In the past 12 years, geo-setting research has made great progress and become one of the key points in the current domestic geopolitical research, gathering many domestic geopolitical research groups and promoting the revival of China's geopolitical studies. On the basis of summarizing and analyzing the latest developments and trends of geopolitics and geo-setting research in China and abroad, this paper focuses on the idea, agenda and approaches of geo-setting research. Centered on the interactive practices of multiple geo-actors, its idea regards the geo-setting as the "information" or decision-making dataset for their interactive practices, which also results from their interactions. Thus, geo-actors' decisions for actions can be made under complete information, incomplete information, or even when true or false information cannot be distinguished. Under this new thought, the geo-setting research agenda generally includes three items: (1) the analysis of geo-setting elements (including fundamental, relational and structural elements); (2) the spatio-temporal process and mechanism of geo-setting; (3) the design of geo-setting technical system. In order to integrate different fields, various scales and multiple actors, this paper takes the conflict in northern Myanmar as an example to present three approaches of geo-setting research, namely, cross-field interaction, cross-scale coupling and multiple geo-actors' game playing. Under current complex situation of once-in-a-century changes and COVID-19 pandemic, clarifying the idea, agenda and approaches of geo-setting studies is of great theoretical value and practical significance for accurately and scientifically analyzing the current complex situation and proposing China's response strategies.

Along with climate change, population growth and economic development, the contradiction between global water supply and demand had become increasingly prominent, and water conflicts on international rivers would occur more frequently. The Jordan River had been an international river on most serious conflicts in the world. The number of transboundary water conflicts on the river accounted for 1/5 of the global total between 1948 and 2008, what's more, the proportion of war-related transboundary water conflicts reached 2/3. A geo-setting analysis framework for international river transboundary water conflicts was provided, which was composed of the analysis of geo-value, geo-relationship and geo-structure. And it was used to study the geo-mechanism of the Jordan River transboundary water conflicts. The conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) The geopolitical goals of the Jordan River transboundary water conflicts were concentrated in water-rich areas, from the major water resources areas to the less important ones, because Israel was scrambling for Jordan River water resources area. After Yom Kippur War, Arab countries started to claim Israel for its own territory rich in water resources in the Jordan River. (2) Israel, the core actor in the water conflicts, started nearly 60%of transboundary water conflicts on the Jordan River, Arab countries accounted for 20%, and non-riparian countries took the rest 20%. (3) It was the geo-value of the Jordan River Basin that attracted foreign powers to directly intervene, which escalated water conflicts and benefitted the United States and Israel. The geo-relationship between "water-rich areas" was stronger than that of "water quantity", which had a strengthening effect on the transboundary water conflicts on the Jordan River. Israel, as the hydro-hegemony of the Jordan River, dominated the geo-structure of the river even more, leading to spatial and temporal distribution pattern of the transboundary water conflicts in the basin.

In terms of military geographical environment, the severest threat for the marine security of contemporary China comes from the blockade of the island chains around the country's coastline built by the United States and its allies. It is of obvious practical significance for war preparedness and national defense to study the comprehensive influences of this special geographical environment. This paper focuses on this practical problem and tries to reveal the complex and dynamic relationship between military geography environment and wars and thus proposes a research approach and analytical framework for military geography study from an interdisciplinary perspective integrating history, geography and military science. This process is further illustrated based on the analysis of a specific war case: The German naval operations across the island chain around China at the early stage of the World War I. At the early stage of World War I, German troops in East Asia tried to conduct cross-island chain warfare, but soon defeated by the superior forces of Japanese navy and its blockade relying on island chains. This process had led to a transformation of military geographical position to both sides of this military operation. This paper elaborates this transformation applying the theory of "core-periphery" structure: As a seaport under German occupation, Qingdao had advantageous strategic location and military strength. But it was relatively geographic isolated and lacked strategic depth. From the perspective of macro region, Qingdao as a German navy base was separated with its fleet by island chains built by its enemy, making it easily attacked from both front and rear. On the other hand, it required a large number of troops for Japanese army to carry out the blockade, leading to the weakening of the forces in its border areas. It is precisely in this weakened area that the German East Asia Fleet, which was originally at a disadvantage, found new opportunity and made significant achievement. Thereby, the previous military structure of "core-periphery" was dramatically reversed, forming a new military geographical situation. Finally, this paper put forward five suggestions for the study of maritime security and the construction of China's maritime power.

The "Four Orientations" (orienting to the world science and technology frontier, orienting to the main battlefield of the economy, orienting to the major needs of the country, and orienting to the health of the people) has become a pointer to the China's scientific development in the new era. Governance is not only a comprehensive field that reflects the international research frontier of "Four Orientations", but also the core point of geography and other disciplines. This paper focuses on the key issues of challenges in geography researches governance. Based on the concept of human-nature coupling, by using comprehensive methods such as bibliometrics and text analysis, this paper systematically sorts out the research trajectory and characteristics of governance research in geography at home and abroad. What is more, this paper explores the geography research paths for governance from the four dimensions of value, thought, method, and technology. By closely combining the development of geography and the practice of governance modernization, it improves the integration strategies of geography and governance at basic research, platform construction and talents cultivation. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the influence of Chinese geography in governance research worldwide and promote the integration of geography with other disciplines, to apply the thinking and approach of human-nature coupling in the practice of social governance, and to improve people's well-being and serve the national strategies and regional sustainable development.