Local government, enterprises and individuals: Economic transformation in the pearl river delta |
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Authors: | De-sheng Xue Xiao-pei Yan Graham Johnson |
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Institution: | (1) Center for Urban and Regional Studies, Zhongshan University, 510275 Guangzhou, P. R. China;(2) Center for Chinese Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C., Canada |
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Abstract: | The Pearl River (Zhujiang) Delta (PRD) has been a focal point in reform era academic circles not only for its dramatic industrial
growth but also the simultaneous agricultural development. Unlike most of existing research on the PRD economic development
and transformation from the whole region level, this paper explored this question from the perspective of a township using
Beijiao in Shunde City as a case study. Unlike the conclusions of existing studies which attribute the regional economic transition
to the macro factors, particularly the influence of external investment, this research reveals that at the level of township,
the local government, the town-village owned enterprises and the individuals have been playing remarkable roles in local economic
transformation. In the early stage since the economic reform, Beijiao township government, replacing the central and provincial
governments before, began to manipulate the development of town-village owned enterprises and lead the local economic transformation
from agricultural to industrial dominated. As the town-village owned enterprises grew during the later years, they gradually
acted as the main dominant player leading the local agricultural and industrial growth. At the same time the individuals in
Beijiao were playing more independent role to gain their most profits. While the local government changed to be the real manager
of local economies. So the local economic transition was not entirely externally driven. In another word, the “driven from
outside” model can not totally explain the economic fact in this specific region.
Foundation item: Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 49801006) and Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) Project
Biography: XUE De-sheng (1969 — ), male, a native of Shanxi Province, Ph. D. of Zhongshan University, Post-Ph. D. of the University
of British Columbia and the University of Montreal, associate professor of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies, the
Center for Transport Research, Zhongshan University. His Research interests include industrial geography, urban geography
and urban planning. |
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Keywords: | economic transformation local government enterprise individual |
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