An analysis of dual-track urbanisation in the Pearl River Delta since 1980

This paper argues that the Chinese pattern of urbanisation since 1978 is distinguished by dual-track urbanisation - state-sponsored urbanisation and spontaneous urbanisation, and that both tracks contribute significantly to the transformation of the spatial pattern of urbanisation. The Pearl River Delta region is chosen for a detailed analysis of the dual-track urbanisation in post-reform China. It is found that special economic zone (SEZ) cities are leading both state-sponsored and spontaneous urbanisation in the region, which is different from either large city or small town-based urbanisation advocated in the literature. Multivariate statistical analysis shows that factors affecting the two tracks of urbanisation are different and have changed over time. The level of economic development has an important impact on the level of the state-sponsored urbanisation, but is not significant to spontaneous urbanisation. Areas with fewer state owned enterprises (SOEs) have a higher level of spontaneous urbanisation. The non-state sector also became more important in the state-sponsored urbanisation of the 1990s. Copyright (c) 2003 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.

Regional Inequality in China: A Case Study of Zhejiang Province

Most studies on regional inequality in China are based on macro regions and provinces. Studies on intraprovincial inequality remain limited, although there is a growing literature on Guangdong and Jiangsu. Zhejiang is a leading coastal province of China experiencing rapid economic growth and has been known for its Wenzhou model of development based on private enterprises. This paper uses time-series county data to examine regional inequalities in Zhejiang from 1952 to 1998, with a focus on the reform period of 1978-98. We find that intermunicipal and intercounty inequalities in Zhejiang increased substantially, and overall inequality also increased, especially in the 1990s when more radical market reforms were implemented. While cities like Hangzhou and Ningbo have maintained their higher level of wealth, some counties, particularly coastal counties in municipalities like Wenzhou and Taizhou, have recorded dramatic growth, centred on private enterprises. However, municipalities such as Quzhou, which were favoured by Mao's industrialisation policy, recorded slower growth, as did the traditionally poorer municipalities. We have analysed the role of localities, the state, and globalisation in the changing patterns of regional development in Zhejiang, with an emphasis on local agents of development. Copyright (c) 2004 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.

Local developmental state and order in China's urban development during transition

10.1111/j.0309-1317.2004.00527.xInternational Journal of Urban and Regional Research282424-44

Chinese housing reform in state-owned enterprises and its impacts on different social groups

Housing change has been a major part of urban social and economic reform in China. Earlier research and literature on housing policy focused largely on changes which affected office workers employed by government departments and professional institutions. Relatively little attention has been given to the examination of housing reform practice in state-owned enterprises. This paper aims to enhance our understanding of the social impacts of housing reform in China. It reports findings from fieldwork carried out in four large cities; highlights the different approaches adopted by state-owned enterprises; and assesses their impacts on different categories of employees

Local capitalisms, local citizenship and translocality: Rescaling from below in the Pearl River Delta Region, China

Chinese economic reforms have profoundly changed the scale at which things get done. Much of the existing literature on scale has concentrated on the politics of rescaling from above. Less has been written about rescaling initiatives from below, the focus of this study. It distinguishes three important localisms. Local capitalisms treats capitalism as subordinate to local social and political processes that provide crucial conditions of existence. Local citizenship sees processes of entitlement and exclusion as accomplished locally rather than through national frameworks. Translocality describes the ways in which claims are made on the loyalties of those possessing capital but residing elsewhere and the promotion of the place through image-building and physical/social infrastructural enhancements. These three distinct localisms overlap and interact in a variety of ways to shape a new social and spatial order in post-reform China. A detailed study of the practices of localism in the Dongguan city-region reveals the ways in which the emergence of capitalism has been dependent on pre-existing social connections and based on villages and townships. The entitlements of citizenship are polarized between the local hukou population and the migrant workers irrespective of the national definition of social safety net and regardless of the physical presence of the individuals. © 2007 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2007 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.link_to_subscribed_fulltex