China’s Economic Zones: Design, Implementation and Impact

The establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) marked a major milestone in China’s gradual market-oriented reform process, and the developmental fluctuations of these zones offers an in-depth understanding of the complexities and difficulties of reform. They also provide critical insight into China’s thirty years of economic and social transformation.

This new book examines China’s eight Special Economic Zones in the order in which they were established. Key coverage includes the background to the SEZ’s establishment and a detailed description of its development, while the intricate reform policy-making process, achievements, challenges and difficulties which will need to be faced if future developments are also explored. This is a practical and well-structured book, packed with a wealth of information for the reader. The panoramic overview and analysis provides not only a history of reform and development of China’s eight SEZs, but also an in-depth sense of the waves of historic change and economic reform which have for the last thirty years washed against China, Asia’s ancient colossus. The eight SEZs examined are Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen, Hainan, Shanghai (Pudong New Area), Tianjin (Binhai New Area) and Chengdu-Chongqing.

Special Economic Zones are a strategy which has been adopted in many parts of the world. This book offers a blue print for their design, implementation and impact which may prove useful to international policy makers and professionals working in this field as well as China scholars.