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China's paper industry accounts for a larger proportion of the global paper industry and consumes large amounts of energy. Energy conservation and pollution reduction of the industry have become the focus of China's national development strategy. Energy efficiency is an important index which directly determines the amounts of energy consumption and pollution emissions. To understand the energy efficiency evolution of China's paper industry, this paper establishes an input-output data of the paper industry for 29 provinces in China and applies DEA method and econometric models to estimate and comprehensively discuss the energy efficiency issues based on the framework of total factor efficiency. Our results indicate that China's paper industry has a large energy saving potential even though its energy efficiency has improved during the period 1990–2013. The saving potential is about 65% under the meta-frontier and 44% under the group-frontier. Moreover, there are significant differences between different regions in production technology and energy efficiency. The performance of eastern China is better than other regions. But the technology gaps between the different regions are shrinking and converging over time. Finally, some policy recommendations are proposed to improve the energy efficiency of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s paper industry consumes a lot of energy and emits huge amounts of pollutions. The Chinese government over the past decades has done a lot to promote energy efficiency of the industry. This paper studies the impact of industrial polices to improve energy efficiency. The energy efficiency change is firstly studied under a framework of total factor efficiency. On this basis, different econometric models are built to discuss the detailed energy efficiency characteristics of the paper industry. The main results are as follow: (i) ownership structure did influence the energy efficiency, but the influence is different in different conditions; (ii) energy efficiency of the paper industry can be improved by economies of scale; (iii) market competition can to some extent overcome the motivation and supervision problem that often occur in state-owned companies; (iv) energy price cannot play the role of resource allocation well in China. Finally, based on our findings, some suggestions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China's ecological environmental problem becomes severe, corporate environmental behavior (CEB) has become the focus of a range of stakeholders, policy makers and the whole society since the operating activities of companies is the main source of environmental pollution. This study used a questionnaire survey and structural equation model (SEM) to examine the relative importance of external and internal pressures (EIP) on driving CEB. Data was obtained from 702 papermaking companies in China. The mechanism of EIP effects on CEB was tested employing SEM through path analysis, using AMOS 21.0. The results showed that government pressure, economic pressure and internal pressure played significant positive roles in environmental behavior of papermaking companies in China. Economic pressure was the most important factor on environmental behaviors (including defensive, accommodative and proactive behaviors) of papermaking companies. Furthermore, the role of internal pressure on CEB (defensive and proactive) was second only to economic pressure, while the role of government pressure on CEB was much weaker than our expectation. However, the role of social pressure, which was imposed by general public and environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), was not significant. Thus, policy makers should emphasize on the interactions of economic mechanism, government regulation and internal incentive mechanism to stimulate firms to adopt active environmental behavior. More concerns from the general public shall be addressed to enhance their driving effect on CEB in Chinese papermaking industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current approaches to study the coupling mechanism between economy and environment seem to fall into self-circulation, failed to reveal "economy–environment interdependence". In this context, an exogenous variable is introduced into these models for better understanding the relationship. Benzo[a]pyrene (Bap) environment inventories in different cities in China were estimated by fugacity model based on Bap concentration data collected from previous studies. An extended model, stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology (STIRPAT), generated from original IPAT (a model that expresses the idea that environmental impact (I) is the product of three factors: population (P), affluence (A) and technology (T)) was used to study the relationship between Bap environment inventory and anthropogenic factors including population, vehicle amount, affluence and energy consumption. A ridge regression has been applied to optimize the model parameters. Overall, there exist good relationships between Bap inventories and economic factors. Specifically, population and affluence are the most significant factors that influence Bap inventory. Rise of the scale of population and vehicle amount increases the Bap inventory, as growth of GDP per capita and the efficiency of energy utilization have inhibitory effect on Bap inventory. Apparently, the influences of anthropogenic factors on Bap inventory are different between north and south China. Bap inventory in north China is more sensitive to the change of population and energy consumption, while is highly correlated to GDP per capita in south China. Further, according to social-economic development prediction, with assist of the result from STIRPAT model, we find out that Bap inventory drop 31% from 2001 to 2020 in China. Our estimates are comparable with the published data and confirmed that Bap can be regarded as a chemical indicator of social-economic development in China. Image 1 • An extended STIRPAT model derived from original IPAT was developed. • Population and affluence are the key factors that influence Bap inventory. • Advance of affluence and technology level curbs Bap environmental exposure. • We predict Bap environmental inventory drop 31% from 2001 to 2020 in China. • Bap can be used as an indicator of social-economic development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a perspective on the potential of Chinese ecological agriculture to address sustainable human–environmental interactions. As Chinese agriculture is increasingly challenged by the constraints of population, resources and environment emerging from its modern development, it is imperative to explore a sustainable agricultural paradigm that could accommodate economic and socio-cultural needs within an already stressed natural resource base. The rise of ecological agriculture is suggested as a workable alternative that has the potential to mitigate negative impacts of modern conventional agriculture and at the same time, to overcome limitations of traditional agriculture in meeting the needs of China''s growing population. Ecological agriculture represents a site-specific manifestation of the application of ecological economics, among others, to agricultural practices. Some challenges being experienced in translating this rhetoric into practice are identified and discussed. Highlighted is the view that sustainable agricultural development is meaningful only when it is tailored to specific ecological, economic, political and socio-cultural settings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights • Forest resource Metabolism Network model isdeveloped for ecological and economic analysis. • Exploitation index is developed to reveal the weaker sectors in the ecological relations. • A case study of Guangdong province, China isconducted to illustrate the potential benefits. • Scientific Basis are provided to allocate forestresources and stabilize industrial structure. Abstract Integrating forest resources into the socio-economic system correctly and reasonably is of vital importance to tackle the increasingly scarce forest resources. In this paper, forest resource input-output model and forest resource metabolism network model are established to provide new insights into the relationships among the systems, industries and sectors related to forest resources. A promising indicator named exploitation index is developed to reveal the weaker sectors in the ecological relations, which will further help to provide better corrective actions and integrated strategic measures. Guangdong is taken as an example to verify the availability of the model and solve the problem. The results show that the primary manufacturing consumes more direct timber, while advanced manufacturing and the service sector utilize timber indirectly. In addition, Guangdong forest metabolism system shows a negative correlation and the whole network does not achieve the mutualism state, leading to competition relationships between pairwise sectors that should not appear, such as Forestry sector and Papermaking and Paper Products sector. These results provide the corresponding reference for helping the decision makers to allocate forest resources and coordinate ecological and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government protected areas are the most dominant governance type in the global network of protected areas, but in recent years, a lack of research compared to indigenous and private nongovernment protected areas has become evident. Consequently, community-inclusive conservation strategies consistent with the advantages of government protected areas are unclarified. Focusing on 49 households living at the Mount Huangshan World Natural Heritage Site in eastern China, this paper uses qualitative research triangulation to explain the causality between community exclusion and local distrust of the protected area and builds an explanation concerning the political and economic context. The questionnaire data analysed from the configuration perspective were corroborated with interviews and archival data, presenting innovative and enlightening findings. Lack of participation alone does not elicit local protests against biohabitat conservation, and government performance determines the trustworthiness of the government protected area. When local households are unaware of the government's efforts, a "trust paradox" in which the households that receive economic gains distrust government PAs emerges. This is caused by the social expectations of the "responsible government" and the survivorship bias of the households who manage to succeed in profiting. Induced or mandatory community participation is needed to strengthen the indigenous perception of the link between local development and government performance. This paper proposes a new strategy for socioecological goals that is consistent with the advantages of government protected areas, the most globally dominant governance type for protected areas and the type employed by the largest number of countries. • Underparticipation alone does not elicit local protest against biohabitat conservation of government PA. • Good government performance is a sufficient condition for the trustworthiness of government PA. • The "trust paradox" in which the benefited households distrust PA is due to the social expectation and survivorship bias. • Induced or mandatory participation generates trust in PA if community is broadly consulted on economic and social areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the complex network of industry space, this paper investigates the industry structure optimization in Jiangxi Province in China. For the prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi Province, the location quotient is applied to obtain the specialized sub-industries. The conditional probability is used to analyze the interdependencies between industries. The complex network of industry space is presented to illustrate the relatedness among industries and analyze the space and structure of the regional overall industry. The index of transitional potential is proposed to measure the potential of a non-specialized industry which will become a specialized one in the future. The transformation difficulty index of industry is obtained to analyze the difficulty level of the transformation of the original specialized industry set to a new specialized one of a city. The results show that more industries have positive than negative interdependencies with one another in Jiangxi Province; rare industries specialize in cities at higher-level GDP, and common industries dominate the cities at lower-level GDP; it is more difficult for rarer non-specialized industries to become specialized ones, more common non-specialized industries can become specialized ones more easily, and the cities with higher GDP can transform industries more easily. By discussing the industries that have positive interdependencies with existing specialized industries, the detailed direction of industry structure optimization is analyzed. Finally, the policy implications are proposed, and these can be applied to other developing countries. • The conditional probability is used to analyze the interdependencies between industries. • The complex network of industry space is presented to illustrate the relatedness among industries. • The index of transitional potential is used to measure the potential of a non-specialized industry becoming specialized. • The transformation difficulty index is the difficulty level of the transformation of the originally specialized industry. • The industry structure can be optimized by developing the industries that have positive interdependencies with existing specialized industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper provides analysis of the availability of grain straw resources for centralised industrial usages and suitable areas in China at the prefectural level. China has abundant straw resources for both decentralised and centralised usages. Decentralised usages are inefficient and cannot absorb enough straw. However, centralised usages have technological and economic problems, such as product cost and resource supply, and therefore, a system analysis of the economic available resources and suitable areas are needed. Three main grain crops – rice, wheat, and corn – and three typical centralised usages – paper making, direct combustion power generation, and bioethanol – are investigated in this study. An optimal model is established on the basis of straw resource characteristics and techno-economic characteristics of the usages and used to calculate the distribution of suitable prefectures and the largest supply of resources for each usage. The study focuses on prefectures in 13 provinces with relatively abundant grain straw resources. The suitable areas for paper making are in North China, for direct combustion power generation are in North and Northeast China, for bioethanol are in Northeast China. The largest economic available resources for paper making, direct combustion power generation, and bioethanol are 47.5, 221.4, and 164.4 million tons, respectively. The operation cost and the ratio of straw actually collected from production are selected for conducting a sensitivity analysis. The impacts of other factors, including the geographical environment, local product demand, existing industry, change in total straw production, technical progress and straw from other crops, are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Global environmental problems are worsening. Among various regulatory measures, market-oriented approaches are most favored by governments worldwide. Using provincial panel data from 2004 to 2020, a multi-period DID model was hereby constructed to empirically study the pollution reduction effects of the pilot policy for carbon emissions trading in China. Findings of this paper could be listed as follows: (1) The pilot policy has achieved notable reductions in waste gas and solid waste, although its effect on wastewater pollutants has been less pronounced; (2) Pollution reduction in the pilot regions can be achieved by optimizing the energy consumption structure; (3) Significant variations in pollution reduction effects are observed between the Northern and Southern pilot regions, with notably stronger policy effects in the north across various pollutants compared to the south. Overall, this paper offers pertinent policy recommendations to aid the Chinese government in enhancing its carbon market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the domain of global socio-economic dynamics, the pivotal role of food production (FP) cannot be overstated. It constitutes the bedrock of fundamental human necessities while being inexorably linked with critical aspects such as economic expansion, societal equilibrium, and geopolitical interplays. The multifaceted nature of FP appears through its direct impact on macroeconomic indicators and its latent influence on international relations and policy-making. This critical nexus underscores the imperative for a comprehensive understanding and strategic management of food production processes to sustain and enhance global socio-economic stability and growth. Investigating the nexus between green finance (GF) and FP is pivotal for ensuring national security and promoting sustainable economic development. This research thus paper examines GF's impact on FP in China as outlined in the 2017 green finance policies. It employs the difference-in-differences (DID) method and analyzes a balanced panel dataset comprising 282 cities in China from 2009 to 2020. The results show that GF has an inhibitory effect on FP, and this remains valid after a range of reliability checks, including parallel trend assessments and placebo tests. Further findings of transmission mechanism analysis indicate that non-agricultural factors and financial exclusion are critical for GF's inhibitory effect on FP. Heterogeneity analyses show that GF's inhibitory effect on FP is more pronounced in the main food-producing areas, the main food-marketing areas, and cities with better infrastructure. The empirical results of this paper comprehensively illustrate GF's impact on FP and how it contributes to the achievement of food security objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood education programs have been found to effectively promote children's social and cognitive development. However, the health impact of these programs is less understood. Using a quasi-experiment of the first universal child care reform in China from 2010, this paper aims to identify whether the preschool reform produces any short-term effects on health-related outcomes of preschoolers (3-6 years old). Specifically, this reform expands access to affordable preschools that provide full-day center-based education, with school meals and essential health services on campus. I exploit the variation in the number of newly established preschools across provinces and implement difference-in-differences and triple-difference strategies. Results confirm the effectiveness of this reform by showing a strong and positive impact on preschool attendance. This paper then documents the benefits to alleviating underweight among preschoolers. Estimates show a larger effect in rural areas, suggesting that the reform narrows rural-urban disparities in education access and undernutrition prevention. I also explore the impact on caregivers' health consciousness and find improved health-seeking behavior when children get sick. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking China's provincial panel data from 2010 to 2020 as an example, this paper verifies that climate change, especially extreme climate change, can destabilize China's financial stability and explores the transmission path of climate risks with meteorological disaster losses as the channel variable. Our empirical results demonstrate that: (a) only after the extreme climate change breaks through a certain threshold, thus causing a significant impact on the financial system; (b) we cannot ignore the improvement of disaster prevention and reduction ability brought by the improvement of social and economic development level; (c) the impact of extreme climate change will spread to the financial system through the economic losses caused by meteorological disasters; (d) there is obvious regional heterogeneity in the spread of meteorological disaster losses to the financial system. Our results are robust to a wider battery of checks and have important policy implications. • This paper empirically tests the impact of climate change on financial stability. • Extreme climate change will damage China's financial stability. • The economic losses caused by climate disasters will spread to the finance. • The transmission of such losses has obvious regional heterogeneity. • This paper provides policy implication for coping with climate risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth and resource scarcity have remained major constraints on China''s development for several decades. Under conditions of resource limitations, utilization efficiency is a key concern for Chinese scientists and decision-makers. Based on forest production and trade data for China, we present a conceptual framework for resource flow analysis, calculate the quantities and analyze the characteristics of flows of forest resources (primarily wood and wood byproducts) during the critical early economic development of China (from 1953 to 2000) by converting the forest resource flows into log equivalents (i.e., the quantity of logs required to generate a unit of each type of product). The consumption of forest resources has accelerated throughout the study period, and the structure and efficiency of forest resource utilization have both improved. The proportion of forest resource flows obtained from outside China has increased, and most of this wood was consumed by wood-processing industries. Over time, consumption has shifted from logs and lumber to the pulp and paper and artificial board industries. To improve the economics and sustainability of its use of forest resources, China should increase consumption of forest resources by its pulp and paper industry, more fully utilize forest resources obtained from outside China, and weaken the dependence on these foreign forest resources by promoting increased utilization efficiency and structural readjustment of the forest industry. Therefore, improved forest management is an effective mean of weakening the dependence on foreign forest resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyzes the relationship between trust mechanism, innovation ability and M&A value by employing the data of major assets restructuring mergers & acquisitions (M&A) by China's listed companies. This paper finds that the improvement of innovation ability affects the M&A value, and it relates closely to trust mechanism. Two stage least square regression results show that internal trust mechanism with the sincerity of firms as core is utilized constantly by promoting knowledge inside and outside the organization to enhance the innovation ability of the firms. This paper indicates that the firms can still create M&A value through sincerity construction and innovation ability improvement though China's system environment is not perfect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We built a framework for ecosystem services and multi-poverty-index (MPRI). • We conducted a quantitative assessment of ecosystem services in rural China. • We revealed the interactive relationship between ecosystem services and MPRI. This paper firstly proposed an analytical framework for the relationship between ecosystem services value (ESV) and multidimensional poverty-reduction index; then, it conducted a quantitative assessment of ESV including ecosystem disservices in China's Three Gorges Reservoir region; next, it explored the interactive relationship between ESV and multidimensional poverty-reduction index in an attempt to reveal the contribution of ecosystem services to poverty reduction in this special region. The results indicate that: (1) There is a long-term co-integration between ESV and multidimensional poverty-reduction index, and their coupling degree is on the rise; ESV plays an important role in improving social security and mitigating poverty; (2) There are high correlations between climate regulation, waste treatment, maintenance of genetic diversity, environment purification, landscape aesthetics, maintenance of soil fertility and multidimensional poverty-reduction index, making the greatest contribution to poverty reduction in the region; and (3) Contributions of different specific ecosystem services to poverty reduction are varied considerably among different categories of ESV. Finally, this paper proposed policy recommendations for the synergy between eco-environmental protection and poverty reduction based on the findings of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Measure the land dispute intensity (LDI) at the provincial level in China. • The geodetector model, OLS, and SDM models are used to explore the spillover effects of LDI. • Panel threshold model is applied to explore the non-linear relationship between socioeconomic factors and land disputes. Land disputes pose significant challenges to social stability and development. In this paper, land dispute intensity (LDI) is measured at the provincial level in China from 2009 to 2018 and its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors are explored. The ordinary least squares(OLS), spatial durbin model (SDM), geodetector model, and panel threshold model are used to explore the spatial spillover effects of LDI and its potential non-linear relationship with socio-economic factors. The results reveal that LDI is spatially distributed in a decentralized form, with local areas showing the structural characteristics of "single core, multiple clusters". The LDI exhibits a significant positive spatial autocorrelation and follows a "logarithmic" upward trend over time. The urbanization rate (UR), social security expenditures (SSE), and the number of land and resources institutions (NLRI) are important driving forces affecting LDI. The SSE and NLRI have a single threshold effect on the LDI, with a "V" shaped weakening trend, and the UR is an important factor causing nonlinear effects. Interestingly, the effect shifts from inhibition to stimulation when the SSE and NLRI cross the corresponding threshold value. This paper can provide new insights into the governance of land disputes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is aggravating the occurrence of pests and diseases, however, pesticide residue caused by the abuse of chemical pesticides is emerging as a worldwide issue with a great threat to the ecological environment, human health, and food security. Biopesticide application, a component of climate-smart agricultural practices, is viewed as a vital alternative for agricultural sustainable development. Due to the additional cost attached to externalities and information insufficiency, the adoption rates of biopesticide are still quite low in most developing countries. By using panel data of 3143 rural households from 2020 to 2021 in Jiangsu Province, this paper builds a theoretical framework of whether and how specialized agricultural service (SAS) for specialized pest control affects farmers' biopesticide application, and then employs an Endogenous Switching Probit model to verify this effect and its channels empirically. The empirical results show that the SAS purchase can increase significantly the probability of smallholders' biopesticide adoption by 30.8%. Without consideration of the self-selection bias, this probability would drop to 16.2%. The potential channels of the SAS influencing farmers' biopesticide application are technology popularization (training) and machinery substitution resulting from SAS. Moreover, our findings also indicate that the effects of SAS on biopesticide adoption are heterogeneous, and vary with farmers' education level, cooperative members, and land size. This paper provides the first empirical evidence for the effect of SAS on biopesticide promotion, which is expected to contribute to agricultural sustainable development and food safety in most developing countries. [Display omitted] • Climate-smart agricultural practices play a vital role in global adaptation to climate change. • We examine the effects of specialized agricultural services on biopesticide application in China. • Theoretical framework and endogenous switching probit model are employed to identify these effects. • Specialized agricultural service affects biopesticide adoption mainly through two channels. • These effects are heterogeneous and vary with farmers' different characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochemical air quality models (AQMs) are a vital tool for atmospheric pollution research and have been widely used in various applications, such as air quality prediction and evaluation of pollution control strategies. Before using these models for further studies, it is essential to thoroughly evaluate their reliability and accuracy. While previous guidelines and benchmarks have primarily focused on fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and ozone (O 3), there is still a lack of benchmarks for evaluating the model performance on primary criteria pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO 2), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 μm (PM 10). The use of air quality models in China has increased significantly in the past decades. However, there is still a lack of standardized benchmarks for the performance evaluation of these models. Building upon our previous work on PM 2.5 and its chemical species, we propose a set of benchmarks for evaluating the performance of the aforementioned four air pollutants. Initially, we identified a total of 475 papers published during 2007–2019 that utilized at least one of the five commonly used AQMs in China. From these papers, we selected 164 articles that provided model performance evaluation (MPE) results of the four primary air pollutants. The three most frequently used Model Performance Evaluation (MPE) metrics were selected to analyse the impact of different model configurations on the reported statistics, including modelling region, season, and emission inventory. Lastly, three commonly used statistical indicators, including normalized mean bias (NMB), normalized mean error (NME), and correlation coefficient (R), were proposed for the validation of simulated NO 2 , SO 2 , CO, and PM 10. Two sets of benchmarks are given, including the "goal" and "criteria". The "goal" represents the best range of performance that a model can be expected to achieve, and the "criteria" represents performance that the majority of studies have achieved. We recommend R values above 0.50, 0.35, 0.45, and 0.40 for NO 2 , SO 2 , PM 10 , and CO, respectively, in order to meet the "criteria" benchmark. If the "goal" benchmark is to be achieved, the corresponding R values are 0.60, 0.55, 0.60, and 0.60. The "goal" benchmarks of NMB for NO 2 , SO 2 , PM 10 , and CO are within ±20%, ±25%, ±20%, and ±25%, respectively; while the "goal" benchmarks of NME for the four pollutants are less than 40%, 45%, 45%, and 60%, respectively. These benchmarks supplement our previous benchmarks for PM 2.5 and its components and provide a more comprehensive guideline for the air quality modelling community in China. • A set of benchmarks for evaluation of the NO 2 , SO 2 , CO and PM 10 simulation over China are proposed. • Three commonly used statistical indicators (NMB, NME, and R) were proposed for the validation of the four pollutants. • The goal benchmarks of NMB for NO 2 , SO 2 , PM 10 , and CO are <20%, <25%, <20% and <25%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is outward-looking, being part of China's 'Going Out Strategy' while Africa's current regional infrastructure programmes are primarily inward-looking as they seek to deepen the continent's regional integration. This paper argues, drawing from international cooperation theory, that China and Africa can cooperate in implementing BRI despite the apparent conflict in their infrastructure connectivity aspirations. They can coordinate their policies for the purpose of mutual benefit through enhanced connectivity and trade between Africa and China on the one hand and deepened African regional integration and intra-African trade on the other. This could be achieved by using Africa's regional programmes as building blocks for cooperation in BRI. This paper also highlights lessons from BRI that Africa could use to fast-track implementation of its own initiatives including the mobilisation of stakeholders by political leaders, creation of dedicated institutions and funds, and building of local capacity in the infrastructure sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study applied a logistic growth model with parameters estimated by a non-linear least squares (NLS) method to daily new COVID-19 cases. • The model fitted time-series data exceedingly well for the whole of China, eleven selected Chinese provinces and municipalities, South Korea and Iran. • This study provided key estimates and a 95% confidence interval for parameters K , r, and P 0. • This study found that the growth rates of outbreaks differed between provinces in China and between South Korea and Iran. • As of March 13, 2020, this study's model suggested that countries such as the U.S.A., France, Italy, and Spain were still in the early stages of outbreaks. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to proliferate globally, this paper shares the findings of modelling the outbreak in China at both provincial and national levels. This paper examines the applicability of the logistic growth model, with implications for the study of the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases. An NLS (Non-Linear Least Squares) method was employed to estimate the parameters of a differentiated logistic growth function using new daily COVID-19 cases in multiple regions in China and in other selected countries. The estimation was based upon training data from January 20, 2020 to March 13, 2020. A restriction test was subsequently implemented to examine whether a designated parameter was identical among regions or countries, and the diagnosis of residuals was also conducted. The model's goodness of fit was checked using testing data from March 14, 2020 to April 18, 2020. The model presented in this paper fitted time-series data exceedingly well for the whole of China, its eleven selected provinces and municipalities, and two other countries - South Korea and Iran - and provided estimates of key parameters. This study rejected the null hypothesis that the growth rates of outbreaks were the same among ten selected non-Hubei provinces in China, as well as between South Korea and Iran. The study found that the model did not provide reliable estimates for countries that were in the early stages of outbreaks. Furthermore, this study concured that the R 2 values might vary and mislead when compared between different portions of the same non-linear curve. In addition, the study identified the existence of heteroskedasticity and positive serial correlation within residuals in some provinces and countries. The findings suggest that there is potential for this model to contribute to better public health policy in combatting COVID-19. The model does so by providing a simple logistic framework for retrospectively analyzing outbreaks in regions that have already experienced a maximal proliferation in cases. Based upon statistical findings, this study also outlines certain challenges in modelling and their implications for the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Established conservation key areas identification methodology. • Conducted conservation Gap analysis combining global data with local characteristics. • Delineated six conservation priority levels for the blank areas of nature reserves. The global system of nature reserves is facing adjustment and restructuring towards the goal of harmonizing ecological conservation with regional development. We use multiple ecoregion data at both global and national scales as ecological indicators to explore the gap areas of China's nature reserves, which can help to build a global network of nature reserve systems and lay a spatial foundation for global biodiversity conservation. This paper comprehensively resorts to the ideas and modeling approaches involved in gap analysis, conservation prioritization analysis and eco-region planning. After identifying in both global and national scales the potential areas with gaps in national nature reserves in China, it proposes conservation priority areas and optimization strategies. The study finds that in a global extent, the areas with the gaps in China cover a large area and are distributed widely, mostly on the both sides of the Tengchong-Heihe Line. The conservation priority areas are concentrated in mid-subtropical humid areas, plateau subtropical sub-humid areas and semi-arid areas, and plateau temperate humid/sub-humid areas. These areas are usually not sufficiently protected due to their diversified landforms, complex ecosystems and lack of protection measures. The results have verified and identified the areas with gaps in the building of Chinese national nature reserve system. They may make a unique and important contribution to global ecological conservation efforts in terms of protected area system optimization and conservation network building. This paper analyses the conservation gaps in China's national nature reserves and proposes conservation priority areas for optimising the layout of the nature reserve network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our paper examines the impact of corporate digital transformation on stock price crashes. • Our paper reconstructs the metrics of enterprise digital transformation in the context of China. • Heterogeneity analyses show that the ownership and the degree of technology moderate our findings. Digital transformation has become a key initiative for firms' sustainable development. Based on the annual reports of A-share listed companies, we use LDA model to construct a novel measure of firm digital transformation and examine its effect on the risk of stock price crash. We find that firm digital transformation significantly affects the risk of stock price crash. We then show that information asymmetry and firm performance are underlying mechanisms. Further, heterogeneity analyses show that the ownership and the degree of technology moderate our findings. This paper provides policy implications on the development of digital economy and capital markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the effect of early exposure to malnutrition on the cognitive abilities of the offspring of survivors in the context of a natural experiment; i.e., the Great Chinese Famine (GCF) of 1959–61. We employ a novel dataset – the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) – to do so. The paper finds that the cognitive abilities of children whose fathers were born in rural areas during the famine years (1959–1961) were impaired by exposure to the GCF and the negative effect was greater for girls than boys, whereas children whose mothers were born in rural areas during the famine years were not affected. The uncovered gender-specific effect is almost entirely attributable to son preference exhibited in families with male famine survivors. • This paper focuses on the intergenerational legacy of the Great Chinese Famine (GCF) of 1959–61. • It investigates the effects of early exposure to malnutrition on the cognitive abilities of the offspring of the survivors of the GCF. • It employs a novel dataset that contains measures for cognitive abilities – the 2010 waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). • It finds that the cognitive abilities of children of rural male survivors were impaired by exposure to the GCF; the negative effect was greater for girls than boys. • The uncovered gender-specific effect is attributable to son preference exhibited in families with male famine survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper identifies the effect of extreme temperatures on labor wage. • Temperature and labor wage exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship. • Extreme cold temperatures lower labor wage by reducing the average wages. • High temperatures primarily reduce labor wage by decreasing employee numbers. Labor wage is a common focus of welfare economics and public policy, but little is known about its response to climate factors. With random year-to-year variation in temperature based on county-level data while using comprehensive and nationwide manufacturing data in China, this paper identifies the effect of extreme temperatures on firm-level labor wage. The result shows an inverted U-shape relationship between temperature and firm-level labor wage. We find that extremely high and low temperatures affect labor wage through different channels. Specifically, extremely cold temperatures lower labor wage by reducing the average wage from the intensive margin, whereas the negative impact of high temperatures on labor wage is mainly driven by the decrease in the number of employees from the extensive margin aspect. The temperature effect is more pronounced for labor-intensive firms, firms with employees with lower education levels, and low-tech firms. Areas with a hot climate are more sensitive to extremely cold temperatures but are not affected by extremely high temperatures because of the adaptation to climate change. We also find that the high-temperature subsidy policy has not achieved the expected goal of protecting workers' welfare during this period. Our results suggest that China should raise public awareness of the danger of extreme temperatures and take various adaptive measures to deal with extreme temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green total factor productivity is a vital measure of sustainable progress, holding immense implications for attaining both economic growth and environmental preservation in a mutually beneficial manner. Focusing on green total factor productivity, this paper examines its nexus with low-carbon energy technology using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments (IV-GMM) model, based on a panel dataset in China during 2005–2018. This paper also examines the asymmetric impact of low-carbon energy technology on green total factor productivity. In addition, the moderating and mediating effects are checked. The main findings are that (1) low-carbon energy technology is a promoting factor for green total factor productivity. (2) Low-carbon energy technology exerts a more prominent marginal impact on green total factor productivity when green total factor productivity is at higher quantile levels. (3) Renewable energy generation not only drives green total factor productivity directly, but also further increases the promotion effect of low-carbon energy technology on green total factor productivity, showing a positive moderating role. (4) Energy structure transition and industrial structure transition are two internal impact mechanisms between low-carbon energy technology and green total factor productivity. These findings suggest that the government can promote green total factor productivity development by developing policies related to low-carbon energy technology and fully releasing the effects of technology on sustainable development. • This paper assesses the level of low-carbon energy technology (LCET) in China. • This paper examines the effect of LCET on green total factor productivity (GTFP). • LCET plays a significant role in enhancing GTFP. • Renewable energy generation positively moderates the nexus between LCET and GTFP. • Energy structure transition and industrial structure transition are two mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of high-quality development, the e-commerce industry needs to seek more comprehensive development, and the logistics industry should not only maintain higher efficiency, but also meet the requirements of green and low-carbon transportation. This study aims to investigate the link between the logistic density and the proportion of e-commerce transaction scale. There are few studies on how logistics density affects the development of e-commerce quantitatively. In order to solve this gap, this study establishes an impact model of high-quality growth of e-commerce, and based on Solow production model, constructs a calculation method of logistics density, and analyzes the impact mechanism of logistics density on the scale ratio of e-commerce transactions. Using the bidirectional fixed effect model, this paper makes an empirical analysis of the panel data of 31 provinces consisting of 248 observations and autonomous regions in China from 2014 to 2020. The results show that logistic density has a positive and significant impact on the growth of e-commerce, thus promoting the optimization of economic structure. The acceleration of logistics density decreases the expansion of the ecommerce. Finally, there are obvious regional differences between the development of e-commerce and logistics infrastructure in China. Finally, based on the empirical result, this paper puts forward recommendations for government and companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational assessment of the regional sustainable development level is an important prerequisite for formulating development strategies and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, little literature provides nuanced understanding for national sustainable development from the perspective of county sustainability. Such studies can provide more accurate regional heterogeneity characteristics and policy decision support. Thus, this paper applies the entropy weight method and Chinese county data from 2000 to 2017 to reassess the sustainability of Chinese counties. The results show that China's county sustainability (Sustainable Development Index, SDI) is slowly improving. County sustainability performance is poorer in ethnic minority agglomerations, poor counties, old revolutionary counties, and central and western regions, better in county-level cities and eastern regions. The decomposition results show that economic sustainability and environmental sustainability are the main supporters of SDI growth, and livelihood sustainability is in urgent need of improvement. The regional inequality of SDI in Chinese counties gradually decreases, and inter-group differences are the main contributors to regional inequality in SDI. This paper provides support for China to develop county-level sustainable development measures and practice the SDGs. The findings could be useful for policymakers. [Display omitted] • Based on the entropy weight method and the Chinese county data, the sustainable development levels of 1533 counties in China from 2000 to 2017 are estimated. • Analyses of spatial-temporal dynamic heterogeneity, Linear decomposition, and Dagum decomposition are conducted to study the features of sustainable development in Chinese counties. •The influence of natural features and national concern preferences on county sustainable development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Changes of ecosystem services based on Nature-based solutions were evaluated from 76 screened papers. • Five ecosystem services have improved after the implementation of ecological restoration projects. • Tradeoffs and synergies among ecosystem services had mixed effects. • Natural factors had a greater influence on ecosystem services than socioeconomic ones. Nature-based solutions (NbS), an upgraded version of ecological restoration concept, has developed as an integrated approach to encompass a broad range of actions that protect, restore, or sustainably manage ecosystems to provide benefits to people. However, it is challenging to obtain a thorough understanding of the effectiveness of NbS because of the uncertainty of the assessment in different regions based on ecosystem services. Here, we conduct a synthesis analysis of the effects of ecological interventions on ecosystem quality within China. We systematically analyze 76 studies selected from 275 peer-reviewed papers, which were undertaken at regional scale and published between 2011 and 2022. Average values of ecosystem services before and after the ecological interventions are extracted to quantify the ecosystem changes. Results show that ecological restoration purposefully contributes to the improvements of ecosystem services with an increase in Net Primary Productivity (NPP) of 31% and an increase in soil conservation (SC) of 21%. Effects on water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ) are all not significant. Restoration interventions have a mixed effect on ecosystem service trade-offs which may vary by regions. Trade-offs primarily exist between WY and other ecosystem services on the Northeastern Forest Belt and the Southwestern Karst, while synergies mainly exist among NPP, SC and CS on the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Moreover, utilizing grey correlation analysis methods, factor analysis reveals that temperature and precipitation are highly correlated with the changes of the five ecosystem services. Natural factors contribute more to the changes of NPP, SC and WY than the human factors. This research is aimed at obtaining an overall perception of the effectiveness of ecological restoration programmes implementation in different regions across China, which will provide references for reducing ecosystem services trade-offs and adjusting the layouts of regional ecological restoration programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gridded corporate, population, and land-cover datasets were integrated to simulate carbon emissions and sinks at finer geographical scales. • Spatiotemporal variation of intra-city carbon budget and its driving mechanisms were mapped and demystified. • Evaluation indicators and formulating methods for intra-city carbon balance zoning were developed. • Reform suggestions of territorial governance and spatial planning system oriented by carbon peaking and neutrality were generated. Achieving spatiotemporal balance between carbon emissions and sinks at multiple spatial scales is vital for addressing climate change globally. The investigation of carbon budget variation and carbon balance zoning at the intra-city scale, however, has not received much scholarly attention. By integrating firm-level big data with other datasets, this paper aims to simulate high-resolution carbon emissions and sinks and to reveal the spatiotemporal variation of carbon budgets within Nanjing, one of metropolises in eastern China, between 2010 and 2019. We then formulated a carbon balance zoning scheme for 111 township-level regions of Nanjing based on the evaluation indicator system and clustering methods. Empirical results imply that the spatial pattern of carbon emissions has experienced a reshaping tendency from core-periphery to polycentric structure, while the scale and geography of territorial ecosystem carbon sinks remained stabilize during the past decade. There existed a spatial agglomeration effect in functional zones oriented by intra-city carbon balance of Nanjing. These are tied to determinants such as urban expansion, population redistribution, industrial restructuring, as well as regulations on energy use, natural resource supervision and ecosystem protection. The newly built urban sub-centers and new-towns in Nanjing were spatially overlapping with regions where significant changes in carbon budgets occurred. Our findings suggest that the current system of territorial governance should be reformed to support the adoption of major function and carbon balance zoning oriented by carbon peaking and neutrality at finer geographical scales in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a proprietary dataset collected by the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China (NBS), we are able to compare earnings reported to the NBS in the pre-IPO (initial public offerings) period with earnings for the same firm and the same year reported in firms' IPO prospectus. While Ball and Shivakumar (2008) find that in the U.K., financials reported at IPOs tend to be more conservative than the original reports, we find the opposite: income reported by Chinese firms in their IPO prospectus tend to be higher than those reported to the NBS. In the year immediately preceding the IPO, the discrepancy is mostly driven by firms inflating earnings in the IPO prospectus to increase issue prices. In earlier years, firms in provinces with weak law enforcement report lower earnings to the NBS to avoid taxes, which also contributes to the discrepancy between the IPO and NBS data. These findings suggest that firms tell different lies to different audiences. The discrepancy between the IPO and NBS earnings is positively correlated with the IPO issue price, indicating that firms are able to increase their IPO proceeds by raising earnings in the IPO prospectus from the original NBS reports. Furthermore, firms with the highest discrepancies experience the most significant declines in return on assets (ROA) and the most negative abnormal returns after the IPOs. Our paper complements the existent literature on earnings quality at IPOs, sheds light on firms' tax avoidance behaviors, and is of practical value to regulators. • Income reported by in IPO prospectus is higher than those reported to the NBS. • Firms have greater discrepancies when the statutory tax rates are higher. • Such discrepancy increases benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of skyscrapers on urban resilience in China using a panel dataset of 295 cities from 2002 to 2018. Urban resilience is evaluated across economic, social, ecological, and infrastructure dimensions, focusing on the impact of skyscrapers' quantity and height. The study finds that skyscrapers have a positive effect on urban resilience. Specifically, one standard deviation increase in the skyscraper index (1.010) corresponds to a 0.229 increase in urban resilience, approximately 23% of its own standard deviation. The qualitative result remains robust across different model specifications and instrumental variable estimation methods. Mechanism tests reveal that skyscrapers drive economic and societal shifts, such as increased urban density and diverse populations, which enhance urban resilience. Conversely, they present challenges to ecological resilience. The paper also finds that the skyscraper effect is complex, characterized by the nonlinear, heterogeneous, and persistent effects of skyscrapers. This study highlights the importance of balancing economic growth with social and ecological sustainability in urban development. The findings also suggest that future research should continue to explore the complex relationships between urban spatial patterns, economic resilience, and ecological sustainability to support the development of sustainable and resilient cities. • First empirical study on skyscrapers and urban resilience. • Robust findings reveal complex, multi-dimensional impacts. • Dual effects: Enhances urban density but challenges ecology. • Provides policy insights for balanced urban development. • Suggests further research on urban form and resilience dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-varying dynamics of the transition to renewable energy reflect the effectiveness and efficiency of energy policy. This paper investigates renewable energy transition behavior in China using Markov regime-switching models. Two distinct phases, expansion and contraction, are identified based on the growth rates of renewable energy consumption share. We find that since China started its new-energy national strategy in 2005, there has been an extended period in which it has been in the expansion state, although it occasionally reverts to a contraction state. Intriguingly, we uncover that the timing of transition state changes can be explained by the changes in policy-related, market-based instruments and risk-related indexes. These findings present implications for policymakers in developing more precise and effective policies, that drives investment choices to align with the goal of a sustainable energy system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrace abandonment in hilly and mountainous regions, particularly in China, has become a significant concern. However, comprehensive assessments of abandonment patterns and underlying causes are still lacking. This paper elucidates the patterns, determinants, and impacts of terraces abandonment in China by using data from a survey of 580 villages across 346 counties and employing spatial analysis and the Heckman two-stage model. Terrace abandonment, which began in the 1990s, has progressively intensified, peaking in 2015. Currently, 51.55% of surveyed villages experience terrace abandonment, affecting 21.17% of households and 8.37% of the total terrace area, with a distinct prevalence in the South and scarcity in the North. Key factors contributing to terrace abandonment include low returns compared to other options, wildlife damage, high engagement in non-farm labor, and substantial non-farm income. In 2021, terrace abandonment led to the loss of 9.36 million tons of grain production capacity, enough to fulfill the yearly consumption requirements of 23.4 million people. Moreover, terrace abandonment undermines the cultural importance of terraced agriculture, reduces tourism potential, and hinders rural rejuvenation. The challenge of terrace abandonment is anticipated to worsen with the increase in non-farm economic activities and ecological restoration projects in hilly and mountainous regions. It is crucial for the government to implement measures to enhance terrace management. These measures include reducing operational costs for large contiguous plots, promoting the cultivation of cash crops to increase revenues from extensive scattered plots, and advocating for the reforestation of agricultural land to enhance the ecological value of remote terraces at higher altitudes. Addressing these issues can achieve sustainable terrace use and management, contributing to broader rural development and ecological goals. [Display omitted] • Terrace abandonment has been observed across approximately 60 countries. • 21.17% of households and 8.37% of terrace areas have experienced abandonment. • Terrace abandonment has led to a decrease in China's grain production capacity by 9.36 million tons. • Terrace abandonment may intensify because of the expanding non-farm economy and ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics anxiety (MA) is a widespread phenomenon that affects an individual's learning of mathematics. MA between different genders has been of great interest to researchers. Meta–analysis was used to examine the relationship between MA and gender in Chinese children, along with the influencing factors. After literature search and screening, 83 papers and 91 independent samples met the inclusion criteria. The results of the main effect test of the random effect model revealed a correlation of significant levels between MA and gender, r = −0.131, 95%CI [−0.158, −0.105], Z = –9.508, and p < 0.001. Girls had higher MA than boys. The outcomes of the moderating effect test indicated that the moderating effect of age, economic region and measurement instrument in the relationship between MA and gender was significant. But the moderating effect of period was not significant. Specifically, gender differences in MA were greater at the middle school compared to the elementary school. And the greatest correlation between children's MA and gender was in the western region. The gender difference of MA measured by different instruments varied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There are obvious regional differences in the freezing and thawing processes of seasonally frozen ground across China. • Seasonally frozen ground is generally characterized by one-way freezing but by one-way or two-way thawing. • The soil freeze–thaw process is dominated primarily by air temperature. • Close associations of air temperature with soil freeze depth are greatly modulated by snow cover in snowy regions. Observations from 1,047 meteorological stations from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2015 revealed regional differences in the freezing and thawing processes of seasonally frozen ground (SFG) across China. SFG generally undergoes a one-way freezing process (i.e., top-down), and the stations with a large freeze depth generally experienced long freeze durations. During the thawing process, soil is generally characterized by two-way thawing (i.e., top-down and bottom-up) in the region north of 35′N, especially north of 30′N (except in northeastern China). The onset of thawing from the bottom occurs earlier than that from the top at most stations in the two-way thawing region. The stations exhibiting one-way thawing (i.e., bottom-up) were mainly located on the southern edge of eastern China (east of 110°E) and in southern part of Xinjiang and southeast part of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The freezing process lasts several days to more than four months longer than the soil thawing process, and this difference tends to be larger in high-latitude and high-altitude regions. All of the sites experienced a discontinuous freeze–thaw process, the station-average duration of which was less than a quarter of that of the continuous freeze–thaw process. Strong associations of soil freeze depth with air temperature (as characterized by the air freezing index and air thawing index) implied a dominant influence of air temperature on the soil freeze–thaw process. During the freezing process, this relationship was partially modulated by snow cover in snowy regions, such as northeast China, northwest China, and the eastern Tibetan Plateau. This paper provides the first overview of regional differences in the freezing and thawing processes of SFG over China, and the findings improve our understanding of the soil freeze–thaw process and provide important information to support research into regional landscapes, ecosystems, and hydrological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dramatic increase in textile waste and the ineffective disposal of textiles as emerging global issues are driving researchers to study new ways of thinking and designing textile waste policies with the aim of conserving resources and reducing the environmental impact of textile waste. However, there is limited research that systematically and comprehensively examines the development processes of policies that govern textile waste management. It is important to identify the underlying issues and improve textile waste management systems. This paper fills this gap by presenting a comprehensive study of the development and characteristics of policies related to textile waste in China. All the major textile waste policies issued between 1991 and 2017 at the central-government level have been examined to ensure accuracy and reliability. To achieve the descriptive objective of the study, content analysis was employed, and the following conclusions were derived: (1) The number of policies has gradually increased since more stringent textile waste management was introduced in 2001, and although the Chinese government has continuously reinforced its supervision from 2010 onwards, stringency remains low; (2) most policies regulate the recycling level of the waste hierarchy, as in open-loop recycling, and only a couple of polices regulate higher levels; and (3) the highly imbalanced structure of policy instrument types has been changing, and the variety of policy instruments has peaked in recent years. This paper contributes a general and important reference relating to textile waste policies for governments and businesses in other industrialized nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable portfolio standard (RPS) is a compulsory institutional change to achieve low-carbon energy transformation in China. Its success depends on the scientific system quasi-parameter design, the most important system quasi-parameter is the benchmark price of the tradable green certificate (TGC). Setting the benchmark price of TGC scientifically and reasonably in line with China's national conditions is conducive to the effective implementation of RPS in China. Based on the system dynamics (SD) to construct China's green certificate trading market model, this paper analyzes the interaction between the TGC market and the electricity market under the RPS, and uses Vensim simulation to simulate the optimal TGC benchmark price based on the maximization of social welfare. The results show that the TGC market and the electricity market are mutually influential. As the benchmark price of TGC increases, the total power generation increases and the on-grid price decreases. Consumer surplus, producer surplus and social welfare all reach the maximum when the TGC benchmark price is 0.4yuan/KWh, so determines 0.4yuan/kWh as the optimal benchmark price of TGC. • The cyclical influence mechanism of TGC price are studied. • The trading process of TGC market and electricity market is analyzed by SD model. • This paper reveals the optimal TGC's benchmark price from China perspective. • This paper simulates the operation of the TGC market in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era of Industrial 4.0, open innovation, and the sharing economy, innovation ecosystems are formed through government-industry-university (triple helix) interaction. The concept of responsible innovation has emerged to explore how innovation can be conducted in a transparent, trustworthy, and sustainable way so as to respond to the public interest. While current literature provides a conceptual framework, details of how responsible innovation can be formed, developed, and sustained in the sharing economy, in particular in developing countries, have been under-explored. This paper aims to explore factors of responsible innovation, linking dimensions with business practice, and identify the dynamic stages of the industry life cycle. Through an in-depth case study of China's shared bicycle industry and the firm Hellobike, this paper has prioritized factors which lead to responsibility, such as user safety and friendliness in product design, real-time operations combined with big data, collaboration between industry and local government for industry standardization, and user credit systems. It has enriched key dimensions based on literature and case studies and proposed dynamic interaction models for industry, government, users, and universities at different stages of responsible innovation in the shared bicycle sector. From this empirical study, future research areas have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper creates a novel credit decision model. • We study the impact of macroeconomic factors on credit decision and default loss. • The credit decision model is suitable for both economic tightening and boom periods. • The model is verified by the actual bank data from Chinese 2044 farmers. • It gives new ideas for regulators and commercial banks to formulate credit policies. This paper proposes a credit rating model that considers the impact of key macroeconomic variables on commercial banks' credit decisions and loss given default (LGD). The findings provide additional insight into the phenomena that under some circumstances a higher credit rating may lead to a higher LGD. The empirical analysis is based on actual bank data from 2,044 farmers in China. The theoretical analysis and empirical verification provides key insights into regulatory and commercial bank credit policy in a developing country setting, while helping to alleviate financing problems of small and micro credit entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China and India are two major contributors to the growth of global energy demand. As energy is one central part of the geopolitics, the energy security for both countries get complicated by the political environment. The paper investigates the positions of China and India in the trading relationships with different regions of the world. The paper also examines recent events that affect the energy security of China and India. The conclusion is that during the past decade, China and India have diversified sources of energy, especially from the Middle East, though China demonstrates a higher level of diversification and occupies a less passive position in its trading relationships. Shale revolution, the US energy sanctions on Iran and Venezuela and the US-Chinese trade conflicts, can bring China, India and Russia closer to each other due to the shrinking market influence of Russia in Europe and the needs of India and China to further diversify import sources so that energy supplies will not be disrupted by political chaos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty remains one of the long-term chronic dilemmas facing the sustainable development of human society during the 21st century. The spatiotemporal dynamics of poor regions, particularly in developing countries, is crucial for realizing fundamental sustainable development goals (SDGs). For decades, many scholars have sought to accurately measure, identify and alleviate poverty at different geographical scales. However, reliable data about the estimation of poverty remain scarce for developing countries, hindering efforts to accurately identify poverty. This paper utilizes the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) sensor nighttime light imagery to identify poor counties in China from 1992 to 2013. Using 16 statistical and spatial features extracted from this nighttime light imagery and using 96 poor counties and 96 nonpoor counties from 2010 as the classification sample, we describe the spatiotemporal dynamics of poor counties based on a random forests approach. Our study finds that the number of poor counties is decreasing in a fluctuating pattern and that contiguous poverty-stricken areas are becoming fragmented. The reduction in poor counties exhibits a manner of moving horizontally from the eastern regions to the central and western parts of China, while the number of poor counties in the central and western regions has decreased around the central cities or areas. The Aihui-Tengchong Line is not the dividing line in the distribution of poor counties in China, which means that China's poor can also be found in areas with relatively high population density. Together, the findings reveal that the key to reducing regional poverty is the development of regional economies and the implementation of national macro policies. This paper provides references for formulating antipoverty strategies for each county and offers new insights into poverty estimation and regional sustainable development for other developing countries. Image 1 • A new research framework is proposed to identify poverty. • Imagery and random forests are used to classify poor counties. • Spatiotemporal dynamics of poor counties are monitored in China. • Poverty dynamics generate implication for poverty policy and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal industry (MI) in China is energy and emissions intensive. This paper tries to provide guidance for the green development transformation of China's MI, by investigating the green total-factor productivity (GTFP) and its influencing factors using a global data envelopment analysis and a spatial Tobit regression model. The estimation results show that: (1) from 2000 to 2015, GTFP of China's MI enjoyed a considerable improvement. However, the current value of GTFP of China's MI is still less than 0.5, indicating that GTFP of China's MI is far from efficient; (2) the spatial correlation test shows that GTFPs of China's provincial MIs have positive spatial correlations. Most of the provinces scattered in "high-high" and "low-low" agglomerations; (3) GTFP of China's MI is significantly positive related to the degree of marketization, fiscal decentralization, environmental regulation, industrial scale, is significantly negative related to resources endowment and product structure, and has "U" shaped relationship with the level of economic development. The above results suggest that China already has made remarkable achievements in promoting green development of its MI. However, there is much room for further improvement. Policy options for the green development transformation of China's MI include but are not limited to promoting market-oriented and financial system reforms, strengthening environmental supervision, and optimizing industrial scale and product structure. Finally, recommendations for the effective implementation of these policies are provided at the end of the study. • This paper analyzed the historical performance and influencing factors of GTFP of China's MI. • Results show that GTFP of China's MI achieved considerable improvement in the past few years. • However, the current level of GTFP of China's MI is still very low. • There are many effective policy options for further promoting GTFP growth of China's MI. • Some implications for the implementation of these policies are provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a grassroots Chinese movement called the New Rural Reconstruction Movement (NRRM). Drawing on field visits, surveys, interviews and social media posts regarding a NRRM project and relevant literature I link the NRRM to the degrowth movement. This is likely the first research analysing a Chinese grass-roots movement from a degrowth theoretical perspective. This link is designed to bring greater awareness of the NRRM to western environmentalists and greater awareness of degrowth to Chinese scholars, in the expectation that the two movements will find it beneficial to engage in collaborative research. This paper demonstrates similar progressive environmental based arguments are being debated in places with different geographical and socio-political contexts. It suggests there is the possibility that the NRRM and degrowth could work together to help achieve shared goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Currently, wind and solar energy have not been well utilized in China, and the rate of abandoned wind and solar facilities in China is increasing annually. Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are an effective system for promoting large-scale renewable energy integration and consumption and realizing the goal of renewable energy development. To clarify the interactive relationship between the different levels and multiple actors in RPS, this paper uses policy network theory to analyze the interactive relationship of stakeholders from the three aspects of network subject, network structure and network interaction. The policy network of the RPS consists of the policy community, professional network, intergovernmental network, producer network and issue network. Under the RPS, to meet their own needs, participants affect the formulation and implementation of the RPS through the actions of confrontation, alliance, competition and cooperation. In different stages of developing the RPS, the openness and integration of policy networks change accordingly. This study overcomes the limitations of past simple analyses of the actor relationship in the policy process and thereby offers certain reference significance. Highlights • The actors of RPS policy networks are analyzed. • This paper analyze the game relationship of the stakeholders from three aspects. • This research reveals the network relationship between multiple stakeholders. • This study breaks through the limitations of past analysis of actor relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]