The State Orchestrated Regional Cooperation and Regional Inequalities in China

Perspectives in Global Development: Fall 2023 Seminar Series

Abstract

Local governments in China are increasingly seeking regional cooperation amidst competition.  This shift in local development is spurred by state rescaling efforts to reduce regional inequalities, complemented by bottom-up responses to seek resources and empowerment at regional scale. But how can the left-behind places engage in this regional cooperation? This talk delves into the state-orchestrated regional cooperation within the Yangtze River Delta, highlighting its emerging patterns, diverse fields and innovative forms. Special attention is given to the cooperation between the well-developed places and the left-behind areas. It will explore how the state constructs narratives, shapes institutions and motivates different actors to collaborate for its developmental objectives, such as poverty reduction, balanced regional development, ecological civilization and common prosperity. The divergent impacts of cooperation will be also discussed, revealing both the spillover benefits for underdeveloped areas and risks of draining population and economic activities from these areas during collaboration.

About the speaker

Yuanshuo Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Development and Management at Zhejiang University. Dr. Xu’s research focuses on how governments can promote inclusive development and sustainable growth within the context of devolution, regionalization and globalization. He studies state rescaling in both the US and China and how it shapes local development and regional inequalities. Currently, Dr. Xu is leading several projects in China funded by the NSF, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Zhejiang province. These projects examine the regional cooperation of Chinese cities on development, governance and sustainable transformation. 

His work has been published in Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Environment and Planning A, Science of the Total Environment, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, Landscape and Urban Planning etc., and has been covered by media outlets such as Science Daily and The Paper. Dr. Xu received his B.E. degree in land resource management from China University of Mining and Technology, and he obtained his M.R.P a Ph.D degrees in City and Regional Panning from Cornell University. Dr. Xu is also the Deputy Director of the Institute of Urban Governance, Deputy Director of the Research Center for Urbanization and Spatial Governance, and Assistant Director of the China Institute of Urbanization, Zhejiang University.

Perspectives in Global Development

The Perspectives in Global Development seminars are held Wednesdays from 12:20-1:20 p.m. eastern time during the semester. The series is presented in a hybrid format with some speakers on campus and others appearing via Zoom. All seminars are shown in Emerson Hall 135. Students, faculty and the general public are welcome to attend. The series is co-sponsored by the Department of Global Development, the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the School of Integrative Plant Science as part of courses GDEV 4961, AEM 4961, NTRES 4961, GDEV 6960, AEM 6960, and NTRES 6960. 

Co-sponsor

• Polson Institute for Global Development