This book offers a balanced assessment of the dynamics and consequences of the decentralization of power and resources in post- Mao China. The author argues that decentralization has increased tensions amongst ethnic groups and unleashed much competition and emulation among local governments. This book is an authoritative study of an issue that will remain highly visible on China's political agenda for the forseeable future.

Dali L.Yang is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and author of Calamity and Reform in China.

Preface Part I Introduction 1 Analytical perspectives 2 From Mao to Deng: Regional development policies and practices Part II Regional relations amid economic liberalization 3 The dynamics and progression of competitive liberalization 4 Resources, regional cleavages, and market integration Part III The reorientation of regional development 5 The politics of regional policy reorientation 6 The dilemmas of regional policy realignment 7 The debate over special economic zones8 Regional dominance and regional change Appendix I Reform and intra-provincial inequality in China: A preliminary study