China – Politics and Policy

Whether it is the ongoing trade war between the US and the People’s Republic of China, geopolitical tensions and conflicts all over the world – including the Taiwan strait – or extreme weathers like heat waves currently occurring in many world regions: all of these issues have in common that nowadays there is no issue of global relevance in which China is not involved in one way or another. Today, China is still producing about one-third of global carbon emissions. However, China is also globally leading in the development, production, and establishment of climate-friendly technologies such as solar energy panels and electric vehicles. China is thus one of the key players in addressing humanity’s greatest challenge in the coming decades. Both reducing and addressing global warming. These and other issues of great topicality and global relevance are therefore the main focus of our special issue “China – Politics and Policy”.

Statistics, Politics and Policy invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to the study of Chinese politics and policy. We welcome contributions from political science, statistics, sociology, economics, law, and related fields that address one or more of the following areas:

1. Climate and Energy Policy
China's role in the global energy transition and its focus on renewable energy production and storage capacities. Our focus includes the political aspect of the production and refinement of rare earth minerals and the corresponding facilities. It also includes China’s role in global climate politics.

2. Digital and AI Policy
China’s political efforts in the realm of digital and AI policy in recent years. This focus includes subtopics like the state-backed digitalization of China’s economy and administration, as well as governmental support for digital enterprises in general and ‘unicorns’ in particular.

3. Economic Policy and Infrastructure Development
China’s economic policies on the national, regional, and local level, covering industrial policy, agricultural policy or urban planning policy. This focus also includes infrastructure development, e.g., China’s high-speed rail network.

4. Demoraphics
China's imminent demographic crisis, its impact on national development, social security and retirement systems, and regional development policies. Impact of political action to decrease fertility in the past and increase fertility in the future.

5. Media and Internet Policy
China’s media and internet policy, which aims to guide public opinion in the interest of the Chinese party-state, including the realm of social media (WeChat, Red Note, TikTok etc.).

6. Lifestyle Governance
China’s political efforts to exert influence on its people’s (consumption) behaviour and lifestyle decisions, e.g., the promotion of certain industries in the realms tourism, entertainment, and sports.

7. (Geo-)political Influence and Military Capabilities
China’s growing influence and reach in the Indo-Pacific region and its great power competition with the US. China’s increasing military capabilities and its military spending. China’s increasing influence within international organizations such as the United Nations.

Submission Guidelines
We invite both theoretical and empirical papers, as well as case studies and comparative analyses. Submissions should be original and not under review elsewhere. Papers should follow the formatting guidelines of Statistics, Politics and Policy and be submitted through the journal’s mc.manuscriptcentral.com/dgspp platform

For further inquiries, please contact the Editorial Office (spp(at)politik.uni-freiburg.de).

includes a financial incentive of 500 USD. Manuscripts should be submitted by January 16th, 2026.

CfP (PDF)