ABSTRACT
Based on the data from 1995 to 2018 of the 41 resource-exhausted cities (RECs) in China, this chapter conducts a study of the economic growth trajectories of these RECs within the framework of urban shrinkage. It addresses three questions: what are the characteristics of the economic growth trajectories of China’s RECs? What differences among them can be identified? What are the key factors that cause the divergence of the economic growth trajectories of these RECs? To answer these questions, 41 cities among the RECs designated by the State Council were used as a research sample. Based on the analysis of the impact of the external macro political economy and urban internal conditions on the economic development of RECs within the framework of China’s socialist market economy system, it was posited that policies to deal with urban shrinkage risks should be multi-layered and forward-looking, requiring a comprehensive combination of efforts in industries, investment, and subsidies.
