Inter-provincial Differences in Rice Multi-cropping Changes in Main Double-cropping Rice Area in China: Evidence from Provinces and Households

Since the early 1980 s, the multi-cropping index for rice has decreased significantly in main double-cropping rice area in China, which is the primary double-cropping rice(DCR) production area. This decline may bring challenges to food security in China because rice is the staple food for more than 60% of the Chinese population. It has been generally recognized that rapidly rising labor costs due to economic growth and urbanization in China is the key driving force of the ‘double-to-single' rice cropping system adaption. However, not all provinces have shown a dramatic decline in DCR area, and labor costs alone cannot explain this difference. To elucidate the reasons for these inter-provincial distinctions and the dynamics of rice cropping system adaption, we evaluated the influencing factors using provincial panel data from 1980 to 2015. We also used household survey data for empirical analysis to explore the mechanisms driving differences in rice multi-cropping changes. Our results indicated that the eight provinces in the study can be divided into three spatial groups based on the extent of DCR area decline, the rapidly-declining marginal, core, and stable zones. Increasing labor cost due to rapid urbanization was the key driving force of rice cropping system adaption, but the land use dynamic vary hugely among different provinces. These differences between zones were due to the interaction between labor price and accumulated temperature conditions. Therefore, increasing labor costs had the greatest impact in Zhejiang, Anhui, and Hubei, where the accumulated temperature is relatively low and rice multi-cropping index declined dramaticly. However, labor costs had little impact in Guangdong and Guangxi. Differences in accumulated temperature conditions resulted in spatially different labor demands and pressure on households during the busy season. As a result, there have been different profits and rice multi-cropping changes between provinces and zones. Because of these spatial differences, regionally appropriate policies that provide appropriate subsidies for early rice in rapidly-declining marginal zone such as Zhejiang and Hubei should be implemented. In addition, agricultural mechanization and the number of agricultural workers have facilitated double-cropping; therefore, small machinery and agricultural infrastructure construction should be further supported.

Rural migrants' participation in old-age insurance: a case study of the inter-provincial migrant workers from Sichuan, China

Old-age pension, a fundamental part of the Chinese social security system, is perceived by the Chinese government as the last support for rural-to-urban migrant workers upon retreating from the labor market. Using survey data collected by the authors, this paper examines a host of factors which influence migrant workers' participation in the old-age scheme. The result shows that individual characteristics, employment status, attitudes toward old-age support and perception of the old-age pension system significantly differentiate two groups of migrant workers between those that have participated in and their counterparts who have not participated in the old-age pension schemes. Among a number of factors, age, educational attainment, holding labor contract, etc. are found to be significant factors influencing migrants' behavior participating(or not participating) the available age-pension schemes. Policy implications for how to improve the rate of participation in existing old-age pension schemes among migrant workers are drawn from the findings.

Inter-provincial pattern of the coupled and coordinated relationship between touristization and urbanization

The coordinated development between touristization and urbanization is the key to optimizing regional industrial structure and building a long-term dynamic mechanism for urbanization. Based on constructing the measurement index system of touristization and urbanization level, the evaluation model on the coupled and coordinated degree is used in this paper to measure the inter-provincial pattern of the coupled and coordinated relationship between touristization and urbanization in 31 provinces and autonomous regions in China. The results show that the coupled and coordinated relationship between touristization and urbanization is significantly different in different regions, which presents a gradient decline pattern of the highest in the east, the lower in the middle and the lowest in the west. In the future, measures should be taken to promote the coordinated development between touristization and urbanization in accordance with the regional differences and actual development needs.

Inter-Provincial Development Difference in Information & Telecom Industry in China

This article measures the development difference in the information and telecommunication industry among provinces in China quantitatively by Gini coefficient.According to the calculation results,the article concludes that the development levels are between "highly equal"and "relatively equal".Further more,the research also shows that the difference gap has been narrowing down gradually in recent years.Compared with the inter-provincial economic difference,the difference in the information and telecommunication industry among provinces is small.

Spatial Interactions of China's Steel Output: An Empirical Analysis Based on Chinese Inter-provincial Panel Data

In view of the extensive growth of China's steel production in recent years, this paper analyzed the industrial development background and economic geography theory, and discussed the possible spatial interaction mechanism. Based on panel data of China's inter-provincial steel output from 2001 to 2015, using spatial econometric model, this paper also explored whether China's provincial steel production shows material orientation, market orientation and traffic orientation, and isolated spatial interactions of interprovincial steel output. The results showed that the inter-provincial steel production in China did show both material orientation, market orientation and traffic orientation and that there was a significant negative spatial interaction, indicating that there might be strong competition and a crowing-out effect between neighboring provinces, and that the smaller the spatial scope, the more significant the spatial interactions of steel production.

Measurement of Grain Production Efficiency in Main Grain-producing Areas and Analysis of Inter-provincial Differences--A Study Based on Super-SBM Model and Malmquist Index

China's food security mainly depends on the core areas of food production.Under the dual constraints of resource scarcity and environmental degradation,improving the grain production efficiency of the main grain-producing areas has become the fundamental way to strengthen the grain production capacity and improve the national food security capability,and to improve the efficiency of grain production in major grain-producing areas requires empirical support.This paper used the Super SBM model and the Malmquist index to measure the grain production efficiency of the main grain-producing areas from 2001 to 2020 from both static and dynamic perspectives,and compared the differences in grain production efficiency among different soil types and different provinces(autonomous regions)in the main grain-producing areas.The results showed that from 2001 to 2020,the grain production in the main grain-producing areas was in a relatively ineffective state,and the differences in grain production efficiency among different soil types and different provinces(autonomous regions)in the main grain-producing areas were obvious.The order of grain production efficiency in different soil types was black soil region>red-yellow soil region>paddy soil region>fluvo-aquic soil region,and the order of grain production efficiency of the provinces(autonomous regions)in the main grain-producing areas was Jilin>Heilongjiang>Inner Mongolia>Jiangxi>Hunan>Sichuan>Hubei>Jiangsu>Liaoning>Henan>Anhui>Shandong>Hebei.From 2001 to 2020,the total factor productivity of grain in the main grain-producing areas increased,but due to the trade-off between the technological progress and the growth of technical efficiency,the increase in the total factor productivity of grain in the main grain-producing areas was small,and the growth mainly came from the increase of input factors in this period.The total factor productivity of grain in Hebei,Heilongjiang,Liaoning,Jilin,Inner Mongolia,Shandong,Jiangsu,Henan and Anhui increased,but the increase was small,while the total factor productivity of grain in Jiangxi,Sichuan,Hunan and Hubei provinces declined.

Trends and Features of China's Inter-Provincial Trade:1987-2007

With today's economic globalization,inter-provincial trade plays an important role in a country's economy.This paper is the first to adopt the input-output tables of 30 Chinese provinces and to summarize the evolution of China's inter-provincial trade from1987 to 2007.This paper reaches the following conclusions.First,China's inter-provincial trade has sustained a period of rapid growth.In 2007,the total volume of inter-provincial trade was twice the amount of international trade,with the eastern region accounting for the majority of the inter-provincial trade volume.GDP may have a greater effect on interprovincial trade than geographic distance does.Second,inter-provincial trade maintains a high level of concentration and overlaps with the high concentration of GDP.Third,the inter-provincial trade dependence of Chinese provinces tends to increase,an indication of the growing domestic market integration.Moreover,the eastern region's dependence on inter-provincial trade is higher than the central and western regions'.Fourth,the share of inter-provincial trade in the overall external trade of Chinese provinces has a declining tendency,which indicates a slower process of China's domestic market integration compared with international market integration.However,in terms of proportion,the external trade of most Chinese provinces is still dominated by inter-provincial trade.Fifth,most provinces with longstanding inter-provincial trade deficits are in the central and western regions.

Influencing Factors of Long-Term Residence Intention of Highly Educated Inter-Provincial and Intra-Provincial Floating Population From the Perspective of Social Integration:Take Guangdong Province for Example

Floating population plays an important role in the development of cities,regions,and countries.The economic growth path with Guangdong characteristics is inseparable from the support of highly educated groups.Studying the long-term residence intention of the highly educated floating population is helpful for the city to attract and retain talents.From the perspective of social integration,using CMDS 2017 data and taking Guangdong Province for example,this paper studies the influencing factors of long-term residence intention through SPSS logistic regression,taking intra-provincial and inter-provincial floating population with a bachelor’s degree or above as sample.The main conclusions are:(1)Marital and childbearing status is the primitive influencing factor of long-term residence intention among intra-provincial and inter-provincial floating population.Samples with high income,under social insurance system,being female and having non-agricultural hukou,are tend to prefer long-term residence.Samples who connect with the locals and participate in social public welfare are more likely to stay.(2)Personal age and city livability have a significant positive impact on the long-term residence intention of the inter-provincial highly educated floating population,but agricultural hukou and self-employed laborer status will weaken the long-term residence intention of this group.(3)Participation in townsmen/alumni association has a positive effect on the long-term residence intention of the intra-provincial highly educated floating population,and connection with outlanders also promotes the long-term residence intention of this group.(4)The long-term residence intention of inter-provincial highly educated floating population is usually based on reality,therefore they pay more attention to the development,changes,and livability of the destination city.However,the long-term residence intention of intra-provincial highly educated floating population is usually based on perception,so they pay more attention to whether they like the city.Compared with intra-provincial flows,inter-provincial flows have higher economic and emotional migration costs,more institutional barriers,and more life adaptation problems.Therefore,the government should introduce targeted measures to promote social integration and improve long-term residence intention.

The pull of inter-provincial migration of rural labor force and its influence on policy-making

As a social phenomenon closely related to development of economy, the population is always the focis of economists＇ attention. Based on the fifth census in 2001, this paper analyzes labor migration in Hubet Provtnce and establishes an econometric model to analyze the pull according to the push and pull theory,, which is the famous theory on the population flow and migration. It points out that the per capita consumption and the employment rate attract strongly the rural labors and makes a deep exploration into the ensuing problems. Such conclusion is a special reference to the decision-making of government. The government can provide some guidance to the rural labors according to the per capita consumption and the employment rate in order to avoid the futility of blind migration.

Unintended Results:Inter-Provincial Differences in Environmental Protection Tax Rates and Relocation Strategies of Polluting Enterprises

The Environmental Protection Tax Law that took effect in 2018 gave local authorities a certain amount of discretionary power to set the local rates for environmental protection tax.The inter-provincial gradient tax rates pattern may induce strategic relocation of enterprises,leading to unintended policy results.Combined with the data on trans-regional investment of listed companies,this paper employs the Difference-in-Difference(DID)approach to study the impact of inter-provincially different environmental tax rates on the trans-regional migration of polluting enterprises.The study shows that due to the regional differences in the tax rates,the polluting enterprises opt for the relocation strategy of"avoiding high tax rates and opting for low rates",setting up more subsidiaries in regions with relatively low tax rates.Further research demonstrates that the trans-regional migration induced by different tax rates can help reduce production costs and increase corporate profits,while dampening the corporate enthusiasm for green innovation in the short term and resulting in pollution transfer.This paper reveals the unintended policy effects that may derive from the environmental tax reform,providing concrete proof for the comprehensive evaluation and understanding of the actual policy effects of existing environmental tax reform.

Model and application of renewable energy accommodation capacity calculation considering utilization level of inter-provincial tie-line

At present, the problem of abandoning wind and PV power in “Three North” region of China is particularly significant, and how to alleviate this problem has become the focus of universal attention. Calculation of renewable energy accommodation capacity is the basis to solve the problem of abandoning wind and PV power. Main problems of Chinese renewable energy accommodation is analyzed from power supply, power grid and load side aspects, and it focuses on the effect of inter-provincial tie-line to renewable energy accommodation capacity. At present, the inter-provincial tie-line utilization level is limited, which affected renewable energy accommodation to a certain extent. Based on the sequential production simulation model, a new kind of renewable energy accommodation capacity model is put forward considering the utilization level of inter-provincial tie-line. According to different system stability constraints and different electricity constraints of inter-provincial tie-line, 4 schemes are designed for comparative analysis, and the evaluation model is used to calculate renewable energy accommodation capacity of “Three North” region of China in 2020. Example analysis results verify validity of the model that releasing curve constraints, electricity constraints and stability constraints in turn can significantly enhance renewable energy accommodation capacity through effective use of inter-provincial tie-line transmission capacity. Research work in this paper can provide strong support for the planning and scheduling control of power grid.

Research on Measurement of China’s Inter-Provincial Trade,International Trade and Low-Carbon Trade Competitiveness

In this paper,Embodied carbon emission competitiveness in international trade and inter-provincial trade is measured and comparative analysis is conducted.Specifi cally the non-competitive input-output model and low-carbon trade competitiveness index are constructed to study the embodied carbon emission competitiveness of 31 Chinese provinces in international trade and inter-provincial trade from the perspectives of the whole,three industries and product sectors.We find that Shanghai is the most competitive in low-carbon trade,while Qinghai is the least;carbon leakage in international trade is severe;the performance of different product sectors differ widely in embodied carbon emission competitiveness in international trade and inter-provincial trade;the primary and secondary industries are competitive in low-carbon inter-provincial trade and the tertiary industry is competitive in low-carbon international trade.The innovations of this paper is as follows:methodology in low-carbon trade competitiveness index is innovated;macro,meso and micro perspectives are taken;factors in international trade and inter-provincial trade are combined in content.In the end,development of low-carbon trade is promoted and references for policy are provided for a new round of trade competition.