Basic Processes of Regional Economic Development in China

The role and status of regional economies in the national economy is very prominent in China, a developing country with a vast territory and very large population. In both theory and practice, it is very important to explore regional economic development in that country. This chapter describes, analyzes and predicts the processes involved, focusing on the period since 1978. Three basic processes are highlighted namely shift in the growth centre from North to South China since 1978; the industrial geographical division, concentrated in the areas along the coastal and Yangtze river areas, which came into being after 1978; and a shift in national regional economic policies from a balance strategy during 1949–78 to an imbalance strategy during 1979–90, and then to an integrated development strategy since 1990. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.