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Spatial and Administrative Divisions

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How the Chinese Economy Works

Abstract

The Chinese economy is one of the most complicated and diversified spatial systems to be found anywhere in the world. The only feasible approach one can adopt is, therefore, to divide it into smaller geographic elements through which one can gain a better insight into the spatial mechanisms and regional characteristics. In this chapter, we will divide the Chinese economy into: (1) provincial administrations; (2) great regions; (3) geographical belts; (4) southern and northern parts; and (5) ethno-cultural areas. It is common for the method of spatial division of the Chinese economy to differ, depending on the analytical purposes.

Baigui [a minister of the state of Wei in today’s Henan province during the Warring States period] said, ‘My management of the waters is superior to that of Yu.’ Mencius replied, “You are wrong, Sir. Yu’s regulation of the waters was according to the natural laws of water. He therefore made the four seas their receptacle, while you make the neighboring states their receptacle. Water flowing out of its channels is called an inundation. The inundating waters are disastrous to the neighboring states, and what a benevolent man detests. You are wrong, my dear Sir!”

—Analects of Mencius (6B: 6)

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See, for example, Yao (2014, pp. 153–4).

  2. 2.

    Sima (91 BC, p. 911)—translated by author based on the Chinese version.

  3. 3.

    Ibid.

  4. 4.

    The book Yugong probably was written or revised in the middle period of the Warring States (475–221 BC) since one tribute mentioned in this book, iron, had not been found until that period.

  5. 5.

    In another book entitled Lvshi Chunqiu (historical records compiled by Lv Buwei), these states include Jizhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Yongzhou, Youzhou (in the northeast) and Bingzhou (in the north).

  6. 6.

    Notice that the Chinese character dao is still being used as ‘province’ in both North and South Korea.

  7. 7.

    In what follows, unless stated otherwise, we will use the term ‘province’ to denote all of the three kinds of administrative divisions.

  8. 8.

    Examples of literature on the application of the six great regions would include Hu et al. (1988, pp. 171–381), Yang (1989, p. 92), and Wei (1992, pp. 62–3).

  9. 9.

    These include, for example, Wright (1984, p. 78), Yang (1993, p. 270), Hu (1993, pp. 193–203) and Liu (1994, pp. 36–7) for six great regions; Li et al. (1994, pp. 139–65), Keidel (1995) for seven great regions; and Yang (1989, pp. 238–40), Yang (1990, pp. 38–40) and Liu (1994, p. 36) for ten great regions.

  10. 10.

    See Guangming Daily (6 April 1986, p. 1).

  11. 11.

    See, for example, Yao and Zhang (2001a, b), Brun et al. (2002), and Wu (2004).

  12. 12.

    For example, Wu and Hou (1990, p. 116), Hu et al. (1988, pp. 182–4), Yang (1990, pp. 38–43), Liu (1994, pp. 1–13) and Hsueh (1994, pp. 22–56) give the same definition.

  13. 13.

    For instance, Guangxi, a coastal province along the Gulf of Tonkin, is included in the Western belt by Yang (1989, pp. 90–6), Gu (1995, pp. 45–51) and Chen (1994, p. 57). In Gu’s analysis, moreover, Jilin and Heilongjiang, two inland provinces in Northeast China, are included in the Eastern belt.

  14. 14.

    More detailed information about all these county-level autonomous administrations can be found in the official website of China Ethnic Museum (www.cnmuseum.com).

  15. 15.

    A full version of this research can be found in the companion site (http://www.elsevierdirect.com/companions/9780123978264).

  16. 16.

    Weishan Statistical Yearbook 2001, Statistical Bureau of Weishan country, May 2002, p. 1.

  17. 17.

    This proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) by the Administrative Commission of East China Region on July 17, 1953 (dongbanzi [53] official letter, No. 0643) and supported by the People’s Government of Shandong province on May 4, 1953 (luminzi [53] official letter, No. 1533).

  18. 18.

    Source: The State Administrative Council of the PRC (under the form of Letter zhengzhengbuzi, No. 136), 22 August 1953. According to the Weishan Statistical Yearbook 2001 (p. 1), the total number of villages was 302.

  19. 19.

    Source: Weishan Statistical Yearbook 2001, p. 2.

  20. 20.

    See “Statistics on Status of the Lakeside Land and Lake-related Resources in Lake Weishan, Peixian County” (peixian guanyu zai weishanhu nei hutian, huchan qingkuang tongji), Office of Lakeside land, Peixian county, 8 June 1996.

  21. 21.

    Ibid.

  22. 22.

    See “Report on the Work of the Delimitation between Peixian and Weishan Counties” (guanyu peiwei bianjie kanjie gongzuo de huibao), the Working Office of Lake Area, Peixian County, 17 February 1998.

  23. 23.

    Based on the author’s two interviews with officials in Weishan and Peixian counties on 1 and 2 June 2000, respectively.

  24. 24.

    Source: “Report on the Work of the Delimitation between Peixian and Weishan Counties.”

  25. 25.

    See “The Village Surrounded by Polluted Water” (bei wushui baowei de cunzhuang), Qilu Evening News, 14 December 1997.

  26. 26.

    Based on the author’s talks with county officials in Peixian township, Jiangsu province on 2 June 2000.

  27. 27.

    Cited from “Comrade Wan Li’s Speech at the Meeting of Report Delivered by Comrade Cui Naifu of Minister of Civil Affairs on the Issues Concerning the Resolution of the Disputes over Lake Weishan.”

  28. 28.

    See “Report on the Work of the Delimitation between Peixian and Weishan Counties.”

  29. 29.

    For instance, Article 12 of “Temporary Regulations Concerning the Resource Taxation of the People’s Republic of China” (Beijing, State Council, No. 139 document, December 25, 1993) states that: “Tax payers shall pay taxes to the taxation bureau in charge of places from which the taxed products originate.”

  30. 30.

    Source: “Report on the Work of the Delimitation between Peixian and Weishan Counties.”

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  1. Regional Sciences Association China, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Rongxing Guo

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Guo, R. (2017). Spatial and Administrative Divisions. In: How the Chinese Economy Works. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32306-0_2

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