Sustainability Assessment of Provincial-Level Regions in China Using Composite Sustainable Indicator

Abstract

Sustainability development is a core issue and policy-priority in China to meet the long-term ecological civilization and economic growth. In this paper, the sustainability of the 31 Chinese provincial-level administrative regions (provinces for short) was investigated using a composite sustainability indicator (CSI). The CSI was constructed by aggregating thirty sustainability indicators involving economic, social, and environmental dimensions hierarchically. Moreover, a piecewise mean range normalization method was developed for weakening the impact of outlier(s). The results indicate that further improvement of the provinces’ sustainability is needed, since only three provinces (accounting for 9.68%) showed better performance and development momentum, simultaneously. However, over half of the provinces showed comparatively optimistic sustainability prospect, indicating a possibility of further sustainability improvement in China under a positive and effective guidance. In terms of the individual provinces, the decline of the sustainability of Liaoning and Tianjin was significant whereas Anhui, Hunan, and Hubei showed more optimistic development prospects. For the four regions, Middle China was on the rise, the decline of Northeastern China was serious, and East China and West China showed better development, but they should also keep vigilance on the possible decline because of the decline of competitive advantages.

The role of trade liberalization in promoting regional integration and sustainability: The case of regional comprehensive economic partnership

“…However, China has not always progressed smoothly in the integration and sustainability of all regions, and it cannot itself be insulated from the great power struggle for hegemony (e.g., References [ 45 , 46 ]). As a tremendous political power, China’s ambition seems higher than its strength, which has also led to constant conflicts between China and its neighbors: For instance, the Sino-Japanese Diaoyu Islands dispute (the Senkaku Islands dispute) has continued to heat up since 2010 and 2016 South Korea’s introduction of the THAAD anti-missile system to resist the threat of Chinese missiles (e.g., References [ 46 – 50 ]). China’s faintly displayed tendency to expand abroad has aggravated the concerns of neighboring countries.…”

Sustainability Assessment of Autonomous Regions in China Using GRA-SPA Method

“…Many studies used GRA as a fundamental tool for sustainability measurement at different scales, such as international regions, countries, and cities. Most studies of the autonomous regions have focused on the natural environment [50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. Therefore, it is urgent to study the sustainable development of autonomous regions.…”