Building a role model for rust belt cities? Fuxin's economic revitalization in question

Abstract

Fuxin is a resource-based prefecture-level city of Liaoning province in Northeast China. Despite its remote location, short urban history and sparse population, the city was positioned as a nationwide role model of socialist economy by the central state in the Maoist era. However, the city economy quickly turned into decline in the wake of market reforms and resource depletion. Since 2001 the central state has been striving to revitalize Fuxin's economy, through pumping massive investment for developing new industry. Many claim that given the rapid rise of several new industries Fuxin has successfully regained its role model position for rust belt cities to revitalize, but this taken-for-granted conclusion is questionable. This City Profile challenges the prevailing role-model idea of Fuxin's revitalization, with a particular focus on the emerging negative impacts engendered by the top-down policy interventions. We critically analyze why national policies failed to help the city transform, and argue that Fuxin's economy has suffered from critical problems.