Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

‘National Level New Areas’ and Urban Districts: Centralization of Territorial Power Relations in China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Chinese Political Science Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 25 April 2018

This article has been updated

Abstract

The central government established Pudong in Shanghai as the first national-level new area (new area). It replicated this territorial experiment in major cities, particularly during the last decade. As territories directly under the supervision of the central government, new areas receive large amount of preferential funding and exercise sub-provincial-level powers over land use change, infrastructure development and taxation. However, new areas are not the same territory located in different cities, but territorial configurations that heterogeneous nested hierarchies of power constitute. This paper conceptualizes new areas as dynamic centralizing strategy of the central government towards urban governance. During the last decades, the central government has established an increasing number of urban districts, enhancing the administrative capacities of city governments. New areas are part of this strategy by which the central government is gradually reconfiguring cities. This paper adopts a geographical approach to analyze territorial change in China as the underlying political dynamic that governs intertwined processes of investment and production that ultimately materialize urban transformation. New areas, as territorial strategies, propel further rounds of administrative centralization that extend the scope of urbanization. The introductory section of this paper presents a preliminary discussion about the political and economic context in which the central government designed and implemented new areas as a national strategy of development. The second section discusses new areas in relation to the power relations they form with other administrative territories in cities. Further rounds of land redistricting in the context of new areas are discussed in the third section. Finally, the last part of this paper remarks the importance of the central government in shaping urban transformation through territorial reforms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 25 April 2018

    The original article has been corrected.

References

  • BNALRA. 2016. Binhai new area land resources administration. Binhai new area brief introduction. http://www.bhghgt.gov.cn/UI/English/BinhaiNewArea.html. Accessed 4 Apr 2018.

  • Cao, Yun. 2016. Comparison and development trends between national level new areas and other urban functional districts (Guojia ji xinqu yu qita chengshi gongnengqu de bijiao jifazhan qu shi zhanwang). Business Times Comparative Study 23: 119–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartier, Carolyn. 2001. Zone Fever, the arable land debate, and real estate speculation: China’s evolving land use regime and its geographical contradictions. Journal of Contemporary China 10 (28): 445–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cartier, Carolyn. 2005. City-space: scale relations and China’s spatial administrative hierarchy. In Restructuring the Chinese City. Changing society, economy and space, ed. Wu Fulong, & Ma Laurence, 21–38.. London: Routledge.

  • Cartier, Carolyn. 2011. Urban growth, rescaling and the spatial administrative hierarchy. Provincial China 3 (1): 9–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartier, Carolyn. 2015a. Territorial urbanization and the Party-State in China. Territory, Politics and Governance 3 (1): 294–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cartier, Carolyn and Hu, De. 2015. Administrative territory. In Handbook of the Politics of China, ed. by Goodman, David S.G, 147–165. Edward Elgar.

  • Chan, Kam Wing. 2010. Fundamentals of China’s urbanization and policy. The China Review 1 (1): 63–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chung, Jae Ho, and Tao-Chiu Lam. 2004. China’s “City System” in flux: explaining post-Mao administrative changes. The China Quarterly 180: 945–964.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung, Jae Ho, and Tao-Chiu Lam (eds.). 2009. China’s Local Administration. Traditions and Changes in the Sub-national hierarchy. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clifford, Nicholas, Sarah Holloway, Stephen Rice, and Gill Valentine. 2009. Key Concepts in Geography. United Kingdom: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • CPMB. 2013. Chengdu Planning and Management Bureau. Urban Plan of Sichuan Tianfu New Area (Sichuan tianfu xinqu guihua). http://www.cdgh.gov.cn/wsggg/tfxg/102.htm.

  • DJPNABUC. 2017. Dalian Jinpu New Area Bureau of Urban Construction. Adjustment program (2006-2020) of comprehensive land use urban planning in Dalian city Jinzhou district (Dalian shi jinzhou qu tudi liyong zongti guihua (2006-2020) diao zheng fangan). http://www.dda.gov.cn/zwgk/inner2010.vm?diid=309020&nid=99.

  • Donaldson, A. John. 2017. China’s administrative hierarchy. The balance of power and winners and losers within China’s levels of government. In Assessing the Balance of Power in Central-Local Relations in China, ed. John A. Donaldson. London: Routledge Contemporary China Series.

  • Feng, C. 1997. Order and stability in social transition: neoconservative political thought in post-1989 China. The China Quarterly 151: 593–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geng, Yan Fang. 2017. Abolishment of cities and establishment of Districts, the economic relations of the adjustment (sashijianqu yu jingji ganxi de tiaozhen). Economic Research Guide 2 (316): 31–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, Derek, Ron Johnston, Geraldine Pratt, Michael Watts, and Sarah Whatmore. 2009. The Dictionary of Human Geography. Singapore: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • GANA. 2015. Guian New Area. Urban comprehensive plan (guihua jihua). http://www.gaxq.gov.cn/xwdt/gatj/201611/t20161116_1414243.html.

  • Gilley, Bruce. 2017. Taxation and authoritarian resilience. Journal of Contemporary China 26 (105): 452–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GPCON. 2015. Ganzhou Party Committee Open Network. The State Council approves the abolishment of Xinjian county to change it to Xinjian district (guo wu yuan zhengshi pifu xinjian xian gaiwei xinjian qu). http://www.gzdw.gov.cn/n283/n403/c13781399/content.html.

  • Gu, Ruo Xiang. 2016. Thoughts and measures for promoting the healthy development of national level new areas (Cujin guojia ji xinqu jiankang fazhan de sihuyu dui ce). China Development Monitor 17: 28–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guizhou Metropolitan Daily. 2015. Pingba county is abolished to establish a district, it will be denominated Pingba district (pingba xian zhengshi chenxian shequ yu hou ta jiao pingba qu) Colorful Guizhou News Network. May, 2015. http://news.gog.cn/system/2015/05/05/014281650.shtml.

  • GZNAAC. 2015. Guizhou New Area Administrative Committee. Map of the comprehensive developmental strategy of urban development of Fuzhou new area (Fuzhou xiinqu zongti fazhan zhanlue guihua tu). http://fzxq.fuzhou.gov.cn/xqgk/ztgh/201510/t20151012_965850.htm.

  • Huang, Yasheng. 2008. Capitalism with Chinese characteristics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, Han Song. 2017. The successful establishment of Fujian’s Changle as an urban district. The eastern part of Fujian will enter a period of construction of the new Binhai city (Fujian chang le cheshi shequ shunli huo pifu zhoudong jinnan xia jian Binhai xin cheng). September, 2017. Sina Financial News. http://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2017-09-22/doc-ifymenmt6158509.shtml.

  • Leng, Tse Kang. 2010. Centrally Administrated Municipalities: Locomotives of National Development. In China’s Local Administration. Traditions and Changes in the Sub-national Hierarchy, ed. Jae Ho Chung and Tao-Chiu Lam, 36–62. London: Routledge.

  • Li, Cai Ping, Shun Ping Deng, and An Qing Cai. 2017. Management and innovation of national level new areas, the development of Ganjiang new area as a reference (guojia ji xinqu guanli chuangxin ji dui ganjiang xinqu fazhan de jiejan). Research in Local Governance 1: 31–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, Han, Yehua Dennis Wei, Felix Haifeng Liao, and Zhiji Huang. 2015. Administrative hierarchy and urban land expansion in transitional China. Applied Geography 56: 177–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Ling Yue. 2015. State rescaling and national new area development in China: the case of Chongqing Liangjiang. Habitat International 50: 80–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Zhan, and Hai Bin Gui. 2017. Development and knowledge about the development of national level new areas (gujia ji xinqu de fazhan yu zairenshi). Shanghai Economy 1: 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • LJNAAC. 2011. Liang Jiang New Area Administrative Committee. General introduction to Liang Jiang New Zone. http://www.liangjiang.gov.cn/xqgg/index.asp?id=169.

  • Liu, Ji Hua, and Chunbing Xun. 2017. National level new area: practice and deviation from policy goals (guojia ji xinqu: shijian yu mubiao de piancha ji zheng cefansi). Urban Development Studies 24 (1): 18–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, Wen Xue, and Xiang Hu Lu. 2016. Comparative assessment of strategic orientation of national level new areas (gupjia ji xinqu zhanlue ding wei bijiao fenxi) Urban. Insight 4: 32–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LZNANN (Lanzhou New Area News Network). 2013. Blueprint of scientific and urban development (kexue guihua huijiu lantu). August, 2013. http://www.lzbs.com.cn/lanzhounews/2013-08/19/content_3417350.htm.

  • Ma, Laurence J.C. 2005. Urban administrative restructuring, changing scale relations and local economic development in China. Political Geography 24: 477–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevia, D. 2007. Urban infrastructure financing and delivery in China. Economic and Political Weekly 42 (11): 964–972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Misra, Kalpana. 2003. Neo-left and neo-right in post Tiananmen China. Asian Survey 43 (5): 717–744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez, Miguel Hidalgo, and Carolyn Cartier. 2017. City as province in China: the territorial urbanization of Chongqing. Eurasian Geography and Economics 58 (2): 201–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NGPB. 2015. Nanjing Government Planning Bureau. Last version of the economic plan for Nanjing Jiangbei new area (Nanjing Jiangbei xinqu zui xin guihua chulu) August, 2017. Nanjing Daily. http://www.njdaily.cn/2015/0707/1161243.shtml.

  • NSNAIC. 2016. Nansha New Area Information Center. Functional planning of Nansha new area (Nansha xinqu gongneng guihua). September, 2016. http://www.gzns.gov.cn/tzns/tzhj/gngh/201609/t20160922_327015.html.

  • NDRCa. 2015. National Development and Reform Commission. Comprehensive program of Yunnan Dianzhong new area (Yunnan dianzhong xinqu zongti fangan). September, 2015. http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/201509/W020150929549880853789.pdf.

  • NDRCb. 2015. National Development and Reform Commission. Comprehensive program of Haerbin new area (Haerbin xinqu zongti fangan). September 2015. http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/201509/W020150929549880853789.pdf.

  • NDRCa. 2016. National Development and Reform Commission. Report on the general condition of national level new areas (guanyu guojia ji xinqu fazhan qingkuang de diao yan baogao). China Industry & Economy: 42–51.

  • NDRCb. 2016. National Development and Reform Commission. General development plan for Jiangxi Ganjiang national level new area (jiang xi gan jiang xinqu zongti fang an) August, 2017. http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/201607/W020160704335854564466.pdf.

  • NDRCc (National Development and Reform Commission). 2016. Report on the developmental situation of national level new areas (guanyu guojia ji xinqu fazhan qingkuang de tiaojiu baogao) China Industry & Economy: 42–51.

  • PDNAPC. 2007. Pudong’s New Area People’s Congress. The 11th five-year plan for the national and economic social development of Pudong New Area in Shanghai (Shanghai shi Pudong xinqu guo min jingji heshe hui fazhan dishi yige wunian gui hua gang yao). xhttp://gov.pudong.gov.cn/govOpenSRWJHGHSYW/Info/Detail_314059.htm.

  • Peng, Shan. 2016. Research on current problems and economic policy design in national level new areas (guojia ji xiinqu fazhan de dangxia wenti ti ji qi jingji zhengce jian gou yanjiu). Theoretical Research 5(192): 109–113.

  • PNAG. 2010. Pudong New Area Government. Overview of Pudong. Industrial Development, Economic Strength. May, 2014. http://english.pudong.gov.cn/html/pden/pden_ap_oop_ed/2014-05-28/Detail_74362.htm.

  • QWCAAC. 2015. Qingdao West Coast New Area Administrative Committee. General overview of the functions of the new area. (qu qingkuang gongneng qu). Available online http://www.huangdao.gov.cn/gnqindex.html.

  • Shih, Victor. 2004. Development, the second time around: the political logic of developing Western China. Journal of East Asian Studies 4: 427–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shih, Victor. 2008. Factions and Finance in China. Elite Conflict and Inflation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Chenwei and Lu Xianghu. 2016. Comparison of land management administrative bodies of national level new areas (guojia ji xinqu tudi guanli tizhi bijiao) City Management 36–40.

  • Wedeman, Aandrew. 2003. From Mao to market: rent seeking, local protectionism and marketization in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wedeman, Andrew. 2000. Budgets, extra-budgets, and small treasuries: illegal monies and local autonomy in China. Journal of Contemporary China 9 (25): 489–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, Lynn T. 1989. Shanghai Shanghaied? Uneve Taxes in Reform China. Hong Kong: Center of Asian Studies University of Hong Kong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, Christine. 2000. Central-local relations revisited: the 1994 tax-sharing reform and public expenditure management in China China. Perspectives 31: 52–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xi’an City People’s Congress. 2017. The opening ceremony of Huyi district (huyi qu ju xing che xian shequ jie pai yi shi). September, 2017. http://www.xa.gov.cn/ptl/def/def/index_1121_6774_ci_trid_2558649.html.

  • Xie, Guangjing, and Yumeng Shi. 2016. Development and recognition of national level new areas (guojia ji xinqu fazhan de zai renshi) City. Planning Review 40 (5): 9–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xinhua News Agency. 2017. Urban planning and industrial distribution of Xiongan new area (zui quan xiong an xinqu guihua yu chan ye bu ju). http://finance.qq.com/original/caijingzhiku/XAXQ.html.

  • XJNA. 2016. Xiangjiang New Area Administrative Committee. Hunan Xiangjiang New Area Development Plan (2016-2025). May, 2016. http://www.hnxjxq.gov.cn/xqzw/xxgk/ghjh/201605/t20160516_3057891.html.

  • XNADAC. 2015. Xixian New Area Development and Administrative Committee. Xixian new area introduces small town planning: in five years there will be 35 new towns (Xixian xin qu chutai youmei xiao zhen pian qu gui hua 5 nian nei jiang jian 35 ge youmei xiao zhen) June, 2015. http://www.xixianxinqu.gov.cn/aboutx/guanzhu/yaowen/2015/0615/6052.html.

  • Yang, Dali. 2006. Economic transformation and its political discontents in China: authoritarianism, unequal growth and the dilemmas of political development. Annual Review of Political Science 9: 143–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Yi. 2017. State Council approved abolishment of Ningxiang county and establishment of city (guwuyuan pizhun ningxiang che xian she shi). April, 2017. San Xiang Metropolis Daily. http://news.changsha.cn/html/409/20170413/504420.html.

  • Zhan, Vivian Jing. 2009. Decentralizing China: analysis of central strategies in China’s fiscal reforms. Journal of Contemporary China 18 (60): 445–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Xiqing and Jia, Tisong. 2016. Abolishment of Pulandian city to establish Pulandian district in Dalian, Liaoning province (Liaoning sheng pulandian shi che shi jian qu chengli dalian shi pulan dian qu). January, 2016. Xinhua News Agency. http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-01/31/c_128688332.htm.

  • Zhu, Jiang Tao and Lu, Xiang Hu. 2016. Comparative research on the administrative institutions of national level new areas (guojia ji xinqu xingzheng guanli tizhi bijao yanjiu) Government Management Reform 11: 19-23.

  • ZSNAICO. 2011. Zhoushan New Area International Communications Office. New Area General Situation (xinqu gai kuang). June, 2011. http://www.zhoushan.cn/rdzz/gjjhhzhkf/zsgk/201106/t20110602_491260.htm.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xi’an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, 111 Ren’ai Road, South Campus, Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, People’s Republic of China

    Miguel Hidalgo Martinez

Authors
  1. Miguel Hidalgo Martinez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel Hidalgo Martinez.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: In the presentation of Table 2 two years were missing: TFNA (20H) JPNA (20H). The correct version is given here: TFNA (2014) JPNA (2014).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Martinez, M.H. ‘National Level New Areas’ and Urban Districts: Centralization of Territorial Power Relations in China. Chin. Polit. Sci. Rev. 3, 195–210 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-018-0102-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-018-0102-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation