Global Asia Journal

Authors

Jessica Wade

Comments

Occasional Paper No. 1

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper analyzes the recent efforts of the Chinese government to facilitate rural development. It reviews the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s previous emphasis on urban-based growth, the history behind the shift towards rural development, and the attempts by President Hu Jintao to move from extensive urban development towards sustainable rural development. It asserts, first, that much of China’s urban-based development was intentionally encouraged by the government, and second, that the CCP is now deliberately moving its investment and focus to rural-based growth. The paper justifies these findings through an exploration of the previous and current economic policies and propaganda of the CCP. This study also explores the logic behind the policy changes and the implications of the new rural development policies, combining the primary and secondary resources with fieldwork undertaken in Sichuan province. The findings help us better understand how the previous government policies have shaped China’s dualistic development and how China’s economic landscape may be drastically transformed within the decade.

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