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This paper investigates the discourses on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from China Global Television Network's YouTube channel. As China's key diplomatic initiative, the BRI discourses provide us rich resources to understand how China wants the international community to see it, and how it intends to lead the world. The paper finds that China has developed a much clearer vision and more consistent discourse on the world order and its role in it. However, our data produces no evidence to support the claim that China wants to take over the existing global order. Rather, China seeks legitimacy to share global leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapid urban transformation era, housing demolition has posed risk towards non-market value such as life satisfaction of residents in line with most of previous literatures. However, our empirical work shows that households with demolition of their homes do not necessarily have negative life satisfaction by drawing from a sample of 9173 households in the baseline survey of the China Family Panel Studies. These findings are robust to model misspecification. We also investigated the mechanisms involved and underscore that housing demolition increases the quality of household accommodation on the one hand (positive effect) while decreasing household social connection and occupational stability on the other (negative effect). The lack of significant correlation between demolition and life satisfaction may therefore be attributable to the positive and negative effects of housing demolition on their life satisfaction after being compared in magnitude. Moreover, a huge increase in compensation in 2016 has indicated that households experiencing housing demolition in the previous year had an even higher life satisfaction than those who did not. The policy implications of these findings are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid global expansion of built-up areas and industrialization has led to significant environmental challenges, particularly in terms of anthropogenic carbon emissions. Consequently, it has become crucial to comprehensively understand the spatial dynamics of urban built-up areas and the associated socioeconomic transitions. This understanding serves as a critical foundation for formulating effective land use and industrial policies that not only promote economic sustainability but also contribute to the pursuit of environment related- sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, our knowledge about the dynamic relationship between urban industrial structure and built-up area patterns is limited. To address this gap, we use partial redundancy analysis (PRDA) to quantify the relative impact of key industrial employment sectors. The results indicate that the transformation of industrial structure has a significant influence on the spatial dynamics and morphologies of urban built-up areas. In addition, we found that the decline in agricultural population is associated with an increase in spatial isolation, while the growth of the manufacturing population affects changes in spatial extent and regularity. Furthermore, the combined impact of industrial and economic drivers accounts for up to 24.4% of the dynamics of urban built-up areas, with industrial transformation having a 3.82% greater impact than economic growth. These findings provide a valuable understanding of the interconnectedness between the spatial evolution of built-up areas and socioeconomic transitions, not only in China but also in other city clusters worldwide. Moreover, they might contribute to the knowledge of carbon neutrality pathways, further promoting sustainable development efforts. • Socioeconomic structure changes of BTH, YRD, and PRD cities were analyzed. • Urban morphological differentiation of BTH, YRD, PRD cities were analyzed. • PRDA effectively delineates the separate and joint effects of socioeconomic features. • Urban sprawl is associated with manufacturing and construction population growths. • Spatiotemporal heterogeneity exits in the socioeconomic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses one question: how is the coronavirus outbreak and its management in China reported in the UK media in general, and on the Internet in particular? It does so by examining how the online versions of the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Mail reported on the coronavirus outbreak in China, but more importantly, on how China handled it, over a 20-week timeframe. The sentiment analysis and thematic analysis show that although the selected media are of different types in the United Kingdom, the themes and topics are not substantially different from each other. This implies that the general media-consuming public in the United Kingdom would regard China's handling of the virus as largely negative or neutral. However, the ways of discussing and presenting those topics were subject to variation between the publications, which in turn is reflected in the attitudes and perceptions of their readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Western foreign correspondence is retreating, Chinese central media and correspondents, resourced by the government's financial backing for media's role in public diplomacy, are taking the opportunities to expand overseas bureaus, hire experienced local employees, enhance the quantity and quality of international news reporting, use digital technologies in newsgathering and dissemination, and receive Western-style trainings. Against this backdrop, this paper studies the identities, media cultures, and journalistic practices of Chinese foreign correspondents, as well as the international news output, and media-audience and media-foreign policy relationships. In doing so, we propose a new six-level theoretical model: (1) journalists' identities; (2) cultures; (3) practices; (4) news output; (5) news dissemination, reception, and audiences' interactions; and (6) the impacts of international news coverage. Based on semi-structured interviews with Chinese resident journalists over eight years, we argue that the media-audience and media- foreign policy relationships in China have become more interactive, dynamic, and complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable construction projects affect various stakeholders with different social, environmental and economic interests. It is essential that the decision makers maintain effective communication with relevant groups to avoid project failures. Although citizen participation offers a means of better addressing and meeting stakeholder concerns and expectations, the decision/evaluations of contemporary sustainable projects are becoming ever more complicated, with an increasing number of stakeholders involved to actively defend their own interests. In response, this paper provides a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the stakeholders of sustainable construction in China and quantifies their influence in decision/evaluations by semi-structured interviews (in research stage I) and a three-round Delphi survey (in research stage II). Follow-up interviews (in research stage III) are carried out to collect more in-depth views concerning the characteristics and the respective importance of each stakeholder group involved. The findings indicate that the government is the most influential entity and the extent to which its intervention is needed in balancing the interests of other stakeholders presents a major challenge. The high potential influence of end-users is also identified, suggesting the need for a more transparent and inclusive participatory decision/evaluation process in the country. An enhanced future role for NGOs is further identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s central government is promoting a new round of land reform in its rural areas, the core of which is the so-called ‘three rights separation system’. In attempting to achieve the double goals of developing agriculture and maintaining the basic stability of rural society, central policy makers want to separate the original household right of contractual operation into a contractual right (right of disposal) and an operation right. When formally adopted, these two rights, combined with the village collective ownership, will constitute China’s new structure of farmland rights. Many local governments are already using practical approaches involving the separation of the three rights, providing a valuable reference for its formalization in the future. In this paper, we analyze four relevant existing approaches by case studies of four representative projects. The results show that, while all four have in different ways reached the goal of increased scale of farmland operations, all are facing different contradictions and conflicts among the collectives, local governments and farmers, due to different farmland interests, demands and endowment problems. In response, a new framework is developed involving three rights separation, entailing some new meanings. This involves the repositioning of the four leading players in the distribution of farmland rights − the state, collective, part-time farmers and professional farmers − in order to realize the free transfer, monetization and redistribution of farmland rights to meet the demands of all the parties involved. With this framework, collective ownership is limited to the management of the award and recovery of the contractual right instead of specific agricultural operations. The introduction of a contractual right exit mechanism encourages the contractual right to be sold back to the collective for awarding directly to the professional farmers. In this way, the transfer of the operation right to professional farmers is encouraged as far as possible to enable them to increase their operating area and agricultural income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the accelerating urbanization in China, the right-of-use transfer (RUT) of rural collectively owned construction land provides a promising means of increasing the efficiency of rural land use and promoting urban and rural integration. There are various ways of doing this and no universal mode of RUT that fits all areas because of the divergent cultural characteristics and geographical features of different regions and locations in China and decisions need to be made on a case-by-case basis. This paper proposes an analytical framework to help in such decision making. Firstly, the literature concerning the RUT of collective construction land is reviewed and six typical pilot reform areas are studied. Secondly, a theoretical analytical framework for the choice of RUT mode is developed based on the findings of the literature review and the experiences of the pilot reform areas. Thirdly, Zhoushan City's new urban district is used as a case study to demonstrate and test the framework, and an appropriate RUT mechanism is suggested. The analytical framework can serve as a guideline for local governments to make decisions on the form of collective construction land RUT throughout China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban growth management is a popular topic for study area all over the world. Despite the increasingly rich literature, however, little has been considered of the complex relationship between the various urban development factors and their feedback structure. This paper contributes in understanding the mechanism of, and establishing a link between, urban growth management oriented by zoning in China (namely development priority zoning or DPZ). A system dynamics urban growth model is presented that is integrated with China's socio-economic development situation. With Yiwu city and Qingtian County as case studies, the model is applied in simulating urban growth under different driving modes. The results indicate that the DPZ in these two areas has an influence on urban growth management strategy, with the driving mode of urban growth affecting economic development levels, migration and types of land conversion. It is concluded that different driving modes are needed for different types of regions according to the functional positioning of their DPZ and that the model contributes to their identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planned economy system’s previous form of industrial land market control in China has led to current market failure because of a large amount of industrial land being sold at a very low price, causing extensive overuse of land and negative effects on land management. As the “World Factory”, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) is well known for its rapid urbanization largely driven by Foreign Direct Investment in labor-intensive industries. A low-land price strategy has been commonly adopted by the local government in order to attract industrial investment. In the past decade, the PRD has increasingly faced the increasing competition from its neighboring competition from its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia that have established preference policies to attract FDI and foreign enterprises. Despite a growing body of literature on the internal forces of industrial land in China, little is known of the external forces involved except for the importance of FDI and the intensity of interregional competition between China and other countries in attempting to attract foreign investment. This research fills the knowledge gap by modeling the situation in the form of an international cooperative game model aimed at revealing the industrial land price formation mechanism between the PRD region and Southeast Asian regions. The conditions of industrial land in the area and several Southeast Asian countries are first analyzed for their industrial land price movements in recent years. A game theoretic model is then built that exhibits similar characteristics. The result indicates that the governments’ low land price strategy and the competition between the PRD and its neighboring countries have created unnecessarily high social and environmental costs. Policy suggestions are made to encourage a more appropriate use of industrial land in China, and the most important being the need for a mindset shift from competition towards coopetition between the PRD and Southeast Asian regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhoukoudian, near Beijing, is where the Homo erectus Sinathropus pekinensis (Peking Man) fossils were found in the 1920s, and has always been a focus for studies of Palaeolithic archaeology in China. This paper discusses two aspects of Zhoukoudian in transition: research histories and lithic technologies. From a historical perspective, the study considers the change in research paradigms and perspectives to examine how research at Zhoukoudian has transformed Chinese Palaeolithic archaeology in the last two decades. This paper will give an overview on lithic assemblages at Zhoukoudian to illustrate the complexity of lithic industries in North China, which are not yet fully understood. In conclusion, the study suggests more research problems rather than prestige collections that were inherited by the current generation of scholars, who call for careful reviews of valuable historic data, including lithic, faunal, sediment, and human remains, before any further interpretations are produced. This study suggests that lithic industries in transition at Zhoukoudian can provide another line of evidence to support the continuous development of Pleistocene hominid evolutions, especially leading to the origins of modern humans in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with China's modern industrialization, challenges on smog crisis are raising dramatically in the past decade. The sources of municipal smog are multiple and complex, one of which is construction dust emission due to the rapid urbanization. In literature, there are studies focusing on the end-pipe treatment of construction dust; however, very little research has been conducted from the perspective of dust mitigation in developing countries. To fill in this research gap, this paper investigates the current situation of construction dust prevention and control in China, with the aim of providing insights for mitigating dust pollution caused by the construction industry. Through a combination of the content analysis, on-site observation, questionnaire survey and interviews with experienced professionals, a total of 11 related regulations are thoroughly reviewed, and the main sources of construction dust production are identified. A case study is further presented to demonstrate the prevailing dust control measures on site. Recommendations are proposed in order to increase the awareness of related stakeholders, including formulation of targeted regulations, establishment of an appropriate charging scheme, development of a feasible monitoring system, and enhancement of training and dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in a sustainable built environment and green technologies are gaining worldwide attention. However, implementing green technologies usually requires more investment than using traditional technologies and the payback period tends to be very long. In China, most developers sell their properties and subsequently transfer the ownership to customers. Hence, a crucial problem for promoting green construction is that developers cannot obtain economic profits (“gold”) from implementing “green” technologies. Meanwhile, other stakeholders, such as property management companies, are also hesitant to adopt green technologies because of the large investment involved and their lack of experience. To tackle this problem, an energy performance contracting (EPC) based framework is proposed, to turn “green” investment into “gold” benefit by careful sharing of the risks existed. The framework was developed by conducting a focus group meeting with three experienced representatives from developer, property management company and energy service company respectively. A real-life case study, which includes both energy efficient system retrofit and new construction, is used to estimate the costs and benefits involved to demonstrate and verify the conceptual framework. The results show that the proposed framework can support the application of green technologies in both types of projects. Economic benefits as well as environmental benefits can be gained for the project stakeholders and the whole society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the level of urbanization in China now exceeding 50%, its collective rural land system is under increasing pressure, creating conditions in which there is increasing conflict between the efficient use of land for agricultural purposes and its retention as security for the rural population. This paper first examines the fundamental nature of China's collective land system by analyzing the collectivization history of China, then provides a comprehensive appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the collective land system's role in history and the challenges it faces in modern times. The main changes needed for the current collective system are identified as (1) the establishment of a new transfer mechanism for potential collective construction land, (2) the completion of land rights verification and consolidation work, and (3) the endowment of villagers with more rights to enjoy the distribution of land incremental value. The paper's main contribution is to question the relevance of collective rural land system in contemporary China, where a shift is now taking place from one of pure economic development to one involving more social concerns, and propose potential viable amendments to integrate the need for both perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current practice, urban-rural development has been regarded as one of the key pillars in driving regenerative development that includes economic, social, and environmental balance. In association with rapid urbanization, an important contemporary issue in China is that its rural areas are increasingly lagging behind urban areas in their development and a coordinated provision of public facilities in rural areas is necessary to achieve a better balance. A model is therefore introduced for quantifying the effect of individual infrastructure projects on urban-rural balance (e-UR) by focusing on two attributes, namely, efficiency and equity. The model is demonstrated through a multi-criteria model, developed with data collected from infrastructure projects in Chongqing, with the criteria values for each project being scored by comparing data collected from the project involved with e-UR neutral “benchmark” values derived from a survey of experts in the field. The model helps evaluate the contribution of the projects to improving rural-urban balance and hence enable government decision-makers for the first time to prioritize future projects rigorously in terms of their likely contribution too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has experienced considerable economic growth since 1978, which was accompanied by unprecedented growth in urbanization and, more recently, by associated rising urban housing and land banking issues. One such issue is that of land hoarding – where real estate developers purchase land to hold unused in the rising market for a future lucrative sale, often several years later. This practice is outlawed in China, where land use is controlled by increasingly strengthened Government policies and inspectors. Despite this, land hoarding continues apace, with the main culprits being the developers and inspectors working subversively. This resembles a game between two players – the inspector and the developer – which provides the setting for this paper in developing an evolutionary game theory model to provide insights into dealing with the dilemmas faced by the players. The logic and dilemma of land banking strategy and illegal land banking issues are analysed, along with the land inspector's role from a game theory perspective by determining the replication dynamic mechanism and evolutionary stable strategies under the various conditions that the players face. The major factors influencing the actions of land inspectors, on the other hand, are the costs of inspection, no matter if it is strict or indolent, conflict costs, and income and penalties from corruption. From this, it is shown that, when the net loss for corruption (income from corruption minus the penalties for corruption and cost of strict inspections) is less than the cost of strict inspections, the final evolutionary stable strategy of the inspectors is to carry out indolent inspections. Then, whether penalising developers for hoarding is severe or not, the evolutionary strategy for the developer is to hoard. The implications for land use control mechanisms and associated developer-inspector actions and counteractions are then examined in the light of the model's properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inverted-U relationship between urbanization and urban-rural inequality has been relatively widely observed and investigated. However, most are confined to the context-specific empirical evidence and a certain measure of inequality. Furthermore, the discussions concerning the mechanism involved deserve focus and extension, particularly with the goal of new-type urbanization in China. This study aims to provide an analytical framework of the distribution effect of urbanization. It includes mathematical deductions based on the Gini coefficient and Theil's index, and empirical evidence relating to both the nexus and mechanisms across Chinese provinces based on panel models and mediating effect models. The key findings are threefold. Firstly, the inverted U urbanization-inequality nexus has been substantiated both theoretically and empirically, and most Chinese provinces have experienced the 'decoupling' between urbanization and urban-rural income inequality. Secondly, such relationships are regionally heterogeneous in China, which is less significant in the northeast region but quite significant in the eastern and western regions. Finally, urbanization can play a key role in narrowing the income gap between the urban and rural areas through increasing fiscal expenditure on urban-rural affairs and reducing that on science, education, culture, and health. Nevertheless, the mediating effect of local fiscal expenditure on agricultural issues is relatively insignificant. These conclusions not only provide both theoretical and empirical support for the urbanization-inequality Kuznets curve, but also specify and expand insights into the mediating role of the local fiscal expenditure structure in the pursuit of China's new-type urbanization. • The inverted U urbanization-inequality nexus is substantiated theoretically and empirically. • Most Chinese provinces have experienced the 'decoupling' between urbanization and urban-rural income inequality. • The inverted U urbanization-inequality nexus is regionally heterogeneous. • Increasing fiscal expenditure on urban-rural affairs and reducing that on science, education, culture, and health have mediating effects involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Industrialised building (IB) is considered by many to have an important role to play in China's residential construction industry due to its potential for improved quality, productivity, efficiency, safety and sustainability. It is surprising, therefore, that although a large number of construction programmes have been completed in the country in recent years, very few have been built in this manner. Quite why this situation exists is unknown. The well-known problems with IB, such as the constraints placed on designer freedom, may be the cause. It is equally possible that, as is typical with developing countries such as China, cost or government issues dominate. On the other hand, in comparison with other countries, the construction industry in China has been widely criticised for its lack of modernity. Either way, there is an urgent need to assess and understand the hindrances to the adoption of IB in residential construction in order to identify what corrective measures, if any, need to be taken. Towards this end, we first identify a set of critical factors (CFs) for assessing the hindrances to IB adoption in China. This involves the analysis of research data collected by a questionnaire survey of experienced housing developers and professionals working in China's construction industry sector. Fuzzy set theory is used in the selection of the CFs. These CFs comprise, in rank order: higher initial cost; lack of skilled labour in IB; manufacturing capability and involvement issues and product quality problems; lack of supply chain; lack of codes and standards; and lack of government incentives, directives and promotion. The establishment of the CFs provides a basis for local construction sectors to better equip themselves for future implementation of IB. The findings also indicate a current need for formulating improved policies and strategies to encourage the further development of IB in China at present. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is growing appreciation of the use of concentrated rural settlement as an effective means of implementing infrastructure projects and helping to achieve sustainable development in rural areas. This occurs in China through the exchange of rural residential land for urban construction. However, this policy has not been effective under normal circumstances (called development-driven conditions) as frequently farmers are reluctant to accept such an exchange. By contrast, in a time of disaster, such as after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, rural victims have accepted this policy of rural residential land exchange. Employing game theory, this paper identifies the reasons for the different outcomes and it contends that the implementation of concentrated rural settlement practice under disaster-induced conditions is more effective than its introduction under development-driven conditions. The results of the analysis indicate that, in China, concentrated rural settlement is feasible in a context of post-disaster reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China today is experiencing a time when housing is needed more than ever and one approach satisfying this need is by industrialization – a streamlined process aimed at generating profits and promoting energy efficiency in the housing sectors. Although large housing programs have been completed in China, few housing projects have been built in an industrialized manner. One contributing factor is that industrialization is not omnipotent and, just as a coin has two sides, not all the outcomes of industrialization are beneficial. In this paper, a preliminary assessment is made of these two sides – the benefits and hindrances of industrialized housing in China – by literature review and survey. Case studies are used to verify the questionnaire survey results and from which the advantages and disadvantages involved are compared. The findings indicate the need for formulating policies to encourage industrialized housing in China and for well-planned R&D themes to be implemented simultaneously with industry practices in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Implementing international projects in a foreign country is a high risk business activity. Research on this subject has tended to emphasize traditional risks. However, an emerging new type of “social risk” in the globalization era has been ignored. With the rapid urbanization progress in China, many international contractors have entered the Chinese construction market due to the huge demand in the market. However, the differences in the social, economic and cultural backgrounds among the international contractors and their partners have led to difficulties and occasional disputes among various participants. In particular, they are presented with various social risks in a new environment. This paper identifies the key social risk factors associated with international contractors from a questionnaire survey and case study. The social risks highlighted from the questionnaire survey include “local protectionism (for local projects)”, “risk of poor social relations between various parties in the local region”, “permit or license risk in dealing with land use and construction planning issues due to policy changes” and “dispute risk with local construction labor”. Several risk response strategies for international contractors are also illustrated by the case study from China. Suggestions developed in the case study can provide useful references to those international contractors who have entered or are planning to operate their businesses in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Expenditure on R&D in China's construction industry has been relatively low in comparison with many developed countries for a number of years-a situation considered to be a major barrier to the industry's competitiveness in general and unsatisfactory as regards industry development of the 31 regions involved. A major problem with this is the lack of a sufficiently sophisticated method of objectively evaluating R&D activity in what are quite complex circumstances considering the size and regional differences that exist in this part of the world. A regional construction R&D evaluation system (RCRES) is presented, aimed at rectifying the situation. This is based on 12 indicators drawn from the Chinese Government's R&D Inventory of Resources in consultation with a small group of experts in the field, and further factor analysed into three groups. From this, the required evaluation is obtained by a simple formula. Examination of the results provides a ranking list of the R&D performance of each of the 31 regions, indicating a general disproportion between coastal and inland regions and highlighting regions receiving special emphasis or currently lacking in development. The understanding on this is vital for the future of China's construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The innovative effects of three types of carbon-abatement policies (energy-saving goals (ESGs), new energy subsidies (NESs), and carbon emission trading schemes (ETSs)) were examined. • The contributions of both ESGs and NESs policies were relatively stable in the 11th five-year period (2006–2010), but weakened in the 12th five-year period (2010–2015) that followed. • In terms of synergies between policies, no significant estimates for policy coordination were discovered. • Only administrative regulation had a positive effect on the tendency to pursue technology investment. • With an improvement in enforcement strength, the innovation influences from TIPs were not static, but changed differently, even oppositely, on each side of the threshold. Low-carbon technology innovation is considered to be one of the most effective remedial measures for reducing climate change. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China which were collected firms in operation between 1999 and 2016, this paper used a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to assess whether China's current carbon-abatement policies (i.e. energy-saving goals (ESGs), new energy subsidies (NESs), and carbon emission trading schemes (ETSs)) can direct innovation activities towards low-carbon technologies; then, this paper analyzed the channels involved from the perspective of investment preferences. In terms of policy-induced effects, the contributions of both ESGs and NESs policies were discovered to be relatively stable in the 11th five-year period (FYP) (2006–2010), but weaker in the following 12th FYP, and the ETSs' effect on innovation was found to be not significant. In particular, the estimates for policy coordination were not significant, and the innovation-inducing effects of NESs were moderated by market performance. For the analysis of channels, only administrative regulation had a reinforcing effect on the propensity to pursue technological investment. As enforcement increases, the innovation influence from technology investment preferences (TIPs) has also changed: it is distinct, and even opposite, on each side of the threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies have shown that outdoor black carbon (BC) has higher health risks than other constituents and the total fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). In this study, we estimated premature mortality attributed to BC in China in 2013 using a health impact model combined with annual average BC concentrations predicted using the Community Multi-scale Air Quality model. Source contributions to BC from six different source sectors were estimated using the source-oriented method, including residential, industrial, transportation, open burning, power, and other sources. The sensitivity of BC-related premature mortality to emission reductions in different sources was quantified in different regions of China. The results showed that the total all-cause premature mortality related to BC was approximately 1,436,957 (95% CI: 998,746–2,029,210) in China in 2013. Residential, industrial, and transportations sources were the three main sources of BC-induced premature mortality. Central China, Yangtze River Delta, and Sichuan Basin had the highest BC-induced mortality due to a high level of emissions and a dense population. A sensitivity test by assuming the same exposure-response coefficient of BC as the total PM 2.5 showed the number of deaths was 265,122 thousand (95% CI: 541,90, 445,943) which can be treated as the lower limit of the BC-related mortality in China. Despite the uncertainties in estimates, it is suggested that reducing BC emissions in China would lead to significant health benefits. Controlling BC from industrial and transportation sources would bring more relative mortality reductions, from a percentage point of view, in most provinces of China. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing trend of global warming, the Chinese government faces tremendous pressure to reduce CO 2 emissions. The purpose of this study is to accurately measure CO 2 emissions at the city scale in China and examine the environmental Kuznets curve, thereby providing a reference for decision-making. Corrected NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data were used to accurately estimate carbon dioxide emissions at the provincial and city scales in China. Then, based on the STRIPAT model, 291 cities in China were used to verify the environmental Kuznets curve. Our results show that on the provincial scale, the R2 between the estimated value and the statistical value of carbon dioxide reaches 0.85. Western cities in China emit more CO 2 , as do economically developed cities and industry- and mining-dominated cities. There are two CO 2 emission hot spots in the north and one cold spot in the south. It was found that the environmental Kuznets curve on the city scale exists. This study has practical value in utilizing NPP-VIIRS data for the estimation of city CO 2 emissions. The results also have academic value for determining factors that contribute to carbon dioxide emissions and can provide a reference for relevant decision makers. This study could be considered the first to simulate CO 2 emissions at the provincial and city levels in China based on a NPP-VIIRS nighttime light model to explore the associated geographical distribution characteristics and potential influencing factors. • NPP-VIIRS data is useful when exploring the CO 2 emissions of cities in China. • Developed cities and cities dominated by industry and mining emitted more CO 2 in 2015. • The EKC hypothesis is valid, with a turning point at around CNY 73,071. • Secondary industries have a positive effect on CO 2 emissions. • Emissions are affected by Jan's average temperature, expenditure ratio of science and technology, and road density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gentrification is a well-known Western phenomenon involving the upgrading of urban areas, where economic forces compel the original inhabitants to be displaced by a wealthier group of people. Evidence of the gentrification process has been witnessed recently in Shanghai, which is a special case as the state has extended preferential policies not yet enjoyed elsewhere in China. This paper examines a more typical Chinese conurbation, that of the inner city of Yuexiu in Guangzhou, to provide an example of the characteristics of the emerging gentrification generally in China today. Some stylized characteristics are witnessed in several parts of the inner city. Several distinctive features regarding gentrifiers are also observed that are significantly related to the Chinese socialist market economy. The findings in general correspond well with the Shanghai studies in that gentrification is a chance happening that occurs as a result of extensive, new-build residential redevelopment. However, the result is not associated with a declining inner-city region, as has happened in the West, but rather has emerged in a still vibrant old urban center and exists as small-scale, residential-related gentrification rather than commercial gentrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real estate development is among the main consumers for green building materials (GBM), and developers play a critical role in the development of GBM. Therefore, green procurement (GP) practice adopted by developers is important to the promotion of GBM products. There are various factors acting as an impetus for developers to adopt GP in the areas of business policy, marketing, supplier selection, and enterprise organization. There are a number of attributes to each of these areas, and some of them are key factors playing essential roles in affecting developers' GP practice. This study examines the green features of GBM, factors affecting GP practice, and green procurement behavior in the context of real estate development. Research data used for analysis are collected through a questionnaire survey to developers, with the receival of 39 effective responses. The one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) technique is employed in identifying key factors to GP behavior. The study reveals that the key factors include “Marketing benefits”, “Market pressure” and “Internal pressure within organization”, and the typical reasons for developers to adopt GP are “Policy pressure”, “Marketing benefits” and “Business benefits”. The research findings on these key GP factors provide a valuable reference for assisting relevant government departments to formulate effective policies and regulations in order to encourage real estate developers to adopt GP and consequently promote the development of GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last couple of decades, urban areas around the world have been engaged in increasing initiatives, practices and experiments with a view to achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability. Echoing these movements, sustainable urbanization has entered many policy agendas. In practice, various aspects including eco-environmental protection, land development, housing, policy, population growth and migration and energy utilization have been noted and discussed by different scholars. In the context of China, these terms/keywords are found in studies across different scales and types of cities, each of which would have implications for our understanding of theory relating to sustainable urbanization. In response, this paper reports on a comprehensive literature review of these studies of sustainable urbanization, and further explores three key areas including evaluation, innovative solutions and engagement of all stakeholders that will move forward sustainable urbanization process across cities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a conceptual framework of multidimensional energy poverty by using a multidimensional poverty index that considers energy accessibility, affordability, and service availability. The index is then utilized to evaluate the extent, depth, and intensity of multidimensional energy poverty (MEP) in China. Specifically, this study aims to identify factors that contribute to the urban-rural and regional MEP disparities in China. The results reveal that (1) MEP is widespread in China; (2) Rural areas experience 2.5 times more MEP compared to urban areas, while inland regions have 1.5 times higher MEP rates than coastal regions; and (3) these disparities are primarily caused by low-income levels, lack of non-agricultural employment opportunities, and educational attainment. Therefore, policies targeting low-income, unemployed, and less-educated individuals are necessary to address this issue. In addition, promoting urbanization and eliminating the household registration system are crucial steps to address MEP disparities in China. Furthermore, improving energy infrastructure and increasing knowledge dissemination can also help reduce reliance on traditional energy sources. • Designed multifaceted poverty index mattering energy access, affordability, service. • Energy Poverty gaps stem from income shortage, non-agricultural jobs, education gaps. • Rural (inland) MEP is 2.5 (1.5) times higher than that in urban (coastal) areas. • The study offers crucial policy insights for alleviating energy poverty in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most urban network studies, advanced producer service firms and transportation carriers are regarded as the main agents building intercity connections. With rising global incomes and increasing mobility of people worldwide, however, flows consisting of ordinary consumers have become a new way for cities to be connected to the globe. Using transaction data from China UnionPay, this paper explores the spatial network pattern of emerging Chinese overseas consumption by tracing the origins, destinations, and volumes of spending flows. We find that a global network built on consumption flows originating from mainland China improves the global-ness of countries and regions that have historically been peripheral in the financial networks created by multinational firms or inter-port transportation. Given the soaring consumption capacity of urban Chinese residents and the re-orientation of urban policies in China, it is expected that Chinese consumption will keep re-shaping the global-ness of both Chinese cities and numerous destinations worldwide. • This paper analyzed Chinese overseas consumption by tracking the origins and destinations of consumer flows. • This paper showed a more inclusive map of consumption that differs from conventional analyses of production global-ness. • The consumption network improves the status of some places that have historically been peripheral in the production network. • It reveals that China not only joins the world as a producer, but also exerts its influence through rising consumer power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy supply–demand security and climate change has continued to be problematic, making it significant and necessary to investigate embodied energy flow, particularly in a large and fast-growing developing country like China. One of the effective approaches is the energy/emissions embodied in bilateral trade (EEBT) aiming to locate the destination of energy bi-directionally to evaluate how energy flow between producer and consumer sectors. However, in addition to the flow of energy and resources, the topological structure and impact of underlying components from a system science perspective are equally important for policy-making. This study therefore constructs an energy embodied in trade network (EETN) model to track multi-layer primary energy flow by integrating the EEBT approach and complex network analysis. The embodied coal, oil, natural gas, and non-fossil fuels associated with China’s 30 provinces/municipalities are quantified at the provincial level. By the joint analysis of the network-oriented metrics, the EETN model elicits the possibility of understanding the heterogeneity distribution of different types of energy flow and the potential impact of province-specific policy interventions. We explain how resource endowment, economic growth, income inequality, cross-provincial industrial transfer, and infrastructures affect China’s provincial energy embodiments as well as the clustering features. Other findings and policy recommendations are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s hunger for energy has over the last two decades afforded opportunities to investors from Hong Kong and foreign countries to provide both the energy technologies China needs, as well as project management capabilities to deliver energy projects. Recently, however, China has shown itself to be less reliant on non-local expertise, with an emerging capacity to go it alone in developing sources of energy. Data from the World Bank Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) database was used to analyse this trend, and to identify strategic directions that may be evident in China’s emerging energy self-reliance. A total of 555 cases were extracted for analysis using standard statistical tests across the range of available energy technologies. While it was found that the involvement of Hong Kong and foreign companies remains significant overall, there is a clear trend in Chinese mainland firms targeting and overtaking non-local counterparts in the development of renewable energy technologies and projects. Strong associations were identified between the rise in renewable projects and the growth in the participation of local companies in the energy sector. This is a significant finding and it provides strong implications that Chinese firms have emerged as an important competitor in renewable energy provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, China has seen a steep rise in diverse eco city and low carbon city policies. Recently, attention has begun to focus on the perceived shortcomings in the practical delivery of related initiatives, with several publications suggesting a gap between ambitious policy goals and the emerging realities of the newly built environment. To probe this further, in this article we examine – based on the policy network approach – how the gap between high-level national policies and local practice implementation can be explained in the current Chinese context. We develop a four-pronged typology of eco city projects based on differential involvement of key (policy) actor groups, followed by a mapping of what are salient policy network relations among these actors in each type. Our analysis suggests that, within the overall framework of national policy, a core axis in the network relations is that between local government and land developers. In some cases, central government agencies – often with buy-in from international architecture, engineering and consulting firms – seek to influence local government planning through various incentives aimed at rendering sustainability a serious consideration. However, this is mostly done in a top-down manner, which overemphasizes a rational, technocratic planning mode while underemphasizing interrelationships among actors. This makes the emergence of a substantial implementation gap in eco city practice an almost predictable outcome. Consequently, we argue that special attention be paid in particular to the close interdependency between the interests of local government actors and those of land and real estate developers. Factoring in this aspect of the policy network is essential if eco city implementation is to gain proper traction on the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Emission Trading System has been promoted as a tool for providing financial and cost-effective incentives to carbon emitters to apply emission reduction measures. The mechanism of Emission Trading System has been applied in many energy-intensive industries such as electric power industry. However, it appears that Emission Trading System finds limited application in building sector due to the unique characteristics of buildings. This study presents an identification and analysis on the factors affecting the implementation of Emission Trading System in the building sector within the context of China. Research data are collected from semi-structured interviews with a group of carefully selected experts. As a result, fifteen representative factors have been identified, and discussions on their representativeness have been conducted. The intricate interrelationships between the identified factors have been examined based on a hierarchy structure established by using the Interpretive Structural Modeling method. Furthermore, these factors have been classified into four categories: autonomous factors, dependent factors, linkage factors, and driving factors, which is based on the calculation of the factors' driving/dependence power by applying the Matrice d’Impacts croises-multipication appliqué a classement (MICMAC) technique. This classification provides a different profile between individual factors from that by traditional study where the relative importance is generally given between factors. The findings on these factors provide valuable references for helping policy designers and practitioners adopt effective policies and measures to promote the development of ETS in the Chinese building sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has undergone an extremely rapid phase of urbanization, which has caused many acute problems between urban and rural areas. This paper identifies three categories of social, economic and environmental conflict, and investigates their significance according to the views of two different populations using a questionnaire survey and interviews. Using fuzzy set theory, the key causes of urban-rural conflict related to urbanization in China are identified. The differences in urban and rural people's perceptions of these key factors are discussed and the factors underlying these perceptions are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban and rural areas are two different yet coexisting systems. Developing countries such as China have been undergoing a rapid urbanization process. However, urbanization often causes competition for land resources between urban and rural areas, and such competition can result in conflicts between the two systems. To identify the risk factors of urban-rural conflict, this paper utilizes a research framework including content analysis, brainstorming and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that the main risk factors between urban and rural areas comprise conflicts in property, resources and development. Suggestions are proposed to reduce the conflicts occurring between urban and rural areas during the urbanization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the resilience of smart cities can provide new insights for the sustainable development of cities, with important practical significance for improving their carrying capacity, disaster resistance, and development capacity. However, despite the recent large-scale development of smart cities in China, it is still uncertain whether smart cities could effectively promote urban resilience. Exploiting the quasi-experimental nature of smart city development in China, this paper uses DID and PSM-DID to determine their impact on urban resilience. Four aspects of urban resilience are analyzed: economic resilience, social resilience, ecological resilience, and infrastructure resilience. The results show that the development of smart cities can improve social resilience considerably without any obvious effect on economic and ecological resilience and even negatively affect infrastructure resilience; the distribution effect, technological effect, and structural effect are important mechanisms for smart cities to influence urban resilience; and smart cities that have a sound industrial structure, enough good-quality companies, large size, and a large pool of highly-skilled labor are much more likely to be associated with a high level of urban resilience. Policy suggestions are also provided to promote the simultaneous improvement of smart cities and urban resilience, and hence help establish a new 'urban resilience' model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The daily variations of near-surface ozone (O 3), one of the major air pollutants in China, depend on meteorological conditions. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of O 3 pollution and the complicated interactions among the controlling meteorological factors. In China, O 3 pollution is becoming severe and high-concentration areas are expanding greatly. We found that O 3 was correlated to numerous meteorological variables including air pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, sunshine duration, evaporation, and precipitation. Using generalized additive models (GAMs), we developed predictive models to forecast the maximum daily 8 h O 3 mass concentration for 334 cities in China. Different cities were influenced by different meteorological variables, with temperature (90.77%), relative humidity (68.15%), and sunshine hours (66.96%) being the top three influencing factors. In addition, we found that the influence of these meteorological factors on O 3 pollution was nonlinear and impacted by the interaction between variables. Considering individual relationships between each meteorological factor and O 3 , the average coefficient of determination (R2) of GAMs for the 334 cities was 0.64 ± 0.16. However, considering the interaction between variables, the average R2 for 334 cities of revised GAMs increased to 0.72 ± 0.15. The R2 was significantly improved in 96.72% of the cities after considering the interactions among the meteorological factors based on a ten-fold cross-validation method. Furthermore, we found that the GAM residuals were unbiased. As an example of using and interpreting the GAM results, we focused on a case study in Hangzhou during the G20 summit in 2016. During this period, nitrogen oxides (NO x) and volatile organic compounds were reduced by 51.67% and 49.00%, respectively, because of local emission controls. Despite these changes in precursor emissions, O 3 changed slightly during this period, suggesting that O 3 in Hangzhou at the time was not controlled by local precursor emissions, but was impacted by meteorological conditions. • GAMs could assess O 3 concentration by considering time variable, non-linear relationship, and meteorological interactions. • T, RH and sunshine hours are top three influence meteorological factors on O 3 concentration for 75.84% cities in China. • GAMs can capture the O 3 concentration accurately even if there were reductions of NOx and VOCs: 51.67% and 49.00%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most developing countries, local government faces a trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection. The intentions towards having a better environment as the economy grows will trigger a shift in the priorities of local government from economy to environment at a certain level of economic development. To investigate the "pollute first, control later" path in China and how environmental regulation performs differently due to economic development, this paper develops a conceptual model to depict the nexus between economic growth and environmental improvement. A panel threshold model is estimated based on Chinese data from different spatial scales – 30 provinces and 105 environmental monitoring cities. The results validate the threshold of economic development of approximately CNY 90,000 GDP per capita, which represents the turning point for the local government priority change; such that only when it is exceeded does environmental regulation significantly reduce emissions. Until 2016, only 4 provincial districts and 35 prefecture-level cities have crossed the threshold, these being mostly in the more prosperous eastern coastal areas. The results emphasize the need to consider timeliness when evaluating the effectiveness of environmental regulation and highlight the importance of adopting differentiated governance. Moreover, the need to enhance the effectiveness of environmental regulation requires driving the change of local government's priority to the environment and strengthening the institutional capacity of environmental protection agencies. • A conceptual model of local government's goals of economic growth and environmental protection. • Panel threshold model to find the economic threshold of effective environmental regulation. • Environmental regulation is effective only if regional GDP per capita exceeds CNY 90,000. • Timeliness and differentiation should be considered for environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]