Sifeng Nian

To elucidate the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus, the paper proposes a framework for multifunctional development objectives within the context of CPSs, integrating emergy analysis and the coupled coordination model. The article’s primary focus is on the utilization of blue and green water in the cultivation of a variety of food crops and the acquisition of purchased energy. The paper was evaluated according to three key indicators: stability, development, and sustainability. Furthermore, a quantitative evaluation of the trade-offs among the FEW nexus and its constituent sub-nexuses was conducted over the period from 2000 to 2022. The study revealed that China has witnessed an expansion in its total CPS inputs, with renewable inputs accounting for 32.89% and an average annual input-output ratio of 37.98%. The annual emergy values for food, energy, and water resources were 6.85 × 10²³ Sej, 1.43 × 10²³ Sej, and 7.91 × 10²² Sej, respectively. The annual growth rates were 2.16%, 2.11%, and 0.77%, respectively. The CPS exhibits an average proportion of green and blue water resources of 64.37% and 35.63%, respectively. The coupling coordination of the FEW nexus demonstrates a transition between years from mild dysfunctional recession to quality coordinated development, with the coordinated use of FEW resources increasing for maize, largely maintained for rice, and decreasing for wheat, soybean, and potato. The objective of this study is to provide differentiated strategies for regional food conservation and sustainable development worldwide.

World Heritage Sites (WHS) possess outstanding universal value (OUV) centered on science and aesthetics, and the large scale of tourism has a certain influence on sustainable development, which will have some degree influence on the quality of tourist service and experience. Taking the World Natural Heritage Site Mount Sanqingshan National Park in China as a case, we collected 535 samples of tourists and used structural equation modeling as a methodology to construct a theoretical framework from the perspective of tourists’ perception, including tourism crowding (functional crowding, personal crowding, and social crowding), service quality (interpretation, goods, commuting, accommodation, and catering), tourists’ satisfaction, and OUV attractiveness as intermediary variables. The results were: (1) tourist crowding has a substantial negative influence on satisfaction, and the negative influence on OUV attractiveness is not tenable; (2) service quality has a substantial positive impact on OUV attractiveness and satisfaction; (3) the tourists’ perception of OUV attractiveness has a mediating influence on service quality and satisfaction, but there is no mediating impact on tourism crowding and satisfaction; (4) this paper puts forward the SCA-S (service, crowding, attractiveness, and satisfaction) framework of WHS, and explores impact factors and mechanisms of visitor satisfaction of WHS from different aspects. The relevant research conclusions have some theoretical value and practical significance for the interpretation and display of heritage value, improved service quality, and tourism experience, and they are conducive to protecting WHS.

In recent years, the paid withdrawal of rural homesteads has become a widely discussed topic within the academic community. However, from the perspective of protecting farmers’ rights and interests, literature exploring the impact of this policy’s implementation remains scarce. As the reform of the separation of the three rights of the homestead deepens, disputes related to paid withdrawal of homesteads have escalated rapidly. This study aims to highlight the importance of protecting farmers’ rights and interests, seeking to enhance their property rights and revitalize unused rural resources. Employing a case study methodology, this study systematically examines the issue of farmers’ rights and interests protection during homestead withdrawal. This analysis is based on the survey, collection, and evaluation of 324 judicial cases. The findings reveal the following: (1) Disputes involving paid withdrawal of homesteads encompass the entire withdrawal process, with the majority of conflicts arising during the withdrawal stage. (2) Prior to withdrawal, farmers express heightened concern regarding their political rights, particularly the right to be informed and to participate in withdrawal decisions. (3) During the withdrawal process, farmers prioritize resettlement and compensation rights. Additionally, novel issues such as the allocation of withdrawal compensation surface after farmers receive resettlement and compensation benefits. (4) After withdrawal, farmers anticipate more suitable “alternative” social rights and remedies. Based on these findings, this study presents policy recommendations for realizing farmers’ rights and interests in the context of paid withdrawal of rural homesteads. These suggestions include consistently respecting farmers’ autonomy and preserving their political rights throughout the withdrawal procedure. During the withdrawal stage, emphasis should be placed on the comprehensive value of resettlement compensation, encompassing both the residential and social security aspects of rural homesteads. Post-withdrawal, farmers’ social rights and the development rights of their homesteads ought to be fully guaranteed, ensuring a harmonious balance between farmers’ immediate and long-term interests. Furthermore, optimizing the dispute resolution mechanism stands as a pivotal aspect of safeguarding farmers’ rights and interests through legal recourse.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures are pivotal in steering listed companies toward a balanced trajectory of economic efficiency and environmental/social accountability. Disclosure of ESG information can enhance consumer confidence, create shareholder value, and promote sustainable corporate development. Based on the ESG information disclosure data of Chinese listed companies, this study investigates and empirically analyzes the frequency, content, and quality of ESG information disclosure by Chinese listed companies using a mixed-methodological research approach combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. The findings indicate a low and unreliable frequency of ESG disclosure among Chinese listed companies, with a predominant focus on descriptive content primarily in the “E” and “G” dimensions, while neglecting information disclosure in the “S” dimension. The results of subgroup analyses show that industry classification and the regional economic development level do not increase the disclosure rate. Although the nature of ownership, industry classification, and the level of regional economic development can contribute to improving the overall quality of disclosure, there are differences in the “E”, “S”, and “G” dimensions. In addition, mandatory disclosure requirements can improve disclosure quality, but some differences in the “G” dimension are not significant. The findings provide empirical support for improving the ESG disclosure performance of Chinese listed companies to achieve the “dual-carbon” goal.

The metropolitan area serves as a vital catalyst for advancing the new urbanization strategy and remains a focal point of current academic research in China. This paper endeavors to explore the developmental mechanisms of China’s metropolitan areas, centering on the circulation of regional production factors within these urban conglomerations. Additionally, it introduces the hypothesis of various spatial governance models for these metropolitan areas. Drawing upon theoretical research, the paper substantiates the hypothesis regarding the development mechanisms and spatial governance model of metropolitan areas through several case studies. Finally, we present the principal research findings concerning the development mechanisms and spatial governance models of China’s metropolitan areas, along with issues in need of further examination.