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From Eco-Civilization to City Branding: A Neo-Marxist Perspective of Sustainable Urbanization in China

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  • Martin de Jong

    (Erasmus School of Law & Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Postbus 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
    School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

Abstract

While the national discourse on ‘eco-civilization’ drives conceptual thinking on sustainable urban development in China, in practice a systematic implementation gap appears to exist when it comes to local implementation. This paper examines how the leakage occurring in the trajectory from central government ideas to municipal and district level construction projects can be explained. More specifically, it aims to spot whether it is merely the result of mismatches resulting from ineffective interactions among players in the policy process, institutional misalignment between policy goals and policy instruments, or even if the mobilization of bias in the policy process is systematic enough to justify a neo-Marxist explanation of the abovementioned implementation gap. I found two main sources of structural bias: capital accumulation in the mechanisms for urban development and power accumulation in the mechanisms underlying the administrative process.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin de Jong, 2019. "From Eco-Civilization to City Branding: A Neo-Marxist Perspective of Sustainable Urbanization in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:20:p:5608-:d:275563
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martin De Jong & Helen Stout & Li Sun, 2017. "Seeing the People’s Republic of China through the Eyes of Montesquieu: Why Sino-European Collaboration on Eco City Development Suffers from European Misinterpretations of “Good Governance”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-14, February.
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    6. Ms. Sonali Jain-Chandra & Niny Khor & Rui Mano & Johanna Schauer & Mr. Philippe Wingender & Juzhong Zhuang, 2018. "Inequality in China – Trends, Drivers and Policy Remedies," IMF Working Papers 2018/127, International Monetary Fund.
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    8. Shih, Victor & Adolph, Christopher & Liu, Mingxing, 2012. "Getting Ahead in the Communist Party: Explaining the Advancement of Central Committee Members in China," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 106(1), pages 166-187, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoping Zhou & Xiaotian Li & Wei Song & Xiangbin Kong & Xiao Lu, 2021. "Farmland Transitions in China: An Advocacy Coalition Approach," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-20, January.
    2. Yun Song & Dominic Stead & Martin de Jong, 2020. "New Town Development and Sustainable Transition under Urban Entrepreneurialism in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Xiamei Yao & Yuanyuan Chen & Qingyi Zhang & Zhongqiong Mou & Xiaojie Yao & Chun Ou, 2022. "Assessment of the Urban Expansion and Its Impact on the Eco-Environment—A Case Study of Hefei Municipal Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Zhaowen Liu & Martin de Jong & Fen Li & Nikki Brand & Marcel Hertogh & Liang Dong, 2020. "Towards Developing a New Model for Inclusive Cities in China—The Case of Xiong’an New Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-24, July.
    5. Michael Faure, 2020. "The Export of Ecological Civilization: Reflections from Law and Economics and Law and Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-19, December.

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