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Beyond the Sunan Model: Trajectory and Underlying Factors of Development in Kunshan, China

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  • Yehua Dennis Wei

    (Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA)

Abstract

Since the launch of economic reforms in the late 1970s, some cities and regions in China have been growing much faster than others, stimulating scholarly research on the forces underlying uneven development. This paper, through a case study of the emergence of Kunshan in southern Jiangsu (Sunan), shows that the orthodox Sunan model centered on the development of township and village enterprises (TVEs) has become inadequate to account for the recent development and restructuring in Sunan. I argue that spatial development in China is a complicated process incorporating the role of the state, local development conditions, and foreign investment. Moreover, there are strong geographical foundations for the functioning of local states. The arguments are particularly relevant to the transitional nature of provincial China, where the state still plays a significant role in development while local and global forces have emerged as equally important forces.

Suggested Citation

  • Yehua Dennis Wei, 2002. "Beyond the Sunan Model: Trajectory and Underlying Factors of Development in Kunshan, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(10), pages 1725-1747, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:34:y:2002:i:10:p:1725-1747
    DOI: 10.1068/a3567
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Brohman, 1996. "Postwar Development in the Asian NICs: Does the Neoliberal Model Fit Reality?," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(2), pages 107-130, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ling Zhang & Yehua Dennis Wei & Ran Meng, 2017. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Spatial Determinants of Urban Growth in Suzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-22, March.
    2. Yuan Yuan & Hongbo Li & Xiaolin Zhang & Xiaoliang Hu & Yahua Wang, 2019. "Emerging Location-Based Service Data on Perceiving and Measuring Multifunctionality of Rural Space: A Study of Suzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Canfei He & Qi Guo & David Rigby, 2017. "What sustains larger firms? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing industries," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 58(2), pages 275-300, March.
    4. Elvis Cheng Xu, 2019. "Impacts of Urbanisation on Trust: Evidence from an Experiment in the Field," Discussion Papers 2019-10, The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham.
    5. 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.
    6. Shen, Xiaoxiao & Tsai, Kellee S., 2016. "Institutional Adaptability in China: Local Developmental Models Under Changing Economic Conditions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 107-127.

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