Urbanization: Core of China Economic Development Mode Transition

Wang Guogang
(Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Abstract:China economic development mode transition is a process turning from industrial economy as main force to industrial and urban economy as joint dynamics. The internal cause lies in that industralization fulfilled the needs of “food, clothes and daily necessities”, now the shortage of “housing, transportation and education” deepens on rapid urbanization. These are not only the main task of urbanization, but also the main dynamics for China long-term sustained development. There are a series of new issues needs further studies in urban economics, such as the key indicators of urban development, price effect and production capacity effect of consumer investment, relationship between investment and local public finance, economic indicators of city development stage,etc. Urban economic development is a deeper reform, including ideology, living mode and behavior changes. It is more comlicated, more difficult than the previous 30 years’ reform. Thus it needs more creative reform.

Key Words:Urbanization；Economic Development Mode
JEL Classification:D12，F10 

Regional Inequality, Polarization and Mobility in China

Hong Xingjian

(School of Statistics, Zhejiang Gongshang University)

Abstract:Imbalance of regional economic development is a puzzle in China. This paper proposes some new indices, and studies regional inequality, polarization and mobility of 31 provinces and eight areas from 1978 to 2008. Firstly, the contribution rate of intergroup inequality to 31 provinces rises from 78 percent to nearly 90 percent according to Gini coefficient. Among the contribution rates of each area’s relative deprivation compared with other regions, Southwest is the largest, the midstream of Yangtze River and Yellow River follow it, and the whole contribution rate of the three areas is 70 percent above. Secondly, polarization of the eight areas is ascending, and polarization increases more rapidly than inequality. Lastly, mobility of GDP per capita is the main reason of regional inequality changes in every stage, and rank mobility is more important compared 2008 with 1978, but population share plays little action in equality changes. In China, long-term inequality and polarization is more than most years, and mobility doesn’t pay any role in reducing inequality and polarization.

Key Words:Regional Inequality; Polarization; Mobility; Eight Areas

JEL Classification:R11, D63, O18