Balance through Agglomeration: A Race between Geography and Policy in China's Regional Development

Changes in regional income gaps in China reflect the role of both the market and the government in the Chinese economy. Since 2003, government policies have aimed to distribute more resources to less developed areas. Although this process is accompanied by a narrowing interregional income gap, it does not represent real “convergence” between regions. From the perspective of spatial–political economics, the free movement of people is helpful to realize regional economic balance through agglomeration, while investment policies that deviate from the comparative advantage of less developed regions may lead to spatial misallocation of resources and unsustainable economic growth. In order to achieve further integration and development in the Chinese economy in the future, restrictions to the flow of production factors must be alleviated so that the market can truly become a decisive force for the allocation of resources.