Menglong Li

On February 1, 2023, the death of Chinese giant panda Le Le at the Memphis Zoo sparked Chinese concern over Ya Ya. This study maps the “Ya Ya abuse” controversy across Weibo, YouTube, and X through hashtag data, media reports, and court documents. Anchored in Dervin’s sensemaking theory and supplemented by the spiral of silence, and agenda-setting theories, the analysis extend the sensemaking theory by revealing how collaborative interpretation and emotional resonance shaped online rumor dynamics. To deepen this perspective, the study adopts Mediated Discourse Analysis to examine Weibo posts and media headlines. It finds that linguistic and visual framing transformed Ya Ya into a victimized national symbol, while algorithmic amplification and user-generated affect co-produced nationalist discourse. The rumor thus became a mediated narrative, jointly authored by human actors and digital infrastructures. The findings highlight three dynamics: (1) nationalist sentiment and algorithmic amplification accelerate emotional rumors; (2) audience subjectivity and mediation shape rumor construction; (3) spiral of silence deepens polarization. The study concludes by advocating improved media literacy, algorithmic transparency, and healthier digital public spheres to counter politicized misinformation.

Since the mid-20th century, many industrial cities have fallen into decline. Traditional industrial areas in many developed countries, such as the Great Lakes region in the northeastern United States, the Ruhr area in Germany, Birmingham and Manchester in the UK, and the Ural industrial zone in Russia, experience industrial decline, weak economic growth and urban decay as a manifestation of regional decline - a “reverse development phenomenon”. Today, economic, social, environmental and other factors made large-scale cross-regional migration almost a social norm, while regions with population outflow inevitably fall into decline due to labor shortage and brain drain. The primary cause of industrial city decline is the unbalanced industrial structure which determined production, resource and capital dependence, reducing flexibility and sustainability of the urban economy. Once an economic crisis affects the urban pillar industry, a vicious cycle of economic weakness and population loss arises and ultimately leads the city into a development trap: economic shocks caused by industrial structure imbalance, demographic shocks from massive loss of labor force, political shocks from urban growth and spatial shocks from suburbanization have led to qualitative changes in the urban spatial pattern, leading to urban decline. The development crisis of industrial cities triggers the collapse of the urban system, resulting in the loss of urban development elements and a decline. China is currently in a transition from industrialization to post-industrialization, and industrial cities face the risk of urban decline. As the capital of the Jilin Province, Changchun is a famous center of heavy industry, and since the mid-20th century the city has faced many development difficulties due to such factors as industrial crisis, population loss and environmental degradation. The decline of Changchun is explained in the article by multiple reasons, including the imbalance of industrial structure, the degradation of urban space and the decline of urban culture. Therefore, Changchun’s revival should also take place in three dimensions: economy, space and culture. The economic dimension implies development of Industry 4.0 and diversified urban economy, networking, informatization and digitalization, optimization of the industrial structure with the focus on service industry and innovation (new industries, new products, new technologies, new business forms and new models of the urban economy) in order to increase the economic resilience of the city and overcome potential economic risks. The spatial dimension implies the regional development thinking to create a new metropolitan area by breaking the traditional urban-rural opposition - Changchun as both a hub city for transportation, economy, scientific and technological innovation in the Jilin Province and even Northeast China and a model and core of the rural revitalization in the Jilin Province’s “hinterland”. The cultural dimension implies the focus on changing the city’s image and spirit by using its “soft power” - cultural influence: on the one hand, historical heritage of Changchun as a city with a long history; on the other hand, its potential of keeping up with the times and innovation.

Introduction. The subject of the article is the China-US “Peace Pearl” program carried out in the 1980s within the context of the China-USA-USSR triangle. The focus of this study is the analysis of the formation and collapse of the “Peace Pearl” program, including its background events, through the lens of realist international relations theory. This analysis will also take into account the changes in the international arena during that period. Methods and materials. The analysis is based on a number of theoretical documents and historical facts, in combination with basic works of realist international relations theory scholars. Analysis. In the first half of the 1980s, the international context, viewed through the lens of realism, dictated China’s rapprochement with the United States, with the “Peace Pearl” program aimed at jointly improving 50 Chinese J-8II fighters embodying it, which allowed China to enhance its military and aerospace industries. However, in the second half of the 1980s, the political climate significantly changed. China and the USA shifted from cooperation to traditional mild rivalry due to significant political changes in the USSR (serving as structural stimulus, from a realist perspective, for the changes in politics) and political turmoil in China in 1989. As a result, the “Peace Pearl” program was abandoned. Results. First, structural factors in the international arena significantly influenced both the formation and collapse of the “Peace Pearl” program, with the changes in the USSR politics playing a vital role in this process. Second, China’s role as a mediator in a bipolar international system allowed it to gain benefit from the international configuration, as it obtained opportunities for its military development through the realization of the “Peace Pearl” program. Authors’ contribution. Menglong Li – writing the original text of the article, conceptualization, project management. Yifu Lin – collecting and searching a wide range of historical materials, government documents, and academic journals relevant to the compilation of the “Peace Pearl” program from both the United States and China sides. Aleksandra Gulkova – analyzing the program through the prism of neorealism, writing the part concerning the realist perspective, mainly its practical application in the context of the evaluation of the “Peace Pearl” program, assessing Russian sources, and applying them to the analysis of the “Peace Pearl” program case.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict that started in 2022 has not changed the good development momentum of China-Russia relations. However, discussions about a large-scale confrontation between the West and Russia over Ukraine have also appeared in Chinese society. The choice between pro-Russia or pro-Ukraine positions has become a matter of debate. This article analyzes how Chinese Internet users react to news reports about the Russia-Ukraine conflict on two main video platforms – Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) and Bilibili (Chinese video hosting similar to YouTube), which are the most popular in modern Chinese cyberspace. The number of views, likes and comments under popular videos on the topic of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is analyzed, and their thematic analysis is carried out. The conclusion is that since Chinese people generally support Russia as China’s strategic ally, pro-Russia views related to the Ukraine incident are absolutely dominant in China’s Internet space. Although there are also pro-Ukraine comments in online comments, they account for a small proportion.

As the Western world’s policy towards China has been changing in recent years, the international public opinion, that China comes into contact with, is also deteriorating, which has a serious negative impact on forming the international image of China and on shaping soft power. In the context of the rapid development of modern information technology, sports events like the Winter Olympics are often accompanied by large-scale media coverage and propaganda, and it is important to deal with the negative coverage of the Olympics involving China in the Western media and to build a good national image through the Winter Olympics. This study focuses on the specific content of Western media reports on China during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics cycle, and summarizes and analyzes the characteristics of “distorted facts”, “far-fetched” and “prominent political demands” in the negative reports on China in the Western media during the Winter Olympics. Based on the importance of guiding international public opinion and covering by media of such large sporting events as the Olympic Games, it is urgent and necessary to improve China’s international public opinion crisis response mechanism and enhance national and international media capacity. In this regard, this paper proposes four specific response strategies: strengthening the international communication capacity of mainstream media, enhancing the role of the government in guiding and making decisions, strengthening cooperation with international media; and making full use of our own media platforms.

The objective of the Olympic movement is to maintain separation of sports from politics. However, international politics has played a significant role in the survival and development of the Olympic Games throughout its history. Recently, Western media's politicization of Olympic organizers has been on the rise. This research paper aims to examine the role of mainstream media outlets in the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany. It analyzes carefully selected samples of texts published during the Beijing Winter Olympics, employing critical discourse analysis as the primary methodology. The study aims to uncover the discourse strategies employed by Western media in covering Beijing Winter Olympics, the ideologies behind them, and their constructed image of global governance. The paper also examines the historical and realistic conditions in which this image has been formed and analyzes the discourse mechanism of Western media system. Western media’s narrative of the Olympic Games host is not primarily about China but rather a reflection of the West’s self-construction needs and embodiment. In this context, China is portrayed as a systemic competitor that challenges Europe, "subverts" international rules, and promotes alternative modes of governance. Through a critical analysis of the political implications underlying Western media coverage during the Beijing Winter Olympics, this study exposes the inherent limitations of the Western "othering" framework. In doing so, it provides invaluable insights that contribute to the development of Chinese discourse and narrative systems, ultimately strengthening the Chinese subjectivity framework in the realm of international communication.

This study mainly focuses on the development of the Arctic region and the difficulties it faces in the new situation. Finding a suitable development path for low-carbon environmental protection and sustainable development has gradually become the focus of attention in all countries. The secret contest of strength is also becoming increasingly fierce. The escalation of the arms race has virtually made the ambitious Russian Arctic plan more radical. This article will use the “ANP-SWOT” strategic analysis method to reveal the possible damage to the environment of the Arctic region and its unsustainable side behind Russia’s grand development plan in the Arctic region. At the same time, it will list the views and contradictions of the countries in the region for the proposals on the resolution of conflicts, broaden the perspective to the global scope, take the common interests of all mankind as the starting point, combine the views and contradictions of all parties, and put forward proposals that are truly beneficial to the development of the Arctic region, thereby promoting inter-regional cooperation and developing a new Arctic strategy that prioritizes global progress and prosperity.

В данной статье авторами сделана попытка проследить историю и современное состояние «китайской модели» развития высшего образования в стране с точки зрения слияния университетов. Авторами определена основная линия истории развития высшего образования в Китае с 1952 г., зафиксирована «китайская модель» с национальной спецификой как ведущая логическая линия его изучения, на базе чего было проведено общее исследование; определены этапы в соответствии с логикой развития высшего образования в Китае: начальный этап, связанный с периодом поиска пути и самоопределения, этап адаптации и этап развития. В работе авторы рассматривают, анализируют и описывают исторические факты и процессы, имеющие отношение к реформе высшего образования в Китае на каждом этапе: формирование идей реформы, ее конкретное содержание, предыстория, внутренние и внешние факторы, влияющие на реформу, рост численности профессорско-преподавательского состава и усиление международного влияния. В исследовании представлены исторические факты и процессы, характерные для каждого этапа развития. В данной статье авторами обобщается историческое развитие системы высшего образования по «китайской модели»: анализируются предпосылки реформы в разные периоды с момента основания КНР, а также раскрывается ее конкретное содержание, эффективность и недостатки на разных этапах ее осуществления. Особое внимание уделяется тенденции слияния высших образовательных заведений в 1990-е гг. Обобщение указанных процессов, а также соответствующего опыта и извлеченных из него уроков создает почву для дальнейшего реформирования системы высшего образования в стране. The authors of the article have made an attempt to retrace the history and the present state of the Chinese model of higher education development in the county from the perspective of university mergers. The Chinese model with Chinese characteristics adopted in 1952 was determined by the authors as the main line to study the development of higher education in China, which constituted the basis for general research; according to the logic of the development of higher education in China, the stages of development were identified, which include the exploration period, the adjustment period, and the development period. The authors examine, analyze, and describe historical facts and processes connected with the development of higher education reform in China at each stage, such as the formation of higher education reform ideas, the specific contents of the reform, the background of the reform, the internal and external factors affecting the reform, the growth of faculty strength, and the enhancement of international influence. The study presents historical facts and processes typical of each development stage. This paper compiles the historical development of university reform under the Chinese model: the authors analyze the background of the reform in different periods after the foundation of the PRC and introduce the specific contents, effectiveness, and shortcomings of the reform in different periods, focusing on the college merger trend in the 1990s. Summarizing the reform processes in different periods, the relevant experience, and the lessons learnt is helpful to provide reference experience for reforming the country’s higher education in the future.

КИТАЙСКАЯ МОДЕЛЬ МЕЖДУНАРОДНОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА В ОБЛАСТИ ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ: ТЕМАТИЧЕСКОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ КИТАЙСКО-ГЕРМАНСКОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА В ОБЛАСТИ ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ