Beijing and the Provinces: Different Constructions of National Development

Abstract

Development is largely a social construction, and Beijing’s conception of national development in the post-Mao era has differed significantly from provincial elites’ conceptions. Whereas Beijing envisions an emerging national web based on horizontal alliances among the provinces, provincial leaders have adopted a variety of strategies for economic and social development. In general, a province’s reaction is determined by the interactions of two master variables: strength of socialist institutions and indigenous entrepreneurial tradition. Cross-tabulation of these two variables results in four general patterns of provincial development: trailblazer, runner-up, laggard, and parochial.