This study examines the various forms of ethnic incorporation present in the daily lives of ethnic Koreans living in Beijing, including the conditions of their integration into Chinese society. On the basis of an ethnographic research (2014–2015) in Wangjing area, an alleged ‘Koreatown’ in Beijing, this study involves three ethnic categories, namely, South Koreans, Korean Chinese and Han Chinese. The study suggests that Koreatown in Beijing is not a full-fledged ethnic community but a patchwork of ethnic categories, networks and associations. Ethnic cohesion is implicitly disaggregated by the Chinese urban governance over the foreign population embedded in the unfolding trend of internationalisation in Chinese metropolises. As a consequence, Korean cultural elements are incorporated into the increasingly cosmopolitan culture in Chinese metropolises, with ethnic categories maintained. However, Korean integration into the Chinese circumstance still has a substantially long way to go.
This study examines the interannual and seasonal variations in the distribution of radioactive materials released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in the surface layer of the Kuroshio Extension (KE). Focusing on the contrasting flow conditions in 2015 (southward) and 2021 (northward) – significant oscillatory phases of the KE’s mean flow axis – the research analyzes the impact of seasonal variations on particle transport pathways. The findings reveal distinct seasonal patterns: summer releases primarily follow the eastward KE movement, while winter releases exhibit a southward trajectory. The study further quantifies the transport timescales, demonstrating that particles can reach the Luzon Strait within 10 months, subsequently diverging northward along the Kuroshio and northwestward along the Kuroshio Branch Current, potentially entering the South China Sea within 13 months. This research contributes valuable insights into the seasonal dynamics governing the dispersion and transport of Fukushima-derived radioisotopes in the surface ocean, highlighting the crucial role of the KE in influencing their trajectories.
Abstract China has expanded the yearly quota on newly admitted college students by more than seven times since 1999. How did this massive education expansion affect firms' export and innovation choices? I document that after this expansion impacted the labor market, manufacturing firms' innovation increased considerably, especially among exporting firms, accompanied by sizable skill upgrading of exports. I then develop a multi‐industry spatial equilibrium model, featuring skill intensity differences across industries and heterogeneous firms' innovation and export choices. Quantitatively, the college expansion explained 72% of increases in China's manufacturing research and development (R&D) intensity between 2003 and 2018 and also triggered export skill upgrading.
We build a multi-sector spatial general equilibrium model to account for China’s export surge between 1990 and 2005. We focus on the role of the reductions in tariffs and internal migration costs during that period. Our model generates a closed-form aggregate trade elasticity that can be decomposed into four margins of adjustments. Two are the commonly studied intensive and extensive margins of exports (Chaney, 2008). The remaining two margins are the new-firm margin and the export-regime margin, for which we have found empirical support and used our reduced-form evidence to discipline the structural parameters. Using the calibrated model, we find that the reductions in tariffs and internal
migration costs accounted for a third of China’s export growth between 1990 and 2005. Among the four margins, we find that the new-firm margin played an important role in
amplifying the effect of these policy changes on export growth.
Abstract Background Economic transition which took place in China over the last three decades, has led to a rapid marketization of the health care sector. Today inequity in health and poverty resulting from major illness has become a serious problem in rural areas of China. Medical Financial Assistance (MFA) is a health assistance scheme that helps rural poor people cope with major illness and alleviate their financial burden from major illness, which will definitely play a significant role in the process of rebuilding Chinese new rural health system. It mainly provides assistance to cover medical expenditure for inpatient services or the treatment of major illnesses, with joint funding from the central and local government. The purpose of this paper is to review the design, funding, implementation and to explore the preliminary effects of four counties' MFA in Hubei and Sichuan province of China. Methods We used an analytical framework built around the main objective of any social assistance scheme. The framework contains six 'targeting' procedural 'steps' which may explain why a specific group does not receive the assistance it ought to receive. More specifically, we explored to what extent the targeting, a key component of social assistance programs, is successful, based on the qualitative and quantitative data collected from four representative counties in central and western China. Results In the study sites, the budget of MFA ranged from 0.8 million Yuan to 1.646 million Yuan in each county and the budget per eligible person ranged from 32.67 Yuan to 149.09 Yuan. The preliminary effects of MFA were quite modest because of the scarcity of funds dedicated to the scheme. The coverage rate of MFA ranged from 17.8% to 24.1% among the four counties. MFA in the four counties used several ways to ration a restricted budget and provided only limited assistance. Substantial problems remained in terms of eligibility and identification of the beneficiaries, utilization and management of funds. Conclusions MFA needs to be improved further although it evidences the concern of the government for the poor rural people with major illness. Some ideas on how to improve MFA are put forward for future policy making.
Objective To learn about the hepatitis B immunization effect and HBV infection status among university students three years after hepatitis B vaccination and explore the effective measures to control hepatitis B among university students. Method A follow-up was made for 12 231 students who received hepatitis B vaccination at the entrance in 2003, 2004 and 2005; the detection of hepatitis B serological markers was conducted three years later. Results For these students, the anti-HBs protection rate was 60.70%, 48.87%, 53.21% respectively, and the HBsAg infection rate was 5.48%, 5.10%, 4.71% respectively. The differences on anti-HBs positive protection rate were statistically significant (P0.05), but the differences on HBsAg infection rate were not significant (P 0.05). The differences on the proportions of infection pattern among these students had significant difference (P0.05). Many students (45.2%) were HBeAb positive. HBsAg infection rate was 5.60% in boys and 4.86% in girls, the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). The differences on anti-HBS protection rates and vaccination rates between the boys and girls were significant (P0.05). The HBsAg infection rates, anti-HBS protection rates and vaccination rates of the boys and girls from rural area were higher than those from urban area, and the differences were statistically significant (P0.05). Conclusion The decline of HBsAg infection rate was observed among the students surveyed, but the difference on infection pattern was found between the students from urban area and those from rural area. The anti-HBs protection rate was low, which had gender difference.
Given the deleterious health effects associated with indoor air pollution (IAP), this study was conducted to evaluate an IAP intervention in rural areas in Gansu, one of the poorest provinces of China. We selected 371 rural households to take part in intervention measures including stove improvement and health education. Eight of 371 households were selected to conduct IAP sampling. Four hundred and thirteen women in these households completed a questionnaire and 49 women took part in lung function tests. After the intervention, PM4 levels reduced from 455 μg/m3 to 200 μg/m3 and CO reduced from 3.40 ppm to 2.90 ppm in indoor air. The percentage of predicted value of FEV1 and FVC improved to some degree after the intervention, but all the parameters of lung function assessment did not show a significant change. Prevalence rates of several symptoms associated with IAP significantly declined in the study population, compared with baseline levels. Intervention measures combining stove improvement with health education were effective in reducing IAP levels. Women's health status, including eye and respiratory symptoms, also showed improvement. However, the effect on lung function was not apparent and warranted additional follow-up. Similarly, evaluation of the long term effects of the IAP intervention will require future studies.
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