Table of Content

15 July 2026, Volume 43 Issue 4

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Normative Reconstruction of Carbon Trading Market Based on the Framework of Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China

KE Jian

2026, 43(4):  1-14. 

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The proposal of the national“Dual Carbon”strategic goals has accelerated the development and growth of China’s carbon trading market, leading to the continuous improvement of its institutional and regulatory system. However, driven primarily by strategic guidance and policy directives, the carbon trading market—essentially an artificially constructed fiat market—suffers from inherent deficiencies in its legal basis and rule-of-law foundation. This inadequacy directly compromises the authority, certainty, and practical efficacy of the market and its institutional norms. The adoption of the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China by the National People’s Congress and the innovative legislative paradigm of its Book on“Green and Low-Carbon Development”have not only established an autonomous discourse system of ecological and environmental law featuring Chinese modernization and green and low-carbon development, but have also become a new milestone. This milestone pushes China’s carbon trading institutional system to

transition from strategic guidance and policy fiction to rule-of-law construction, injecting new momentum into the standardization and legalization of the carbon trading system. The carbon trading-related provisions in the Code lay a legislative foundation for the evolution of the carbon trading market and its institutions from three aspects:  establishing a legitimacy basis for the carbon market, clarifying the structural direction of the market, and providing a normative basis for the development of the secondary carbon market. Meanwhile, the Code

significantly empowers the normative continuation of the carbon trading system by elevating its legal hierarchy, unifying carbon emission-related provisions scattered across other laws and regulations, and enhancing the carbon-reduction efficacy of the entire institutional framework. Based on the relevant legislative provisions of the Code, the normative reconstruction of the carbon trading system should take rights and powers as the underlying thread and regulatory synergy as the pathway. It aims to build an orderly and holistic development pattern characterized by“differentiation-synergy,”fully leveraging the market efficacy of both the carbon emission rights trading market and the voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market, thereby driving the nation’s transition toward green and low-carbon development.

On the Construction of the Autonomous Knowledge System of the Policy Science of Environmental Law in China

GUO Wu

2026, 43(4):  15-28. 

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The autonomous knowledge system of the policy science of environmental law in China is an essential component of the autonomous knowledge system of Chinese environmental law. Underpinned by the general principles of legal policy, the conceptual contours of  invironmental legal policy are becoming increasingly well-defined. In terms of disciplinary positioning, it is subsumed under environmental law within the broader discipline of jurisprudence. In the practical domain, this discipline holds that the operational practice of environmental policies cannot be detached from the political system, whereas the operation of environmental law should be rigidly bounded by the legal system. Regarding research tasks, the policy science of environmental law focuses on constructing a threefold relationship: the policy orientation of environmental law, the legalization of environmental policy, and the legitimacy justification of environmental policy. Specifically, the policy orientation of environmental law aims not only at to enhance the flexibility of environmental law, but also to achieve a scientific construction of environmental legal norms oriented towards policy science. Conversely, the legalization of environmental policy must comprehensively address the standards and requirements for transforming environmental policies into environmental laws, which vary

depending on the distinctions between policy oriented and regulatory environmental legal provisions. Furthermore, the substantive legitimacy justification of environmental policy seeks to achieve  the“self-justification”of environmental policies in compliance with the normative logic of law, under the premise of keeping their fundamental functions intact.

Towards the Conceptual Shift and Realization of an Autonomous Chinese Environmental Legal Hermeneutics

ZHANG Hanlin

2026, 43(4):  29-41. 

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With the promulgation and implementation of the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China, the development of China’s environmental rule of law has officially entered the era of codification. The research focus of environmental law has correspondingly shifted from legislative theory to interpretative theory. The independent development of environmental law hermeneutics has become a core proposition for enhancing the autonomous knowledge system of environmental law and ensuring the uniform and accurate implementation of the Code. Constrained by traditional sectoral law interpretative paradigms and a path dependence on transplanting Western legal theories, current environmental law hermeneutics faces practical difficulties—such as insufficient adaptability, inadequate alignment with local contexts, and a lack of systematic interpretative capacity—making it difficult to respond to the specific needs of China’s environmental governance. To address this, the systematic implementation of autonomous hermeneutics is achieved by integrating interpretivist and functionalist methodologies, constructing a trilateral interactive interpretative framework of“law – policy – practice,”and promoting the harmonious coordination of multiple normative systems. This approach enhances the application efficacy of environmental law norms through an interpretative solution tailored to Chinese practice, providing a methodological guarantee for developing the rule of law in ecological civilization.

Return to the Art Itself: The Canonization of Farewell My Concubine and Reflections on Its Overseas Studies

CHEN Linxia

2026, 43(4):  42-54. 

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Overseas scholars of Chinese cinema often interpret Farewell My Concubine through the lens of cultural studies, resulting in a mismatch between the theoretical concerns of the contemporary context and the textual reality of the film. Theoretical perspectives based on gender confusion and historical crisis, or male homosexuality and identity politics, have inadvertently exposed textual phenomena that are difficult to explain. The most representative examples include Xiao Douzi’s persistent mis-singing of the lyrics, Cheng Dieyi’s feminized traits, and the omission of Hong Kong references in the ending. Although cultural studies perspectives on this text have been widely reiterated, they are often specious, thereby compromising the canonical significance of Farewell My Concubine. In essence, the film has become an invaluable classic in the history of Chinese cinema not because it addresses theoretical issues of contemporary social concern, such as gender consciousness, identity crisis, and cultural politics. Rather, a classic film is, first and foremost, canonized at the artistic level; therefore, returning to the art itself is the rightful path to understanding classic cinema.

Attaining“You”through Virtuality: A Narrative Study of Chinese Virtual Reality Cinema from the Perspective of Youguan Aesthetics

ZHANG Yan, ZHENG Zekun

2026, 43(4):  55-64. 

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The rise of Virtual Reality (VR) cinema provides a new entry point for the modern transformation of traditional Chinese aesthetics. Anchored in the core of Youguan (Roaming Observation) aesthetics, this paper explores the activation and reconstruction of Youguan aesthetics within VR film narratives. This exploration starts from the philosophical connotation of Zhuangzi’s concept of“you”(free roaming) and proceeds through the cinematic transformation of Lin Niantong’s Jingyou (Camera Roaming) theory. VR cinema is not merely an accumulation of technological spectacles; its deep narrative logic inherently resonates with Chinese Youguan aesthetics. The spatial construction of“shifting scenes with moving steps,”the embodied mode of viewing, and the dialectical unity of physical and spiritual roaming can all be elucidated within the Youguan theory. By using domestic VR films as case studies to investigate the manifestation of Youguan aesthetics, this research aims to provide an analytical framework endowed with Chinese theoretical subjectivity for the study of domestic VR cinema.

A Linguistic Analysis of“Animated Documentary”

NIE Xinru

2026, 43(4):  64-74. 

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When the concept of“donghua jilu pian”( 动 画 纪 录 片 , animated documentary) is deconstructed into a noun phrase or a sentence, its semantic expression proves to be insufficient. Specifically, the Chinese translation“jilu pian”(纪录片）is a compound phrase, synthesized from“jilu”(document) and “pian”(film). In English, however“, documentary”is a non-compound word—a noun derived from an adjective. Since this English term lacks inflectional endings, it falls under the category of“partial conversion”; that is, it retains its original adjectival meaning even when functioning as a noun. Consequently, its semantics can slide between those of a noun and an adjective, necessitating a judgment based on context. Once translated into Chinese, only one layer of meaning is typically fixed, which has led to incessant debates within Chinese academic discourse. From a linguistic perspective, the  word“documentary”in“animated documentary”still retains its original adjectival meaning; therefore, the term should be translated as“jishi donghua”(纪实动画）in Chinese rather than“jilu pian”(纪录片).

An Inquiry into the Origins of the“Anglo-Chinese Garden”

LU Yang

2026, 43(4):  75-87. 

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The term“Anglo-Chinese garden”(jardin anglo-chinois) first emerged in 18th-century European literature. Currently, its earliest documented appearances are primarily concentrated in two sources: the multi-volume engraving collection Les Jardins Anglo Chinois published by Georges-Louis Le Rouge starting in 1775, and Horace Walpole’s annotations on William Mason’s Satirical Poems, which were compiled and published only in the 20th century. The aesthetic core of the Anglo-Chinese garden is not a simplistic imitation of nature—a pursuit that instead defines the native English landscape tradition from William Kent to Lancelot Brown, which evolved from the pictorial interventions of painting to the design of natural scenery in its most minimalist form. Standing in stark opposition to the geometric, regulated French garden, the essence of the Anglo-Chinese garden is anchored in the Chinese aesthetic doctrine of“artificial creation resembling natural spontaneity.”In practice, Le Rouge subsumed the prevailing European garden styles of his time under the conceptual framework of the“Anglo-Chinese garden.”Walpole, as the pioneer of the Gothic novel, defended Kent’s English landscape garden while echoing the Chinese irregular aesthetic of Sharawadgi—originally

introduced in William Temple’s“Upon the Gardens of Epicurus”—and imbuing it with a Gothic sensibility. Ultimately, William Chambers, through his seminal works“Of the Art of Laying Out Gardens Among the Chinese”and A Dissertation on Oriental Gardening, infused the style with the Romantic aesthetic of the sublime, establishing a solid theoretical and practical foundation for the Anglo-Chinese garden. The historical significance of the Anglo-Chinese garden transcends both the Anglo-French rivalry in landscape design and local debates within Britain. It belongs not only to Britain and France, but to the entire world.

The Dual Paradigm Shift：The Critical Potential of Atmospheric Aesthetics

MAI Yongxiong

2026, 43(4):  88-98. 

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In the field of contemporary Western literary and artistic aesthetics, two closely related theoretical paradigm shifts with international impact have drawn significant attention in recent years: the atmospheric turn and the affective turn. Many scholars have noted the critical importance of atmospheric aesthetics, even regarding the atmospheric turn as an integral part of the affective turn. Thus, the“atmosphereaffect”nexus constitutes the problematic of this dual-paradigm shift: the atmospheric turn has given rise to atmospheric aesthetics, represented by German scholar Gernot Böhme and Italian scholar Tonino Griffero, while affect studies, driven by the affective turn, have been regarded by renowned American literary theorist V. B. Leitch as a frontier domain of 21st-century literary theory. Atmospheric aesthetics emphasizes intersubjectivity and bodily presence, attaches importance to scenario-driven affect, and contains an understated critical potential. This dual-paradigm shift highlights the dialectical relationship between atmosphere and affect, possessing interstitial aesthetic characteristics that transcend existing boundaries and open up innovative spaces. In terms of its critical potential, it reveals three main orientations: the critique of the“aesthetics of judgment”prevalent in mainstream Western aesthetics; the critique of aesthetic politics and fascist aesthetics;and the critique of the aesthetic economy and digital media.

Construction and Interpretation of the Digital Reading Literacy Framework for International Chinese Learners

CHEN Chen , YU Shuang1

2026, 43(4):  99-114. 

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Against the backdrop of the global popularization of digital reading, there is an urgent need in the field of international Chinese education for digital reading literacy assessment tools tailored to the characteristics of learners of Chinese as a Second Language. This study employs a comprehensive methodology integrating bibliometric analysis, questionnaire surveys, the Delphi method, and the analytic hierarchy process. By combining qualitative analysis and word frequency statistics of relevant literature, investigating the current state of digital reading among Chinese learners, and incorporating quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback from multidisciplinary experts, this study systematically constructs a digital reading literacy framework for international Chinese learners. Ultimately, an indicator system is established, comprising 4 first-level indicators—namely,“Chinese digital reading awareness,”“Chinese digital reading knowledge,”“Chinese digital reading ability,”and“digital reading ethical norms”—along with 11 second-level indicators and 37 assessment dimensions, with scientifically determined weights. Grounded in four core concepts—“integration of language and culture, learner-centeredness in second language acquisition, adaptability to the digital ecology, and the developmental nature of literacy assessment”—the framework follows a logical progression of “awareness–knowledge–ability–ethics.”It not only addresses the linguistic and cultural needs of Chinese learners but also responds to the characteristics and challenges of digital reading in the intelligent digital era. This framework fills a research gap in the assessment of international Chinese learners’digital reading literacy,

providing a theoretical foundation and practical reference for developing relevant assessment tools and improving teaching practices.

Implications of International Digital Reading Literacy Assessment Concepts and Methodologies for the Digital Transformation of HSK 3.0(Reading): A Case Study of PISA and PIRLS

WANG Hongbin, GAO Yangyang

2026, 43(4):  115-131. 

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As digitalization continues to reshape reading, learners’ digital reading literacy has  increasingly become a critical focal point in reading assessments within international Chinese education. Focusing on the digital assessments of PISA and PIRLS, this study conducts a systematic comparison across two major dimensions: assessment concepts and assessment implementation. The former encompasses organizational logic, cognitive features, and evaluation mechanisms, while the latter covers assessment environments, information organization, and adaptive design, thereby revealing the distinct differences between these assessment systems. Building on this analysis and drawing insights from PISA and PIRLS, the study proposes that the transitioning HSK 3.0 (Reading) assessment should explicitly define digital reading objectives, simulate authentic digital reading scenarios, and record process data. Furthermore, it should establish a multi-dimensional evaluation and feedback mechanism to reflect scientifically learners’digital reading literacy. This research aims to provide a reference for optimizing the HSK 3.0 digital reading assessment, thereby driving the transition of reading assessments in international Chinese education from the

traditional paper-and-pencil mode to a digital paradigm, ultimately better aligning with the learning and evaluation needs of the digital age.

Green Finance and the Clean Energy Industry: Evidence from the Scale of Photovoltaic Power Plants under Regional Development Disparities

LV Kangjuan , ZHU Xiugang

2026, 43(4):  132-148. 

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In the global transition towards carbon neutrality, the role of green finance in the capital allocation of the photovoltaic (PV) industry has become increasingly prominent. Based on panel data of Chinese cities from 2010 to 2022, and utilizing the green finance pilot program as a quasi-natural experiment, this study systematically examines the heterogeneous impacts and transmission mechanisms of green finance on the scale of PV power plants. The findings reveal that, at the aggregate level, the“screening function”of green finance is significantly stronger than its“capital infusion function.”Through a risk-screening mechanism, green finance curbs the blind expansion of low-quality projects, thereby driving the PV industry toward“quality enhancement and scale control.”Regarding regional heterogeneity, the“capital infusion function”dominates in developed regions, empowering the scale expansion of high-quality distributed PV projects. Conversely, in less developed regions, the“screening function”prevails, compelling low-quality centralized PV projects to improve quality and restrict scale. Mechanism tests confirm that differences in the adaptability of the“PV industry characteristics-financial development level-regional supporting environment”nexus serve as the core source of these divergent effects.

Driving Factors and Configurational Paths for the Development of the Modern Industrial System: An Analysis Based on NCA and Dynamic QCA

SHI Jiayue

2026, 43(4):  149-169. 

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The construction of a modern industrial system holds urgent practical significance for breaking through traditional growth bottlenecks and reshaping the international competitiveness of industries. Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning from 2012 to 2023, this study applies Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and dynamic Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to analyze the configurational effects of the elements of new quality productive forces in driving the modern industrial system. The findings reveal that during the sample period, no single condition constitutes a necessary condition for the construction of the modern industrial system, while the driving effect of intangible means of labor is particularly prominent; three types of path configurations are identified: the“laborer-dominated”pattern, the“laborer–subject of labor synergistically empowered”pattern, and the“laborer– means of labor coupling-driven”pattern; between-group and within-group consistency analyses indicate that none of the six configurations exhibit significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity; sub-period analysis demonstrates that configurational paths evolve from early single-factor drivers to multi-factor synergy, with both“dominant trajectories”and“mixed trajectories”jointly promoting the upgrading of the industrial system. This study provides theoretical and practical bases for different regions to formulate adaptable strategies for building a modern industrial system based on their own factor endowments, thereby facilitating the construction of a modern industrial system that is both innovative and competitive.