The Chongqing vs. Guangdong developmental ‘models’ in post-Mao China: regional and historical perspectives on the dynamics of socioeconomic change

Lim, Kean Fan; Horesh, Niv

Abstract

The Chinese political economy is a dynamic entity constituted by multiple developmental trajectories. Recent debates on two seemingly divergent ‘models’ in the subnational regions of Chongqing and Guangdong has foregrounded the potential contradictions of this dynamism. While existing research has attempted to evaluate these trajectories as outcomes of elite politics or ideological incommensurability, an overlooked but no less important aspect is the connections between these trajectories, Mao-era regulatory policies and the post-1978 system of reciprocal accountability. Synthesizing empirical materials from policy documents, academic commentaries, statistical data and interviews with planners from China, this paper provides a critical evaluation of these connections.

Citation

Lim, K. F., & Horesh, N. (2016). The Chongqing vs. Guangdong developmental ‘models’ in post-Mao China: regional and historical perspectives on the dynamics of socioeconomic change. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, https://doi.org/10.1080/13547860.2016.1263044

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 2, 2016
• Publication Date: Dec 14, 2016
• Deposit Date: Feb 14, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 14, 2017
• Journal: Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy
• Print ISSN: 1354-7860
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-9648
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13547860.2016.1263044
• Keywords: Chongqing, Guangdong, Development, China model, Socioeconomic change, Path-dependency
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/833655
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13547860.2016.1263044
• Additional Information: The Version of; Record of this manuscript has been published and is available in Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy 2016 http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13547860.2016.1263044