. Finally, this paper asserts that China’s grain price policy reform will influence and have implications for stakeholders in the global grain industry.

Effectiveness of primary care gatekeeping: difference-in-differences evaluation of a pilot scheme in China

IntroductionThis paper evaluates the effectiveness of a gatekeeping pilot in shifting resources and patient visits from hospitals to primary care facilities under the Chinese New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme.MethodsWe applied...

Policy Design and Implementation of a New Public Rental Housing Management Scheme in China: A Step Forward or an Uncertain Fate?

The management of the public rental sector has undergone tremendous change worldwide. Especially in China, given the large supply of public rental housing (PRH) in the short term, the management of PRH (PRHM) has been faced with a series of problems. The existing PRHM is unsustainable and a new scheme has been proposed. In this study we analyze whether this new scheme can solve the former management problems and achieve the reform objectives, so as to explore whether the new scheme can really improve the PRHM. We analyzed the new policy, contracts and bidding documents of 19 pilot projects and interviewed some implementation staffs. We found that the well-intended policy mainly proposed three measures: government procurement, new financial arrangement and guided service contents; but that these measures lack specific financial support. Furthermore, there are very few projects that involve full implementation; most of the projects employed a compromise strategy. In general, the new scheme made progress towards solving some of the existing problems, so even if it is selectively implemented, it is still likely to achieve the reform objectives.

Local climate change governance in China: an analysis of social network and cross-sector collaboration in capacity development

ABSTRACT The pilot emission trading schemes in China have driven a new wave of local collaborations among state and non-state actors. Strong networks have been formed to support capacity development, potentially improving the quality of governance through inclusion and engagement. However, the currently poor knowledge about the structure of these networks poses a barrier to identifying who and what drive better climate change governance in China. This paper delineates a network of organizations involved in the development of the pilot emission trading scheme of Guangdong Province. It is based on a social network analysis using primary data from structured interviews with 45 local organizations. We identified key organizations who coordinated the network, and provided some explanations about the enabling conditions. Findings show that the network was oligopolistic. Connections were mediated by a handful of organizations with different degrees of public-private hybridity. Government agencies, civil society organizations, compliance enterprises, and management consultancies were not key network builders. Hybrid organizations and cross-sector initiatives have a high potential to become a transformative institutional innovation for improving governance in China. Further research into their contributions and impacts is warranted.

The fertility effects of public pension: Evidence from the new rural pension scheme in China.

Public pension insurance has become a major form of social protection around the world. However, little is known about the association between public pension expansion and individuals’ fertility in developing economies. In this paper, we examine the effects of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) on the fertility of married women in rural China. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), the difference-in-differences approach is employed to estimate the impact of NRPS expansion on fertility outcomes. The robustness of results is checked through additional estimations, including difference-in-differences with propensity score matching, fixed-effects model, and instrumental variable approach. Results show that the NRPS expansion has a significantly negative effect on the number of children, and it reduces the likelihood of having a second child. The fertility-reducing effect of the NRPS is larger for the younger, well-educated women and those in high-income families. Considerations of the fertility effects and their population differences are needed in the impact evaluations of relevant public pension reform.

Rational and design of the China Pulmonary Thromboembolism Registry Study (CURES): A prospective multicenter registry

BackgroundEpidemiological data on pulmonary embolism (PE) in China needs to be updated and reported. The China Pulmonary Thromboembolism Registry Study (CURES) is designed to provide the cross-sectional spectrum and chronological trends of PE in China, as well as to reveal the intrinsic etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. Methods and designThe CURES is an ongoing large prospective multicenter registry, which was originally initiated in January 2009 via enrolling suspected or confirmed PE or PE with DVT (deep venous thrombosis) patients and assessed their in-hospital outcomes. As of July 2011, in order to determine the PE-relevant short-term outcomes, enrolled participants were followed-up for at least three months in a longitudinal manner. Since August 2016, with the launch and development of precision medicine research scheme in China, the main principle investigators of CURES decided to collect enrolled patients' blood samples with regular follow-ups every three or six months for at least two years (for long-term outcomes). Up to 31 December 2019, the CURES has enrolled 14,937 eligible patients and collected 1500 blood samples of patients from 100 medical centers in the China PE-DVT network. The study protocol has been approved by the China-Japan Friendship Hospital ethics committee, and all collaborating centers received approvals from their local ethics committee. All patients provided written or verbal informed consent to their participation. ConclusionsFindings of the CURES will be valuable for revealing the natural history of PE, and facilitating better disease management in China.Registration Number inClinicalTrials.gov:NCT02943343.

The measure of Chinese religions: Denomination-based or deity-based?

In the past two decades, scholars have devoted much attention to the measure of Chinese religions, mainly using the scheme based on denominational affiliation, which is the most common approach to religious classification in western societies. However, the denomination-based scheme cannot capture the actual religious life of China. We point out four challenges this scheme encounters in survey research in China: the foreignness of the Chinese term ‘religion’ ( Zongjiao); the misconception of denominational affiliation; the inapplicability of compulsory, one-single-choice religion; and the social or political sensitivity of specific religions, especially Protestantism. After critiquing the traditional scheme used to measure Chinese religions, we offer a new approach that addresses its shortcomings. Our revised approach attempts to research belief without using the term ‘religion’, focuses on belief in deities rather than on denominational affiliation, and allows multiple answers to the question about religious beliefs. In order to compare the denomination-based scheme with the deity-based scheme, we conducted experiments in the three waves of the China Family Panel Studies in 2012, 2014, and 2016. Our results show that the deity-based scheme yields more meaningful interpretations and more accuracy in religious classification than the denomination-based scheme in China. This article ends with some suggestions for improving the measurement of Chinese religion in future survey research studies.

Drainage and ecological service of irrigation schemes in China*

AbstractThe farmland drainage plays an important role for the sustainable development of agriculture and ecology in China. More attention needs to be given to the impact of farmland drainage on agriculture, ecology and food security. This paper mainly presents and analyses the following aspects related to farmland drainage in China: i) current situation and existing problems; ii) theory and practice; iii) demand and prospects in future

Server-aided immediate and robust user revocation mechanism for SM9

As the only approved Identity-Based Encryption scheme in China that is also standardized by ISO, SM9-IBE has been widely adopted in many real-world applications. However, similar to other IBE standard algorithms, SM9-IBE currently lacks revocation mechanism, which is vital for a real system. Worse still, we find that existing revocable techniques may not be suitable and efficient when applying to SM9-IBE. Given the widespread use of SM9-IBE, an efficient and robust user revocation mechanism becomes an urgent issue.In this work, we propose a dedicated server-aided revocation mechanism, which for the first time achieves the secure, immediate and robust user revocation for SM9-IBE. Provided with a compact system model, the proposed method leverages an existing server to perform all heavy workloads during user revocation, thus leaving no communication and computation costs for the key generation center and users. Moreover, the mechanism supports key-exposure resistance, meaning the user revocation mechanism is robust even if the revocation key leaks. We then formally define and prove the security. At last, we present theoretical comparisons and an implementation in terms of computational latency and throughput. The results indicate the efficiency and practicability of the proposed mechanism.