ABSTRACT
For almost a decade the 'opening up' of the Chinese economy to the outside world has been a key part of China's reforms. This chapter analyses the uneven impact of that policy on China's regions and its implications for the future. Greatly increased foreign economic relations have reinforced existing differences among regions of China, in particular the predominance of eastern and southern coastal regions . It is argued that regional inequalities have led to differing patterns of development, accompanied by distinct regional economic and political interests regarding foreign economic relations . In particular, some coastal areas are moving towards a form of export-oriented development which is in certain respects similar to that of the newly-industrializing countries (NICs) of East Asia .
