‘Pathetic earthlings! Who can save you now?’ Science fiction, planetary crisis and the globalisation of Chinese culture

Chinese policy has turned to the globalisation of communication and stories. Beyond the diplomatic ‘voice’, one of the ways that Chinese culture is reaching out to the rest of the world is through science fiction. Sci-fi can be construed as a specialist thinking-circuit for cultures to build and explore experimental models of collective action at global and planetary scale. What do its stories tell us about the globalisation of Chinese culture? When the need to ‘save the world’ has crossed over from sci-fi to science, from entertainment to activism, and from a thought experiment to imminent danger, humans as a whole face challenges of their own making: climate change, environmental pollution, pandemics, extinctions, exclusions and nuclear annihilation. Can sci-fi inspire collective action at species scale? What role will globalising China play?

Struggles and Dilemmas of Uyghur Immigrants in Turkey

The social and economic integration of the Uyghurs into Turkish society reflects a problem to which policy makers have not yet found a response. Marginalized by the larger society and separated by linguistic differences and cultural and social life-styles, a significant proportion of Uyghurs, especially “newcomers” who have arrived since the 1980s, is in danger of becoming part of a “parallel society.” This is reinforced by exclusion, inferiorization and “otherness,” restricted educational achievements, uncertain citizenship, legal status limbo and low socioeconomic status. Pro-Uyghur, pro-independence and anti-Chinese government mobilization in Turkey has attracted the attention of Chinese authorities for a long time, and this attention has in turn affected and shaped mobilization in Turkey. The Turkey-China relationship is involved as well. The main goals of Chinese policy and strategy in Turkey are the security of “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” (a.k.a. East Turkistan), access to natural resources, security of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and economic and technological investment. It means that China believes it must consolidate its control of “Xinjiang” (East Turkistan) and restrain the Uyghur independence movement in Turkey. China’s economic and technological power and investments in Turkey are not just increasing its influence; they are making Turkey far more reticent to speak out about Beijing’s abuses, systematic oppression and atrocities in the “Xinjiang” (East Turkistan). China’s geo-economic strategy has resulted in political influence in Turkey that profoundly affects its Uyghur population.

Will the Rise of China Transform the International System?

In this article, the rise of China is discussed in the light of economic and military data, and what the challenge from China means for the global leadership of the U.S. is analyzed. Changes in the indicators of the U.S. and China’s economic and military power over the last 30-40 years are examined and an answer is sought for the following question: What will the consequences of China’s rise be in terms of the international political system? To answer this question, similar ‘rise and challenge’ precedents are discussed to contextualize and analyze and the present challenge China poses. This article concludes that while improving its global status, China has been taking the previous cases’ failed challenges into consideration. China, which does not want to repeat the mistakes made by Germany and the Soviet Union, is hesitant to pursue an aggressive military policy and tries to limit its rivalry with the U.S. in the economic area. While Chinese policy of avoiding direct conflict and focusing on economic development has made it the biggest economic rival of the U.S, the rise of China initiates the discussions about the end of the U.S. and West-led international system.

Estimation of Bed Expansion and Separation Density of Gas–Solid Separation Fluidized Beds Using a Micron-Sized-Particle-Dense Medium

Coal is the dominant energy resource in China. With the Chinese policy of committing to reducing peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, coal separation has recently become a hot topic, especially the fluidized separation of fine particles. In this study, micron-sized particles were introduced to ameliorate the properties of the traditional fluidized bed. The expansion characteristics of the micron-sized-particle-dense medium were explored. A bed expansion prediction model of the micron-sized-particle-dense medium was established, and the prediction error was about 10%, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the distribution characteristics of the bed. This model also helped predict the bed density in the presence of a micron-sized-particle-dense medium, and the prediction accuracy was between 85% and 92%, providing a theoretical basis for selecting and popularizing fluidized beds for industrial separation.

Reserve Your Judgment on “Draconian” Chinese Video Gaming Restrictions on Children

China imposed strict restrictions on young people’s participation in videogaming from September 2021. Colder Carras et al.’s commentary (2021) referred to this policy as ‘draconian,’ i.e., ‘excessively harsh and severe.’ However, any opinion on whether this policy is ‘draconian’ is a value judgment, and any judgment on its ‘effectiveness’ ought to be reserved until proven or disproven by empirical evidence. Indeed, the Chinese policy is neither potentially ineffective nor draconian, and is already providing at least one identifiable benefit: enhancing consumer protection by effectively reducing underage players’ monetary spending on videogames, including on randomised, gambling-like mechanics known as ‘loot boxes.’

Subjective well-being and quality of life of rural-to-urban migrant and local older adults in Dongguan, China

We conducted a community-based survey to compare the subjective well-being (SWB) and quality of life (QoL) of 470 rural-to-urban migrant and 422 local older adults living in Dongguan, China. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the dose-response relationships of SWB, QoL, and individual and environmental factors. Results show that migrant (vs. local) residents had greater SWB and better QoL. Positive self-rated health, lack of chronic diseases, not being depressed, taking regular exercise, living close to recreation facilities, and having good social cohesion were positive determinants for SWB and QoL of both local and migrant respondents. Our results provide useful information for Chinese policy decision making to promote the health of older adults.

Institutional Logics in Innovation

This chapter analyses the different institutional logics surrounding China’s innovation machine, including the ‘visible hand’ of the state and ‘invisible hand’ of the market. The idea of innovation in China resulting from centralized decisions in government is shown to be a myth; instead, it results from the interaction of initial bottom-up innovations and subsequent top-down direction, support, or correction. The cultural roots of China’s multiple institutional logics are explained, including the role of hierarchy, the tolerance of ambiguity, and the search for unity. Balance is sought within Chinese bureaucracies, between central and local governments, and between formal and informal authority. The chapter analyses Chinese policy frameworks for science and technology, innovation, intellectual property, education and talent, environment, industry, and the reform of state-owned enterprises. A case study of the car industry is provided, focusing particularly on how policy instruments are used to encourage carmakers to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the new technology trajectory of new energy vehicles.

Chinese Institutions and Policy Experimentation: The case of Zhongguancun

<p>The nature of institutional change lies at the heart of understanding China’s extraordinary transformation of the past 30 years. This thesis adopts an historical institutionalist approach, emphasising dynamic and path dependent processes, in examining Zhongguancun (ZGC), China’s premier science, technology and innovation zone in Beijing. The analytical framework deals with many of the critical issues of institutional analysis of large-scale economic development and social change: the Chinese experience as radical or gradual change; institutional convergence or divergence; formal and informal institutions; top-down design and bottom-up, spontaneous development. ZGC illustrates the ongoing importance of experimentation in Chinese policy as various institutional innovations have emerged from the zone, both spontaneously and through state-led trial schemes. However, increasing preponderance from the Chinese leadership and the highest state-level institutions may ultimately thwart attempts to turn ZGC into a world-class innovation hub.</p>