State Failure and Distorted Urbanisation in Post-Mao's China, 1993–2012

Description

This book examines failure in the urbanisation of Northwest China as a result of government industrial policies that have impacted on the economic development of the region. By looking at the under-researched provinces of Gansu, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia, which make up a quarter of China's territory, Zheng and Deng challenge the common story of China's miracle growth and reveal the dark side of the country’s pursuit of modernity. Severe weather conditions, chronic drought, permanent lack of oxygen and unforgiving terrain in the Northwest make farming, manufacture and services difficult simply because people tend not to stay. Yet, China’s current political system forces growth to take place even though basic conditions and prerequisites for market-based growth are missing. This volume analyses 'ghost cities' and social tension in the process of ‘forced urbanisation’ in which huge amount of resources are wasted, the local environment is systematically damaged and ordinary people’s basic rights are brutally violated in the name of higher GDP and greater government glory. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Introduction (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 1-11 Theoretical Foundation and Literature Review (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 13-23 Typical Cases in Northwest China (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 25-64 Understanding of China’s State and Market (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 65-85 Conundrum with Distorted Urbanisation (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 87-112 The Central Government and Its Goals (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 113-121 State-led Growth and Domestic Debts (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 123-133 Final Conclusions (Yazhuo Zheng, Kent Deng)....Pages 135-147 Back Matter ....Pages 149-182