Yangtze Delta Area Research Articles

The Nexus of Regional Integration and Household Welfare: A Case Study of the Yangtze Delta Area

Public policies of regional integration have been widely implemented recently in multiple countries as a significant approach to improving regional economic cooperation and reducing economic inequalities. In China, improving household welfare and narrowing welfare gaps become another major purpose of regional integration. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to household-level impacts of regional integration on improving welfare. This study provides empirical analysis on impacts of regional integration on household welfare by using the case of the Yangtze Delta area from 2010 to 2020. We find that overall impacts of regional integration on improving household welfare and reducing household welfare inequality are significantly positive, and such impacts reveal spatial heterogeneity. Public transport infrastructural integration and city-level migration are two major mechanisms through which such impacts can be amplified. Results remain feasible after a series of robustness tests. We believe that integration should be further implemented to eliminate poverty and boost social welfare in both developed and developing regions in China, and cross-city and interprovincial trade needs to be promoted as an important means of regional integration.

Vegetation succession, climate change and cold events during 9.2–8.0 cal kyr BP in eastern China: High-resolution pollen evidence from the Yangtze delta plain area

High resolution pollen records in the northern edge of subtropical China are crucial to understand the pattern of postglacial vegetation change and climate transition. Here we present vegetation succession and climate change during 9.2–8.0 cal kyr BP based on sub-decennial scale pollen data. Pollen spectra show that Quercus (evergreen) &Cyclobalanopsis were relatively stable during the whole period, while Quercus (deciduous) were gradually decreased. Pollen-based climate change shows gradual warming during this period, and noticeably, the rapid warming during 8610–8545 cal yr BP can be detected according to the sharp decrease of Quercus (deciduous). Our results show two cold and dry events at 8.5 ka and 8.2 ka. The 8.5 ka event is rarely reported in the East Asian Monsoon area, while the 8.2 ka event is frequently mentioned. In this study, the 8.2 ka event has two peaks, similar to the previous reports from the Yangtze delta area and Dongge Dong Cave. In the Yangtze delta area, the vegetation and climate change show a strong relationship with the high latitude area, indicating that they are not only related to solar activity, but also impacted by the high latitude climate events. However, the impacts of these events on the Asian monsoon area still need further studies to verify.

System-Dynamics Modeling for Exploring the Impact of Industrial-Structure Adjustment on the Water Quality of the River Network in the Yangtze Delta Area

The coordinated development of the environment and economy is the core of sustainable development. This research investigated sustainable water-quality management by exploring the impact of socioeconomic activities on water quality associated with a major global city. To achieve this goal, a system dynamics (SD) model was developed to capture the feedback processes and interactions between the water quality; population; water resource; and the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the Yangtze Delta area, especially Jiaxing City. More importantly, we further subdivided and identified the nine key subindustries within three sectors as high-polluting factors. Using this model, five scenarios based on different industrial restructurings were investigated. The simulation results suggested that Jiaxing City’s water quality would conform to a steadily increasing trend over 2021–2035. Changes in the farming industry have the most significant impact on water quality, followed by those in the paper and paper production (PPP) industry and the livestock and poultry breeding (LPB) industry. In terms of individual pollutant concentrations, the concentrations of COD and TN were most sensitive to changes in the farming industry, while PPP and LPB were identified as having the most influence on the concentrations of NH3-N and TP, respectively. It is feasible for Jiaxing City to improve its water quality through collaborative optimization of three industries. However, the effect of industrial structure adjustment is limited. Strategies comprising cleaner production should be undertaken to reduce pollution generation.

Exposure to environmentally relevant oxytetracycline induced gut histopathological damages and microbiota alterations of Pelophylax nigromaculatus larvae

Antibiotics such as Oxytetracycline (OTC) is widely used around the world and it caused serious environmental issues in China, especially in Yangtze delta area. However, its effects on amphibian gut morphology and intestinal microbiota are still unclear. In this study, tadpoles of Pelophylax nigromaculatus was exposed to 0, 5, 90 and 450 μg/L OTC of environmentally relevant concentrations from Gosner (Gs) 26 to Gs 38. The results showed that severe histopathological injuries including cytoplasmic damage, cell arrangement disorganisation and structure deformation were observed in the gut of larvae in 90 and 450 μg/L OTC exposure groups. Moreover, Tunel assay also revealed higher apoptotic ratio in the intestine of tadpoles in 90 and 450 μg/L OTC treatment groups. Furthermore, the relative abundance of dominant phyla and genera of gut microbial community in OTC exposure groups was significantly different from that of control though the richness and species diversity did not show remarkable changes. We concluded that OTC may pose potential health risks to amphibian larvae through inducing gut histopathological injury and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis.

Mutations during the adaptation of H7N9 avian influenza virus to mice lungs enhance human-like sialic acid binding activity and virulence in mice

The first avian H7N9 influenza outbreak in spring of 2013 emerged in an unprecedented transmission from infected poultry to humans in the Yangtze delta area, eastern China, posing a dual challenge to public health and poultry industry. However, the mechanism for how avian H7N9 influenza virus adapts to mammalian hosts has not been clearly understood. Here, to identify adaptive changes that confer enhanced virulence of H7N9 virus in mammals, we generated a mouse-adapted H7N9 variant virus (S8) by serial lung-to-lung passages of the wild-type SDL124 virus in mice and compared their phenotype in vivo and in vitro. Sequence analysis showed that the two viruses differed by 27 amino acids distributed among six genes, containing changes in PB2 (E627K, D701N) and HA (Q226L) genes. The 50% mouse lethal dose (MLD50) of S8 reduced about 500 folds, to be moderately pathogenic to mice when compared to that of low pathogenic wild-type SDL124. Moreover, S8 replicated efficiently in mouse lungs and displayed expanded tissue tropism, and induced a greater degree of pulmonary edema and higher level of inflammatory cell infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids than SDL124 did. Interestingly, the mouse adapted S8 virus obtained strong affinity for human-like (SAα-2,6 Gal) receptor during the adaptation in mice. Correspondingly, compared with SDL124 virus, S8 virus showed higher replication efficiency in mammalian cells, whereas lower replication ability in avian cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that these mutations synergistically elevate the ability of H7N9 virus to disseminate to multiple organs and subsequently enhance the virulence of H7N9 virus in mammalian hosts.

Nutrient burial and environmental changes in the Yangtze Delta in response to recent river basin human activities

High resolution sediment records in the Yangtze Delta front were constructed to reveal recent environmental changes in response to river basin human activities. Increases in nutrient and organic C influxes that began in the 1950s, together with elevated primary productivity and increased chemical fertilizer application, suggested a shift toward anthropogenic-predominated environmental changes during this period. The depletion of total organic C (TOC), total N (TN), and biogenic Si (BSi), along with the decline in sedimentation rate and coarsening of sediment coincided with the development of hydrological engineering in the river basin from the 1980s. Reservoir Si retention substantially altered river mouth primary productivity community composition from diatoms to non-diatoms, thereby changing the BSi/TOC molar ratio in the sediment profile. Estimation of biogenic component burial fluxes was conducted to assess the variation and potential impacts. A recent dramatic decline in biogenic component burial in the delta area suggested a low nutrient removal efficiency in this region, due to the decrease in sediment discharge. Consequently, more nutrients have been further transported to the inner shelf and open waters instead of being buried in the delta sediment, thereby increasing the environmental pressure in the Yangtze Delta and adjoining coastal area.

Comparison of microplastic pollution in different water bodies from urban creeks to coastal waters

Although freshwater and estuary systems are recognized as origins and transport pathways of plastics to the oceans, there is a lack of comparison of microplastics in different water bodies or river networks. In the present study, the spatial distribution of microplastics was compared across different water bodies, including city creeks (Shanghai), rivers (Suzhou River and Huangpu River), an estuary (Yangtze Estuary) and coastal waters (East China Sea) in the Yangtze Delta area. Significant spatial differences of microplastic abundances were revealed across the sampling areas. The results showed that the abundance of microplastics was higher (1.8–2.4 items/L) in freshwater bodies than that in estuarine and coastal water (0.9 items/L). In the Suzhou River and the Huangpu River, microplastics showed trends of increasing abundance downstream, where the peak of microplastic pollution is closer to the city center and the estuary. In respect of abundance, microplastics are likely to be transported from pollution sources to sink areas via river networks. The proportion of fibers was the highest in city creeks (88%), followed by the Suzhou River (85%), the Huangpu River (81%), the Yangtze Estuary (66%) and the East China Sea (37%). Similarly, polyesters dominated in city creeks and rivers. The results suggest that both the abundance and properties of microplastic pollution varies across different water bodies. Microplastic pollution in small freshwater bodies is more serious than in estuarine and coastal waters. Therefore, we support prioritization of water monitoring for microplastics within entire river networks, instead of single water body surveys.

Erratum to: Recent channel changes of the Jiangsu reach of the Yangtze river: an investigation from multi-temporal digital elevation models

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China. This river has a drainage area of 1.8 × 10 km, flowing 6300 km from the glaciers in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau eastward to the East China Sea. Each year, the Yangtze River supplies approximately 9 × 10 m of fresh water and 4.7 × 10 t of sediments to its estuary and the East China Sea (Chai et al., 2006). In addition, the major channel of the Yangtze River is known as the BGolden River Channel^ because it is one of the largest river transportation lines in China. The channel in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is nevertheless strongly affected by sediment erosion and deposition (Yang et al., 2002, 2007; Liu et al., 2007; Xu and Milliman, 2009). Additionally, flood disasters appear to have occurred more frequently in the last century (Zong and Chen, 2000; Yin and Li, 2001; Zhang et al., 2006). The river channel evolution of the Yangtze River has significant impacts on flood discharge, shipping and the sustainable development of its drainage basin; the importance of these effects has given rise to the construction of a group of water conservation projects in the drainage basin during recent decades. To utilize and exploit the Yangtze River sustainably, it is crucial to understand the evolution of channel erosion and deposition, particularly in the middle and lower reaches, considering their dense populations and strong economic activities. As a typical large river, the evolution of the Yangtze River, such as persistent erosion and siltation, is recorded in the details of its channel morphology (Chen et al., 2001). The variation in water and solids in the main channel of the Yangtze River is an important focus for understanding the channel morphology of the river, which calls for a detailed analysis of the changes along the riverbed of the Yangtze River (Wang et al., 2009). The lower reach of the Yangtze River comprises alluvial plains where the main channel meanders into wide curves. This reach may also be influenced by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, which potentially increased erosion and brought dynamic sedimentation-erosion changes to the lower reach of the Yangtze River (Dai et al., 2005). Additionally, sediment transport of the Yangtze River may have various consequences on the riverbed morphology and changes in the water level. The increase in bank sedimentation in the Yangtze Delta area is often associated with the decrease in transported river solids (Wang et al., 2009), while the existing sediments are possibly becoming the main erosion sources (Li et al., 2006). In addition, activities such as deforestation and overgrazing have caused significant degradation of the drainage basins of the Yangtze River, and this situation has been aggravated in recent decades Dudgeon (1992); Yan and Qian, 2004; Liu and Diamond, 2005; Long et al., 2006). This degradation often increases the suspended sediment load and subsequently comes with extensive flooding. Furthermore, the degradation may also affect land-water interactions and the * Ping Lu luping@tongji.edu.cn

The rise of venture capital centres in China: A spatial and network analysis

Due to the importance of venture capital (VC) firms in spurring regional economic growth, the geography of VC firms and VC investments have attracted a lot of attention. However, the spatial patterns of cross-regional VC flows have rarely been explored, particularly in the context of emerging economies. Drawing on a unique dataset on VC firms and investments related to domestic initial public offerings (IPOs), this study combines location analysis with network analysis to investigate the spatial patterns of VC activities in China. The results confirm that Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai are the leading VC centres in the country. Although Yangtze Delta Area hosts the largest number of investments, Beijing and Shenzhen have a considerable advantage over Shanghai in terms of the number of VC firms, investments, and the number of domestic VC-backed IPOs. Beijing and Shenzhen also appear more central than Shanghai in China’s VC networks, with Beijing-Shenzhen representing the most important city-dyad in terms of VC investment flows. The article explains how the dynamics of the VC centres is embedded in China’s institutional and cultural context, critical to understanding the evolution and geography of China’s VC industry.

Epidemiological survey of adult distal humeral fractures in Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan area and the Yangtze Delta area in China from 2010 to 2011

Objective To characterize the epidemiological features of adult distal humeral fractures in the Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan area and the Yangtze Delta area(Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang)in China from 2010 to 2011. Methods The data of adult distal humeral fractures treated from January 2010to December 2011 in 17 hospitals in the Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan area and the Yangtze Delta area(Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang)in China were analyzed retrospectively. The patients from 9 hospitals in the Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan area were assigned into group A while those from 8 hospitals in the Yangtze Delta area into group B. The gender, age and AO classification were analyzed and compared between the 2groups. Results A total of 789 cases were collected. The total male/female ratio was 1. 16∶1. The median age was 46 years old. The adult distal humeral fractures predominated in an age range from 21 to 30years old(16. 60%). There were 364 cases(46. 13%)of type 13-A, 199 cases of type 13-B(25. 22%), and 226 cases of type 13-C(28. 64%). There were 523 cases in group A and 266 cases in group B. The male/female ratio was 1. 29∶1 in group A and 0. 93∶1 in group B. The proportion of males in group A was significantly higher than in group B(χ2= 4. 867,P= 0. 027). The highest age proportion was the ranges of21 to 40 years old(16. 83%, 88/523)and 51 to 60 years old(16. 83%, 88/523)in group A, but the range of 21 to 30 years old(16. 17%, 84/523)in group B, showing a significant difference(P 0. 05). Conclusions Adult distal humeral fractures favored more males than females. Their peak age was from 21 to 30 years old. The high-risk type was 13-A. The Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan area had a higher proportion of male patients and a lower mean age than the Yangtze Delta area, but there was no significant difference in constitute ratio of AO types. Key words: Humeral fracture, Epidemiology studies; Small-area analysis

Effects of full-scale advanced water treatment on antibiotic resistance genes in the Yangtze Delta area in China.

As emerging microbial contaminants, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widespread in the aquatic environment, including source water, which might enter water supply systems and endanger public health by enhancing the resistance of opportunistic pathogens to some antibiotics. In the present study, we investigated how water treatments affect the levels of ARGs in a full-scale drinking water treatment plant for one year using real-time PCR. The 16s rRNA gene and eleven ARG families, including tetA, tetG, aacC1, strA, ermB, cmlA5, vanA, dfrA1, sulII, blaTEM-1 and blaoxa-1, in source water and the outlet of each treatment and tap water were monitored. The results showed that nine ARG families were detected at relatively high levels, for example, the sulII gene was detected at ∼10(4) copies mL(-1) compared with 10(5) copies mL(-1) in finished water and tap water in July, whose relative concentrations were consistently high. Treatments for the reduction of the absolute concentrations of ARGs included sand filtration, coagulation/sedimentation and two-stage O3-BAC filtration, while distribution could increase ARGs an average of 0.50 log.

Progression and mitigation of land subsidence in China

Land subsidence was first observed in Shanghai nearly a century ago, in 1921. Land subsidence attributed to groundwater extraction has been severe in China and is still occurring. Recent subsidence and associated earth fissures occurring since 2000 in three principal regions—the North China Plain, Fenwei Basin and Yangtze Delta—are introduced, and historical subsidence in these areas is briefly summarized. The subsidence-affected area in these regions with cumulative subsidence greater than or equal to 200 mm is more than 90,000 km2 and covers 22 provinces (cities), which include intensively developed and densely populated areas. Earth fissures accompanying the subsidence create significant geohazards; more than 1,000 earth fissures have been identified in the North China Plain, Fenwei Basin and Yangtze Delta. Effective land-subsidence-monitoring networks, that include continuous global positioning system (GPS) stations, repeat GPS and leveling surveys of geodetic benchmarks, InSAR, borehole extensometers, and groundwater observation wells, have been established in these three subsidence-affected areas. Mitigation measures and administrative means have been implemented in some areas, with good results in the Yangtze Delta area.

Observation and modeling of the storm-induced fluid mud dynamics in a muddy-estuarine navigational channel

Observations of storm-induced fluid mud dynamics have been conducted at the North Passage deepwater navigational channel (DNC) of the Yangtze Estuary in October to December 2010, during the occurrence of a cold-air front. The measurement data reveal that just after the critical wind wave event, a large amount of fine sediment was trapped in a state of fluid mud along the channel. The observed thickness of the fluid mud was up to about 1–5m, which caused some significant economic and safety problems for shipping traffic in the Yangtze Delta area. The mechanisms and transport processes of the storm-induced fluid mud are analyzed and presented from the angles of both process-oriented and engineering-oriented methods. With the help of hydrodynamics and wave modeling, it could be inferred that the behavior of the storm-induced fluid mud event mainly depends on the overall hydrodynamic regimes and the exchanges of sediment, which is released by storm-wave agitation from adjacent tidal flats. These sediments are accumulated as fluid mud, and subsequently oscillate and persist at those locations with weaker longitudinal residuals in the river- and tide-dominated estuary. In addition, the downslope transport of fluid mud is also thought to have stimulated and worsened the fluid mud event observed in this study. Our modeling results and observations demonstrate that: (1) the transport of fluid mud is an advective phenomenon determining the central position of fluid mud layer along the channel, and it's also a tidal energy influenced phenomenon controlling the erosion and accumulation of fluid mud; and (2) both suspended particulate matter availability and local residual flow regime are of critical importance in determining the trapping probability of sediment and the occurrence of fluid mud.

The Structure of Voice Efficacy and its Role in the Formation Mechanism of Employee Voice Behavior

As one representative kind of extra-role and challenging-promotive discretionary behavior, employees’ voice behaviors are valuable for employees themselves and the organization as a whole, especially in the complex economic society in the modern times. Nowadays, there are multitudes of scholars who had paid more attention to this important organizational phenomenon, and explored the formation mechanisms under this behavior preliminarily, in varieties of perspectives. Although these findings were inspiring, the cognitive decision-making processes underlying the behavioral engagement had remained relatively unexplored. Since Chiaburu et al.(2008) had first mentioned about this topic, and assumed an initial framework explaining discretionary behaviors including voice in particular using cognitive processes model, there were few scholars met this. This study attempted to fill this gap. On the foundations of the Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986) and Conservation of Resources Theory(Hobfoll, 2002), after inducing and clarifying the definition of voice efficacy, this study explored the role that voice efficacy played in the cognitive mechanism of voice behavior. The research was consisted of two sub-studies which sampled from private-firm employees and joint-venture employees in Yangtze Delta area of China. Study 1, according to the advice of Kish-gephart et al.(2009), 26 random samples of employees were interviewed to collect critical incidents of voice efficacy, and 14 items were collected. Then a questionnaire was made up of based on this 14 items. After the data survey, 3 items were deleted by item analysis procedure. Then, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with 188 samples, the results showed that voice efficacy was one-dimension construct containing 7 optimal items. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the other 188 samples further supported this construct. Study 2 probed the effects of voice efficacy in the formaiton mechanism of employee voice behavior. Based on 401 employee-supervisor matched samples, the results indicated that, general self-efficacy was positively related to voice behavior. In addition, voice efficacy mediated the positive relationship between general self-efficacy and voice behavior. Besides, the study also found that, under the condition of high job availability employee will conduct more voice behaviors. But job availability negatively moderated the positive relationship between voice efficacy and voice behavior. This outcome corroborated what conservation of Resources Theory purported, namely, resources are particularly salient in the context of loss (Hobfoll, 2002). The results of study 2 also supported the construct validity of what study 1 found, namely, voice efficacy. The implications, limitaions and future orientations of the study were discussed as well.

Simulating dry deposition fluxes of PM10 and particulate inorganic nitrogen over the eastern China seas during a severe Asian dust event using WRF-Chem model

A WRF-Chem model including a comprehensive gas-phase nitrogen chemistry module was used to simulate a severe dust event appearing in the eastern China on 19–25 March, 2002. The modeling result well reproduced PM10 concentrations in various distances from the dust sources and the transport pathway of the dust strom. The results showed that both the concentrations and the dry deposition fluxes of PM10 increased over the China seas during the dust event following the passage of a cold front system. The maximum fluxes of PM10 in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea during the dust event were 5.5 and 8.4 times of those before the event, respectively. However, the temporal variations of the dry deposition fluxes of particulate inorganic nitrogen differed over the Yellow Sea from those over the East China Sea. Nitrate and ammonium in the whole northern China rapidly decreased because of the intrusion of dust-loaded air on 19 March. The dust plume arrived in the Yellow Sea on 20 March, decreasing the particulate inorganic nitrogen in mass concentration accordingly. The minimum dry deposition fluxes of nitrate and ammonium in the Yellow Sea were about 3/5 and 1/6 of those before the dust arrival, respectively. In contrast, when the dust plume crossed over the Yangtze Delta area, it became abundant in nitrate and ammonium and increased the concentrations and dry deposition fluxes of particulate inorganic nitrogen over the East China Sea, where the maximum dry deposition fluxes of nitrate and ammonium increased approximately by 4.1 and 2.6 times of those prior to the dust arrival.

Appropriation of Innovation and Patent Behaviors of Technological Firms in the Yangtze Delta Area

In the transition from “made in China” to “invented in China,” what is the motivation of Chinese firms in applying for patents? Why do some firms bypass patents? How is patenting developing within Chinese firms? This paper attempts to answer these questions using data of Chinese firms in the Yangtze River Delta region. Results indicate that, for product innovation, obtaining the lead time for market entry is of top priority in innovation protection, followed by confidentiality and patent protection. As for process innovation, confidentiality ranks first, followed by patent protection and obtaining the lead time. There is a significant and positive relationship between prior experience of patent licensing and possibility of future patent licensing. Firms with painful patent litigation experience tend to avoid it in the future. It is also found that there are great differences in patent behaviors between Chinese enterprises and their foreign counterparts.

Patterns of subsidence in the lower Yangtze Delta of China: the case of the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou Region

Investigation indicates that the subsidence pattern in the lower Yangtze Delta area is related to groundwater extraction. Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou region ("Su-Xi-Chang") belongs to the hinterland of the lower Yangtze Delta that has a total area of 12,000 km2. From 1979 to 2000, long-term pumping of groundwater at Su-Xi-Chang has caused a rapid decline in groundwater table, resulting in large-scale land subsidence. In this paper, establishment of a GPS-based monitoring system for land subsidence using 30 years of data, is presented. The data were obtained through monitoring of 184 wells. Also analyzed herein is the relationship between the observed lowering of the groundwater table and subsidence. Monitoring data indicate that the depression cone of groundwater table and the occurrence of subsidence are basically identical in time and space. The generation of both features is attributed to excessive extraction of ground water in the region. Finally, countermeasures against subsidence are proposed.

Peasants and Revolution in Rural China: Rural Political Change in the North China Plain and the Yangzi Delta, 1850-1949. Chang Liu

Peasants and Revolution in Rural China: Rural Political Change in the North China Plain and the Yangzi Delta, 1850-1949, by Chang Liu. London; New York: Routledge, 2007. xiv + 258 pp. £80.00/US$145.00 (hardcover). Until the late 1980s the history of Communist success during the War of Resistance to Japan (1937-45) was both much contested and highly controversial. Opinions differed over the importance of socio-economic conditions and the Communist appeal to the peasantry; the Communists' superior organizational skills; and the impact of invasion and war on the local population, particularly in terms of appealing to popular nationalism. Intellectual conflict was at its height when access to archives and other materials was most limited. In recent years, however, the republication of both Communist and other sources, and a general greater access to archives and information, has led research into new and largely more interesting directions. There have been a series of extremely detailed local studies of social, economic and political change, particularly in North China in the century before 1945. Chang Liu's excellent study of peasants and social change in the century before the end of the War of Resistance builds on this intellectual foundation, but by way of a research design goes to the next stage. The sheer socio-economic variety of China is a challenge to generalization. The result is often either essentialization, or no attempt to build wider explanation. In this study Chang Liu adopts an implicit comparative approach, attempting to highlight similarities and differences between processes of social change on the North China plain and in the Yangtze Delta region. There is no question that the major objective is to provide explanation of Communist success in North China and its relative failure further south. At the same time, though, Chang Liu develops a theory about the relationship between state and rural society in the century before 1945 in China that is likely to be a major topic of research for many years to come. The key finding is that state-society relationships on the North China plain had already started to become state-village relations because of changes in the immediate and increasingly globalized economy of the time. In the Yangtze Delta area, village development was considerably less central to the relationship between state and society, not least because of the higher levels of commercialization, workforce skills and transport integration. …

Wild and domesticated forms of rice ( Oryza sp.) in early agriculture at Qingpu, lower Yangtze, China: evidence from phytoliths

Rice cultivation in parts of the Yangtze valley, eastern China, is thought to date to at least the early Holocene. Using phytolith analysis, sediments from an exposed profile at Qingpu in the lower Yangtze were examined in detail in order to contribute to the growing body of information relating to the history of rice agriculture in the Yangtze delta area. The presence of phytoliths from domesticated rice, Oryza sativa, indicates that rice agriculture was well developed at Qingpu by ca. 2350 BP and may have increased in intensity from ca. 2100 BP. Rice cultivation at Qingpu was comparatively late in relation to other areas in the Yangtze valley, possibly due to the seasonal intrusion of saline waters, while the cultivation of wild rice remained a prominent feature of food production in the area to at least as late as ca. 1800 BP. Results presented here support the existence of a period of overlap, during which both wild and domesticated forms of rice were cultivated, rather than a linear transition from wild to domesticated rice cultivation and the possible influence of environmental factors over farming in an area subjected to frequent flooding.

Collaboration: Japanese Agents and Local Elites in Wartime China (review)

Reviewed by: Collaboration: Japanese Agents and Local Elites in Wartime China Emily M. Hill (bio) Timothy Brook. Collaboration: Japanese Agents and Local Elites in Wartime China Harvard University Press. xiv, 288. US $53.50 Research on Chinese compliance with Japanese power during the Sino-Japanese war of 1937 to 1945 has been an undeveloped area in East Asian history. With this important book, an expanse of neglected and inhospitable terrain has been transformed. The tangled interpretive thickets which obscured the field have been thinned by sharp analysis, while the author's prodigious archival excavations may be compared to the removal of innumerable boulders from previously untilled soil. Collaboration examines Chinese-Japanese interactions at the local level during the early period of the war. Organized thematically under intriguing chapter headings such as 'Complicities,' 'Rivalries,' and 'Resistance,' it focuses on the economic heartland of the Yangtze Delta area, including Shanghai. It depicts how, even as civilians continued to be [End Page 542] robbed, raped, and murdered by Japanese soldiers, persons who might have sought refuge in safe havens chose instead to comply with the conquerors' demands that the Chinese state should be established anew in a peaceable partnership between East Asian nations. Why would someone endowed with the freedom to choose otherwise decide on active co-operation with the agents of a conquering military power? Or, from the invaders' point of view, how may a subjected people be induced to resume productive activities so that a locality may yield regular tax revenue again? While armies continued operations further inland, Chinese and Japanese civilians assumed responsibility for the re-establishment of governance in the occupied zones. Dozens of educated Japanese men with administrative experience were dispatched to war-torn districts as part of an ambitious plan to restore peace and build 'self-government.' As well as the grim scenes of destruction that lay in the wake of an industrially equipped military machine regulated by archaic codes of conduct, the Japanese agents discovered that the human resources they needed to carry out their mission were in short supply. Not surprisingly, many of their educated counterparts among the inhabitants of the localities where they were posted had fled. Only a few of those who stepped forward to fill positions in new political entities possessed significant status in their communities. Although supplies of collaborators were available in every locality, the Japanese had to make do with poor quality. Their reliance on men distrusted by both sides as self-serving puppets did little to support official claims that the Chinese were governing themselves again. Timothy Brook's interpretive statements are somewhat inconsistent. In the concluding chapter, for instance, he observes that Japan sought to build an empire 'on the cheap' but failed. He implies that Japan's failure in China contrasted with Britain's earlier creation of an overseas empire on the cheap because of Japan's utter lack of any means to maintain power other than military coercion. Yet the preceding chapters reveal ample supplies of collaborators who were not coerced into administrative service under the Japanese. Britain in a different era, moreover, had more than eight years' time to create administrative agencies by co-opting local elites around the world. Brook's view is that the Chinese could not accept Japanese-sponsored administrations as legitimate and that those entities were weak as a result. His view that Japan's early occupation of China was a political failure at the local level seems inseparable from a sense that Japan's defeat was already inevitable in 1937 and 1938 because of Japanese armies' extraordinarily bad behaviour. An unspoken thought seems to linger as a last taboo in the thicket of touchy topics he has so bravely opened. This is the idea that Japan's conquest of China might have been permanent. In that case, thanks to increasing success in co-opting elites, restoring production, and rebuilding revenue systems, Japanese-sponsored local Chinese governments would have gained legitimacy eventually. Given that, as Brook [End Page 543] mentions in passing, Japan was defeated in 1945 not by China but by the United States, we know that in different circumstances Japan's domination of China might have lasted until today...