Yanwei Li | Nanjing Normal University (original) (raw)

Papers by Yanwei Li

Recently we have witnessed the worldwide adoption of many different types of innovative technolog... more Recently we have witnessed the worldwide adoption of many different types of innovative technologies, such as crowdsourcing, ridesharing, open and big data, aiming at delivering public services more efficiently and effectively. Among them, ridesharing has received substantial attention from decision-makers around the world. Because of the multitude of currently understood or potentially unknown risks associated with ridesharing (unemployment, insurance, information privacy, and environmental risk), governments in different countries apply different strategies to address such risks. Some governments prohibit the adoption of ridesharing altogether, while other governments promote it. In this article, we address the question of how risks involved in ridesharing are governed over time. We present an in-depth single case study on Singapore and examine how the Singaporean government has addressed risks in ridesharing over time. The Singaporean government has a strong ambition to become an innovation hub, and many innovative technologies have been adopted and promoted to that end. At the same time, decision-makers in Singapore are reputed for their proactive style of social governance. The example of Singapore can be regarded as a revelatory case study, helping us further to explore governance practices in other countries.

The concept of risk has received scholarly attention from a variety of angles in the social, tech... more The concept of risk has received scholarly attention from a variety of angles in the social, technical, and natural sciences. However, public policy scholars have not yet generated a comprehensive overview, shared understanding and conceptual framework of the main problem‐solving approaches applied by governments in coping with risks. In this regard, our main aim is to examine existing perspectives on prevailing risk coping strategies, find a common denominator among them and contribute to current policy and risk science literature through providing a conceptual framework that systematically spans the spectrum of risk coping strategies and incorporates the essence of the most relevant insights. To this end, we first examine the concept of risk in‐depth by exploring various definitions and types of risk. We then review different approaches proposed by different strands of research for addressing risk. Finally, we assess current knowledge and develop an amalgamated perspective for examining how risks can be addressed by classifying them into six general types of response (no response; prevention; control; precaution; toleration; and adaptation) as well as indicators to identify these responses. We argue that these strategies can function as a heuristic tool for decisionmakers in designing appropriate policies to cope with risks in decision‐making processes.

Unsustainable production and consumption patterns in China's metropolitan areas have resulted in ... more Unsustainable production and consumption patterns in China's metropolitan areas have resulted in an increase in the production of waste materials for which local governments have to find solutions, one of which is the construction of waste incineration power plants. These plans often meet resistance from residents who fear negative environmental impacts. This paper presents an in-depth study of how Chinese local governments responded to an environmental conflict regarding the construction of an incineration power plant in Panyu district, Guangzhou City, PRC, using a typology to identify and categorize these government responses. The empirical analysis shows that local governments engage in various new ways of dealing with these conflicts. The article aims to enhance insight into the response of Chinese local governments to these conflicts and provide building block for further research.

In recent years, governing environmental conflicts concerning the planning, construction, and ope... more In recent years, governing environmental conflicts concerning the planning, construction, and operation of urban facilities has increasingly become a challenge for Chinese local governments. Chinese governments seek adequate responses to deal with these conflicts, for instance by ignoring criticism and sticking to initial decisions, by suppressing protests, or by compromising. In this article, by analysing 10 cases of conflict in China using crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA), we aim to investigate which combinations of diverse conditions lead to changes in local governments' decisions. Four contextualized paths to explain both the presence and the absence of these changes are identified. These findings increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the gov-ernance of environmental conflicts in China and may inform Chinese governments and non-state actors who are seeking ways to deal adequately with them.

China's growing number of environmental conflicts represents a significant challenge to local gov... more China's growing number of environmental conflicts represents a significant challenge to local governments, who are charged with responding to, and resolving disputes. However, little is known about how these environmental conflicts are resolved. This article reports an in-depth case study concerning the construction of a waste incineration power plant in Liulitun, Beijing, which was strongly opposed by local residents. We argue that the Chinese state is responsive to the demands of citizens and continuously adjusts its strategies in resolving social conflicts. We first identify six different government strategies: go-alone, suppression, tension reduction, giving in, nonassisted negotiation , and mediation. Then, we distinguish six conditions that explain the application of government strategies: the nature of protests, the position of higher level governments, the stage of the project, the involvement of national mass media, the involvement of activists, and the occurrence of events. We find that local governments in Beijing changed their strategies from go-alone, to tension reduction, to giving in, and the six conditions identified are useful in explaining these changes.

With the increasing numbers of environmental conflicts in recent years, Chinese local governments... more With the increasing numbers of environmental conflicts in recent years,
Chinese local governments are deploying a variety of strategies to address them. Using the method of agreement and the method of difference, this article explores the question of why local governments adopt particular strategies during conflicts over the construction or operation of industrial facilities. The findings reveal that the position of higher-level governments, the costs involved in adapting projects and the threats posed by the form of protest to social stability are important conditions in explaining the differences in the patterns of government strategies. The authoritarian responsiveness that characterises
Chinese government strategies results in high political, economic and
environmental costs. The big challenge for Chinese governments is to develop policies, institutions and capacities to deal with environmental concerns in a more proactive and balanced way.