Economic Zones In China Research Articles

Stressors of dual-qualification nursing teachers in the ChengDu–ChongQing economic zone of China—A qualitative study

Nursing and teaching are considered risk professions with high levels of stress and burnout. Dual-qualification nursing teachers (DQNT) are nurses who both teach and practise. These nurses face additional stress. This study explored the stressors of DQNT in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone of China. This qualitative study used in-depth, open-ended interviews. The interview responses were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The participants in this study included 21 DQNT from 5 teaching hospitals in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone of China. The results indicated that heavy workload, personal safety, inadequate pay, role overload, and poor working environment are stressors of DQNT. Furthermore, Chinese DQNT face violence from patients and students. The study provides a theoretical basis to help DQNT to cope with stress.

Zhuhai

Zhuhai, located in the fast growing Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, is one of the earliest four Special Economic Zones in China for economic-reform experiments early in 1980. While many cities in the PRD region select rapid industrialisation as an engine of economic growth, Zhuhai is an exceptional one to suppress industrialisation to reserve its high quality city environment for sustainable development. This leads Zhuhai to be the 3rd China city recognised by the United Nations as the Best Model of International Residential Environment Improvement in 1998. Considering the potential development of Zhuhai, the National Development and Reform Commission of China has assigned Zhuhai as the centre of the western bank of the Pearl River estuary in a national urban development strategy for the next decade (2008–2020). With the construction of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge with a main span of 35km, Zhuhai is looking forward to the great business opportunities for the new geographical integration with Hong Kong (the world’s leading international financial centre) and Macao (the world’s No.1 gambling hub). Zhuhai will soon be the new focus of PRD in China and it is necessary for city planners to be familiar with the city. This paper will introduce the policies and characteristics of economic development in Zhuhai as one of the earliest four Special Economic Zones in China. The paper will also discuss the evolution of sustainable development in Zhuhai and the underlying reasons for Zhuhai’s unique development trajectory.

The Analysis and Evaluation on Tourism Competitiveness of Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone of China Based on TOPSIS Method

The tourism development of Poyang Lake ecological economic zone of China is uneven. And there are few scholars using quantitative methods to study the regional tourism competitiveness.This article uses quantitative weighted TOPSIS method, selects different levels of evaluation indicators, and builds evaluation index system, to analyze and evaluate the tourism competitiveness of Poyang Lake ecological economic zone of China.

Xiamen

Xiamen was designated as one of the first four Special Economic Zones in China in 1980, and its rapid development during the past three decades has been a direct result of China’s economic reform. Xiamen’s rich culture, unique geographic position, trading tradition, and governmental policies have all contributed to its sustainable development. Xiamen is one of the most attractive, livable and sustainable cities in China as its advancement is well balanced between economic growth and environmental protection. Xiamen has been able to not only profit from its existing advantages but has also turned political conflict with Taiwan into opportunities for economic collaboration. Xiamen’s experience will be beneficial to many cities within China and around the world.

Analyzing Drivers of Regional Carbon Dioxide Emissions for China

SummaryChina faces the challenge of balancing unprecedented economic growth and environmental sustainability. Rather than a homogenous country that can be analyzed at the national level, China is a vast country with significant regional differences in physical geography, regional economy, demographics, industry structure, and household consumption patterns. There are pronounced differences between the much‐developed Eastern‐Coastal economic zone and the less developed Central and Western economic zones in China. Such variations lead to large regional discrepancies in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Using the 28 regional input‐output tables of China for 2002 and 2007 and structural decomposition analysis (SDA), we analyze how changes in population, technology, economic structure, urbanization, and household consumption patterns drive regional CO2 emissions.The results show a significant gap between the three economic zones in terms of CO2 emission intensity, as the Eastern‐Coastal zone possesses more advanced production technologies compared to the Central and Western zones. The most polluting sectors and largest companies are state‐owned enterprises and thus are potentially able to speed up knowledge transfer between companies and regions. The “greening” of the more developed areas is not only a result of superior technology, but also of externalizing production and pollution to the poorer regions in China. The results also show that urbanization and associated income and lifestyle changes were important driving forces for the growth of CO2 emissions in most regions in China. Therefore, focusing on technology and efficiency alone is not sufficient to curb regional CO2 emissions.

Rents, party cadres and the proliferation of Special Economic Zones in China

China’s more than ten thousand economic zones, while similar in some respects to those found elsewhere, exhibit various unique features. In most developing economies, zones are the responsibility of the central administration and are designed to promote exports or foreign investment. In contrast, the Chinese zones are built and run by local governments and need not involve foreign investment or exports. We argue that the Chinese zone policy is best understood as part of a drive for economic reform, and that its unique features serve to defuse potential resistance from local cadres, whose interests are not served by reform.

Acceleration of Northeast Asian Economic Cooperation：With a focus on ECFA and Greater China Economic Zone

Acceleration of Northeast Asian Economic Cooperation：With a focus on ECFA and Greater China Economic Zone

Empirical Study on Unbalanced Development of Regional Environmental Economy in China

First of all, this article makes an EKC analysis in the industrial effluent, industrial waste water and industrial sulfur dioxide in the three major economic zones in China. Then, by referring to the tool of index distribution quotient and comprehensively observing the industrial structure pattern of population, this article finds out that an obvious economic gradient zone feature exists in the three major economic zones. This not only provides thinking for exploration of specific tactics in gradually promoting gradient transfer of population industrial structure among the three major economic zones, but offers theoretical foundation to realize the relatively balanced “win-win” between economic layout and environment development.

The Remote Sensing Dynamic Monitoring of the Wetlands in Eastern Economic Zones of China

Based on large quantities of remote sensing data as well as topographic and survey data,this paper studied the evolution of the wetlands in eastern economic zones of China from 1975 to 2006.The results show that the wetlands are distributed unequally.The area of the wetlands has been decreased since 1975.The muddy tidal bank,the mangrove tidal bank and the swamp have been especially greatly decreased.The result of the analysis shows that the landscape fragmentation is remarkable,with the human activities being the primary cause.The environment of the eastern economic zones of China has been deteriorating since 1975.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils of an industrial area of China: multivariate analyses and geostatistics

Tianjin Bin Hai New Area (BHNA) is the third largest economic zone in China. This is an older industrial area that has been developing rapidly but with many historic sources of contamination. The concentrations of 16 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed for priority control by the US EPA were quantified in 105 surface soil samples by the use of gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Multivariate statistical methods were used to characterise the mixtures and make comparisons in the patterns among areas. Concentrations varied among areas, ranging from moderate to relatively high. The coefficients of determination between concentrations of individual PAHs and total concentration of PAH (∑ PAH) increased with the number of rings. The first three factors from the principal component analysis (PCA) explained 81.6% of the total variation, while ten higher molecular weight (HMW) PAHs’ loadings for factor 1 accounted for 51.0%. Based on the patterns of relative loading proportions of individual PAHs calculated by PCA, the primary sources were coal combustion, traffic emissions including gasoline, diesel oil, and the burning of natural gas. The spatial distribution of concentrations of fluorene had a poor spatial autocorrelation in the study area. The sites with the greatest potential risk due to exposure to PAHs were mainly distributed around the chemical industry parks.

Does Ideology Matter? Incentive, Efficiency and Management in the Public Sector

Contracting out has become increasingly popular as a strategy for public sector management for reducing costs, alleviating the burden on government agencies providing services, as well as taking advantage of the practices that have succeeded in the private sector. Generally, the system of management in capitalist liberal democratic systems of government that emphasize rule of law, transparency, performance measurement, and accountability are expected to be more efficient, while socialist regimes are considered to be inefficient due to the lack of these features. This article compares two dissimilar cases of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Shenzhen Special Economic Zone of China. An examination of the management of contract in the area of public housing in these cities reveal that the socialist city of Shenzhen has achieved a higher level of efficiency, while capitalist Hong Kong lags behind in establishing an effective system of management of contracts in the public sector. The finding challenges the traditional assumptions related to efficiency under different ideological regimes.

Heartache of the State, Enemy of the Self: Bipolar Disorder and Cultural Change in Urban China

Past works in anthropology and psychology have described the Chinese orientation toward life as situation-centered with an external locus of control. This model has also been applied to the understanding of affect disorders in China—depressive patients have been found to focus on outside circumstances surrounding dysphoric moods. However, dramatic economic, sociopolitical and cultural changes in post-Mao China may be affecting these cognitive orientations toward emotional distress. This paper focuses on the subjective experiences of individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder in China. The study is based on semistructured interviews with patients at a Western-style mental health institution in Shenzhen, the first successful Special Economic Zone in China. My data suggest that the location of agency has shifted across generations. Whereas those who grew up in the Maoist era are inclined to use external circumstances to explain the control over and responsibility for their illness, younger patients tend to emphasize self-blame and individual responsibility. I argue that these intergenerational differences in ethnopsychology relate to the multifaceted rise of individualism in post-Mao China. The paper ends with an examination of this observed shift vis-à-vis recent theories of neoliberal discipline in China and a discussion of potential psychological implications.

Evaluation and Analysis: Development Trend of China’s Logistics Industry under Supply Chain Globalization Environments

First in this paper a systematic and comprehensive hybrid index evaluation system of regional logistics competitiveness is designed according to the characteristics of China’s regional logistics system under supply chain globalization envi-ronments, and systematic analysis and discussion of the connotation of the various factors in the index evaluation sys-tem are made. Then based on hierarchy analysis thought and fuzzy decision-making principles, the development trend of China’s regional logistics industry is assessed systematically and comprehensively. With the result of the above as-sessment, the key factors and the gradual evolution process of promoting regional logistics industry competitiveness under supply chain globalization environments are discussed. Also, in this paper it points out that enhancing the strength of urban logistic enterprises will promote the competitiveness of regional logistics industry. And the logistics competitiveness of a few major economic zones in China is discussed with conclusion that discrepancy exists in terms of China’s provincial capital city’s logistics development. At last, development strategies for regional logistics are put forward aimed at the west regions of China which have weak competitiveness in logistics industry.

A study on emergence and investment environment of northen coast economic zone in China

A study on emergence and investment environment of northen coast economic zone in China

Relative treatment of workers in Mexico vs China: implications for location decisions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to help managers of multinational corporations (MNCs) in making location decisions by providing a relative comparison of the labor laws and their enforcement in Mexican and Chinese export processing zones (EPZ).Design/methodology/approachBy examining the relevant literature, the authors were able to identify differences and similarities among the two EPZs.FindingsChina is easier for MNCs to conduct business in because of the current lack of enforcement of the labor laws and the retention rate of workers is higher relative to Mexico. Also, wages in China are lower than in the Maquiladoras while at the same time the education level is higher in China than in Mexico.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted across a broad range of industries at a certain point in time. Researcher might be interested in identifying differences on a sector‐by‐sector basis. In addition, it would be possible to conduct a longitudinal study for both countries to examine the trends in enforcement activities and effect on FDI investments.Practical implicationsThe research addresses the labor laws and treatment of worker in the Maquiladoras of Mexico and the special economic zones of China. By law, treating workers fairly and providing a safe environment is a priority in both countries. However, laws are often not enforced. A MNC that is interested in retaining employees and long‐term productivity has varied opportunities to provide incentives to ensure its success.Originality/valueThis research is the first study to compare the Mexican and Chinese EPZ in terms of labor laws and their enforcement.

City of Youth: Shenzhen, China

Since ancient times, people have dreamed of a City of Youth, where the population never ages, and where any outsider who comes to live there will remain forever young. They probably did not have in mind, however, the "agelessness" of today's Shenzhen, China. Lying just over the border from Hong Kong, this "instant city" has grown in just over twenty-five years from a small fishing village to a sprawling metropolitan region approaching ten million people. As the first Special Economic Zone in China, it was a model for the capitalistic "market reforms" and "opening to the world" initiated in the late 1970s by Deng Xiaoping. One of its most striking aspects is the low average age of its residents, which has hovered for years at around twenty-seven. This stands in ever sharper contrast to China as a whole, where the population is rapidly aging.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and Economic Development: The Case of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in China

Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and Economic Development: The Case of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in China

Learning Process of Chinese Urban Planning: The Case of Xiamen's City Comprehensive Plan

Devolution, globalisation, and marketisation have made Chinese municipalities key players in urban development and construction, policy makers for increasing competitiveness, and stakeholders in the process of local social and economic development. These changes have greatly affected Chinese urban planning, which was initiated in the centrally planned economy. In this paper I attempt an exploration of the underlying concepts of Chinese planning and its approaches for coping with uncertainties within the new social and economic contexts in practice. Xiamen, one of the special economic zones in China, first confronted the concepts of the market economy in development. I select Xiamen as a case study to assess and to illustrate existing Chinese planning to aid the market economy learning process. I find that different planning approaches have been applied by local politicians and planners to cope with the changes.

Setting Up of Special Economic Zones in China

Establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in China has been a focus of study for many developing countries. It was initiated with a notion of experiment that foreign capital is an important instrument to put the country on a growth path of economic development and modernization while simultaneously integrating the inner regions with the main economic activity and development of the country. The Chinese experience of SEZs turned out to be a success in some sense as it could fulfil the desired goal of the Government. The paper makes an attempt to understand the concept behind this initiative; what political reforms were taken to set up SEZ; how it contributed to the growth of the Chinese economy; how FDI played a role in promoting exports and lastly, more importantly, what policy recommendations it suggests for future establishment of SEZs in China and in rest of the world.

Rapid urbanization in a transitional economy in China: The case of Hainan Island

The outcomes and forms of urbanization and modernization in China following the reform and opening of the late 1970s have attracted extensive attention and competing interpretations in scholarly documentation. This paper focuses on Hainan Island, established in 1988 as the biggest special economic zone in China. Since then, considerable inflows of human as well as speculative capital have led to rapid real estate, in particular tourism‐related, development. While urban expansion and improvements have been encouraged, the ongoing over‐building, unregulated conversion of land use and degradation of the urban environment present serious social and economic problems. This paper summarizes the trajectory, causal factors and outcomes of this urban growth and consequent planning problems that make the island an atypical case in China’s urbanization experience. We argue that the establishment of a practical framework combining socioeconomic planning, land use planning, and the management of both, is crucial to achieve sustainable growth for this transitional economy.