ABSTRACT
In the 1980s, China’s development started from the coastal areas; in the east the cities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, in the south Fujian, Kuangdong, Hainan, and in the north Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Shangdong. After two decades, the development disparity had grown between these coastal areas and other areas in central and western China. The costal areas with 36% of the population contribute 56% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), 58% of the manufacturing industry, and 57% of the service industry. The average GDP of the three coastal areas is 23,697 Yuan (about 3400 USD) per person, which is 1.7 times of the country’s average (Wen, 2007). The Chinese government, while supporting the growth of these coastal regions, is seeking to balance the development by speeding up development in other areas.
