China's changing economic governance: Administrative annexation and the reorganization of local governments in the Yangtze River Delta

Abstract

ZHANG J. and WU F. (2006) China's changing economic governance: administrative annexation and the reorganization of local governments in the Yangtze River Delta, Regional Studies 40, 3-21. In the course of Chinese economic and social transition, urban and regional development is faced with more competition. Against this backdrop, regional governance is undergoing challenge and change. Whilst change in the relationship between central and local governments has been the subject of study, one major change that has been neglected, despite its great importance, occurs among the different levels of local government within the same region. This paper studies the relationships among different local governments from the perspective of administrative annexation. It describes the conflict that has occurred in the Yangtze River Delta because of the problem of administrative division as well as the large-scale annexations since 2000. Through analysis of the source of conflict between administrative divisions and the effects of administrative annexation, the paper aims to reveal the role of local governments in the economic transition, as well as changes in regional governance, which indicate that the intervention of local governments in the economy is being strengthened in new ways. It is believed that China's political and economic reform is taking a prudent path, and that the conflict between administrative divisions is in fact a reflection of the way the administrative system is incompatible with economic reform. However, administrative annexation has an impact on the traditional relationship between local governments, and thus further promotes the reform of regional governance. Regional governance, Administrative changes, Regional economies, Local government, China, Yangtze River Delta ZHANG J. and WU F. (2006) La gouvernance regionale changeante en Chine: l'annexion administrative et la reorganisation de l'administration locale dans le delta du Yangtze, Regional Studies 40, 3-21. Au cours de la phase transitoire economique et sociale en Chine, l'amenagement du territoire affronte une concurrence plus acharnee. Sur ce fond, la gouvernance regionale subit des epreuves. Alors que la recherche a porte sur le changement du rapport entre les administrations centrale et locale, un changement majeur auquel on n'a fait aucune attention, en depit de son importance incontestable, se produit aux niveaux differents de l'administration locale au sein d'une meme region. Cet article cherche a etudier les rapports entre les administrations locales differentes du point de vue de l'annexion administrative. L'article presente le conflit qui s'est produit dans le delta du Yangtze a cause du probleme de la separation administrative aussi bien que les annexions a grande echelle qui se sont produites depuis l'an 2000. A partir d'une analayse de la source du conflit entre les services administratifs et les effets de l'annexion administrative, l'article cherche a mettre en lumiere le role des administrations locales dans la phase transitoire econ...

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