China's widening economic disparities and its ‘Go West Program’

Bibliographic Data

ID12423311
AuthorsWuu‐Long Lin (corresponding author), Thomas P Chen
Year2004
Volume13
Issue41
Pages663-686
Publication date2004-11-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Contemporary China (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1067-0564 • E-ISSN: 1469-9400
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1067056042000281422
OpenAlexW2156110048
LanguageEN
Citations received6

This paper analyzes the serious widening of economic disparities in China during the last two decades. The economic disparities indicate that there is a substantially lower standard of living, and lower economic activity in the western region of China as compared with the eastern region. The causes of these disparities include a wide range of factors: geographical differences; government policies that address market distortions; preferential treatment that favors the eastern coastal areas; and an imbalance in China's industrial structure. To avoid further deterioration and a further widening of the disparities, Chinese leaders have embarked on the so‐called 'Go West Program'. By adopting the node–axle theory, this study recommends that selected areas in the western region be considered as pilot nodes for this development, with each node networked to other axles for further development. The government's policy declaration on the 'Go West Program' should not lead one to be overly optimistic about this program. Evaluations of investment prospects in western China should take into consideration the constraints inherited by the western regions: a weak legal system, local government inefficiency, and inferior infrastructure and labor quality

Business · China · Declaration · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Government (linguistics · Inefficiency · Investment (military · Market economy · Political science · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis · Social Capital and Networks

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