In recent years, how farmers leverage social capital to improve their well-being has become a crucial question in post-poverty alleviation China. This study assessed the impact of ‘linking social capital’ on farmers’ well-being, as mediated by self-efficacy. The study was conducted using data collected from 443 randomly selected farmers from two villages in Guizhou Province, China. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the proposed relationships in the study. The results indicate that linking social capital, when mediated by self-efficacy, positively impacted farmers’ well-being. This suggests that policymakers and implementers exercising hierarchical power in social improvement programs in disadvantaged provinces, such as Guizhou, should take full advantage of linking social capital to effectively improve farmers’ well-being. In doing so, the study concludes, they should consider the positive role farmers’ self-efficacy can play in the process.

In the current context of China’s vigorous development of its high-speed rail (HSR) network to accelerate the realization of connectivity, which is the aim of the “Belt and Road” initiative, it is crucial to study how the specific opening of HSR enhances enterprise human capital investment efficiency. Using a multiple-time-point difference-in-differences (DID) regression model, we empirically study data from listed Chinese companies. An HSR opening can promote the efficiency of an enterprise’s human capital investment. We further explore the relationship between HSR and a company’s human capital investment, by considering the moderating effects of firm property rights and foreign shareholding. Our findings indicate that these factors can enhance the impact of HSR on the efficiency of firms’ investments in human capital. Finally, to ensure the reliability of our experimental findings, we employed a combination of propensity score matching and the DID methodology. The findings of this study offer empirical evidence that can inform enterprise management strategies and provide valuable insights for policymakers seeking to promote economic growth.

Leukemia is a major public health problem in China, but epidemiological studies on leukemia in China are still insufficient. This study aims to analyze leukemia's disease burden and risk factors in China from 2010 to 2021 and provide a basis for leukemia prevention and treatment. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, trends in the burden of leukemia in China from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed. Additionally, epidemiological differences by gender and age groups were explored. In 2021, there were 531,000 leukemia patients in China, with 106,000 new cases and 59,000 deaths. Compared to 2010, the mortality rate and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 population in 2021 decreased by 5% and 18%, respectively, while the incidence and prevalence rates increased by 12% and 29%, respectively. Gender and age stratification indicated that males had higher rates across all indicators than females, and elderly individuals faced higher leukemia mortality and DALYs. The most significant decrease in DALYs was observed in children and adolescents under 20. The highest burden of leukemia for males was found in the 85–90 age group, while for females, it was in the 70–74 age group. Major risk factors for leukemia included smoking, high BMI, and exposure to carcinogens, benzene, and formaldehyde. The overall burden of leukemia in China showed a decreasing trend, with significant gender and age differences. More measures are needed to reduce leukemia mortality, particularly focusing on the prevention and treatment of leukemia in males and the elderly.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been one of the most prominent components of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Most of the discussion on CPEC has centered around the macroeconomic effects on the economy. However, research on the fine details of CPEC’s financing structure has not been conducted. This paper aims to fill the gap by providing a detailed description of the financing of CPEC and how the money maps on to different sectors of the Pakistani economy. We also discuss some macroeconomic concerns and ways to mitigate these risks.

The internationalization of higher education began to take shape during the period of the Republic of China. This trend manifested in various forms and encompassed a rich array of activities, including the construction of teaching staffs, the exchange of international students, and the presence of overseas scholars giving lectures in China. Between 1899 and 1945, Japanese institutions sent nearly 200 academic overseas students to China. With the establishment and improvement of the internal system of universities in the Republic of China, these students were able to study and interact with Chinese scholars. The forms of communication were diverse, the content was rich, and the channels were smooth, making the process lively and interesting with distinct characteristics of the era. Consequently, this group became both participants and witnesses in the internationalization process of universities in the Republic of China. However, the full-scale Anti-Japanese War disrupted the internationalization of universities, causing it to deviate from its normal trajectory. Some Japanese academic overseas students who had previously studied in China became instruments of Japanese imperialism’s cultural invasion and educational colonization. These students played a significant role in promoting the “alternative internationalization” of universities in the Republic of China. In short, examining the involvement of Japanese academic overseas students providing us a unique insight into the general situation and processes of internationalization at universities in the Republic of China during different historical periods.

Based on digital technology, the digital economy has typical characteristics of high efficiency, greenness, intelligence, innovation, strong penetration and so on, which can promote the sporting goods manufacturing industry (SGMI) to realize the goal of green development. This study selects panel data from 30 provinces in China over the period of 2011 to 2022. And the green total factor productivity of the sporting goods manufacturing industry (SGTFP) is used to reflect the green development of SGMI. The level of digital economy development (DIG) and the SGTFP are measured by using the entropy method and the Super-SBM model with undesirable outputs. Based on the method of coupling coordination degree model, the coordinated development degree of DIG and SGTFP is analyzed first. Then, by making use of the fixed effect model, intermediary effect model and spatial Durbin model, the influence of DIG on the green development of SGMI and its mechanism are empirically studied. The results show that DIG, SGTFP and the degree of their coupling and coordination are generally on the rise. The benchmark regression results show that the coefficient of DIG on SGTFP is 0.213; that is, the digital economy can significantly promote the improvement of green development in SGMI. According to the analysis of the spatial Durbin model, the impact of the digital economy on SGTFP has a certain spatial spillover, that is, the development of digital economy in the region will have a certain promoting effect on the green development of SGMI in the surrounding region. The intermediary effect model analyzes the influence mechanism and finds that the digital economy mainly boosts SGTFP through green innovation technology and energy consumption structure.