EIJS Working Papers Series
No 239:
INNOVATIVE CITY IN WEST CHINA CHONGQING
Jon Sigurdson ()
and Krystyna Palonka ()
Abstract: This working paper offers insights on science and
technology in China with supporting official and interview data. The paper,
as evidenced from the title, is indicating the future role of Chongqing and
its evolution primarily focusing on the period of rapid development of the
Municipality after Chongqing became a political entity on the same level as
provinces of China. This has coincided with the planning, construction and
completion of the Three Gorges Dam Project involving the resettlement of
1,000,000 people – most them coming to the rural areas Chongqing
Municipality. Three major sub-themes are highlighted. First, the city
played important role during more than 2000 years of its history (in 1981,
for example it became first inland port in China open for foreign
commerce). In the XX century Chongqing was national capital during the
Second World War and the Japanese invasion (Nationalists government). Since
then it enjoyed higher political status and economic independence than any
other city of the same size in whole western China. Second, the
municipality’s geographical position and demographic condition makes it
quite unique in West China. It has a population of 31 million, an area of
82 square km, a population density of 379 persons per km2 and a location at
the upper reaches of Chang (Yangtze) River. This makes it the gate of
Southwest China. Third, Chongqing has a strong basic multi-faced economy in
the region. Central investment since the 1950s has assisted the development
of a relatively strong modern industrial base in the city. Despite the
post-Mao reform era’s impact on social and economic disparities as between
the coastal areas and the west, Chongqing remains one of the China’s
strongest city economies. Its industrial output value ranked 11th among the
35 biggest city economies in China in 2000, though it ranked behind the top
ten most industrialized coastal cities, all of which had attracted much
greater foreign investment during the reform era. The campaign to Open up
the West provides Chongqing with the opportunity to act as the growth pole
for a number of less industrialized provincial-level units in north-west
and south-west China. Fourth, the initiatives by central authorities and
the extraordinary task of Three Gorges Dam project required among other
great tasks also relocation of over 1,2 million people, the rebuilding of
two cities, eleven county towns and one hundred sixteen townships from the
site of Three Gorges Dam water reservoir. Until 2005 there were already
almost one million residents resettled. Less than 20 per cent moved outside
Chongqing municipality and the majority was to be accommodated within the
region of Chongqing Municipality.
Keywords: Regional development; clusters; Regional innovation System (RIS); Development block; competence block; technology system; High Technology Parks; Overview of Science and Technology; FDI; (follow links to similar papers)
JEL-Codes: I18; I23; L53; O31; O32; R58; (follow links to similar papers)
34 pages, February 15, 2008
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