Toward Balanced Growth with Economic Agglomeration

This book explains the relationships between equality and efficiency, as well as between government and market, in urban-rural and regional development by providing theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence. Urban-rural development in China is understood from a regional perspective, while the core issue of urban-rural and regional development is cross-regional resource reallocation driven by the trends of globalization, marketization and urbanization and their influence on growth and inequality. The book puts forward the following arguments: An urban-rural and regional balance should not be achieved by limiting agglomeration effects in eastern regions. For some time now, China has lacked a suitable mechanism to enable residents in underdeveloped and rural areas to share in the achievements of economic agglomeration. As a result, China should not slow down economic agglomeration and development in eastern regions simply by depending on administrative means to balance urban-rural and regional development. In the final analysis, arriving at a regional balance depends on growth in the eastern regions, provided a reasonable mechanism is implemented to enable inland areas to share in the development achievements of eastern regions. In turn, finding an urban-regional balance rests on urban development, as long as more rural workers can move to and prosper in cities.

Offers key empirical evidence on urban-rural and regional development in China regarding the processes of globalization, marketization and urbanization Provides insights for policymakers, presenting solid research based on an in-depth understanding on China's institutional background concerning urban-rural and regional development Recommends policies to promote more efficient and equitable urban-rural and regional development in China Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
Introduction.- Urban-rural integration and spatial agglomeration during urbanization in China.- How should China maintain growth while balancing regional development.- Globalization and Regional Income Inequality in China.- Economic Opening and Domestic Market Integration.- Urban-rural Inequality and regional economic growth in China.