IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg/v27y1996i1p131-164.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Spatial Disparities and Economic Development in China, 1953‐92: A Comparative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Zhao Xiaobin

Abstract

It seems to be widely accepted that China's interior development during the Maoist period was based on ‘equality’ considerations, which narrowed Chinese regional disparities. By contrast, the recent coastal development during Deng's reform era has been coined as ‘uneven’ and ‘undesirable’, because it has created tremendous inequalities across the country. However, the findings of this study suggest that the question may not be that simple. This article examines the spatial disparities of economic development in China between 1953 and 1992, focusing on a time‐series comparison between the development policies of Mao and Deng, their outcomes and the resulting changes. By using provincial and regional economic and investment data, the article elaborates why Mao's interior development did not lead to a more equitable outcome than Deng's uneven strategy of’ east coastal development’. The findings provide an insight into some of the unexpected outcomes of more than forty years of socialist development, in the realm of economic growth and disparity.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Zhao Xiaobin, 1996. "Spatial Disparities and Economic Development in China, 1953‐92: A Comparative Study," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 27(1), pages 131-164, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:27:y:1996:i:1:p:131-164
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7660.1996.tb00581.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7660.1996.tb00581.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-7660.1996.tb00581.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lyons, Thomas P, 1991. "Interprovincial Disparities in China: Output and Consumption, 1952-1987," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(3), pages 471-506, April.
    2. Simon Xiaobin Zhao, 1994. "Reforms and Regional Inequality in China: 1953-89," China Report, , vol. 30(3), pages 331-343, August.
    3. Xiaobin Zhao & Li Zhang, 1995. "Urban Performance and the Control of Urban Size in China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 32(4-5), pages 813-846, May.
    4. T. R. Lakshmanan & Chang-i Hua, 1987. "Regional Disparities in China," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 11(1), pages 97-104, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Richard J. Smith & Sergio J. Rey, 2018. "Spatial approaches to measure subnational inequality: Implications for Sustainable Development Goals," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S2), pages 657-675, September.
    2. Sylvie Démurger & Jeffrey D. Sachs & Wing Thye Woo & Shuming Bao & Gene Chang & Andrew Mellinger, 2002. "Geography, Economic Policy, and Regional Development in China," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 1(1), pages 146-197.
    3. Yanrui Wu, 2000. "Income disparity and convergence in China's regional economies," Chapters, in: P. J. Lloyd & Xiao-guang Zhang (ed.), China in the Global Economy, chapter 15, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Lee, Jongchul, 2000. "Changes in the source of China's regional inequality," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 232-245.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kailei Wei & Shujie Yao & Aying Liu, 2008. "Foreign Direct Investment and Regional Inequality in China," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-94, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Sylvie Démurger & Jeffrey D. Sachs & Wing Thye Woo & Shuming Bao & Gene Chang & Andrew Mellinger, 2002. "Geography, Economic Policy, and Regional Development in China," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 1(1), pages 146-197.
    3. Wan, Guang Hua, 2005. "Convergence in food consumption in Rural China: Evidence from household survey data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 90-102.
    4. Song, Yang, 2013. "Rising Chinese regional income inequality: The role of fiscal decentralization," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 294-309.
    5. Máximo Torero & Javier Escobal, 2000. "Does Geography Explain Differences in Economic Growth in Peru?," Research Department Publications 3103, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    6. Kailei Wei & Shujie Yao & Aying Liu, 2007. "Foreign direct investment and regional inequality in China," Discussion Papers 07/32, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    7. Rong Sheng & Shi Lin Liu, 2018. "Evolution on regional disparities in China from 2000 to 2012: evidence from 74 cities within three mega-urban regions along Yangtze River," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(5), pages 1989-2006, September.
    8. Wan, Guang Hua, 2001. "Changes in regional inequality in rural China: decomposing the Gini index by income sources," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 45(3), pages 1-21.
    9. Kanbur, Ravi & Zhang, Xiao-Bo, 1998. "Which Regional Inequality? The Evolution of Rural-Urban and Inland-Coastal Inequality in China, 1983-1995," Working Papers 179359, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    10. Cheong, Tsun Se & Wu, Yanrui, 2013. "Regional disparity, transitional dynamics and convergence in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-14.
    11. Zhang, Xiaobo & Kanbur, Ravi, 2005. "Spatial inequality in education and health care in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 189-204.
    12. Liu, Wen-Chi, 2013. "Reexamining the income inequality in China: Evidence from sequential panel selection method," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 37-42.
    13. Chang, Gene Hsin & Brada, Josef C., 2006. "The paradox of China's growing under-urbanization," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 24-40, March.
    14. Alexandra SCHAFFAR, 2008. "Regional Income Inequality And Urbanisation Trends In China: 1978-2005," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 28, pages 87-110.
    15. Nong Zhu, 2002. "Impact des écarts de revenu sur les décisions de migration en Chine," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 10(3), pages 135-158.
    16. Shankar, Raja & Shah, Anwar, 2003. "Bridging the Economic Divide Within Countries: A Scorecard on the Performance of Regional Policies in Reducing Regional Income Disparities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 1421-1441, August.
    17. Ravi Kanbur & Xiaobo Zhang, 2005. "Fifty Years of Regional Inequality in China: a Journey Through Central Planning, Reform, and Openness," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), pages 87-106, February.
    18. Rui Hao & Zheng Wei, 2010. "Fundamental causes of inland–coastal income inequality in post-reform China," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 45(1), pages 181-206, August.
    19. Kanbur, Ravi & Zhang, Xiaobo, 1999. "Which Regional Inequality? The Evolution of Rural-Urban and Inland-Coastal Inequality in China from 1983 to 1995," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 686-701, December.
    20. Lee, Jongchul, 2000. "Changes in the source of China's regional inequality," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 232-245.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:27:y:1996:i:1:p:131-164. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0012-155X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.