ABSTRACT
The international rise of China in the new millennium, a globally significant phenomenon of our time, rests first and foremost on the nation's steadfast economic growth in the reform era. One of the unique features of China's path of stellar growth has been the crucial role played by its provincial and sub-provincial governments in carrying out, and frequently creating, all the initiatives and innovations that have kept generating momentum for growth over time. Indeed, it is well known that since the commencement of the reform era the central state in China has deliberately devised mechanisms, through competition among localities, that motivate subnational political leaders to pursue economic growth.
