Jaros, Kyle A.: China’s Urban Champions. The Politics of Spatial DevelopmentChristina Maags

ASIEN – Nr. 156/157 (2020) pp. 206–207

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2019. 360 pp., 25.92 EUR

Uneven development does not just “happen”; it is actively “produced” by political, social and economic forces. In his book “China’s Urban Champions”, Kyle Jaros examines these processes by focusing on how uneven development is produced through spatial policies in PR China. Conducting an in-depth comparative analysis of four Chinese provinces across time, Jaros argues that it is the relative economic performance as well as the relative political strength of different government levels and their leaders in each province which determine whether provincial spatial policies emphasize metropolitan-oriented development, attempt to balance regional development or pursue a mixed approach which combines elements of both. He finds, firstly, that provinces which are economically lagging behind are more likely to emphasize metropolitan-oriented development than economically prosperous provinces. Secondly, as actors on different government levels have different interests, policy outcomes heavily depend on the ability of political actors to dominate policy-making. By focusing on provincial governments as key players in spatial development, the book sheds light on why the central government continues to struggle with achieving a more regionally balanced urbanization across China…