The Essence of the Belt and Road initiative and Regional Cooperation in the South China Sea

The Belt and Road initiative has been widely supported by the international community since it was put forward in Sept.-Oct. 2013 due to its conformity with the development trend of the international community and the strategic needs of the countries along the route. It is a new mode and system of regional cooperation. The expansion and deepening of the contents and principles of the Belt and Road, the documents issued by the Chinese government and the explanations made by Chinese leaders on important international occasions, as well as the platforms set up by the Chinese government (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund, Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and China International Import Expo, etc.) have promoted the process and effect of the Belt and Road initiative. However, it is an the initiative led by Chinese leaders and the subjects participating in it (state-owned enterprises and private enterprises) are very active, so there are some shortcomings such as lack of evaluation, hasty investment, environmental influence and imbalance of interests in the early projects of infrastructure, investment and trade, etc., which negatively affect the initiative to some extent. That is to say, the Belt and Road initiative focusing on regional economic cooperation has changed the strategic framework of the region involved in Belt and Road initiative, showing security tension and resulting in development trend and behaviors containing China. Therefore, it is essential that the Belt and Road initiative will have a positive development in the future so as to change other countries’ prejudices and positions and make them participate in the construction progress of Belt and Road. However, it is undeniable that the South China Sea issue related to the maritime silk road of the Belt and Road initiative is an important factor affecting the regional cooperation in the South China Sea and needs to be handled with efforts and care in order to promote the progress of Maritime Silk Road. Because the South China Sea region is a key area in the Maritime Silk Road initiative, it is particularly important to strengthen the internal and external cooperation in the South China Sea.This thesis is a phrasal work of a major project of National Social Science Fund named Research into Major Practical Issues concerning China’s Islands and Reefs in South China Sea and Their Countermeasures (Project No.: 16ZDA073) and a major project sponsored by both China Association of Marine Affairs and Academy of Ocean of China named Research into Ocean Exploration and Exploitation under the Framework of the Law of the Sea (Project No.: CAMAZDA201701)

On Diplomatic Innovation and Discourse Power of China in Building An Ocean Power

The new ideas, policies and initiatives on diplomacy, i.e. the diplomatic innovation, put forward by China after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 are totally compliance with the development trends of the era and the implementation of China's strategic goal of becoming an ocean power, so we should adhere to this direction that such new diplomatic ideas, policies and initiatives are adopted to guide China's progress of becoming an ocean power and deal with major marine disputes with other countries. From the perspective of the progress of strategic goal of building an ocean power, China shall push forward and implement such plan phrase by phrase and step by step. Therefore, in theory, we shall use thoughts contained in documents such as China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation as guidelines to resolve major marine disputes so as to establish China's status as a regional ocean power and a worldwide ocean power. In practice, China has adopted new diplomatic ideas, policies and initiatives to instruct the resolution of marine issues and achieved good performance. However, because there are different opinions and views on China's policies on and attitudes towards marine disputes resolution, it is still important and hard task for China to further expound its marine policies and positions through diplomatic channels, which is an issue of discourse power. That is to say, it is still a hard task for China to realize its goal of law-based governance of the sea during its progress of accelerating its pace in building an ocean power. It needs many means and continued efforts including diplomatic behaviors to reasonably maintain ocean order, ensure China's marine rights and interests, let China obtain the status as an ocean power, and have a say in establishing marine systems

Transdisciplinary, co-designed and adaptive management for the sustainable development of rongcheng, a coastal city in China in the context of human activities and climate change

Half the population of China live in coastal zones where 70% of large cities are also located. Intensive human activities pose significant environmental and ecological hazards to these cities that are already vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change. The sustainable development of coastal cities is thus both a national and international issue. Rongcheng is a typical coastal city in east China. It is a national marine ranch demonstration area that is subjected to multi-stressors from human activities and climate change. The dominant economic sectors include aquaculture and fisheries, agriculture, shipping and tourism. A multitude of resulting pressures come mainly from intensified human activities, such as intensive aquaculture, overfishing, industrial pollutants, agricultural runoff, land reclamation and port expansion. In addition, Rongcheng is also facing exogenic pressures from extreme climate events such as intensified storms, storm surges, droughts and sea ice. A growing awareness of these problems brought together a trans-disciplinary group from local government, research institutions, local practitioners and coastal representatives to jointly explore and co-design adaptive coastal management options. In this transdisciplinary study, a social-ecological analysis based on a combination of the Systems Approach Framework and the Drivers-Pressures-States-Impacts-Responses framework was used to analyze and formulate an adaptive management plan for the sustainability of Rongcheng. More than 40 stakeholders including government, companies, civil society and institutions participated in the study through questionnaires and on-site meetings. A statistical analysis of the results identified urgent issues impeding the sustainable development of Rongcheng. The issues identified were poorly regulated aquaculture, loss of shoreline, and the decline of seagrass and cultural heritage.The study identified management options and measures, some of which were adopted by the local government in a co-designed management plan. The measures included upgrading of aquaculture industry, habitat conservation and restoration, and the development of cultural tourism. Another outcome was the increased knowledge exchange between stakeholders to inform management, policy, and decision making, as well as raised awareness of vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. The success of this case study provides a reference for the adaptive management of other coastal cities and their sustainable development in a changing climate.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Interferon-β-induced miR-155 inhibits osteoclast differentiation by targeting SOCS1 and MITF

AbstractIFN-β is induced via a c-fos dependent mechanism that is present downstream of the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-RANK signal transduction cascade during osteoclast differentiation. Increased production of IFN-β in turn inhibits osteoclastogenesis. However, the mechanism by which IFN-β exerts its suppressive function remains unclear. In the present study, we found that miR-155, an IFN-β-induced miRNA, mediated the suppressive effect of IFN-β on osteoclast differentiation by targeting SOCS1 and MITF, two essential regulators of osteoclastogenesis. These findings have not only demonstrated that miR-155 inhibits osteoclast differentiation, but also provided a new therapeutic target for treatment of osteoclast-mediated diseases