IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/tvecsg/v100y2009i1p59-80.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Beyond Convergence: Space, Scale, And Regional Inequality In China

Author

Listed:
  • Y.H. DENNIS WEI
  • XINYUE YE

Abstract

Since the late 1980s there has been a renewed interest in regional inequality, fuelled by the concern over the effects of globalisation and liberalisation, and facilitated by theoretical and methodological developments in geography and economics. In essence, the new convergence theory, like the old convergence theory, is another theory devoid of space and time. Research on China has unfolded a complex landscape of regional development, the existence of distinct models of regional development, and the significant role of institutions. This paper examines regional inequality in China, especially Zhejiang Province, and attempts to uncover the trend and driving forces of regional inequality. It adopts a top‐down and bottom‐up strategy and employs recent developments in exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and geographically weighted regression (GWR). We have found that regional inequality is sensitive to geographic scales and spatial organisation, and that conventional approaches mask spatial agglomeration and the significance of regions in shaping trends of regional inequality. Overall, regional inequality in Zhejiang rose during the reform period and a division between coastal and interior Zhejiang formed, additionally sustained by weak linkages between the two regions and the significance of location and nonstate enterprises in development. This paper further reveals the emergence of Wenzhou, and discusses its effect on regional inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Y.H. Dennis Wei & Xinyue Ye, 2009. "Beyond Convergence: Space, Scale, And Regional Inequality In China," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 100(1), pages 59-80, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:100:y:2009:i:1:p:59-80
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00507.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00507.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-9663.2009.00507.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. Donggen Wang & Li Zhang, 2003. "Knowledge Disparity and Regional Inequality in Post-reform China," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 383-400.
    2. Anderson, Edward, 2005. "Openness and inequality in developing countries: A review of theory and recent evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1045-1063, July.
    3. Long Gen Ying, 2003. "Understanding China’s recent growth experience: A spatial econometric perspective," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 37(4), pages 613-628, December.
    4. Robert J. Barro & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1991. "Convergence across States and Regions," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(1), pages 107-182.
    5. Max Lu & Enru Wang, 2002. "Forging Ahead and Falling Behind: Changing Regional Inequalities in Post‐reform China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1), pages 42-71.
    6. Y. D. Wei & S. Kim, 2002. "Widening Inter-County Inequality in Jiangsu Province, China, 1950-95," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(6), pages 142-164.
    7. Yehua Dennis Wei & Xinyue Ye, 2004. "Regional Inequality in China: A Case Study of Zhejiang Province," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 95(1), pages 44-60, February.
    8. Antonio J. Mora & Esther Vayá & Jordi Suriñach & Enrique López-Bazo, 1999. "original: Regional economic dynamics and convergence in the European Union," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 33(3), pages 343-370.
    9. William Alonso, 1980. "Five Bell Shapes In Development," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 5-16, January.
    10. Barro, Robert J & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1992. "Convergence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(2), pages 223-251, April.
    11. Sergio Rey & Brett Montouri, 1999. "US Regional Income Convergence: A Spatial Econometric Perspective," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 143-156.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Rey, Sergio, 2015. "Bells in Space: The Spatial Dynamics of US Interpersonal and Interregional Income Inequality," MPRA Paper 69482, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Cheong, Tsun Se & Wu, Yanrui, 2018. "Convergence and transitional dynamics of China's industrial output: A county-level study using a new framework of distribution dynamics analysis," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 125-138.
    3. Julie Le Gallo, 2004. "Space-Time Analysis of GDP Disparities among European Regions: A Markov Chains Approach," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 27(2), pages 138-163, April.
    4. Cem Ertur & Julie Le Gallo & Catherine Baumont, 2006. "The European Regional Convergence Process, 1980-1995: Do Spatial Regimes and Spatial Dependence Matter?," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 29(1), pages 3-34, January.
    5. Mendieta Muñoz, Rodrigo & Pontarollo, Nicola, 2015. "Cantonal Convergence in Ecuador: A Spatial Econometric Perspective," MPRA Paper 68399, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. M. Simona Andreano & Roberto Benedetti & Paolo Postiglione, 2017. "Spatial regimes in regional European growth: an iterated spatially weighted regression approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2665-2684, November.
    7. Robert Stimson & Roger R. Stough & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), 2011. "Endogenous Regional Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14154.
    8. Up Lim, 2016. "Regional income club convergence in US BEA economic areas: a spatial switching regression approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 273-294, January.
    9. Maarten Bosker, 2009. "The spatial evolution of regional GDP disparities in the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ Europe," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 88(1), pages 3-27, March.
    10. Magrini, Stefano, 2004. "Regional (di)convergence," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: J. V. Henderson & J. F. Thisse (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 62, pages 2741-2796, Elsevier.
    11. Carlo Ciccarelli & Stefano Fachin, 2017. "Regional growth with spatial dependence: A case study on early Italian industrialization," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(4), pages 675-695, November.
    12. Up Lim, 2016. "Regional income club convergence in US BEA economic areas: a spatial switching regression approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 273-294, January.
    13. Roberta Capello & Peter Nijkamp, 2011. "Regional Growth and Development Theories Revisited," Chapters, in: Robert Stimson & Roger R. Stough & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), Endogenous Regional Development, chapter 15, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Sergio J. Rey, 2001. "Spatial Analysis of Regional Income Inequality," Urban/Regional 0110002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Sergio J. Rey & Mark V. Janikas, 2005. "Regional convergence, inequality, and space," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(2), pages 155-176, April.
    16. Michael Beenstock & Daniel Felsenstein, 2003. "Decomposing the Dynamics of Regional Earnings Disparities in Israel," ERSA conference papers ersa03p90, European Regional Science Association.
    17. Olajide, Victor, 2015. "An examination of inter-regional spillover effects of macroeconomic policies in Nigeria," MPRA Paper 69242, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Hasan Engin DURAN, 2015. "Non-Linear Regional Income Divergence And Policies: Turkey Case," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(2), pages 107-114, December.
    19. Fernando Mayoral & Carlos Garcimartín, 2013. "The impact of population on the reduction of steady-state disparities across Spanish regions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 50(1), pages 49-69, February.
    20. Alberto Díaz Dapena & Esteban Fernández Vázquez & Rafael Garduño Rivera & Fernando Rubiera Morollón, 2015. "Does Trade Imply Convergence? Analyzing The Effect of NAFTA on The Local Convergence in Mexico," Working Papers DTE 591, CIDE, División de Economía.

    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:tvecsg:v:100:y:2009:i:1:p:59-80. 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=0040-747X .

    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.