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Country risk, encompassing political, economic, and financial dimensions, represents a burgeoning area of research in contemporary academia. However, its relation with energy technology remains relatively unexplored. Unlike previous studies, the current study enhances the extant literature by investigating the influence of political, economic, and financial risk factors, in addition to GDP, on energy technology advancements within the context of China from 1990 to 2021. The authors employ time series data and select the most suitable econometric techniques for analyzing long-term relationships, such as quantile regression. This approach allows them to track the evolution of these variables, thereby offering valuable empirical insights. The study's main findings are as follows: The Johansen cointegration tests confirm the existence of a long-run relationship among the variables under consideration. Furthermore, the quantile regression shows that political and economic risks reduce energy technology. In contrast, other variables, such as financial risk and GDP contribute positively to developing energy technology within the Chinese economy. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers emphasizing the need to mitigate political and economic risks to facilitate future investment in energy technology., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

With the increasing prominence of climate and energy issues, enterprises, as the micro-subjects of economic activities, need to pay attention to environmental responsibility to promote sustainable and high-quality economic development. However, one of the crucial controversies is whether enterprises will sacrifice efficiency to fulfill their environmental responsibilities. To try our best to answer the controversy, this paper explores the impact of ESG on total factor productivity and its mechanism. The research conclusion shows that Chinese enterprises fulfilling ESG responsibilities can improve staff efficiency, reduce financing costs, ease financing constraints, and increase innovation investment, thus effectively improving total factor productivity. Compared to non-state-owned enterprises, this effect is more significant in state-owned enterprises. In addition, the promotion of ESG construction on the total factor productivity of enterprises also presents specific acceleration characteristics. This shows that in the socialist market economy environment, there is an obvious "social responsibility dividend" in the implementation of the ESG concept by Chinese enterprises, which is helpful to enhance their long-term value and realize a win-win of social value and commercial value. The conclusions of this study help deal correctly with the relationship between business value and social value of enterprises and provide inspiration for promoting healthy and sustainable economic development., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Jian Chen. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Despite significant growth in fiscal expenditure, the overall level of public services in China remains inadequate. One approach to improving government public service efficiency from the perspective of management psychology is to strengthen government competition. However, only a few studies have explored the improvement of public service efficiency through government competition, with even fewer addressing the phenomena of market segmentation and spatial effects that accompany the process of government competition. This paper aims to fill this research gap by examining the effects of government competition and market segmentation on public service efficiency, as well as their spatial disparities. We initially employs the DEA method to assess the efficiency of public services based on inputs and outputs, and examines its spatial variations. Subsequently, a semi-parametric spatial lag panel model is utilized to validate the effects of market segmentation and government competition on public service efficiency. Our findings indicate that inter-provincial market segmentation leads to a decline in public service efficiency. Moreover, the influence of horizontal competition between local governments on public service efficiency varies depending on the degree of positive and negative effects in their competition dynamics. The impact of vertical competition between central and local governments on public service efficiency is influenced by the degree of fiscal decentralization. When the level of fiscal decentralization is below 0.808, vertical competition between central and local governments has a promoting effect on public service efficiency. However, when the degree of fiscal decentralization exceeds 0.08, this promoting effect weakens and gradually transforms into a negative influence. The insights and evidence provided by this study offer valuable guidance for for effectively reshaping the fiscal relations between the central and local governments in China and improving public service efficiency in the context of a new round of fiscal and tax system reforms., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Yao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

China is currently confronted with the dilemma of achieving its green development goals while maintaining economic growth. The National Ecological Demonstration Zones (NEDZs) represent an innovative attempt by local governments to balance economic development with ecological civilisation, potentially offering a solution to this issue. This study calculated the Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) for 1925 districts and counties from 1999 to 2018. Using the selection of NEDZs as a quasi-natural experiment, a difference-in-differences model was employed to empirically analyse the impact of NEDZs on GTFP. The results indicated that the establishment of NEDZs led to an average increase in GTFP of 0.2175 compared to the control group. The primary mechanisms involved are innovation, structure, and enforcement. Moreover, the green development effects of the NEDZs exhibited regional heterogeneity. Compared to the western regions, the central and eastern regions showed limited green development effects. Areas with smaller populations, lower human capital, and lower administrative levels demonstrated significant improvements after the implementation of the NEDZ. Further analysis reveals a significant spatial agglomeration pattern of GTFP and the NEDZs exert a strong 'siphon effect' on the GTFP of neighbouring areas. This study provides a new perspective on the GTFP research and offers theoretical and practical evidence for assessing the impact of NEDZs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper utilizes an improved undesirable output DEA model to measure the eco-efficiency of cities in five major urban agglomerations in China during 2006-2020. It employs the Theil Index and Geodetector to investigate the spatial-temporal distribution differentiation characteristics and driving factors of urban eco-efficiency. The main findings are as follows. Firstly, the eco-efficiency of all urban agglomerations showed a fluctuating upward trend, but the eco-efficiency performance of different urban agglomerations in China shows a stratification characteristic. Specifically, the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration consistently ranks first in China, while the mean values of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, and Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration are lower than the national average. Secondly, the overall differences in the urban eco-efficiency of all sample cities show a consistently fluctuating downward trend. The factor that affects the level differences of eco-efficiency in different cities is the intra-regional differences. Last but not least, the top three factors affecting the spatial distribution difference of urban eco-efficiency in the whole sample are environmental pollution control investments, innovation level, and environmental infrastructure investments. In the end, this paper proposes that reducing the intra-regional differences is the primary task to achieve the coordinated improvement of urban eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations, and then puts forward some policy suggestions to improve eco-efficiency for the five major urban agglomerations., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Judicial improvement and trade structure optimization are important elements in achieving a high level of openness. This paper develops a theoretical framework on the impact of local protectionism on market integration and export technical complexity, and then empirically analyses the effect of judicial improvement on the technical complexity of urban product exports and its mechanism of action based on a quasi-natural experiment with the establishment of circuit courts. The study finds that the establishment of circuit courts significantly increases the technical complexity of product exports, and the findings remain valid after a series of robustness tests. Further analysis shows that the technology enhancement effect of the establishment of circuit courts is more pronounced in the group of cities with higher administrative levels, better location advantages, and less advanced rule of law. Mechanism Analysis shows that a superior institutional environment can have a two-sided effect on different types of firms. Overall, however, the productivity-enhancing effect of low-productivity firms exiting the market is lower than the productivity-reducing effect of higher-productivity firms' increased compliance costs, which in turn weakens the positive promotional effect of circuit courts. The above theoretical and empirical findings provide policy implications for maximizing the technology enhancement effect of the establishment of circuit courts on product exports, thereby promoting a high level of openness in China., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Gao, Kong. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Direct synthesis of organophosphorus compounds from white phosphorus represents a significant but challenging subject, especially in the context of ongoing efforts to comprehensively improve the phosphorus-derived chemical industry driven by sustainability and safety concerns. China is the world's largest producer of white phosphorus, creating a significant demand for the green transformation of this crucial feedstock. This review provides an overview of advancements in white phosphorus activation by Chinese research teams, focusing on the direct construction of P‒C/N/O/S/M bonds from white phosphorus. Additionally, we offer some insights into prospective directions for the activation and transformation of white phosphorus in the future. This review paper aims to attract more researchers to engage in this area, stimulating follow-up exploration and fostering enduring advances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving green innovation efficiency (GIE) is the key to achieve high-quality economic development in China, and the introduction of foreign direct investment (FDI) has become an important path choice to promote the GIE. Based on the data of 30 provinces in China, this paper explores the linear and nonlinear effects of FDI on GIE from both quantity and quality perspectives, and further analyzes the mediating role of environmental regulation level. The results show that: (1) From 2011 to 2020, the GIE of all provinces in China generally shows an upward trend. (2) The quantity and quality of FDI have a significant positive impact on the improvement of GIE in China's provinces, and this impact has regional heterogeneity. (3) The quantity and quality of FDI can promote the improvement of GIE in China through the level of environmental regulation (ER). (4) With the level of knowledge accumulation and GIE as the threshold variables, the quantity and quality of FDI have a single threshold effect on the GIE of China's provinces. The conclusions of this study provide some policy implications for local governments to make full use of FDI to perform green innovation activities., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Zhong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Various studies have suggested decoupling material stock from economic output as an important measure for promoting sustainable development. Here, we develop three theoretical hypotheses to describe the evolution features and economic effects of material stock intensity, and predict in theory that (1) Countries with higher material stock intensity are more likely to decouple economic growth from material stock. (2) Material stock intensity follows convergence trends. (3) Higher material stock intensity leads to higher long-run economic growth rates. To examine the adaptability of these hypotheses, we choose steel in-use stock as the proxy for the material capital stock and use panel data in 85 countries from 1950 to 2018 to conduct empirical analysis. Our empirical results in most countries support the theoretical predictions of the hypotheses. In particular, a 0.1t/k$ increase in steel stock intensity leads to a 2.12% increase in the probability of decoupling between steel stock and economic output next year and a 0.34% increase in the long-run GDP per capita growth rate annually. Moreover, steel stock intensity converges to approximately 0.25t/k$ to 0.35t/k$ at mature development stages. We predict that, except China, which is expected to follow decoupling trends, other large developing economies will couple economic output with steel stock. However, the shape of intensity curves is still uncertain for highly developed countries in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships th at could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper aims to study the relationship between regional logistics efficiency and economic development in 31 provinces of China and analyze their coupling coordination. To comprehensively evaluate the coordination between logistics and the economy, we introduced external indicators, such as carbon emissions, based on traditional evaluation indicators. We constructed an evaluation index system to coordinate regional logistics efficiency and economic development. The research approach used in this paper is the cross-DEA method, and data from 2010 to 2019 were selected for empirical calculation. The research findings indicate that Eastern and Northern regions of China show higher logistics efficiency, while Northwestern and Southwestern regions exhibit lower logistics efficiency. Coastal areas have relatively higher economic development levels compared to inland areas. Regarding the coupling coordination between logistics efficiency and economic development, different regions show temporal fluctuations and spatial disparities. Some regions demonstrate higher coordination between logistics efficiency and economic development, while others show lower coordination. Additionally, as the economy experiences rapid growth, logistics efficiency also improves, but the level of coordination varies among different provinces., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The establishment of modern agricultural demonstration zones, as an important initiative to promote the modernization of agriculture, has attracted much attention as to whether its promotion and demonstration can bring about a benign enhancement of the cropland utilization efficiency. This study uses the difference-in-difference model, and with the help of the data of 1872 counties in China from 2006 to 2020. The study shows that the agricultural demonstration zones significantly improve the utilization efficiency of cropland, while there is strong regional heterogeneity in this effect, with a greater degree of promotion in some regions that are lagging in agricultural development. Further mechanism analysis reveals that superior agricultural resource endowment and strong government financial support can positively moderate this effect. However, over-industrialization will inhibit this positive effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Digital transformation has given firms new development capability. This paper portrays the overall digital transformation intensity of China's listed firms in 2007–20, and empirically examines the impact of digital transformation on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and its transmission mechanisms for the first time. It is found that digital transformation significantly enhances OFDI with two transmission mechanisms: (1) reduced transaction costs and (2) improved production and operation efficiency [Correction added on 25 Aug 2023, after first online publication: The number of transmission mechanisms have been corrected from 'three' to 'two' in this version.] The impact is more pronounced in the host countries whose economies are more digitalized, in private enterprises, and in the service industries than in their respective counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution has been one of the biggest environmental challenges for cities in their pursuit of sustainability. The removal of air pollutants usually entails a cost that can negatively impact economic activities. Assessing urban environmental performance can offer valuable insights for cities to balance their economic production and environmental protection. This paper develops a novel approach to measuring environmental performance by using the Euclidean distance function. An appealing feature of this approach is its ability in endogenously allocating the optimization pathway to each emitter, thereby avoiding arbitrary estimation results and distorted managerial implications. We apply this approach to study the environmental performance of Chinese key environmental protection cities. We find the heterogeneity in performance estimates and endogenous optimization pathways. Prioritizing the reduction of a specific type of emissions while simultaneously increasing industrial output value seems to be the most appropriate objective for the majority of cities. Our study can serve as a basis for urban governments to pinpoint the underlying factors contributing to low urban environmental performance and establish diverse objectives for enhancing environmental performance. • Environmental performance index is constructed based on endogenous directions. • A Euclidean distance function is used to identify endogenous directions. • Optimization pathways and environmental performance show heterogeneity among cities. • Mitigating NO x emissions can improve environmental performance significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of renewable energy as a pivotal green industry in decarbonizing the global economy and addressing the climate change is profound. The rise of China's regional renewable energy serves as a testament to its transition from an industrial powerhouse to a leader of sustainable growth, offering valuable insights for a sustainable future worldwide. This study analyzes renewable energy efficiency, alongside the factors that influence it, in Qinghai Province over 2000–2021. It uses a combination of the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index factor decomposition, Data Envelopment Analysis of Super-SBM models, and field research with a rounded approach. The study finds a robust increase in renewable energy capacity, particularly after 2016. Efficiency in renewable energy generally has risen, although periods of inefficiency were noted from 2014 to 2019. Despite fluctuations, the overall impact of factors such as renewable energy structure, electricity intensity, energy security, energy intensity, carbon productivity, and carbon emissions, all contribute positively to the development of renewable energy, notably in recent years. The paper concludes with a discussion of green industrial policies with wider implications for the renewable energy sector. • The rise of China's regional renewable energy offers valuable insights for sustainability. • Renewable energy capacity in Qinghai increased robustly over 2000-2021. • Renewable energy efficiency has risen but with inefficiency from 2014 to 2019. • Despite fluctuations, the overall impact of influencing factors promoted renewable energy, notably in recent years. • There is a need for stable green industrial policy, diverse energy mix, strengthening grid infrastructure, and promoting sustainable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of the pump device is an important parameter to judge the overall dynamic performance of the pumping station. The commonly used method at home and abroad is to carry out model tests of the pump device. The performance parameters of the prototype pump and pump device are obtained by the similarity conversion formula. However, at present, there are not many device model tests for large vertical submersible pumps. Taking a large vertical submersible mixed-flow pumping station in China as an example, research predicted the performance of the pump device through a model test and a submersible pump prototype test. The results show that the model test of the large vertical submersible mixed-flow pump device has a maximum efficiency of approximately 77.8%, and the prototype test conversion device has a maximum efficiency of approximately 80.33%. The device model test and the pump factory prototype test results are compared. It is found that the performance parameters of the pump measured by the prototype test are in good agreement with the device model test under the design conditions, and there is a certain error when the deviation from the design conditions is significant. The device model test and the factory test of the pump are indispensable in the large-scale road of submersible pumps, and a large number of tests are needed to sum up the experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telemedicine is beneficial for improving treatment efficiency and reducing medical expenses of cancer patients. This study focuses on cancer patients participating in teleconsultations through a regional telemedicine platform in China, analyzes the consultation process, and provides references for the clinical application of telemedicine. Methods: We collected information on teleconsultations of cancer patients conducted from 2015 to 2022 through the regional telemedicine platform. Utilizing SPSS 23.0 software, we conducted descriptive analysis to summarize the distribution of patient gender, age, region, and disease types. The ordinal logistic regression analysis was adopted to analyze the factors influencing the waiting time and consultation duration for teleconsultations. Results: From 2015 to 2022, a total of 23,060 teleconsultations were conducted for cancer patients via regional telemedicine platform, with an average growth rate of 11.09%. The main types of consultations were for lung cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer, accounting for 18.14%, 10.49%, and 9.46% respectively. 57.05% of teleconsultations had a waiting time of less than 24 h, while patient age, consultation expert level, and disease type were the main factors influencing the waiting time. 50.06% of teleconsultations had a duration of more than 20 min, and the inviting hospital level and the title of invited consultant were the main factors influencing the consultation duration. Conclusions: In China, telemedicine has been widely employed in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancers, covering various types of oncological diseases. However, the waiting time for teleconsultations was generally more than 12 h, indicating the need to enhance consultation scheduling and allocate more expert resources to further optimize the efficiency of teleconsultations. Additionally, further exploration is required for remote health management of outpatients with cancers outside the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient allocation of agricultural scientific and technological talents (ASTTs) is crucial for agricultural innovation and economic development. This study aims to systematically evaluate ASTTs' allocation efficiency in provincial agricultural research institutions in China, aiding decision-making for local governments and research bodies. Utilizing data from 2009 to 2019 across 31 provinces, an output-oriented data envelopment analysis model measures ASTTs' allocation efficiency and analyzes its trends, regional differences, and spatial characteristics. Results show: (1) Provincial ASTTs' mean comprehensive technical efficiency (CTE) in China was 0.786, with room for improvement. (2) Enhanced CTE was driven by scale efficiency improvements, while pure technical efficiency declined, indicating a need for better management systems and technology applications. (3) Disparities in ASTTs' allocation efficiency among provinces decreased, with higher efficiencies in the East and Central-Southern China regions. At the provincial level, areas like Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan demonstrated relatively high ASTTs allocation efficiencies. (4) Spatial agglomeration of ASTTs' allocation efficiency was localized in a few major agricultural provinces without a significant overall effect. These findings advocate for further optimization of ASTTs' regional layout and management mechanisms in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat storage is a critical measure to realize the utilization of waste heat and to enhance the heating capacity of the medium-deep U-type borehole heat exchanger (MDUBHE) system. However, the effects of heat storage on the operation of the MDUBHE system remain unclear. The effects of heat storage measures on the building and the environment have not been assessed. In this paper, the effects of heat storage measures on system performance are revealed and assessed using the numerical heat transfer model. The results show that heat storage measures are particularly necessary in severe cold regions of China. The minimum value of the storage inlet temperature in this study should be more than 42.25 °C, and the flow rate is recommended at no more than 15 kg/s. Although increasing the inlet temperature of heat storage enhances the MDUBHE system's heating performance, the storage system's energy and exergy efficiencies are attenuated. Heat is mainly stored in the underground region within 6 m from the MDUBHE and at a depth of up to 2000 m, and the shape of the thermal plume is an inverted funnel. After adopting heat storage measures, the heating area supplied to buildings by the MDUBHE system increases, and reduces environmental pollution. Compared with the no heat storage measure, the heating area of the MDUBHE system is increased by 6770 m2 when the storage inlet temperature is 80 °C, and the corresponding solar collector area needs to be 756.1 m2. When T i n s increases from 45 °C to 80 °C, the reduction of CO 2 emissions increases by 12.43 tons, 21.05 tons, 38.26 tons, 55.41 tons, and 72.50 tons, respectively. This study could promote the application of the MDUBHE system and the heat storage system in severe cold regions. [Display omitted] • A heat storage system based on the medium and deep U-type borehole heat exchanger is proposed. • The energy efficiency and the exergy efficiency of the heat storage system are clarified. • The effects of heat storage on the temperature field of rock and soil are revealed. • The effects of heat storage on system performance and the environment were assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subnational climate actors are expected to play an increasingly important role in climate actions. However, a trade-off between equity and efficiency emerges when nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are distributed into subnational actions. In this study, we propose a two-staged carbon quota allocation method, with an equity-based 1st-stage allocation mechanism wherein provincial carbon reduction efforts are shared equally and an efficiency-based 2nd-stage allocation mechanism to maximize input–output efficiency. Using China as a case study, we convert China's NDC carbon intensity reduction target into a total emissions cap and apply the allocation method to show that the 2nd-stage allocation significantly increases the total provincial carbon emission efficiency without seriously compromising equity. As the allocation method changes from equity-based to efficiency-based, the carbon quotas mainly flow out from provinces with small emissions and high energy intensity to provinces with large emissions and low energy intensity. The two-staged carbon quota allocation method effectively considers the equity and efficiency principles, which can reduce resistance to the implementation of national NDCs. Generally, the approach has promising application potential for countries to break down the NDC into subnational shares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the increasing global aging population, how to allocate older people care resources reasonably has become an increasingly urgent international issue. China, as the largest developing country, has made many efforts to actively respond to the challenges of an aging population. However, there are still problems with uneven allocation of older people care resources and low efficiency of allocation. Therefore, this study evaluates the regional differences and dynamic evolution of the equity and efficiency of older people care resource allocation in China from 2009 to 2020, and explores ways to change the current situation. Methods: The data used in this study were derived from the "China Statistical Yearbook" and the "China Civil Affairs Statistical Yearbook" for the period of 2010–2021. Firstly, the equity of older people care resource allocation was measured using the Gini coefficient, the Theil index, the Older People Care Resource Density Index, and the Older People Care Resource Agglomeration Degree. Secondly, the dynamic Slack-Based Measure data envelopment analysis method was adopted to evaluate efficiency. Lastly, the Z-score is used to normalize the equity index and perform classification matching with the efficiency value. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and hotspot analysis were conducted using GIS technology to examine the dynamic evolution process of older people care resource allocation equity and efficiency, as well as their spatial distribution patterns and coordination across provinces from 2009 to 2020. Results: The equity analysis showed that the spatial distribution of various types of older people care resources was uneven, and the differences were mainly due to internal differences within each region, with the largest equity differences observed in western provinces. Currently, older people care resources are mainly concentrated in eastern regions, while the total amount of older people care resources in western regions and some central regions is relatively small, which cannot meet the older people care needs of residents. The efficiency analysis results showed that the efficiency of older people care resource allocation has been improving over the past 12 years, and in 2020, 77.42% of provinces were located on the efficiency frontier with an average efficiency value of 0.9396. Finally, the coordination analysis results showed that there were significant spatiotemporal differences in the equity and efficiency of older people care resources allocation. Conclusion: With the development of society and economy, the total amount and service capacity of older people care resources in China have greatly improved. However, there are still significant spatiotemporal differences in the equity and efficiency of older people care resource allocation. The development of older people care services in central and eastern provinces is unbalanced, and there is a polarization trend in terms of equity and efficiency of older people care resource allocation. Most provinces in western regions face the dual dilemma of inadequate older people care resources and low utilization efficiency. It is recommended that policymakers comprehensively consider population and geographic factors in different provinces, establish relevant allocation standards according to local conditions, improve the redistribution system, and focus on increasing the total amount of older people care resources in underdeveloped provinces while promoting resource flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of various factors on the level of non-performing loans (NPL) and, to determine the moderating role of efficiency on the relationship between different factors and NPL in China. The current study addressed four important factors to examine the role in relation to the NPL. These factors include; return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), economic sustainability and political instability index. Furthermore, the moderating role of efficiency is addressed between these factors and NPL. Secondary data is used in this study to consider the empirical results. Secondary data related to ROA, ROE, economic sustainability and political instability index is collected from different sources. Consistent with the literature, we found significant effect of ROA, ROE, economic sustainability and political instability index on NPL. Banking sector of China is majorly influenced by these factors due to the effect on NPLs. Furthermore, the efficiency has contribution to the NPLs as moderating variable. Results of this study are helpful for the management of banking industry to resolve various issues related to NPLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]