The geographical foundations of local state initiatives: globalizing Tianjin, China

Abstract

While a large body of literature has dealt with the process of globalization and the formation of global cities, recent scholarly efforts have begun to examine global city regions, emerging global cities, and globalizing cities. In this paper, through a case study of Tianjin, a traditional industrial city near Beijing, we will unfold the process of reforms and globalization in Chinese cities, the efforts of governments in liberalization and globalization, and the challenges facing globalizing cities in China. We attempt to contribute to the understanding of the process and mechanisms of globalizing cities in developing countries, and thereby add an important dimension to the global city canon. We will show in this paper that despite liberalization and globalization, the Chinese local state is still taking an active role in initiating policies to accelerate urban growth and globalization, and remains an important agent of urban and regional change. Moreover, Tianjin’s globalization efforts face numerous constraints. While acknowledging the role of the state, we argue that local governments do not act in a vacuum, but have to rely on forces operating at global, national, and local scales. In other words, there are strong geographical foundations for the formation and successful implementation of local development initiatives.