Using the zero-inflated model and nationally representative sample data from the Chinese General Social Surveys 2013, this study systematically explored the effects of religion, modernizing factors, and traditional culture on attitudes toward homosexuality in China. The findings indicate that most Chinese people generally hold conservative attitudes toward homosexuality, as approximately 78.53% of the respondents believed that “same-sex sexual behavior is always wrong.” Modernizing factors (i.e., education, exposure to Internet information, and liberal inclinations) predicted greater tolerance for homosexuality, whereas Islamic beliefs negatively influenced respondents’ attitudes toward homosexuality. In contrast to the findings of the existing literature, Christian beliefs and traditional culture did not have significant effects on attitudes toward homosexuality. These findings may contribute to the literature by not only quantitatively testing the applicability of several factors identified in most Western studies of this topic but also providing new knowledge of attitudes toward homosexuality in the social context of China.

Using data from the China Social Survey 2013 and statistics from the Ministry of Environment Protection of China and the Institute of Public & Environment Affairs, this study empirically examines the relationship between actual and perceived air pollution and the moderating effect of environmental transparency on that relationship with a multilevel ordered logistic strategy. Estimations indicate a significant congruence of actual (both particulate matter less than 10 µm in diameter and sulfur dioxide) and perceived air pollution. More importantly, environmental transparency of local government is found to moderate the relationship between actual and perceived air pollution by neutralizing the halo effects and building more alert perceptions when local air quality deteriorates. Our findings not only challenge the work of identifying a mismatch of actual–perceived air pollution in some developed countries but also suggest that, apart from abating actual air pollution, environmental transparency should be emphasized and strengthened in institutional buildings to help address pollution challenges in developing countries.

In the face of an aging population and declining birth rates, urban Chinese families are grappling with a new challenge of simultaneously caring for both elderly parents and children. This study employs a three-generational analytical framework and a mixed research method to examine the intergenerational distribution of care resources and its consequences for urban Chinese families. The findings reveal intergenerational competition for care resources within families, with a general tendency to prioritize children and only respond to crisis situations for elderly parents; this leads to a care deficit for older individuals. Furthermore, social care resources are ineffective in bridging this care gap, thereby inducing anxiety within families as they strive to balance the care needs of both elderly parents and children. The study argues that insufficient support from care policies exacerbates the resource squeeze on the elderly side by the children’s side within families, which calls for enhancing the policy support system to help families balance eldercare, childcare, and work commitments.

Existing research on the agglomeration effect of urban roads mainly focuses on land use but ignores the differences between various locations, types, and directions of roads. Few studies have been conducted on the built buildings which can represent the actual utility, and land use as a kind of government authorization may not necessarily represent actual needs. This research provides an analytical framework and an empirical analysis to study the differences in impacts of different urban roads on land use and to identify its internal dynamic mechanism. Guangzhou, being the research object, is one of the five major central cities in China. By using the techniques of GIS and SPSS, together with the methods of corridor effect, correlation analysis, and geographic detector, we analyze the external characteristics of office buildings and land gathering along both sides of the roads, explore the urban characteristics of corridor effect, then analyze the relationship with urban traffic flow and bus network density in order to find out the internal motivation of corridor effect. The fundamental conclusion can be drawn that the corridor effect on the land used for commercial offices is mostly unnoticeable, and roads of different locations, types, and directions display various scope and intensity of corridor effects. The agglomeration power is mainly caused by private transportation and has no relationship with public transport. The article concludes the model of the corridor effect and provides some policy suggestions to the government in order to strengthen the linkage development of transportation and land and to promote the improvement of land use efficiency.

Integrated water resources management is central to sustainable development, yet fragmented governance impedes its implementation in China. Using the Yuan River Basin comprehensive planning as a case study, this study examines ambiguities in China’s integrated river basin planning, analyzing their configurations, stakeholders’ strategic responses, and their impacts on planning outcomes. Three interconnected ambiguities were identified through a multi-method qualitative approach. First, role ambiguity in data acquisition stemmed from vague mandates and protocols, turning technical tasks into two-way negotiations. While enabling flexibility for incorporating local interests, this ambiguity created bargaining spaces where local governments could strategically influence water allocations. Second, goal ambiguity manifested in planning depth and technique configuration, stemming from broad high-level directives without detailed technical provisions. Compounded by techno-bureaucratic inertia, it resulted in an expedient approach that prioritized the mainstream and seven major tributaries while neglecting smaller tributaries, creating regulatory voids and risking unassessed ecological impacts. Third, decoupling ambiguity represented the disjuncture between formal rules, the planning hierarchy, and actual practice, driven by equivocal formal rules, fragmented authority, and complex local contexts. The comprehensive plan adapted selected targets from specialized plans to avoid conflicts and enhance operational efficiency, potentially weakening its authority. These ambiguities enable flexibility for multi-level objectives and interests across China’s vast territory but may foster local strategies that compromise the plan’s scientific basis and integrity. This study offers a fresh lens for examining water governance and underscores the imperative to mitigate the limitations of ambiguities for effective river basin planning and policy implementation in China.