With the advancement of urbanization and the profound transformation of socio-economic development in China, land use transition has become a complex research field involving multiple disciplines and dimensions. This paper comprehensively uses bibliometric analysis and systematic review methods to systematically sort out the research progress of land use transition in China from following dimensions: development context, theoretical framework, model and methodology, effect and mechanism, and regulation path. The study finds that: (1) Since the introduction of land use transition research to China in 2001, the field has flourished in the aspects of project funding, publication of monographs, and talent cultivation. Through hotspot analysis, it is found that research has shifted from being technology-driven to policy and economic-driven, and finally focused on multi-functional synergy and sustainable development. (2) Theoretical research can be divided into three levels: description-explanation, process characterization and diagnosis, and mutual feedback mechanism and regulation, forming a research paradigm of "dominant morphology-recessive morphology" coupling. The transition measurement method presents a three-dimensional characteristic of integration of 3S technology, mathematical model simulation, and field investigation. (3) Driven by the dual strategies of rural vitalization and food security, the socio-economic effects of land use transitions are manifested as a cascading response of farmers' livelihoods, factor flow, and industrial upgrading; related ecological and environmental effects show the bidirectional characteristics of negative effects and positive synergistic effects. (4) The driving mechanism of land use transitions is analyzed from the "element-structure-system" perspective, and its regulation system is discussed from multiple dimensions such as engineering technology innovation, institutional innovation, policy intervention, and multi-dimensional collaborative governance. (5) Future research needs to focus on breakthroughs in multi-scale transition threshold identification, complex system feedback simulation, regional model extraction, and optimization and regulation of transition through theoretical and methodological innovations. This study provides not only knowledge support for the construction of a land use transition research theoretical system with Chinese characteristics, but also decision-making support for the modernization of national territorial space governance and urban-rural integrated development.

The urban-rural integration in the new era requires the coupled and coordinated development of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization. This paper constructs an evaluation index system for new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, and uses the modified coupling coordination degree model, spatial Markov chain, random forest model and other methods to quantitatively analyze the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of coupling coordination types of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization in Central China from 2007 to 2022. The results show that: (1) From 2007 to 2022, the coupling coordination type in the study area experienced a transition from moderate imbalance to minimal coordination, with regions of severe imbalance gradually disappearing and high-quality coordinated areas emerging, and the coupling coordination relationship has continuously improved. In terms of spatial distribution, high-value zones of coupling coordination level have remained concentrated in provincial capitals, while low-value zones have shifted toward western edge and the junction of Henan-Anhui-Hubei provinces, with boundary effects gradually emerging. (2) Regardless of the neighborhood conditions, the transition of the coupling coordination state exhibits "path dependence" and "self-locking" effects, while displaying "club convergence" phenomena, there is the possibility of transition to higher level but it is difficult to achieve leapfrog development. The geographical background plays an important role in the evolution of the coupling coordination state, which has an obvious spatial spillover effect, and the Markov prediction results also prove that spatial spillover effect will exist for a long time, the long-term evolution trend of the coupling coordination state is relatively good. (3) In the process of coupling and coordinated development, the level of industrial development plays a core leading role, the level of regional investment, the level of scientific and technological innovation, the level of human capital, and the employment structure of the population offer guarantees in terms of essential factors, and the geographical distance plays a restrictive role. Finally, this paper puts forward specific countermeasures and suggestions to provide scientific basis for the coordinated development of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization in Central China.

Developing new quality productive forces is a significant proposition emphasized at the meeting on promoting the full revitalization of Northeast China in the new era. Subsequently, research on the spatiotemporal evolution and spatial differentiation of new quality productive forces has become a cutting-edge and hot topic in geographic science. Based on the theory of productivity layout in economic geography, this paper introduces a spatial perspective from geography into the study of new quality productive forces and systematically examines the locational conditions and spatial layout of new quality productive forces from two dimensions: policy-side and factor-side. The paper constructs a three-dimensional evaluation indicator system for new quality productive forces, consisting of "new laborer-new labor materials-new labor object", and employs threshold regression model and coupling coordination degree model to explore the dynamic relationship and spatial characteristics between local government attention and the level of new quality productive forces from 2009 to 2022. The results show that: (1) From the perspective of policy-side, there is a growing trend of following the crowd and repetitive competition in the development of new quality productive forces among provinces. (2) From the perspective of factor-side, there is spatial heterogeneity in the level of new quality productive forces across different regions, presenting a gradient pattern of "high in the east and low in the west", and the spatial distribution of new quality productive forces is more imbalanced than regional development. (3) From the perspective of dynamic analysis, there is a U-shaped threshold characteristic for the role of government attention in developing new quality productive forces, and there is a positive coupling relationship between the two. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the matching and connection between policy-side and factor-side of regional new quality productive forces. The conclusions of this study fill the research gap in the relevant fields of geography and provide policy inspiration for optimizing productivity layout, developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and promoting high-quality regional development.

This study analyzes the development of the discipline of human geography in China over the past 40 years, based on projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 1986 to 2023. The analysis focuses on research directions and themes, the hosting institutions and their spatial distribution, as well as the structure of high-level talents. This paper primarily employs methods such as keyword cloud analysis, probability density distribution analysis, and spatial analysis. The findings are as follows: (1) Although the number and financial volume of funded projects have grown rapidly, human geography remains at a disadvantage in terms of scholarly influence and the magnitude of funding support. (2) The majority of approved projects and funds are concentrated under the application codes for Urban and Rural Geography (D0109) and Economic Geography (D0108), though growth in these areas has been limited in recent years. Promising areas of focus include cultural geography, political geography, and behavioral geography. (3) New research topics have emerged, such as spatiotemporal behavior and quality of life, social space and mobility, innovation networks, city networks, rural revitalization, geopolitics, and carbon reduction. (4) The distribution of approved NSFC projects in human geography generally follows a Pareto distribution and is predominantly located east of the Hu Line. (5) There are relatively few high-level talents in human geography in China, with an unbalanced gender ratio. To advance the field, we propose to raise human geography's profile in interdisciplinary dialogue, to consolidate disciplinary consensus, to articulate key research priorities and assessment frameworks, address developmental disparities among subfields, and prioritize groundbreaking research agendas. The study underscores key unresolved issues in the discipline's governance and financing, including the generality-specificity spectrum in knowledge generation, and reconciling inter-direction competition with distributive justice in resource allocation. The research advances scholarly understanding by documenting funding-driven development patterns in Chinese human geography while addressing dual challenges of international disciplinary recognition and domestic academic consensus-building.

Promoting social green transformation is an inherent requirement and a key task in the national strategy for a comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society. However, research on the quantitative characterization and spatiotemporal patterns of social green transformation remains relatively lacking. To address this gap, this paper introduces social psychology theory to construct a quantitative characterization framework for social green transformation. Using 19 urban agglomerations in China as the study area and following the "pattern-process-effect" research logic, the study integrates methods such as entropy-weighted TOPSIS, spatial Markov chains, and Random Forest model to sequentially reveal the spatiotemporal evolution patterns, spatiotemporal transformation, and dynamic impacts of the social green transformation on the economic green transformation. Finally, a comprehensive quantitative framework for regional green transformation is proposed. The results show that: (1) During the study period, the level of social green transformation in China's urban agglomerations showed a fluctuating upward trend, with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations leading in social green transformation, while those along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains, Lanzhou-Xi'an region, and Ningxia along the Yellow River were relatively lagging. (2) There is a phenomenon of club convergence and spatial spillover effects in the social green transformation of urban agglomerations, and the transformation exhibits path dependence and spatial dependence, with low probabilities of cross-level and cross-regional transitions. (3) Social green transformation serves as a significant driving force for the green transformation of urban economies, and this driving effect has been strengthening over time. The role of social green transformation in advancing the strategy of ecological prioritization and green development is increasingly profound. Furthermore, this study helps to improve existing research on regional green transformation evaluation, providing new methods and ideas that better align with and respond to the current comprehensive green transformation strategy.

As part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has actively participated in global port construction over the past decade. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of these efforts and enrich the theoretical framework of BRI development. We constructed a port vitality index (PVI) using shipping big data. The PVI was calculated across four key dimensions (production, maritime, service, and radiation) using 17 fundamental indicators based on the port transportation chain model. This study evaluated the vitality of port development over the past decade. The results were as follows. (1) There was significant growth from 2013 to 2022 in the overall vitality index of ports invested in China, with Asia and Europe being the primary hubs of port vitality, and Africa emerging as a major center of growth. (2) There was higher vitality growth among ports where China was involved in both investment and operations, compared to ports where China's role was limited to construction. (3) Chinese port construction companies held global power by helping developing countries or regions lacking transportation capacity quickly establish international transportation capabilities. (4) Terminal operators and shipping companies invested in ports with strong underlying conditions, located on key shipping routes with minimal economic risks, to ensure effective investment outcomes. (5) Some small and medium-sized ports gained rapid production vitality through investment, yet lacked maritime vitality, as insufficient urban market growth hinders the increase in maritime vitality. The port vitality evaluation method proposed in this study provides insights for adjusting China's future port investment strategies and optimizing location choices for enterprise investments. It also enriches the theoretical framework of the BRI development and provides practical evidence of China's commitment to fostering shared prosperity with the Global South through port infrastructure development.

The administrative hierarchy of the city in China determines its ability of mobilizing resources and the direction of migrations, and it is also the direct subjects of policy implementation. Previous literature has rarely analyzed migrations from the perspective of urban administrative hierarchy. Using data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study explores the patterns of migration across urban administrative hierarchy and the influencing factors of destination choice. The results show that according to the urban administrative hierarchy, upward migrations are dominant. Spatially, inter-regional migration to the eastern region is a prominent feature. For the population that has migrated multiple times, subsequent migrations are dominated by horizontal and intra-regional migrations, with the proportion of downward migrations increasing and exceeding that of upward migrations. In the first migration, ordinary prefecture cities and provincial capital cities are preferred. In the subsequent migrations, the proportions of county-level cities (counties), separately planned cities and directly-administered municipalities have increased, which reflect repositioning of population after the first migration. Economic profits are the main driving force of migration, the socio-economic attributes and hukou-registered places affect the choice of destinations, which reflect the migrants' employment competitiveness, employment preferences, life cycle and path dependence on hukou-registered places. The choice of destination is also related to the migration scope, provincial capital cities are being preferred in intra-provincial migrations, while directly-administered municipalities are most likely to be chosen in inter-provincial migrations. This paper provides evidence for the theory of population migration that urban administrative hierarchy works, which shows a different pattern from Ravenstein's laws of step migration, and deepens the connotation of push-pull theory. The findings of the study are of revelatory value for the implementation of the new urbanization policy with counties as important carriers.

Examining the spatial effects of the host country's geo-setting and its changes on the investor country's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) within a risk framework is of critical importance. It aids in understanding the host country's geo-setting and risks, supports the investor country in formulating strategic decisions and precise investments, and contributes to the design of geo-setting systems. Utilizing multi-source heterogeneous data, this study develops an analytical framework to assess the impact of the host country's geo-setting on the investor country's OFDI, considering three dimensions: political, economic, and social aspects. By applying the full permutation polygon method and the modified spatial Durbin model, the study measures and empirically tests the spatial effects of geopolitical risk and its changes on China's OFDI in 27 African countries. The key findings are as follows: (1) Between 2010 and 2021, geopolitical risks in various dimensions and the overall geo-setting of the 27 African countries experienced slight increases, exhibiting alternating changes, notable country-specific differences, a flattening of risk patterns, with political risk being the primary source. (2) There is evident spatial heterogeneity and mismatch between the host countries' geopolitical risks and China's OFDI. China's direct investment in the 27 African countries has not decreased or shifted due to higher geopolitical risks, demonstrating strong temporal and spatial inertia. Investment flows and stocks alternate between aggregation and dispersion, with varying country-level patterns. (3) An increase in the host country's geopolitical risks significantly reduces China's OFDI stocks and flows, but simultaneously promotes direct investment in neighboring and geopolitically linked countries. The direct effects and spatial spillover effects of geo-setting risks in different dimensions and elements on the OFDI stock and flow of the investor country vary considerably. (4) Control variables exhibit direct effects and spatial spillover effects. The reduction in bilateral geographical distance, the strengthening of political and diplomatic relations, responses to each other's geopolitical strategies, and an increase in investment dependence facilitate the attraction of China's OFDI in both the host country and its neighboring regions. The paper concludes by discussing the study's quantitative contributions to the understanding of geo-setting, as well as future research directions and policy recommendations.

The rapid and intricate evolution of socio-culture poses critical challenges to the development of cultural geography. Currently, tourism has emerged as a crucial cultural phenomenon; however, it has long been neglected by the academic community. This paper, grounded in the tension between reality and theory, addresses the necessity of tourism research within cultural geography and the specific nature of such research required. Its aim is to stimulate the development of cultural geography through interdisciplinary dialogue. This study reviews the current status and trends of tourism-related research within the realm of cultural geography, both domestically and internationally. It then examines the "newness" of tourism culture from two approaches: the spatial study of culture and the cultural study of space. At the ontological and epistemological levels, the paper discusses the following aspects: (1) Tourism has become an omnipresent cultural fact, providing a continuous and vivid empirical foundation for cultural geography research; (2) As a distinctive phenomenon, tourism has opened up frontier topics that facilitate the contextual application and perspective shift of theories; (3) Tourism, functioning as an intersecting "interface", links multidisciplinary thinking and offers platforms and experiences for interdisciplinary integration; (4) Tourism, as a "metaphor", indicates a new cultural perspective that transcends traditional cultural geography research, presenting a dynamic of integration, development, and anti-structuralism. This paper advocates for the cultural geography community to re-evaluate tourism, reversing the past neglect of tourism-related research and thereby fostering equitable interdisciplinary communication and academic innovation.

The arms trade serves as a critical tool for the United States to advance its foreign policy objectives and secure its geopolitical interests. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of U.S. arms exports is essential to deciphering its strategic trajectory on the global stage. This study leverages data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Arms Transfers Database and employs a suite of robust analytical methods, including dependency modeling, Poisson regression, and dynamic Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). These methodologies provide a nuanced understanding of the spatial evolution of U.S. arms exports, the underlying factors shaping their patterns, and the geopolitical ramifications of these exports. By integrating these approaches, the study offers a comprehensive framework for analyzing how U.S. arms trade functions as a key instrument in its global strategic playbook. The results indicate the following developmental characteristics in the spatial pattern of U.S. arms exports: (1) The United States solidifies its position as the largest arms exporter, with significant growth in both export volume and its share of the global market. Its geo-military influence is expanding into regions traditionally aligned with Russia. A defining feature of U.S. arms exports is the diversity of its offerings, with military aircraft and missiles dominating, catering to both combat and deterrence needs. (2) U.S. arms exports are predominantly focused on the periphery of the Eurasian continent, including Western Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. The heavy reliance of importing nations on U.S. weaponry underscores America's strategy to curb the rise of global powers in Eurasia and uphold its global hegemony. (3) U.S. arms exports are positively influenced by factors such as oil production, resource endowments, political freedoms, democratic governance, military alliances, market size, and defense expenditures. However, defense cooperation with importing nations, involving sheltering mechanisms and deterrence strategies, often reduces the volume of U.S. arms exports. (4) The geopolitical objectives of U.S. arms exports focus on controlling key oil-producing countries to secure energy needs, expanding arms industry market share for economic and geopolitical gains, bolstering allies’ military capabilities to counter strategic competitors, and sustaining military trade to reinforce alliances. The overarching goal is to influence regional security dynamics and maintain global hegemony by balancing power in strategic regions.

State space is a pivotal theory in urban governance. Historically, there has been limited overlap between state space and traditional urban governance research in China. The transformation of urban governance in China has emerged from significant adjustments in state space, with evolving reforms in urban governance paralleling the ongoing construction of state space. Grounded in the theoretical origins of state space, this paper elucidates its theoretical core: leveraging the spatial allocation of national resources as an entry point to bridge governance research on enhancing holistic governance efficiency with the imperative of safeguarding social equity. The study posits that state space theory, through interdisciplinary dialogues spanning early state studies, neo-Marxist political economy, and sociological research, has established a tripartite interactive framework for urban governance research, from "resource allocation, social relations, and governance efficacy". In the context of Chinese urban governance studies, it is essential to prioritize localized models, focusing on governance efficacy, social relations, resource allocation, and their interactive relationships. The paper advocates for three paradigm shifts in future Chinese urban governance research: transitioning from analyzing institutional relationships to optimizing resource allocation, reconceptualizing cities not merely as organizational structures but as projections of national governance, and balancing multiple benefits from economic efficiency to multifaceted societal benefits.

Central cities, as drivers of regional economic development, have reemerged as a focal point of attention nowadays. However, their impact on the surrounding cities is inconsistent. Both positive and negative effects have been verified in different cases. One promising way to understand various impacts of central cities is to employ the dynamic lens. This paper focuses on the Central China Plains urban agglomeration, which developed and grew rapidly during the research period 2000-2020, and analyzes the dynamic impact of Zhengzhou on other small and medium-sized cities within the urban agglomeration (228 cities, counties, and county-level cities). The empirical analysis confirms that the role of central cities undergoes dynamic changes, and this case does not support the theoretical expectation of "siphoning first and then spilling over". Specifically, before 2005, there was no evidence of Zhengzhou's impact on the economic development of other cities in the Central China Plains urban agglomeration. Between 2005 and 2015, the evidence was inconsistent, hinting at a transitional phase between the two situations. After 2015, Zhengzhou mainly had a positive spillover effect on the development of cities within a certain geographical distance. The reasons for the aforementioned findings may lie in the fact that central cities, represented by Zhengzhou, focuses on attracting major resources from outside the province rather than within, and place great emphasis on and actively develop the manufacturing industry. Although a longer time period and evidence from more urban agglomerations are needed, the findings of this paper are a positive signal in favour of central city development strategies.

The spatial restructuring of large Chinese cities has exacerbated internal spatial differentiation and social segregation, resulting in disparities in the distribution of environmental risks across social groups and regions. This has negatively impacted the health and well-being of urban residents. This study analyzes the socio-spatial disparities in environmental risk distribution in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu using pollution discharge permit data and census data, with ArcGIS spatial analysis methods. Principal component analysis is then applied for dimensionality reduction to capture the characteristics of urban spatial restructuring. Interaction term models are applied to analyze the intrinsic connections between environmental inequality and the urban spatial restructuring process. The findings reveal that individuals with lower education levels and migrant populations are exposed to greater environmental risks, with environmental inequality increasing from the city center to the periphery. The spatial variations in environmental inequality across the three cities can be attributed to their respective urban spatial restructuring processes and development trajectories, resulting in three distinct patterns of environmental inequality: minimal impact, localized improvement, and environmental deprivation. The study draws on Spatial Production Theory and Rawls' Theory of Justice to elucidate the evolution of environmental inequality in spatial differentiation within the context of urban spatial restructuring, emphasizing the shift from capital-driven spatial production to government-led social justice practices. It is suggested that when formulating and implementing strategies to promote environmental justice and sustainable urban development, the global and dynamic nature of urban space development should be considered to ensure equitable sharing of environmental benefits across all regions and social groups.

Terraced farmland is a unique agricultural landscape and high-quality farmland resource in mountainous areas, with great production and ecological functions, which makes it a valuable livelihood asset for rural households. As a type of farmland resource, the high-quality of terraced farmland originates from the substantial investment of labor force and materials in land improvement processes such as terracing projects, which results in higher "landesque capital". The economic essence of landesque capital is land appreciation. In recent years, the phenomenon of farmland asset devaluation has been widespread in mountainous areas, yet how the landesque capital value of terraced farmland change remains unclear. Therefore, based on land capital theory, this study clarifies the definition of the landesque capital value of terraced farmland, constructing a comprehensive diagnostic framework from the dual perspectives of land economic productivity and land marginalization. Using data from national rural household surveys and literature synthesis in China's mountainous areas, the study reveals the trends and regional differences of landesque capital value. The findings demonstrate that in recent decades, the landesque capital of terraced farmland in China has devalued, with the trend being particularly pronounced in the eastern region. From 1996 to 2020, the differential rent reflecting the landesque capital value of terraced farmland decreased from 793.2 yuan per ha to 441.88 yuan per ha (a 44.29% drop), based on 1995 constant prices. The grain yield increase effect of terraced farmland relative to sloped farmland has been declining, with the rocky mountainous areas in Northern China showing a more significant downward trend than the Loess Plateau region. The economic benefits derived from the landesque capital of terraced farmland are increasingly unable to cover the costs of maintaining their unique functions. Therefore, it is recommended to actively explore optimal utilization approachs for existing terraced farmland while cautiously implementing new terracing projects in China's mountainous areas.

Emerged as a cutting-edge research agenda in urban studies more than half a century ago, gentrification remains an evergreen and debatable topic in the practices and research of urban and rural governance in contemporary China. In response to the lasting and heated debates within the international and domestic academic communities, it is of vital significance to examine and clarify the prevalent discourse of "Chinese-style gentrification" and conduct in-depth exploration and reflections on its historical evolution, conceptual boundaries, research approaches, and theoretical value. This paper situates Chinese-style gentrification into the broader context of the Global East by highlighting its unique features to be distinguished from the Western contexts. We dissect the historical evolution and contemporary identity of the "gentry" class in China under the framework of state-society relationship. The research contends that studies on Chinese gentrification should grasp three fundamental elements: "dynamism", "scale", and "process", namely, to understand the spatiotemporal variations of "the right to the city" conjuncturally, to develop a multi-faceted comprehension of the multi-scalar relationships in urban and rural governance, and to systematically examine the historical evolution of local experiences. Grounded in the specific "state-market-society" interactions in the Global East and China, the inherent complexity and diversity of Chinese-style gentrification will transcend the paradigms of Western gentrification research and make distinctive contributions to international debates. Currently, the processes of gentrification in China have engendered more profound social and spatial ramifications compared to that in the Global North. Balancing efficiency and equity will be a key task for promoting effective governance in urban and rural communities in China. In this new era, exploring innovative approaches to enhancing urban and rural governance and residents' well-being, engaging in comparative studies and constructive dialogues with international researchers should be our utmost tasks. In light of this, researchers should re-examine Chinese-style gentrification in an open-minded yet rigorous, critical yet scientific manner, drawing on but not being constrained by local experiences to make significant contributions to this ever-green and ever-evolving research field.

The changes in the natural-artificial dualistic water cycle system have triggered the inconsistency of hydrometeorological time series. Continuing to use traditional frequency calculation methods would affect the accuracy of water resource planning and flood-drought management decisions, underscoring the need for (in)consistency testing before performing hydrological calculations. To address the misjudgement issues of current methods, this study proposes a hydrological (in)consistency testing method (CT) based on correlation coefficients. The CT method applies a discrete wavelet transform to extract high-frequency pure random components from the original time series, then calculates the correlation coefficients between these components and the original time series to determine (in)consistency. Statistical experiments indicate that the CT method significantly reduces false positive rates compared with traditional methods like the Bartels test. Its accuracy and stability improve as the time series length increases, making it especially effective at identifying inconsistent time series. These promising results confirm that the CT method is a valuable tool in (in)consistency test, ensuring robust and reliable outcomes. A case study of the surface water resources amount modulus coefficient time series of 10 major river basins in China (1956-2020) shows that surface water resources in the Southeastern, Yangtze, Huaihe, Pearl, and Southwestern river basins are consistent. In contrast, the Songhua, Haihe, Yellow, Liaohe, and Northwestern river basins display pronounced inconsistency characteristics. Existing studies, based on external driving factors such as climate change and human activities, have validated the inconsistency of hydrological time series in regions like the Songhua River Basin, indirectly confirming the effectiveness of the CT method. For consistent time series, consistent hydrological frequency analysis can be directly applied, whereas for inconsistent time series, researchers should analyze the characteristics of inconsistent components or conduct inconsistent hydrological frequency calculations. These approaches aim to predict and plan for potential risks, thereby providing robust support for scientific water resource management decisions.

Existing studies on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) mainly focused on institutional features, macro-economic impacts and trade-network structures, while its geographic attributes and their implications remain underexplored. Taking the RCEP as a case, this paper examines how the FTA reshapes China's trade geography and validates these effects with an enhanced GTAP model, providing an empirical basis for advancing trade-geography theory. Key findings include: (1) RCEP significantly reduces regional trade costs. After full implementation of the agreement, the average tariffs among member countries will decrease to 40.5% of the pre-implementation level, while import and export trade facilitation levels improve by 34.3% and 29.6%, respectively. However, these improvements exhibit marked regional disparities. (2) RCEP asymmetrically promotes China's foreign trade growth, with stronger import stimulation than export expansion, alongside significant commodity-specific variations. (3) The agreement reshapes China's trade geography, driving a 7.66% increase in intra-RCEP trade while reducing extra-RCEP trade by 0.80%. (4) The restructuring of China's trade patterns under RCEP emerges from the complex interplay of trade creation, diversion, and displacement effects. Accordingly, China should further harmonize regional tariff schedules, enhance trade-facilitation mechanisms, strengthen industrial competitiveness and expand multilateral partnerships.

The Horqin Sandy Land is one of the four major sandy lands in China, and is located in the western part of the Northeast China Plain and the southeastern part of Inner Mongolia. The research on the spatio-temporal variation patterns and driving factors of land desertification is an important foundation for scientificly carrying out the sand prevention and control work. In this study, soil desertification indicators were retrieved from Landsat remote sensing imagery, and the soil wind erosion intensity was modeled using data including meteorological conditions, NDVI, DEM and soil texture. The spatio-temporal distribution pattern of soil desertification and its response to soil wind erosion in the Horqin Sandy Land from 1991 to 2020 were revealed by using methods such as slope trend analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. The results showed that: (1) From 1991 to 2020, the land desertification in the study area exhibited a reversal trend, and the area of the reversal region accounted for 71.27% of the total, whereas the area experiencing intensified desertification accounted for 17.54% and was sporadically distributed. (2) From 1991 to 2020, the changes in land desertification were basically consistent with the changes in soil wind erosion intensity, showing a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. (3) In the regions where wind erosion played a dominant role in the desertification, the area affected by human activities accounted for 66.36%. In the regions where wind erosion weakened and desertification reversed, the positive impact of human activities was significant, accounting for 78.34%; however, in the regions where wind erosion increased and desertification intensified, the contribution of climate change (57.69%) was greater than that of human activities (42.31%), and these two regions were adjacent in distribution, mainly located in Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner in the north, the western part of Tongyu county and Horqin district. This research investigated the spatio-temporal evolution of desertification in the study area over a 30-year period and examined its response to wind erosion intensity. These results provided theoretical basis and scientific guidance for the prevention and control of desertification, and contributed to the continuous restoration and improvement of the ecological environment in the Horqin Sandy Land.

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from crop production is essential for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable agricultural development. Using micro-level data from the Fixed Observation Rural Survey (FORS) spanning 1993-2020 and the China Rural Development Survey (CRDS), we calculate the agricultural total factor productivity (ATFP) and GHG emission intensity from crop production among farmers based on the Cobb-Douglas production function and life cycle assessment, respectively. A two-way fixed effects model was employed to examine their relationship. The results show that ATFP has a rebound effect on GHG emission intensity under current technological and managerial conditions, with the optimal ATFP level below the sample mean. This suggests that continuous improvements in ATFP may initially reduce but eventually increase emission intensity. These findings remain robust across a series of tests. Moderating effect analysis indicated that higher education levels, per capita income, and labor input significantly strengthened the impact of ATFP on emission intensity. Heterogeneity across nine agricultural zones also indicates consistent rebound effects but with varying turning points. The results suggest that policies should focus on farmer education and training, optimize the agricultural planting structure, and adopt region-specific mitigation strategies to enhance ATFP while avoiding rebound effects in GHG emission intensity.

A comprehensive understanding of the impacts of human activities on the living environment is crucial for achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature during modernization on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. However, existing research on the dynamics and quantitative relationships between human activities and the living environment of plateaus remains insufficient. We develop an assessment framework to evaluate these impacts based on human activities, ecological conditions, and human settlement data. The spatiotemporal features of human activities and the living environment on the plateau from 2000 to 2020 were then analyzed via models such as the coupling coordination model, geographical detector model, and four-quadrant analysis model; we further identify key factors affecting the living environment and assess the overall impact of human activities. We found that human activity across the plateau has remained relatively low but has increased by 15.41% over the past two decades, primarily in the northern Xizang Plateau and eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The spatial patterns of the plateau's living environment quality improved from northwest to southeast; 61.14% of the regions remained stable, whereas 18.47% exhibited slight improvements. The coupling coordination between human activity intensity and living environment quality has consistently improved, with areas classified as highly and moderately coordinated increasing by more than 9%. Precipitation and urban-rural construction activities were identified as the primary influencing factors for living environment quality. The impacts of human activities on the plateau's living environment are characterized primarily by coordinated development (40.44%) and development conflicts (38.35%), with smaller areas exhibiting environmental enhancement or synchronous degradation. These findings provide critical insights and a theoretical basis for safeguarding environmental security and promoting high-quality regional development on the plateau.

This study examines the structure of the spatial association network of agricultural activities in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration and explores its impact on urban-rural integration. This study employs social network analysis and a modified gravity model to analyze the spatial network characteristics of agricultural resource allocation. Furthermore, a coupling coordination model is used to evaluate the relationship between network structure and urban-rural integration. The results indicate that Changsha county, Xiangtan county, and Ningxiang city have strong resource adaptability and mobility, showing the potential to evolve into agricultural modernization demonstration areas. In contrast, Shaoshan city and Shifeng district exhibit significant weaknesses in resource utilization efficiency and factor allocation optimization. Based on these insights, this study proposes optimization paths and policy recommendations to improve the agricultural spatial network, enhance agricultural industry efficiency, and promote coordinated and sustainable urban-rural development. First, agricultural modernization demonstration zones should be established around Changsha, Xiangtan and Ningxiang, and agricultural science and technology innovation and infrastructure development should be strengthened to enhance regional resource flow efficiency. Second, efforts should be made to reinforce resource complementarity between core and peripheral areas in Shaoshan and Shifeng by increasing policy support and optimizing resource allocation. Finally, the agricultural industry chain should be extended to integrate agriculture with other industries and comprehensively improve regional agricultural modernization and urban-rural integration quality.

The construction of multiple heterogeneous relationships among tourism destinations is considered from a relational space perspective, which emphasizes the dynamic generation of spaces. This spatial generation is considered to be the product of mutual relations reflecting the fluidity of emerging markets, which provides new philosophical theories and methods for human geography studies. An analytical framework for the evolution logic of "glocalization" in tourism destinations is constructed from a relational space perspective in this paper, which systematically explores the evolution logic of glocalization on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen city. The results show that, when considering the evolution logic, the relational space perspective provides a grand spatiotemporal scale for analyzing Gulangyu Island's glocalization. Spatially, Gulangyu Island has experienced the construction of a diversified and heterogeneous relationship between the global and the local scale, which has shaped a physical landscape with glocalization characteristics. Over time, Gulangyu Island has experienced several rounds of globalization with multiple pathways, including trade and production. These pathways followed an evolutionary logic in the construction of relationships among the historical international community, relationship deconstruction among scenic resorts, and relationship reconstructions among national scenic and world cultural heritage sites. In terms of their evolution mechanism, the struggle for power between global and local governments and the heterogeneous construction of multiple subjects produce the internal and external mechanisms for the glocalization of Gulangyu Island. As a world cultural heritage site, Gulangyu Island has followed a unique realistic path toward glocalization. Studying its evolution provides theoretical and empirical references for a broader study of tourist destinations from a relational space perspective.

Characterized by its distinct river-lake topology and watershed geomorphology features, the Endorheic Qiangtang Basin is an essential component of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (QXP). However, the shortage of high-precision watershed and river system data has hindered a thorough understanding of the hydrological structure and fluvial geomorphology characteristics in this region. With the application of an innovative extraction method, a high-precision watershed and river system dataset within the Endorheic Qiangtang Basin is developed. This dataset enables an analysis of the spatial distribution of endorheic rivers and associated geomorphological features in this region. Furthermore, the spatial correlations between the endorheic river development and watershed geomorphology, climate conditions, and hydrological inputs are systematically examined. The results show that the Endorheic Qiangtang Basin comprises approximately 430 independent sub-watersheds and 1373 endorheic rivers with catchment areas exceeding 50 km². The average length of endorheic rivers is 32.62 km and the erosion base levels predominately concentrate between 4000 and 5000 m in elevation. Based on sub-watersheds as statistical units, the average drainage density is calculated as 0.10 km/km², and the average weighted river longitudinal gradient is 5.56‰. The river longitudinal profiles predominantly display slightly concave to nearly linear shapes throughout the study area. Compared to climate conditions and hydrological inputs, watershed area and geomorphological attributes exert a more significant influence on river development in the Endorheic Qiangtang Basin. A larger watershed area is beneficial to the development of larger river networks and concave river longitudinal profiles, and watersheds with greater elevation drop and gradient have steeper river longitudinal profiles. This study provides insights into the spatial distribution, development characteristics, and influencing factors of the endorheic rivers on the QXP. The findings provide basic data and regularity characteristics of river geomorphology, contributing to further research on earth surface processes of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau under the background of climate change.

Rural construction, encompassing infrastructure, public services, and human settlement improvement, serves as a critical pathway to harmonize human-environment relationships in rural areas and a pivotal endeavor for advancing the comprehensive rural revitalization strategy. Integrated geographical research on rural construction offers a new opportunity for geography to serve national strategies. Despite substantial investments in rural construction in China, persistent gaps and underdeveloped regions remain, necessitating deeper theoretical and practical research to address these challenges. This study, based on a systematic review of the progress in rural construction research, elucidates the scientific connotations and practical requirements of rural construction from a geographical perspective. It further outlines the key areas for geographical research and innovative practical pathways to advance rural construction in the new era. Rural construction is a comprehensive, systematic undertaking that builds on current conditions while being geared toward the future. Against the backdrop of climate change, population mobility, and prominent sustainability challenges, it exhibits multidimensional, multilevel, and differentiated demands. In terms of the research, it is imperative to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge and construct a multi-objective, multilevel, and multi-stakeholder collaborative framework to distill differentiated regional models and optimization strategies based on comprehensive effects, implementation mechanisms, and problem diagnosis. From the perspective of practice, it is essential to actively explore more effective mechanisms for supply-demand matching, planning guidance, funding mobilization, subsequent operation and maintenance, and performance evaluation, thereby promoting a more inclusive, equitable, efficient, and sustainable approach to rural construction that effectively contributes to comprehensive rural revitalization.

Gridded meteorological data obtained by spatial interpolation play a crucial role in ecological, hydrological, and land surface process models. The key challenge in current spatial interpolation is to effectively match the physical behavior of meteorological variables with the mechanistic properties of interpolation methods to maximize accuracy. This study constructed 12 interpolation models using thin plate spline (TPS) and random forest (RF) with six combinations of covariates including elevation, slope, aspect, and reanalysis data. These models were applied to daily interpolation and comparative analysis of eight meteorological variables (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, skin temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, surface pressure, and sunshine duration) across China from 2000 to 2020. The results indicated that: (1) TPS with elevation as a covariate was optimal for maximum temperature, minimum temperature, skin temperature, relative humidity, and sunshine duration; RF with elevation as a covariate performed best for precipitation and wind speed; RF with elevation, slope, and aspect as covariates was the best for surface pressure. (2) Minimum temperature and skin temperature were better interpolated using TPS with elevation, slope, and aspect in winter, while surface pressure was better interpolated using TPS with elevation in spring. The optimal interpolation methods for the other variables remained consistent across seasons. (3) The interpolation accuracy of maximum temperature showed an interval-dependent preference, with RF performing better for daily maximum temperature below 15 °C, whereas TPS was more accurate above this threshold.

The operation and impact of gentrification vary significantly across nations/regions. As global scholars increasingly advocate for a governance-oriented approach to gentrification studies, reexamining these disparities becomes urgent. Although Western theories have been extensively cited, the contextual specificities of gentrification in China remain insufficiently explored. This article examines gentrification in peri-urban communities, aiming to bridge the theoretical gap between urban and rural studies by adopting a governance perspective that fosters a comprehensive analytical framework. The case study of Xiaozhou village in Guangzhou provides the empirical evidence for this research. We found that (1) Government, market, and social actors collectively influence the trajectory of gentrification. When the existing state of the community deviates from desired conditions, governance interventions actively reshape the gentrification trajectory. (2) The government's obstruction of local livelihoods and lenient oversight of informal activities set the stage for gentrification. Conversely, administrative measures rooted in laws and planning documents fundamentally suppress the gentrification trend. (3) The market agents, particularly the gentrifiers, propel gentrification through their preferences for cultural or natural landscapes, creating exclusive class environments. However, their respect for local culture, compliance with institutional norms, and involvement in consultative governance mitigate the effects of displacement. (4) Social actors such as villagers may actively support gentrification when it brings them economic benefits. At the same time, place-making actions driven by a strong attachment to their homeland counteract gentrification. China's institutional environment facilitates the acceptable gentrification process, underscoring the urgency for scholars to pay attention to the emerging practices of proactive community-making. Such attention is crucial for informing geographical research that aspires to promote social justice.

The well-being of people's livelihood is an important issue that goes hand in hand with the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and it is also the fundamental purpose and ultimate destination of human development. This paper explores the evolution and influencing factors of the well-being level of urban and rural residents in China based on the data from the 2012-2021 China Livelihood Survey, using principal component analysis, cold- and hot-spot analysis, spatial kernel density estimation and multi-layer linear modeling. The findings are as follows: (1) China's urban and rural residents' well-being level shows a fluctuating upward trend, with both urban and rural well-being levels increasing. (2) China's urban and rural residents' well-being shows significant regional differences, with levels of the Northwest and the Northeast being higher than those of the others. (3) China's urban and rural residents' well-being level has obvious clustering characteristics. In 2021, there was a "hot-shrinking-cold-shrinking-hot-expansion-cold-shrinking" development trend, and in 2018-2021, the agglomeration of urban and rural residents in areas with high levels of well-being gradually increased, while the agglomeration of areas with low levels of well-being tended to weaken. (4) Individuals, gender, age, education, work status, and household type, were the most important factors in the well-being of urban and rural residents in China. At the individual level, gender, age, education level, working status, and hukou type have an impact on the well-being of urban and rural residents; at the regional level, GDP per capita, population density, city level, and geographic location have a nonlinear impact on the well-being of urban and rural residents. (5) Compared with the eastern region, the negative effect of unemployment on urban residents' well-being is relatively more pronounced in the central and northeastern regions. Similarly, in the central and western regions, unemployment has a relatively stronger negative effect on rural residents' well-being. Compared with the eastern region, the positive association between per capita GDP and urban residents' well-being is relatively weaker in the central and western regions, whereas in the northeastern region, this association is relatively stronger. The results of the study are intended to provide useful insights for studies on well-being and Chinese-style modernization.

At present, the contradiction of unbalanced and inadequate development between urban and rural areas in China has become prominent. It is of great significance to accurately judge and understand the characteristics and changes of this contradiction for coordinating urban-rural integrated development and promoting the land use equity between urban and rural areas. Based on the perspective of urban and rural comparison, this paper established the theoretical analysis framework of land use relative equity, explored the temporal and spatial characteristics, obstacle factors and optimization paths of land use equity between urban and rural areas by using data from 291 municipal units in China from 2004 to 2021. The results showed that: (1) From 2004 to 2021, the comprehensive index of land use equity between urban and rural areas in China showed a trend of "first decreasing and then increasing", with spatial characteristics of "global dispersion and local agglomeration" and gradually showing a trend of "economic dependence". (2) The length of LISA time path from 2004 to 2021 showed that the spatial structure of land use equity between urban and rural areas fluctuated greatly in some regions, the curvature indicated that land use equity between urban and rural areas had strong temporal and spatial dependence and regional differences, and the moving direction revealed that the change of land use equity between urban and rural areas showed strong spatial integration. The temporal and spatial transition of LISA reflected that the land use equity between urban and rural areas was both inert and active. (3) From 2004 to 2021, due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization, the widening income gap between urban and rural residents, the unbalanced supply of public services, and the expansion of urban areas and the decline of rural areas in industrial restructuring are the key factors leading to the land use inequity between urban and rural areas. (4) The optimization of land use equity between urban and rural areas should take the balanced flow of resources and elements and the complementarity of structural and functional advantages as the key breakthrough points, adopt the path of "establishing a sound system and optimizing the mechanisms, filling in the gaps and strengthening the weaknesses", and promote the free flow and equal exchange of resources and elements in the multi-decision-making process, multi-stakeholder and multi-scale space.

The man-land relationship is a core aspect of geography. The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) and social transformation have profoundly impacted human activities and the geographic environment, as well as the interactions between them. This has led to a virtual shift in spatial behavior, the reconstruction of living spaces, and socio-cultural phenomena in virtual spaces, while also providing solutions for smart space planning and governance. Particularly, there have been complex changes in the characteristics and intrinsic mechanisms of the interaction between daily life and space. Therefore, it is necessary to re-examine the man-land relationship under the influence of ICT from the perspective of everyday life geography and propose theoretical frameworks and research approaches to address this emerging topic. This paper reviews the progress of ICT's impact on everyday life geography and the shortcomings in man-land relationship research, and constructs a theoretical and research framework for everyday life-space interaction under the influence of ICT. It develops an explanatory framework for life-space interaction based on the theories of technology-society-space triadic interaction, digital space production, and virtual-real space interaction. This enriches the content system of everyday life geography from the perspective of life-space interaction, such as human-land coupling laws and patterns, as well as the interaction characteristics, mechanisms, patterns, evolution, positive-negative externalities, socio-cultural effects, planning-governance responses, simulation-prediction methods, and hybrid methods, etc. In short, the study provides new insights for future theoretical innovations in the man-land relationship. Finally, reflecting on the research of smart living in Western geography offers inspiration for the innovation of everyday life geography research in China, promoting the progress of digital life practices and the discipline of human geography.

Population aging has become a major issue affecting the socio-economic sustainable development worldwide. In response to China's national situation of "getting old before getting rich", comprehensively improving the level of home-based elderly care services is an inevitable way to meet the multi-level elderly care needs. Based on the public or quasi-public characteristics of elderly care service facilities, a basic framework has been constructed from the perspectives of demand and supply. It takes into account the heterogeneity of elderly care needs and the balance between fairness and efficiency with the core of service facilities accessibility. The data of home-based elderly care needs came from questionnaire surveys and interviews with 545 elderly people aged 60 and above from 2021 to 2023 in Beijing, which included the needs for daily dining, cultural and sports activities, medical and health services and daytime care. The other data included 1 km population grid, permanent population and population ratio of different age groups, and POI of elderly care service facilities. By using SPSS statistical analysis and two-step floating catchment area method, the heterogeneity of home-based elderly care needs were analyzed and applied in evaluating accessibility of different elderly care service facilities. Dagum Gini coefficient and bivariate spatial autocorrelation method were used to analyze the spatial fairness and efficiency of comprehensive accessibility. The study found that (1) the individual attributes of elderly people certainly determine the heterogeneity of elderly care needs. Retirement status, census register, educational level, occupation (before retirement) and age are the important factors. (2) When the heterogeneity of elderly care needs was taken into account, the positive correlation between the accessibility and the satisfaction survey results is more significant. Compared to neglecting the heterogeneity, the result better revealed the matching relationship between service facilities and elderly care needs as well as significant spatial differences. (3) The comprehensive accessibility of home-based elderly care service facilities shows spatial unfairness with a gradually decreasing regional difference from the city center to the suburbs. However, the allocation of service facilities in most areas has taken into account utilization efficiency.