With the rise of tourism geopolitics research,tourism territorialization studies have received increasing attention in recent years. However, existing studies largely rely on specific case analyses and lack systematic theoretical exploration of the mechanisms through which tourism influences territorial processes and produces territorial effects. To address this gap, this article draws on performativity theory to construct a mechanism-based explanatory framework of tourism-performativity-territory, clarifying how tourism affects territorial processes and generates territorial effects. The article de-essentializes territory and argues that tourism is an everyday performative force shaping territorialization.Repetition and citationality are the main mechanisms through which performances produce territorial effects. Diverse actors in complex territorial relational networks continuously cite dominant power norms, repeatedly implement exclusionary, bordering and differentiating performances in tourism practices, and sustainably accumulate facts of ownership and control over time and space, thereby gradually “doing” the power-space effect of territory through long-term accumulation. However, because the structure of territorial networks, multi-actor interactions, and the market logic of tourism affect the implementation and sustainability of specific territorial performances, tourism-induced territorial effects are dynamic and uncertain, requiring continuous maintenance after their generation. The theoretical discussion in this article contributes to research on tourism territorialization, tourism geopolitics, and performativity, and helps enrich academic explanations at the mechanistic level of territorialization.

Tourism territorialization is a key concept for exploring the question of “how power is deployed in tourism space.” If territorialization can be broadly categorized into “deployment territorialization” and “performative territorialization,” then A Performativity Perspective on the Mechanism of Tourism territorialization offers an important exploration of the mechanisms of performative territorialization within the tourism system. Furthermore, the article holds potential contributions for deepening reflections on the distinction between individual territoriality and group/social territoriality, as well as their interconnections, and on the territoriality displayed by different types of tourists in various tourism contexts. Additionally, the performativity theory adopted in the article adds value to expanding perspectives on territoriality research in human geography. Moving forward, research on this theme could consider adopting a tourism systems perspective to expand the connotations and extensions of tourism territorialization, strengthen the analysis of mechanisms related to scale linkage and scale effects, pay attention to the issue of power symmetry among various actors, and, in light of the complexity and diversity of tourism contexts, integrate relevant theories to construct a more comprehensive theoretical spectrum of tourism territorialization.

The discussion by Yan Huang et al. of tourism territorialization from a performativity perspective not only significantly expands research on tourism geography and tourism geopolitics, but also offers valuable insights for into the concept of territory and the theory of territorialization. However, the paper still leaves room for improvement in explaining the specific mechanisms through which performance,tourism, and territoriality are interrelated, as well as in constructing a unified, multi-scalar explanatory framework. Furthermore, because the study primarily takes tourism as its departure point, its theoretical discussion of territorialization is insufficiently developed. To address these limitations, this paper, on the one hand, attempts to supplement several potential mechanisms through which performance drives territorialization. On the other hand, by focusing primarily on deepening understanding of the concept and theory of territory, this paper argues for moving beyond a performativity-based perspective and understanding territory and territorialization through the more fundamental lens of governmentality. As a governing mode or instrument, territory is conditioned by visibility and calculation, and exhibits strategic, variable characteristics shaped by cost-benefit analysis of openness versus closure. While fundamentally subtle enough to incorporate the performativity perspective, the governmentality approach extends the conceptualization of territory and theoretical interpretations of territorialization toward a more universal horizon, thereby better facilitating our understanding of territory as both a technology and an effect.

With the deepening of the “spatial turn” in the social sciences and the advent of the “post-secular society”, traditional secular theories of territoriality based purely on resource allocation and instrumental rationality are increasingly inadequate to fully explain the spatial defenses driven by emotional mobilization and absolute exclusionary taboos in contemporary society. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a genealogical review and systematic reconstruction of the concept of “Sacred Territoriality” by integrating secular spatial control with sacred meaning experience. Breaking through the rigid traditional “sacred-profane dichotomy”, this study explores the mutually nested logic of sacred territoriality and secular territoriality in the post-secular context and the situational elasticity in Chinese local practices. On this basis, it maps the typological genealogy of sacred territoriality across multiple legitimacy origins and topological scales. It uses the “national cemetery” as a typical case to dissect the dynamic spatial practice process of sacred territoriality from implicit to explicit. It is found that: (1) Conceptually, sacred and secular territorialities are not absolutely opposed; rather, they present a mutually nested and dynamically intertwined symbiotic logic in the post-secular society, highlighting a highly inclusive “situational elasticity” in Chinese localized spatial practices. (2) In terms of scale genealogy, sacred territoriality establishes a multidimensional topological scalar system encompassing origins in native faith, political citizenship, and secular subcultures, spanning from the micro-body and meso-place to macro-networks and the virtual cyber dimension. (3) Regarding the construction mechanism, sacred spaces are not a priori existing but are continuously produced and maintained through a triadic spatial practice logic: “narrative construction, ritual practice, and boundary governance”. This research expands the analytical dimensions of territoriality theory, offering a novel framework for decoding complex contemporary geopolitical conflicts, the spatial reconstruction of national identity, and grassroots cultural governance in the digital age.

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex South China Sea sovereignty disputes, relying solely on territorial claims or legal positions cannot fully explain the real logic of state behavior. This paper, based on the perspectives of “effective sovereignty” and “territorialization” in political geography, this paper systematically analyzes Malaysia’s territorialization process and strategies in the South China Sea. The research finds that Malaysia has not relied on high-intensity military confrontation or radical claims, but has transformed abstract sovereignty into operational spatial practices through island and reef construction, scientific research and tourism development, routine maritime law enforcement, blue economy development, and an institutionalized legal system. In this territorialization process, state authority has been embedded in administrative, economic, and ecological governance in a low-key, gradual manner. It has formed symbolic power through multi-language public opinion and cultural narratives, achieving both domestic ethnic integration and international image building. Malaysia’s practice of effective sovereignty demonstrates that medium-sized and small countries can maintain low-conflict and sustainable sovereignty operations in complex maritime disputes through multi-dimensional governance strategies that combine substantive and symbolic measures. This paper deepens understanding of the coupling between effective sovereignty construction and territorialization strategies in the South China Sea, systematically reveals the behavioral patterns of regional countries challenging China in the South China Sea, and provides a more moreprecise foundation for advancing China’s rights-protection actions in the region.

Political geographers have provided critical perspectives for deconstructing contemporary environmental crises. However, existing literature remains fragmented, necessitating systematic synthesis. Focusing on environmental studies in political geography, this paper conducts a scoping review of literature published in leading Chinese-and English-language geography journals, and aims to present major research themes and debates in the field. It conceptualizes the environment as a strategically contested object within the global system, an institutionally governed object at the national scale, and an arena of contestation and repoliticization in local politics. In doing so, it shows how different actors repeatedly redefine environmental elements across multiple scales, repositioning the environment from a material backdrop to an analytical object endowed with agency and political significance. The main findings are as follows: (1) At the global level, the contestation over discursive rules in climate negotiations, together with the territorial reconfiguration of critical resources, has collectively reshaped the North-South power structure. (2) At the national governance level, spatial politics and politics of visibility are mutually embedded, translating global pressures into differentiated governance realities and producing new inequalities between protection and sacrifice, as well as between the visible and the invisible. (3) At the local practice level, environmental politics exhibits a dual dynamic in which top-down structures are implemented and grounded while bottom-up contestation simultaneously emerges. The paper concludes that political geography’s contribution to environmental studies lies in its ability to grasp the structural roots of environmental crises through the interplay of power, justice, and spatiotemporality. It calls for future research to deepen the Sinicization of Western theories and to advance the application of interdisciplinary mixed-methods approaches.

Emotion has long been an enduring and indispensable element in shaping global geopolitical dynamics, and in recent years it has become a major focus in the fields of political geography and international relations both in China and abroad. Affective geopolitics emphasizes everyday life and grassroots discourse, advocating the use of micro-level affective analysis to build connections between individuals and geopolitical processes. Building on recent geopolitical studies of humor, this article takes English-language stand-up comedy as its research object and examines the geopolitical discourses and affective engagements related to China embedded within it. The findings are as follows: (1) As an art form situated within specific national and geopolitical contexts, comedy can hardly escape the influence of mainstream discourses. Its content often involves dominant narratives about China in the English-speaking world, which primarily center on three themes: the debt-trap, trade imbalance, and the New Cold War. (2) As an endogenous form of differential narrative within Western societies, stand-up comedy is characterized by its critiques of Western socio-political landscapes. Through everyday perspectives and humorous expression, it offers a critical deconstruction of Western-dominated geopolitical discourses on China, constituting a decentered discursive practice that, to some extent, dissolves the Western-dominated narrative logic concerning China. (3) Such decentered discursive practices arise from the cognitive-affective interplay. They rely on the shared experiences and cognition between performers and audiences, using humor as an artistic form to triggers embodied responses and affective resonance, thereby establishing a critical political space co-created by performers and audiences. Distinct from certain Western geopolitical scholarship that highlights the subversive political potential of humor, this study demonstrates that humor embedded in everyday life possesses a duality, both reinforcing and subverting mainstream political discourses, thus revealing its ambivalent and de-structuring power.

As a key platform for academic exchanges, international conferences offer vital access to disciplinary frontiers. Amid the ongoing reshaping of global geopolitical landscapes, geopolitical issues have attracted widespread scholarly attention. This paper examines the Pre-conference and Annual Meeting of the Political Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) 2025. Based on on-site conference observation and manual content analysis, it examines the sessions and presentations concerning geopolitics at the conferences. The results indicate that geopolitics has become an interdisciplinary research field beyond political geography, with China drawing notably greater academic attention than other regions. Conference discussions fall into five major themes: traditional geopolitics, critical geopolitics, geopolitical economy, energy and environmental geopolitics, and the theoretical construction of geopolitics. While research generally follows established paradigms, it has generated diverse new analytical perspectives, driven primarily by shifts in the international landscape and advances in digital technologies. For the sake of national security and sovereignty, Chinese scholars are advised to take two approaches. First, actively develop a non-Western geopolitical knowledge system to break Western discourse dominance. Second, deliver timely and robust empirical refutations against biased interpretations of China on core issues including territory, borders and infrastructure development. By clarifying academic stances, scholars can leverage professional expertise to safeguard China’s core national interests.

Urban black-odor water pollution seriously affects the city image and residents’ production and living, making effective monitoring and treatment of urban black-odor water bodies an urgent problem. This study selected the Chebei Creek and Yonghe River as experimental black-odor water bodies, and Huanglongdai Reservoir as a reference for normal water bodies. A total of 56 samples were collected for key black-odor water quality indicators: dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), and total suspended solids (TSS), along with synchronized ground spectral data. By analyzing the optical characteristics of urban black-odor water bodies at different pollution levels,we revealed the remote sensing response mechanism. Based on this, we excluded 4 samples with excessively high TSS concentrations, leaving 52 valid measurement samples. We randonly selected 35 sample data to calculate the correlation between key water quality indicators and spectral characteristics. We selected optimal bands and band combinations to construct quantitative inversion models for key water quality indicators of black-odor water bodies, and used the remaining 17 independent samples to evaluate model accuracy. The results indicate that: (1) The unique spectral characteristics of urban black-odor water bodies in the 550‒580 nm band were identified, and it was clarified that ρ(TSS) > 100mg/L can be used as the applicable threshold for remote sensingidentification of black-odorwater bodies. (2) The spectral response patterns of key water quality indicators for black-odor water bodies were elucidated, determining that the optimal band combination for the five pollution indicators is SR (580 nm, 650 nm). In contrast, the optimal band combination for DO alone was SR (650 nm, 750 nm). (3) High-precision inversion models were constructed, with pollution indicator models achieving R² > 0.85 and the DO model achieving R²=0.958. Furthermore, the models are adaptable to the Landsat 8 OLI sensor, which is significance for remote sensing monitoring of black-odor water bodies from a spatially and temporally continuous perspective, providing important reference for the protection and treatment of black-odor water bodies.

Fully grasping and understanding the spatial patterns and influencing factors of interprovincial population migration in China is crucial for promoting high-quality population development and optimizing regional development policies. Using micro-level datasets from population censuses and sample surveys, this study adopts migration rate indicators and the gravity model. It incorporates policy variables from the coordinated regional development strategy into the analytical framework of influencing factors. It systematically analyzes the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of interprovincial population migration patterns in China from 1985 to 2020. The research results indicate that: (1) After an initial phase with a small scale and concentrated distribution, interprovincial migration in China saw continuous growth in its total volume, peaked at 57.5852 million in 2005-2010, and then declined but remained at a high level, thus entering a new stage featuring a substantial increase in migration scale and intensity and an increasingly balanced regional distribution. (2) A pivotal transition in China’s interprovincial population migration pattern emerged around 2010. Specifically, in-migration intensity in the eastern region gradually slowed, out-migration pressure in the central region was moderately alleviated, and the western region showed a dual-differentiation trend between the southwest and border areas. The northeastern region witnessed a continuous intensification of population outflow. Overall, the national migration pattern evolved from unbalanced concentration to relative balance amid diffusion. (3) Although the migration network is still dominated by a unidirectional migration trend from western to eastern regions and from economically less developed to developed areas, emerging characteristics have become increasingly prominent, including a more balanced in-migration distribution in coastal provinces, two-way flows between different regions, and multi-directional interactive migration within regional areas. (4) In terms of influencing factors, the positive effect of social networks has remained stable while slightly increasing; the explanatory power of traditional gravity model factors has gradually weakened, and the impacts of economic development level, employment opportunities and amenity factors in destination areas have been continuously enhanced. The coordinated regional development strategy has produced a significant short-term policy stimulus effect, while its long-term effects remain to be tested. The evolution of interprovincial migration patterns shows distinct stage-specific and regional differences. In response to new trends featuring a polycentric migration pattern, enhanced two-way flows, and dual drivers of economic and amenity factors, implement differentiated regulatory strategies to promote orderly population mobility and coordinated regional development.

This study retrieves literature on interdisciplinary geography teaching in middle schools from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database for 2015—2024. Using CiteSpace, we analyze publication volume, authors, and institutions, and conduct co-occurrence, timeline, clustering, and burst-detection analyses of keywords, generating corresponding knowledge maps. The findings are as follows: (1) The annual number of publications in this field has shown a steady upward trend. (2) The author collaboration network is characterized by a “mostly dispersed, few concentrated” pattern, and a core group of authors has yet to emerge. (3) University theses dominate research institutions, whereas publications by middle school teachers remain relatively limited. (4) Research topics are diverse, with current foci on “high school geography,” “junior high school geography,” “interdisciplinary teaching,” “instructional design,” “teaching strategies,” and “core competencies.” Future research should pay greater attention to interdisciplinary teaching theories, core competencies, big ideas, and project-based learning to further deepen interdisciplinary geography teaching in secondary education.