中国研究

CQ — pp. 1-17 2026-06-04 Original The Afterlife of Problem Judgments: Case Review, Discipline and Judicial Accountability in China Kwai Hang Ng, Peter C.H. Chan Abstract Abstract This article examines the reality of “let the adjudicator judge” by investigating how Chinese judges are held accountable for their judgments under the expanded ex post case review system. We examine the first three years of the implementation of this headline initiative in a grassroots court (Court T) located in a major city in China. Our data include the internal quarterly reports produced by the court’s case review committee and interviews with judges. The assessments went beyond legal analysis, commenting on matters such as work ethic, diligence and moral sensibilities. Frontline judges view the review system as subjective and arbitrary. The new mechanism, however, alters the power dynamics between senior judges and their subordinates. While frontline judges no longer require pre-approval from senior judges, they rely on the goodwill of those same seniors to navigate the review process. Within this ostensibly freer framework, frontline judges are subjected to a more diffuse but pervasive form of discipline. Our analysis reveals how the adjudication committee, far from being sidelined, has shifted its role, concentrating ex ante supervision on a minority of difficult cases while holding judges accountable through ex post reviews of flawed judgments. The article further underscores the challenges of disentangling legal analysis from political supervision in a framework of authoritative legality.

CQ 266 pp. 325-344 2026-06-04 Original Bureaucratic Restructuring and the State-led (De-)Financialization of Local Governance in China Xuchen Zhang, Fenghua Pan Abstract Abstract State-led financialization has emerged as a salient feature of local governance in China, yet it remains underexplored through the lens of bureaucratic restructuring. This paper traces the evolution of local financial agencies since 2002 through four distinct stages: local financial offices ( jinrongban ), financial bureaus ( jinrongju ), financial regulatory bureaus ( jinrong jianguanju ) and financial commissions ( jinrongwei ). Initially, local governments established jinrongban to harness financial capital for regional development. By proactively connecting local firms with capital markets to facilitate corporate listings, they embedded financial logic into local governance, reflecting local state-led financialization. Subsequently, the central government formalized these bodies into jinrongju with expanded mandates, deepening state-led financialization. Later, it systematically devolved regulatory responsibilities and renamed them jinrong jianguanju , elevating regulatory functions to a top priority, illustrating how the central government selectively steered the direction of financialization. Ultimately, provincial agencies were reorganized into jinrongwei and stripped of development functions, while city-level counterparts were largely closed, signifying a shift towards central state-led de-financialization. This trajectory was driven by shifting central–local dynamics, as early bottom-up initiatives were superseded by top-down control. The bureaucratic restructuring examined in this study offers new insights into the state-led (de-)financialization of local governance in China.

CQ 266 pp. 453-469 2026-06-03 Original Desperate Acts of Democracy: Identity Threat, Autocratization and Voter Turnout in Hong Kong Lev Nachman, Nathan Kar Ming Chan, Chit Wai John Mok

JCC — pp. 1-17 2026-06-02 Original Filtered Policy Implementation: Evidence from Rural China Suyuan He, Weiye Wang Abstract Through tracing incidents of agricultural product looting, this paper reveals the political logic behind local governments’ paradoxical behavior of promoting farmland scaling-up while marginalizing smallholders under the potential political threat of deviating from central directives. This dilemma stems from the evolution of bureaucratic evaluation arrangements and broader societal changes. Under increasing pressure on target assessments and supervision, local governments resort to measures including exploiting smallholders’ welfare to fulfil compulsory agricultural production targets, despite the fact that both production and welfare are two-fold of the integral goal of the state’s strategy. These practices have led to the collapse of traditional agricultural communities and heightened conflicts between local residents and nonlocal large-scale producers, reshaping grassroots agrarian production patterns profoundly and irreversibly.

PMR — pp. 1-38 2026-06-01 Original The impact of timebanking on volunteering behaviors Khaldoun AbouAssi, Rui Wang, Ge Xin Abstract Global declines in formal volunteering have prompted interest in alternative mechanisms like timebanking. This study investigates the impact of timebanking on future volunteering intentions using a between-subjects randomized survey experiment (n= 361) in Shanghai, China. Participants exposed to a timebanking vignette were nearly three times more likely to express high-frequency volunteering intentions than the control group. This positive effect was most pronounced among frequent volunteers with strong intrinsic satisfaction, but attenuated among self-interested respondents. These findings suggest that institutionalized, non-monetary incentives can increase willingness to participate without undermining intrinsic motivation.

CQ 266 pp. 400-417 2026-06-01 Original Promoting Meritocracy through Recognition: The Post-recognition Career Trajectories of China’s Model County Party Secretaries

PA — 2026-06-01 Original A Replication of “Emotional Responses to Bureaucratic Red Tape” Huaxing Liu, Cheng Huo, Ben Ma, Qing Huang, Z C Zhang

CQ 266 pp. 491-505 2026-05-29 Original How the Chinese Public Perceives South-East Asia: Affinity, Annoyance and Apprehension Enze Han Abstract Abstract This article explores how the Chinese public perceives South-East Asia. Using original survey data collected in China, it suggests three perceptual frames. The “affinity” frame, which is rooted in historical Chinese migration and diaspora ties, generates feelings of kinship and cultural connection. Conversely, the “annoyance” frame stems from contemporary geopolitical tensions, particularly South China Sea disputes, where several South-East Asian countries are viewed as provocateurs challenging China’s regional authority. The “apprehension” frame characterizes the region as exotic yet dangerous, a perception reinforced by recent cyber scams and criminal activities targeting Chinese citizens, creating stereotypes of South-East Asia as lawless and unsafe. The article analyses the survey data for the statistical distribution of these frames and discusses their political implications. By exploring how historical ties, geopolitical tensions and security concerns simultaneously shape Chinese public opinion, the article illuminates the complex perceptual landscape that may influence China’s diplomatic and economic relations with South-East Asia.

JCC — pp. 1-19 2026-05-25 Original Institutional and Perceptional Welfare Boundaries: A Comparative Study of Migrants’ Welfare Experiences Across Three Chinese Metropolises

CQ 266 pp. 291-308 2026-05-20 Original The Resilience of Self-reliance in China: Autonomy, Interdependence and Order-shaping Amy King, Wenting He Abstract Abstract The idea of “self-reliance” has endured in Chinese political discourse for nearly a century, transcending profound changes in China’s political, economic and strategic circumstances. Although it is frequently misinterpreted as economic isolation or autarky, the idea of self-reliance in China has always acknowledged the country’s engagement with the global economy. Drawing on the discursive institutionalist concept of ideational resilience, we show that self-reliance comprises three interlocking elements: autonomy, interdependence and order-shaping. While these sit in tension with one another, they have also accommodated one another since the earliest articulations of the idea. This tripartite structure has enabled Chinese leaders since the Republican era to reinterpret and usefully deploy the idea of self-reliance. Our findings underscore the resilience of Chinese foreign economic policy ideas, as well as the ideational logic behind Xi Jinping’s seemingly contradictory pursuit of technological self-reliance, open global markets and greater connectivity with the developing world.