Scalar restructuring of the Chinese state: The subnational politics of development zones

Abstract

Recent studies have re-examined the implications and conceptual limitations of the theory of state rescaling in non-Western contexts. While the reconfiguration of state spaces has taken place in many countries and regions, the forces driving a state to reconfigure its spatial power and the forms of state rescaling appear to be contingent upon specific contexts. This article analyses the driving forces behind the scalar restructuring of the Chinese state and discusses how the logic as well as the form of rescaling differ from the post-Fordist experience of the West. By focusing on the frantic rush to establish special development zones, this article argues that development zones in China represent new political spaces that enable local state actors to navigate between multiple scales. Local states can manipulate the costs and benefits between a zone and its hosting locale by taking advantage of their overlapping jurisdictions across different scales. Zoning has become a scaling strategy from below. Local authorities have deployed various zoning technologies to empower themselves by manipulating the existing scalar order to their own advantage.