ABSTRACT
As I mentioned in the last chapter, China’s regional development policies, like practically everything else, have undergone dramatic swings since the communist takeover. Using statistical data on patterns of domestic and foreign direct investment, changes in the regional share of gross value of industrial output (GVIO), and other economic and policy indicators, this chapter delineates the shift in China’s regional development strategy over time. Whereas the emphasis during the Maoist era was on eradicating regional industrial disparities through interior-oriented investments, China under Deng Xiaoping has unabashedly pursued a strategy of unbalanced regional growth. More concretely, the postMao Chinese leadership has not only relaxed the straitjacket on the coastal region but has come to rely on the coastal region to provide the “engine of growth” for China as it strives to catch up with its neighbors in economic development. Deng Xiaoping died on 19 February 1997. For technical reasons, this book has retained the present tense in references to Deng. President Jiang Zemin has avowed that China will continue with Deng’s policies of reform and opening up.
