A Multiregional Economic Comparison

Abstract

As we have seen in Chapter 2, natural and human resources are irregularly distributed in China. Specifically, the eastern belt is blessed with a mild climate and rich soil, while the western belt has a vast territory and sparse population. The northern part is much richer in mineral resources than the southern part, except for a few non-ferrous metals. In contrast, most of the southern part, given its favourable climate and terrain, has an agricultural advantage over most, if not all, of the northern part, the desert North and Northwest regions and, in particular, dominates most of the nation’s rice production. All the above regional characteristics in the distribution of resources, together with the spatially diversified economic systems and policies discussed in Chapter 3 and other historical and cultural factors, have led to the uneven spatial structure of the Chinese economy. In this chapter, a multiregional economic comparison will be conducted, with the emphases on the macroeconomic indicators, real living standards, and regional inequalities.

To have good fruit you must have a healthy tree; if you have a poor tree, you will have bad fruit.

Matthew 13: 33