ABSTRACT
With China's transition from a planned to a more market-oriented economy, Chinese cities have been undergoing significant transformation. The cities are at the centre of this transition, and now play a very important role in overall economic development. In the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, raising the level of urbanization is adopted as a major policy instrument to promote economic growth. By 2015, the country anticipates having half of its population in cities and towns (Pannell 2002: 1578). It is estimated that China's urbanization level will increase to 75 per cent by 2050, and that the urban sector will contribute over 95 per cent of the national economy. Accordingly, more than 600 million people will move from rural areas to the cities ( People's Daily 20 July 2002). There will be fifty ultra-large cities with a population of more than two million, over 150 large cities, 500 medium-sized cities, and 1,500 small cities (ibid. 20 July 2002). Membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is greatly stimulating the integration of the Chinese economy into the global economy. Chinese cities are now becoming one of the major bases for global commodity production. China's endeavours to organize international affairs such as the Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing and the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai are providing additional momentum for urban restructuring. Large-scale urban redevelopment schemes have been carried out to rebuild China's globalizing cities. Stimulated by the inflow of foreign investment and the expansion of import and export trade, Chinese cities are building themselves towards becoming ‘global cities’.
