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Introduction. 1. A Mechanism for Regulating the Distance between the Government and the Public.2. Rational Choice of the Government's Response to Public Will. 3. An Empirical Investigation of the Distance between the Government and Rural Residents in China. Conclusion.

Distance, in its traditional sense, connotates "estrangement" and "division". But in the context of modern political studies, it means a controllable resource which can be manipulated to change the relationship between the government and the public. Drawing on this concept from western political science, the author explores the law and mechanisms of China's political communication. In this volume, the author introduces the empirical investigation of the distance between government and the public in China. First, it discusses how the use of online social media, such as Weibo, can be used strategically to mediate the distance of offline communication. Then, it points out that social media can also lead to unlimited expression of general will, to which governments should pay attention. An empirical study on how rural residents of five provinces in China obtain political information is used to illustrate the point. Students and scholars who are interested in political science and political communication, especially Chinese politics, would find this title a useful reference.

The concept of Distance, in its traditional sense, connotes "estrangement" and "division", but in the context of modern political studies, it denotes a controllable resource which can be manipulated to change the relationship between the government and the public. Drawing on this key concept from western political science, the author explores the law and mechanisms of China's political communication. In this volume, the author introduces a creative theoretical framework of distance, a dynamic system comprised of physical and psychological distance, ideal distance and real distance, as well as natural distance and consequent distance. Psychological distance is paramount, because it not only signifies whether there is trust between a government and the public, but also whether the political community can maintain a high degree of harmony, stability, unity, and vitality. Recent events in the China of Xi Jinping are used as cases to illustrate the point. Students and scholars who are interested in political science and political communication, especially Chinese politics, will find this title an essential reference.

This study compares gender discrimination or sexism in mainland China and Taiwan by means of a social experiment. Mainland China, with its radical egalitarian socialist policies implemented in a centrally planned economy and during the Cultural Revolution, serves as the treatment group in this social experiment. Taiwan, with its conventional path of economic modernisation, political liberalisation and importation of post-material values, is set as the control group. Using the Sixth Wave World Values Surveys, this study finds a higher level of explicit sexism in mainland China than in Taiwan due to China's post-Mao market reform. Interestingly, Taiwan shows a stronger effect of hidden sexism than China. China's low level of hidden sexism could be attributed to its radical social and economic egalitarian policies from the 1950s to the 1970s. The article concludes by suggesting that while democracy is capable of promoting postmodern values such as feminism, it is less effective in eliminating hidden sexism, and that government policy is imperative to mitigating the negative effect of market capitalism on gender equality. (China/GIGA)

We investigated the risk and debt behaviors of adult consumers in China (N = 347), and explored the relationships among risk perception, risk preference, and consumer debt. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that risk perception, risk seeking, and risk aversion
can predict consumer debt. Individuals perceiving high levels of risk were less likely to have positive attitudes toward debt behavior, whereas individuals with high risk-seeking preferences held positive attitudes toward debt behavior. Risk aversion was also found to be an ineffective predictor
of debt behavior.

Abstract
This article studies the community's inappropriate volunteer structure. An examination of the questionnaire of a community in Beijing shows the youth are indeed absent from the voluntary service of their community, but it is not because the youth lack the will or motivation to join in the voluntary service. Actually, it is closely related to the insufficient supply of the voluntary service in the community, which is mainly attributable to the bureaucratization of the community committee. Under the precondition of keeping the current social management system unchanged, to spur more youth on to join in the volunteer team of their community has to rely on upgrading related social techniques to enhance the community's voluntary service supply capability.