JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY (HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES)

浙江大学学报(人文社会科学版)


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	JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY 2026 Vol.56 Number 1
	2026, Vol.56 Num.1
	Online: 2026-03-31

	Article

Article

	5	Luo Weidong, Pan Gang, Bao Aimin, Li Hengwei, Kong Zijia, Luo Jianhong

		Brain, Cognition and Society: A Written Conversation on the Frontiers and Ethics of Brain-Computer Intelligence ^Hot!
		Brain-computer intelligence is increasingly emerging as a core variable in reshaping human cognition and social relations. Its fundamental challenge lies in how to construct a symbiotic order among humans, technology, and society amidst ongoing technological iteration. The algorithmic revolution, while reshaping social efficiency, introduces profound governance challenges concerning digital personality rights, the alienation of social relations, and the dissolution of humanity. The exploration of machine consciousness not only concerns the boundaries of technology but also promises to deepen our understanding of the nature of human consciousness, necessitating the extraction of measurable evaluative features based on neuroscientific theories. The human brain, as a social organ, exhibits a spectrum of functional diversity ranging from psychopathy to creativity, rather than a simple binary state; interventions in this realm require collaborative investigation by both brain science and social science. Within the landscape of techno-cultural trends, the optimistic narratives of the technological singularity and human enhancement stand in tension with profound concerns over value alignment failure and the erosion of human existential value. Together, they point to a fundamental question: In the process of technology reshaping the boundaries of life, how can the core meaning of “being human” be safeguarded? Viewed from a historical perspective, technology has always co-evolved with civilization. The healthy development of brain-computer intelligence urgently requires the integration of technological exploration with humanistic concern, and the construction of a full-chain ethical framework spanning R&D, application, and governance, in order to realize technology for good and the sustainability of civilization.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 5-14 [Abstract] ( 9 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 855KB] ( 11 )

	15	Liu Yanhong

		Research on the Criminal Punishability of Digital Crimes ^Hot!
		The development of the digital society has driven the iterative upgrading of cybercrimes in the traditional network society into digital crimes. As a new type of crime featuring new technologies, new methods and new business forms, digital crimes pose enormous challenges to the traditional criminal justice system. This paper conducts a study on the criteria of criminal punishability of digital crimes, which is consistent with the needs of digital social development. Based on the digital era, this paper analyzes the security challenges that digital crimes bring to both the digital society and the real society, and then dissects the prerequisites and benchmarks for the criminal punishability of digital crimes. By comprehensively employing comparative analysis, dialectical analysis, normative argumentation and other methods, this paper clarifies the criteria of criminal punishability of digital crimes, and ultimately constructs a three-tier judgment benchmark for criminal punishability which centered on substantial legal interests. First, the prerequisite for the criminal punishability of digital crimes is that the legal interest of order in digital space has suffered substantial impairment. With the digital transformation of criminal patterns, digital crimes have gradually evolved from a mere “networked tool” to a diversified digital ecosystem, expanding from localized individual harm to systemic public danger. Therefore, in determining punishability, a dual illegality perspective should be adopted: it is necessary to analyze not only whether the conduct violates prepositive norms and thus constitutes administrative illegality, but also to make an independent and substantive judgment on criminal illegality. Second, the benchmark for the criminal punishability of digital crimes is to identify the substantial impairment of the legal interest of order in digital space. Its substantive connotation lies in the infringement of the information order in digital space. Meanwhile, the legal interest of order in digital space needs to be translated into legal interests in physical space for evaluation, so as to return to the protection of individual legal interests in the real world. On this basis, it is necessary to judge whether there exists a causal relationship between the infringing act in digital space and the substantial impairment of legal interests, so as to achieve accurate imputation of digital crimes in the complex context of digital technology and restrict the overexpansion of criminal punishment in digital space. Third, the application of criminal punishability of digital crimes requires an analysis of the loss of substantial legal interests in digital space from a practical perspective. The essence of such loss is the destruction of the information order rather than formal disturbance of order. In judging whether substantial impairment is constituted, the core basis must be the substantive content to which specific information relates, rather than merely the scope or form of information dissemination. In essence, where a digital crime seriously infringes the legal interest of order in digital space, it may still constitute a crime even if such infringement is not translated into harm to real-world legal interests. At the same time, the infringement of the legal interest of order in digital space must still be translated into harm to real-world legal interests; otherwise, it cannot constitute a crime for lack of real-world social loss of legal interests as a foundational criterion. The technological characteristics of digital space have broken the linear causal chain between “single conduct” and “direct result” in traditional criminal law. Although the proof of causation has become more difficult, the hidden causal chain must still be analyzed from an emerging technology perspective when judging the criminal punishability of digital crimes. In summary, the innovation of this paper lies in analyzing the objective reality of the transformation of digital crimes from the situational characteristics of the digital society, and in exploring the changes in the criteria of criminal punishability under the new landscape of digital crimes from the perspective of substantial loss of legal interests. It not only responds actively to the challenge of the expanding scope of governance in criminal justice practice by taking substantial legal interests as the core, but also promotes the orderly upgrading of the criteria of criminal punishability for digital crimes in light of the development of digital technology, so as to achieve precise governance.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 15-31 [Abstract] ( 7 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 813KB] ( 16 )

	32	Li Yunfu

		On the Semantic Series of Binglie (并列) and Jiedou (皆都)in the Character Jing (竞/競) ^Hot!
		This paper focuses on the semantic series in the ancient Chinese character jing (競), addressing the issue that current large-scale dictionaries do not fully include the meaning items of this character. By employing a methodological approach that combines textual research, glyph analysis, and the rules of semantic extension, the paper reveals the long-overlooked original meaning of binglie (并列) and the derived series of adverbial meanings such as jiedou (皆都), gongtong (共同) and tongshi (同时), thereby providing theoretical support for the accurate interpretation of classical texts.Currently, authoritative dictionaries such as The Great Chinese Character Dictionary and The Great Chinese Word Dictionary only include the verbal meanings of jingzheng (竞争) and zhengbian (争辩), the adjectival meaning of qiangsheng (强盛), and the adverbial meaning of jingxiang (竞相). However, this study has identified numerous examples in classical texts that cannot be adequately explained by the existing definitions. The reason lies in the overlooked original meaning of jing (竞/競) as binglie (并列), bibing (比并) and its related extended meanings.From the perspective of its glyph structure, the character jing (競) consists of two ren (人) at the bottom and two yan (言) at the top. Its compositional meaning signifies “two persons standing side by side and debating”, inherently encompassing the dual original meanings of zhengbian (争辩) and binglie (并列). These two core meanings share a common origin and coexisted, yet the latter has long been overlooked. Existing dictionaries have focused only on the meanings derived from zhengbian (争辩), such as jingzheng (竞争) and qiangsheng (强盛), while neglecting the original meaning of binlie (并列)and its extended semantic series. Adhering to the philological principle that “a rule cannot be established without at least ten examples”, this paper cites dozens of typical textual instances, categorized and argued according to the degree of contextual display. In contexts of synonymous or near-synonymous co-occurrence, jing (竞) functions synonymously with summary adverbs like jie (皆), xian (咸), and jv (俱), appearing either in opposition or in conjunction. In contexts of antithesis, jing (竞) forms a contrast with words like du (独) or mo (莫), highlighting its meaning of zongkuo (总括) or quandou (全都).Furthermore, through analysis based on logical reasoning and grammatical rules, when jing (竞) follows an inanimate subject or a psychological verb predicate, it cannot be interpreted as jingzheng (竞争) but must be understood as meaning jiedou (皆都).On this basis this paper delineates the complete semantic system of jing (竞/競) as comprising two parallel series. The first is an extended series originating from the meaning of zhengbian (争辩), namely: zhengbian (争辩)→jingzheng/juezhu/bisai (竞争/角逐/比赛)→qiangsheng/qiangjin (强盛/强劲)→jingxiang/zhengxiang (竞相/争相). The second is an extended series originating from the meaning of binglie (并列), namely: binglie/bibing (并列/比并)→jie/dou/quan (皆/都/全, scope adverb)→gongtong/yiqi (共同/一起, coordination adverb)→tongshi/yiqi (同时/一齐, temporal adverb). This discovery breaks through the traditional academic perception of the singular original meaning of characters, revealing that some characters exhibit phenomenon of original meaning coexistence and differentiated textual meanings, while employing the principle of synchronous extension to corroborate their validity. By drawing analogies to characters such as bi (比), bing (并), and qi (齐)—which similarly contain the meaning of binglie (并列) and share comparable paths of semantic extension—it confirms that the derivation of meanings for jing (竞/競) aligns with the general patterns of semantic evolution in classical Chinese. The value of this study lies in its supplementation of the missing semantic items in authoritative dictionaries, its correction of long-standing misinterpretations of the character jing (竞) in the interpretation of classical texts, which provides typical examples of the original meanings of graphemic symbiosis and parallel extended meanings for linguistics. In terms of methodology, it combines textual research with glyph analysis and unifies quantitative case studies with qualitative analysis. It not only adheres to the traditional philological principle that “a rule cannot be established without at least ten examples” but also use the “synchronous extension” principle to justify its rationality, demonstrating both empirical rigor and academic rationality. Supplementing major dictionaries with meanings such as binglie (并列), jiedou (皆都), gongtong (共同) and tongshi (同时) is both an inevitable outcome of the deepening research into classical Chinese semantics and a practical necessity for enhancing the accuracy of interpreting classical texts and advancing the scientific development of traditional language studies.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 32-46 [Abstract] ( 3 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 1253KB] ( 3 )

	47	Zhen Dacheng

		Exploring Standard Forms and Vulgar (Common Vulgar) Forms of Wang Renxu’s Kanmiu Buque Qieyun ^Hot!
		Wang Renxu’s Kanmiu Buque Qieyun provides detailed records of variant character forms. Under numerous character entries, it specifies annotations such as “standard form is...”, “vulgar form is...” and “common vulgar form is...”, marking a new trend in the compilation system of rhyme dictionaries. This paper uses the Dunhuang manuscript P.2011, which contains Wang Renxu’s Kanmiu Buque Qieyun, and conducts an exhaustive collection and collation of all the annotations in the manuscript. The study identifies 66 standard forms, 28 vulgar forms and 89 common vulgar forms. By comparing the standard forms with the standard seal script forms recorded in Shuowen Jiezi, the result shows a high degree of correspondence, indicating that Shuowen Jiezi served as the primary criterion for Wang Renxu in defining standard forms. On the basis of comparing the vulgar (common vulgar) forms with character pattern books in Tang dynasty, the paper illustrates the social attributes of these forms. Such annotations don’t merely reflect the personal opinion of the author, but rather represent a contemporary consensus and collective practice. These vulgar (common vulgar) forms were widely accepted within specific temporal and spatial contexts, exhibiting both distinctiveness and sociality. Through an exploration of the historical evolution of the vulgar (common vulgar) characters and their distribution across texts, it is obvious that the key characteristic of these forms is their weak or absent motivation in structure. In terms of distribution across usage context, they had the broadest coverage and strongest universality. Essentially, vulgar (common vulgar) characters constituted the common script of the time, occupying a primary and dominant position within the contemporary writing system. Based on their function in recording words, vulgar (common vulgar) characters can be categorized into two types: vulgar graphic forms and vulgar usage forms. Vulgar graphic forms derived from the evolution of the standard forms. They represent the same word, differing only in their written forms. Vulgar usage forms, on the other hand, retain the same written forms but undergo a shift in their word-recording function: recording their original word is considered as standard usage, while recording another word is deemed vulgar usage. Such classification helps to figure out the historical and social dimensions of vulgar (common vulgar) characters within their original context. Furthermore, the paper explores the origins and purposes of rhyme dictionaries’ practice of “extensively collecting variant and vulgar forms”, pointing out that during the process of augmentation and revision in the Tang dynasty, the functions of rhyme dictionaries expanded and gradually acquired the role of character standardization, thus clarifying the concrete manifestations of the new trend.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 47-69 [Abstract] ( 3 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 1818KB] ( 3 )

	70	Guo Li

		On the Yuefu Poetry of Wenyuan Yinghua: Gexing and Its Values in Yuefu Studies ^Hot!
		During the Northern Song Dynasty, scholars led by Li Fang compiled Wenyuan Yinghua, which organized all its contents into 38 distinct categories. Within this anthology, the broad “Poetry” category contains a subcategory specifically named “Yuefu” dedicated to collecting Yuefu poems. The “Gexing” category exists as a parallel classification to “Poetry”. Although Wenyuan Yinghua formally separated “Gexing” works from the “Yuefu” category, it notably included some Yuefu poems within the “Gexing” section. Furthermore, “Yuefu” and “Gexing” categories include both old Yuefu poems and new Yuefu poems. This dual inclusion has made the anthology’s selection criteria and the compilers’ understanding of Yuefu poetry an unresolved question in scholarly research. To address this challenge, it becomes necessary to closely examine the distinctive features of both new and old Yuefu poems contained within the “Yuefu” and “Gexing” categories respectively.In previous academic studies, scholars have typically interpreted new Yuefu poetry through three dimensions: title, lyrics, and musicality, arguing that the “newness” of new Yuefu specifically referred to novel titles, innovative lyrics, and updated musical forms. However, beyond these traditional analytical frameworks, we can introduce a fourth dimension—thematic intent—to deepen our understanding. By incorporating this “thematic intent” perspective, new Yuefu can be divided into two categories: “new titles with old themes” and “new titles with new themes”. The former refers to works that adopt modernized titles while retaining traditional thematic content, whose essence remains rooted in imitation of classical prototypes despite the superficial innovations. The latter describes works that demonstrate originality in both their titles and thematic substance. Based on this framework, further analysis reveals Wenyuan Yinghua’s classification criteria for new Yuefu in its “Yuefu” and “Gexing” categories: works bearing Gexing-style title markers that belong to the “new titles with old themes” category were systematically placed in the “Yuefu” section, while those with Gexing-style titles categorized as “new titles with new themes”, along with selected new Yuefu works by Bai Juyi, were assigned to the “Gexing” section. This methodology resolves the longstanding confusion about why new Yuefu poems appear in both categories, demonstrating that the compilers differentiated works preserving classical thematic continuity from those pursuing thematic innovation while maintaining formal connections through shared titling conventions.Wenyuan Yinghua contains old Yuefu poems in both its “Gexing” and “Yuefu” categories. Quantitative analysis of the collected poems and their titles reveals that the vast majority of old Yuefu works were placed in the “Yuefu” category, demonstrating the compilers’ clear traditionalist view of Yuefu poetry, which primarily emphasized classical prototypes. As mentioned earlier, from the perspective of thematic content, the compilers of the Wenyuan Yinghua categorized new Yuefu poems with ancient themes into the “Yuefu” section, which also reflects their reverence for classic tradition in the concept of Yuefu. Notably, the old Yuefu poems included in the “Gexing” category share a common feature in terms of their titles: all bear title markers typical of Gexing poetry. These title features perfectly align with those of the “new titles with new themes” characterizing new Yuefu works in the same “Gexing” section. This parallelism indicates that the compilers intentionally selected old Yuefu poems displaying an implicit innovative tendency within their otherwise conservative framework. By clarifying this distinction—where the “Yuefu” category embodies a classical orientation and the “Gexing” category demonstrates selective modernizing preferences in their respective inclusions of old Yuefu—the apparent contradiction of ancient works appearing in both categories becomes fully resolvable.The compilers of Wenyuan Yinghua made deliberate distinctions in the classification of categories and the inclusion of works, highlighting the differences between “Yuefu” and “Gexing”. This move not only reflects the strong genre awareness of these compilers but also reveals their concept of Yuefu which values ancient styles. Yuefu poems in Wenyuan Yinghua: Gexing has significant value in the study of Yuefu. They can not only be used to supplement Yuefu Shiji ,but also serve as a reference for its textual criticism, and they have influenced later understandings of Yuefu.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 70-77 [Abstract] ( 3 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 678KB] ( 4 )

	78	Liu Zhaoming

		The Local Poet-Monks of Yuezhou in the Tang Dynasty and the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang ^Hot!
		Along the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang, eleven local poet-monks from Yuezhou (modern Shaoxing) stand out: Qingjiang, Lingche, Liangjie, Zhuge Jue, Shi Yuzhen, Qibai, Chengguan, Shi Tanqing, Shi Hongjian, Shi Haozhi, and Shenyong. All of them made significant and unique historical contributions to the formation and development of the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang, so their value and influence should never be neglected.Those local Yuezhou poet-monks share the same characteristics. First, they showed a perfect mastery of Buddhist doctrines and enjoyed a renowned prestige. For instance, Qingjiang was a luminary of the Vinaya School Buddhism. Liangjie co-founded the Caodong School of Chan Buddhism. Chengguan, honored as the Fourth Patriarch of the Huayan School, advanced Buddhist philosophy. Qibai, a late-Tang master of Buddhist exegesis, served as an imperial court chaplain during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign. Second, they actively engaged in worldly affairs and built extensive networks with people from all walks of life. Since the Mid-Tang period, the trend of Buddhist secularization had intensified. These monks adapted to this trend, embracing secular life without reservation, actively engaging with scholars and officials, demonstrating the openness and inclusivity of their mind and perspective. Third, they possess exceptional poetic talent and reputation in the literary world. Among the eleven, Qingjiang, Lingche and Qibai achieved particularly wide-spread fame. Qingjiang and another poet-monk Qingzhou (Jiaoran) were jointly hailed as the “Two Qings of Kuaiji (A temporary name of Yuezhou during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign)”. Lingche, regarded as the “preeminent literati of his generation”, epitomized the pinnacle of monk-poetry. Qibai, a late representative, wielded considerable influence in late-Tang literary arena.There are three features of the poetry creation of the local Yuezhou poet-monks. First of all, their poems are of worldly themes and emotional depth. As poets, they actively immersed themselves into the secular world, understood secular thoughts and cultivated extensive social connections, so their works often addressed secular realities with profound empathy, such as Qingjiang’s poems on social suffering and deep compassion for the masses, Lingche’s verses expressing aspirations for fame and fortune, Qibai’s well-known poems in the late-Tang literary arena based on wide collaborations with secular poets, despite his courtly role as well as Liangjie’s emotionally rich writings on familial piety. Besides, their poems are of profound Chan aesthetics and ethereal imagery. All the eleven poet-monks artfully integrated their works with Chan Buddhist concepts, employing motifs like moon, water, wind to shape the artistic realm of their poetry, reflecting a uniquely refined and exquisite artistic character. Additionally, the poet-monks kept themselves abreast with the latest trends of poetry writing and were constantly in pursuit of innovation. Qibai, for instance, became a pioneer of new stylistic movements.The contributions of the local poet-monks from Yuezhou on the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang mainly lie in the following aspects. First and foremost, the influence of the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang was expanded through the associations of the poet-monks with scholars and other secular groups. As cultural ambassadors, these local poet-monks traveled and interacted with literati from other places. Their activities undoubtedly amplified the reach of the Eastern Zhejiang Tang Poetry Route and expanded its influence across the nation. In addition, their exchanges with Japanese poet-monks made important contributions to the formation of the Maritime Poetry Road. Second, their poetic works vividly capture the cultural allure of landscapes, historical heritage, and humanistic spirit in eastern Zhejiang. These local poet-monks, along with the monastic poets and the literati that they interacted with, richly and vividly depicted Yuezhou’s geography, natural scenery, history and cultural relics in their works, sparking interest and imagination about Eastern Zhejiang and enriching the route’s cultural appeal, which also contributed to the formation of the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang. Last but not least, a remarkable number of poets gathered in new poetic hubs—temples. Poets visited temples, worshipped Buddha and spent much time there. The works created in temples constitute an integral part of the legacy of the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang. Most visited ones along the Road, like Yunmen and Fahua temples became vital spaces for poetic creation and obtained even more far-reaching reputation, hosting literati from all over the country who composed verses during pilgrimages, stays, engagement with monks and poetic exchanges.In conclusion, the Yuezhou poet-monks played a unique and irreplaceable role in enhancing eastern Zhejiang’s cultural influence, drawing attention from the broader poetic community and sustaining the vitality of the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang—contribution that secular literati could hardly match. They deserve more focus and scholarly attention in the research framework of the Tang Poetry Road in Eastern Zhejiang.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 78-88 [Abstract] ( 2 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 820KB] ( 4 )

	89	Liao Yin

		The Interpretation of the Historiography of the Late Song in Exile: On Liu Jiangsun’s “Inscription on the Letters of Two Chancellors Chen and Wen” ^Hot!
		After the fall of the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, Chen Yizhong and others established an exiled regime in dire straits and struggled for three years. Due to structural deficiencies in the documentary records of the exiled regime, the portrayal of key figures, particularly depiction of Chen Yizhong in comparison to Wen Tianxiang, gradually deviated from historical reality. Liu Jiangsun, who had connections with both Wen Tianxiang and Chen Yizhong, wrote “Inscription on the Letters of Two Chancellors Chen and Wen” in an attempt to objectively position the historical images of Chen and Wen. Wen Tianxiang and his disciple Deng Guangjian had a strong awareness of literature production and preservation. After the downfall of the exiled regime, they survived for a relatively long time in a relatively relaxed environment, which provided favorable conditions for the dissemination of literature. Documents, which are closely related to the exiled regime, such as the Records Pointing to the South, Post Record Pointing to the South, Collection of Loud Singing, Collected Poems of Du Fu and Annals of Wen Tianxiang have been passed down to this day. Other leaders of the exiled regime either had weak awareness of the production of literature, or had died or fled overseas during the downfall of the exiled regime. Even if literature was produced, it couldn’t be disseminated. Among them, Lu Xiufu’s Diary of the Sea, which focuses on the exiled regime, was the most regrettable. However, in spite of being entrusted with the task, Deng Guangjian intentionally refrained from spreading it. Various factors coincidentally combined, resulting in central government of the exiled regime leaving behind few documentary records, while the Wen Tianxiang Governor’s Office left behind abundant documentary records, leading to the predominant reliance on Wen Tianxiang’s literary records.Among the main figures of the exiled regime, Wen Tianxiang is “worth writing about” and there are also a large number of historical materials “available for writing”, while Chen Yizhong and others are also “worth writing about” but “unable to write” due to the lack of documentation. It can be said that the literary records of the Wen Tianxiang dominated the writing of the exiled regime. In the biographies of the main figures of the exiled regime produced in the Yuan Dynasty, there were as many as seven biographies of Wen Tianxiang, which are not only numerous in quantity but also extensive in length; the remaining members of the leadership usually only had 1-2 biographies, including their respective biography in the History of Song, and these were very brief, only simple compilations of scattered information. It was difficult for ordinary people in exile to enter the field of biographical writing, but members of the Wen Tianxiang Governor’s Office were able to be included in the History of Song in the form of combined biographies. In addition to being dominated by the literary records of the Wen Tianxiang in writing biographies, the comprehensive writing of exiled regime was also under the influence of Wen Tianxiang’s documents. The most important document of the late Song Dynasty, Political Memoirs of the Three Emperors of the Late Song Dynasty, contained many historical materials which were directly from Wen Tianxiang’s literature on the history of exiled regime.Based on various historical sources, it can be found that Chen Yizhong was the main promoter and first leader of the exiled regime; The difficulty of the struggle in the central government was significantly higher than that of the Wen Tianxiang Governor’s Office; seeking help from the Zhancheng States was one of the possible options for Chen Yizhong in the face of dire straits. Chen Yizhong may be one of the most tragic heroic figures in Chinese history, who, in a situation where he had no obligation, sacrificed all his life to initiate and lead a doomed restoration of the Song Dynasty, only to end up with a negative reputation. The divergence in the portrayal of Chen Yizhong and Wen Tianxiang originated from a biased emphasis on the principle of “dying for honor”. In fact, “devoting oneself entirely to duty” should be the highest standard in life and work. Chen Yizhong and Wen Tianxiang are both heroic figures who exemplified this principle.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 89-104 [Abstract] ( 1 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 984KB] ( 4 )

	105	Han Shuangmiao, Fu Haodong

		Diffusion of Policy Innovation: An Analysis Based on an Integrated Contingency Model Centered Around Local Governments ^Hot!
		Local governments in China not only propose and advocate various policy innovations, but also play an important role in the diffusion of policy innovation. The study focuses on local governments as the core actors to examine the process of policy innovation diffusion in China. It contributes to the understanding of the underlying context and trends of Chinese government governance over the past decades, and further facilitates the exploration of governance innovation within the framework of modernizing the national governance system and governance capabilities. From a contingency perspective, this study places local governments as the core actors, and emphasize the critical factors they must consider when deciding whether to adopt a policy innovation and how to implement it. Accordingly, intergovernmental relations and policy attributes are considered as two core dimensions influencing local governments’ adoption behavior of policy innovations. The former can be divided into vertical superior-subordinate government relationships and horizontal inter-local government relationships, while the latter includes the relative advantages and replicability of policy innovations. These two dimensions collectively influence local governments’ attitudes of adoption and levels of learning in the process of policy innovation diffusion, shaping four types of strategies: proactive learning, intermediary promotion, imitation and following, and refusal to adopt. These strategies, in turn, lead to four types of diffusion outcome: complete diffusion, mediated diffusion, bandwagon diffusion, and diffusion failure. Thus, the study proposes a contingency model of policy innovation diffusion within the Chinese context, providing a new theoretical perspective and an integrative analytical framework for understanding and explaining the performance, mechanisms, and diverse outcomes of policy innovation diffusion. Employing a multiple-case comparative study design, the study selects four cases from the fields of education, environment, society, and economy to examine the contingent relationships between local governments as core actors and the influencing factors and mechanisms of policy diffusion. The selected cases include the College Entrance Examination Reform, the largest and most extensive policy reform in China’s education sector in recent years; the River-Director System Reform, one of the most influential and widely implemented policies in the environmental protection sector; the Smart City Construction, a significant policy innovation in urban development; and the Property Tax Policy, one of the most debated policies in the real estate sector in recent years. Through comparative case analysis, the study outlines the interactions between local governments as core actors and the influencing factors of policy diffusion, highlighting the differences in the institutional environments faced by local governments in the Chinese context compared to traditional Western policy research. It also reveals the agency of local governments in given structure, as well as their action logic within specific institutional environment. The study not only contributes to enriching the research on policy innovation and diffusion, but also provides practical recommendations for improving policy formulation, implementation, and diffusion at various levels of governments in China.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 105-120 [Abstract] ( 2 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 847KB] ( 4 )

	121	Chu Ruhui, Shen Yongdong, Qi Chengshuang

		Policy Solutions in the Dilemma of Technology Transfer: System Design and Practical Reflection ^Hot!
		Against the backdrop of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, leading the development of new productive forces with scientific and technological innovation has become one of the important tasks of China’s economic work in 2025. As an important bridge between scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements is not only an important means to accelerate the development of new productive forces at present, but also an urgent need to enhance the overall efficiency of the national innovation system. However, China is facing some difficulties in the process of carrying out the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. For example, the output of scientific and technological achievements is large, but the transformation efficiency is low, and the paradigm of outcome transformation driven by scenarios is gradually replacing the traditional supply-oriented linear paradigm. Leading the new paradigm of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements with policies, breaking through the difficulties in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and accelerating the innovative cycle of the closed loop of the transformation system of scientific and technological achievements have become urgent research tasks that need to be carried out.Based on this, this paper engages in a dialogue with institutional theory and innovation system theory. Combining the methods of theoretical deduction, policy research, and case analysis, it completes the system design of the policies for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements from five dimensions: policy content, policy inspection, policy coordination, policy effectiveness, and policy flywheel effect. It systematically responds to key questions such as “what to do”, “how to do it”, “how well it is done”, “what results are achieved”, and “how to accelerate” in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. In terms of policy content design, it promotes the transformation of achievements by multiple action subjects throughout the entire life cycle. In terms of policy coordination design, it strengthens the efficient coordination among various policy tools and different departments, and improves the connectivity among all links of policy design. In terms of policy inspection design, it conducts incremental evaluations of policy effects in the short term, medium term, and long term, and promotes dynamic monitoring of effects and the rational allocation of resources. In terms of policy effectiveness design, it supports the high-quality transformation, incubation, and industrialization of achievements, and enhances the driving force of policy design for high-quality development. In terms of policy flywheel effect design, it forms a closed loop of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements led by enterprises and driven by scenarios, and enhances the endogenous driving force for innovative transformation. In addition, through policy research, this paper demonstrates how local policies support the A University Science Park in carrying out the practice of transforming scientific and technological achievements, and further elaborates on the important role of systematic policy design in promoting the work of transforming scientific and technological achievements and improving the effectiveness of such transformation. The innovations of this paper lie in the following aspects: In terms of academic content innovation, it breaks through the single level of policy research, systematically analyzes the practical problems of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in China, and proposes a policy system framework for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements covering five dimensions. The research responds to the new requirements of the changes in innovative paradigms such as scenario-driven transformation for the design of the policy system, and promotes the work of transforming scientific and technological achievements to break through the traditional path dependence and accelerate the innovative cycle. In terms of academic perspective innovation, it expands the research on innovation from the institutional perspective, fills the theoretical gap regarding how policies shape the innovation ecosystem and affect the development of innovative subjects, and provides useful theoretical inspiration for accelerating the innovation of multiple subjects in the application scenarios of complex technologies from the perspectives of institutions and innovation. In terms of research methods, by combining theoretical deduction, policy research, and case analysis, and adopting a research paradigm of cross-validation with multiple methods, it effectively bridges the gap between theoretical research and policy practice.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 121-133 [Abstract] ( 2 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 994KB] ( 4 )

	134	Li Zheng, Zhao Zhonghua, Wang Zichen

		Does the Vacancy Time of the Chief Audit Executive Position Affect Corporate Earnings Management? ^Hot!
		The Chief Audit Executive (CAE) is the leader responsible for the execution of a firm’s internal audit activities, playing a pivotal role in formulating internal audit plans, approving internal audit programs, monitoring and guiding internal audit activities, and ensuring the implementation of follow-up audit recommendations. However, CAE does not remain unchanged. After a CAE departs, some firms do not appoint new people to the CAE position, leaving the position vacant. Currently, extant academic literature provides limited systematic and in-depth investigation into the economic consequences of CAE vacancy, particularly concerning their implications for earnings management.This study investigates the impact of CAE vacancy duration on corporate earnings management based on samples of manufacturing firms listed on the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2023. Data on CAE vacancy were constructed through a combination of manual collection and Python-based analysis. Specifically, official announcements on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s information disclosure platform were searched for keywords related to internal audit (such as “audit”, “supervision” and “inspection”). Subsequently, Python was employed to scrape and perform text analysis on all board meeting announcements for the sample firms over the 11-year period (2013-2023), yielding data on CAE vacancy occurrences and durations.Based on the above data, the study examines the relationship between the length of CAE vacancy and corporate earnings management. Baseline regression results indicate that a longer CAE vacancy duration increases the likelihood of upward REM and the extent of a firm’s AEM. To enhance the robustness of baseline findings, the study employs various of robustness tests, including propensity score matching (PSM), the Heckman two-stage model, instrumental variable (IV) estimation, fixed effects regressions, the use of alternative measures for independent and dependent variables, changes in the research sample, controlling for audit committee and management characteristics, incorporating the annual report disclosure, examining CAE turnover, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and accounting for instances of other executives assuming CAE responsibilities. These robustness checks consistently support the baseline results.Mechanism analysis reveals that the quality of internal control acts as a mediating variable in the relationship between CAE vacancy duration and earnings management. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the positive effect of CAE vacancy duration on earnings management is more pronounced in firms characterized by lower levels of Party organization involvement in corporate governance, non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), lower shareholding percentages by the supervisory board, less media attention, and lower institutional investor ownership. These findings suggest a complementary monitoring role between the CAE function and other internal and external governance mechanisms, including Party organizations, ownership structure, supervisory boards, media scrutiny, and institutional investors.Based on these findings, the study offers policy recommendations. Firms should enhance their human resource planning for the internal audit function. To maximize the governance effectiveness of the internal audit department, companies should proactively identify and select suitable candidates before a CAE vacancy occurs, thereby minimizing prolonged periods without a CAE. Additionally, strengthening other internal and external monitoring mechanisms can help mitigate the adverse consequences associated with CAE vacancy.This study potentially contributes to literature in the following ways. First, while existing research predominantly focuses on the impact of CAE turnover on the quality of corporate financial reporting, few studies has paid attention to the dimension of CAE vacancy. On the one hand, CAE turnover fundamentally differs from CAE vacancy. The former reflects the change of people responsible for the position. The latter, however, reflects the vacancy and vacancy duration of position and signifies a lack of active performance of the responsibilities. CAE turnover is different, and if a successor is appointed after a turnover, the functional responsibilities of the position can still be fulfilled. Consequently, a longer duration of CAE vacancy is likely to have a more substantial impact on the execution of responsibilities. This study focuses on CAE vacancy, offering a novel perspective for understanding the absence of critical governance roles. On the other hand, by examining the duration of the vacancy and developing a “CAE vacancy duration-earnings management” logical framework, this study not only reveals a positive association between these but also addresses a gap in the CAE literature regarding the temporal dimension. Second, the heterogeneity analysis considers the differential impacts of CAE vacancy on corporate earnings management under varying internal and external governance factors, such as the Party’s involvement in corporate governance, the nature of ownership, the supervisory board, media scrutiny, and institutional investors. This enriches the studies on the joint governance effects of internal and external corporate supervision mechanisms.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 134-153 [Abstract] ( 2 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 875KB] ( 5 )

	154	Gao Yu

		The Evolving Knowledge of State: The Shifting Perceptions and Writings on the Origins of the Modern French State in French Historiography ^Hot!
		The origin and formation of the modern state is one of the most widely discussed topics in contemporary humanities and social sciences across both Chinese and Western academic circles. In the field of French historiography, historians such as Fran?ois Guizot, Gabriel Monod, and Bernard Guenée have successively offered interpretations on the origins of modern France. This paper focuses on the following questions: How have French historians from different eras viewed the origins of the modern French state? What transformations have occurred in the historical narratives concerning this issue?After the French Revolution, romanticist historians like Guizot provided initial interpretations of the origins of the modern French state. They traced the formation and development of the Third Estate, arguing that the modern French state emerged during the High Middle Ages. Their interpretations reflected their inheritance and promotion of the revolutionary spirit. In the late 19th century, positivist historians represented by Ernest Lavisse posited that the modern French state originated in the Late Middle Ages. This perspective emerged against the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian War and exemplified the nationalist characteristics of positivist historiography. In short, from the first half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, French historians’ narratives on the origins of the modern French state underwent a shift from class struggle narratives to nation-state narratives.In the 1960s, the state officially emerged as a subject of study in history, and the origins of the modern state became a topic of great academic interest. This academic phenomenon originated against the backdrop of the global political and social upheavals of the mid-20th century, reflecting the extension and innovation of traditional French political history research in the first half of the 20th century, and mirroring the shift towards social-state studies in the global social sciences at that time. This wave of research into state history, led by scholars such as Bernard Guenée, Philippe Contamine, and Colette Beaune, saw the following research hotspots: First, the history of the state’s monopoly on violence. Second, the history of the formation of bureaucracy. Third, the emergence of national consciousness and the formation of the concept of the state.In the 1980s and 90s, influenced by the postmodern cultural turn, power studies, symbolic studies, and discourse studies began to frequently appear in disciplines such as sociology and anthropology. Concepts originating from cultural studies, such as landscape, field, capital, public sphere, and public opinion, became popular social science terms during this period and inevitably entered the historical field of vision. Historians, represented by Claude Gauvard and Mattéoni began to use the new achievements of social science theory to try to explain the origins of the modern French state in the late Middle Ages from the perspectives of the construction of the modern political field and the monopoly of symbolic violence. In the postmodern era of academic research in the latter half of the 20th century, scholars began to emphasize the symbolic significance of the state. From this perspective, this represents a breakthrough from Guenée’s structuralist historiography and constitutes an important link in lineage of the “cultural turn” in humanities and social science research in the second half of the 20th century.As can be seen from the above, this history of interpreting the origins of the French state, spanning over a century, has yielded a vast amount of academic achievements. How should we approach this academic history? I believe that, firstly, the history of interpreting the question of the origins of the state reflects the deepening interdisciplinary collaboration between history and social sciences, and also demonstrates the efforts of historical research to gradually break free from the influence of political power and gradually achieve scientific legitimacy. For the social sciences, the continuous production and updating of knowledge about the history of the state provides them with diachronic knowledge about humanity and society. This diachronic knowledge not only provides factual evidence for their research but also helps them to constantly reflect on the limitations of existing research paradigms.Secondly, this history of the construction of state knowledge is an excellent example for observing the evolution of history itself. I believe that the problem consciousness, theoretical sources, and evolution of social science trends in historical research are inextricably linked. In the case studies presented in this paper, the emergence of research on the origins of the modern state is closely related to the focus on the state as a phenomenon and the construction of state theory by disciplines such as sociology. The shift in state history research from structuralism to post-structuralism/postmodernism in the late 20th century is also closely linked to the changing academic trends in 20th-century French academia. In fact, this academic shift shares a similar time frame and connotation with those seen in French sociology and anthropology.
		2026 Vol. 56 (1): 154-168 [Abstract] ( 4 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 822KB] ( 4 )

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