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Abstract
Inequality has been the subject of intense debates in China, but inequality across cities remains less studied. This article investigates economic inequality based on prefectural-level cities during the period from 1990 to 2010. Statistical analyses indicate that interregional inequality among cities has increased, which is mostly attributable to widening intraregional inequality, especially within the western region. The high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita clusters emerged in the Pearl River Delta in the 1990s, spread to the Yangtze River Delta in the 2000s, and then reached north China in the 2010s. In contrast, the number of low GDP per capita clusters significantly increased in the central and western regions in the 2010s. In addition, the significance of national development zones and foreign direct investment indicates the greatest effect of globalization on the increasing intercity inequality. Decentralization also contributes to the intercity inequality of China. We suggest that in addition to national programs aimed at reducing the inequality between the eastern region and the rest of China, efforts are needed to reduce inequality within each region through provincial and local government policies, especially in western China. Key Words: China, cluster, decentralization, globalization, regional inequality, urban inequality.
不均议题长期以来在中国受到激烈的争论。本文探讨1990年至2010间地级市的经济不均。统计分析显示城市的跨区域不均有所增加, 且可大幅归因于区域中的不均扩大, 特别是在西部区域中。1990年代在珠江三角洲浮现的高人均国内生产总值（GDP）集群, 在2000年间扩展至扬子江三角洲, 并在2010年延伸至中国北方。反之, 在2010年间, 低GDP的集群数量在中部与西部区域显着增加。此外, 全国发展区和外国直接投资的显着性, 显示出全球化对于增加的城际不均的最大效应。去中心化同时导致了中国的城际不均。我们主张, 除了旨在降低中国东部区域与其他区域间的不均之全国性计画之外, 亦需通过省和地方政府的政策, 寻求降低每个区域中的不均, 特别是对中国西部而言。关键词：中国, 集群, 去中心化, 全球化, 区域不均, 城市不均。
La desigualdad ha sido objeto de intensos debates en China, aunque la desigualdad a través de ciudades permanece menos estudiada. Este artículo investiga la desigualdad basada en ciudades a nivel de prefectura durante el período que se extiende de 1990 a 2010. Los análisis estadísticos indican que la desigualdad interregional entre ciudades ha aumentado, lo cual es atribuible principalmente a la ampliación intrarregional de la desigualdad, en especial dentro de la región occidental. Los agrupamientos de alto producto nacional bruto (PNB) pe cápita emergieron en el Delta del Río Pearl en los años 1990, se difundieron al Delta del Rio Yangtzé en los años 2000, y luego llegaron al norte de China en los años 2010. Por contraste, los agrupamientos con bajo PNB per cápita se incrementaron significativamente en las regiones central y occidental en los años 2010. Además, la significancia de zonas nacionales de desarrollo y la inversión extranjera directa indican el efecto más grande de la globalización en la creciente desigualdad interurbana. La descentralización también contribuye a la desigualdad interurbana en China. Sugerimos que, además de los programas nacionales orientados a reducir la desigualdad entre la región oriental y el resto de China, se requieren esfuerzos para reducir la desigualdad dentro de cada región a través de políticas gubernamentales provinciales y locales, en particular en la China occidental.
Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the valuable suggestions from two anonymous reviewers.
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Hao Huang
HAO HUANG is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616. E-mail: [email protected]. Her research focuses on economic geography and development, FDI and globalization, institutional economics and innovation systems, and housing and built environment.
Yehua Dennis Wei
YEHUA DENNIS WEI is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84102. E-mail: [email protected]. His research focuses on economic and urban geography, urban and regional development, urban land use, and sustainability, with a regional focus on China.