Developmentalism Without a Playbook

Grassroots Government and the Rise of E-Commerce in Peri-Urban China

Bibliographic Data

ID24229293
AuthorsZheng Ling (Nankai University), Ning Guo (0000-0002-3233-1555, Tsinghua University), Xiao Ma (0000-0003-1318-3590, Peking University)
Year2026
Publication date2026-10-10
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueUrban Affairs Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1078-0874 • E-ISSN: 1552-8332
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/10780874261480564
OpenAlexW7221355424
LanguageEN
References cited57

This study examines how a grassroots government in peri-urban China facilitated the rise of e-commerce as a driver of local development. Drawing on a single-case study of L Town in X County, based on multi-year fieldwork and more than 100 interviews, we identify three stages through which the local state cultivated this nascent industry: understanding the market through surveys and experiential learning; assisting the market by promoting industrial clustering, strengthening human capital, and reducing costs; and planning market upgrades by cultivating regional brands and increasing product value. Our evidence further suggests that officials’ motivations extended beyond career advancement and fiscal incentives: concerns with social reputation and local visibility complemented material considerations. By tracing how a resource-poor township government promoted a frontier industry without an established governance playbook, this study extends the literature on local state entrepreneurialism and sheds light on state–market relations in China's rural e-commerce boom.

E-commerce · grassroots government · industrial clustering · Local Development · regional branding · rural e-commerce · state-market relations · township government · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Regional Development and Environment · Regional Development and Innovation

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