The relations between the central government and the local governments was a very important topic in the studies on China's reform and opening policy. It can be said that the success of China's reform and opening policy was achieved through the metho ...
The relations between the central government and the local governments was a very important topic in the studies on China's reform and opening policy. It can be said that the success of China's reform and opening policy was achieved through the method of decentralization. Therefore, the analysis of numerous issues concerning China’s reform and opening policy could all be called the study on the relations between the central government and the local governments. However, most of the traditional researches on the relationship between China’s central and local governments have focused on the economic decentralization, which has put quantitative growth in a top priority, and the local governments’ increased autonomy and independence. This means that the intergovernmental relationship between China’s central and local governments was a contractual and compromising relationship by the methods of consultation and compromise during the period of reform and opening. In other words, it has changed from a vertical control relationship between the central and local governments in the period of Mao, Ze-dong to a negotiable relationship with a compromise since the reform and opening.
Then, has the trend of the relationship between the central government and the local governments continued to deepen since 2000s in China? Looking at the various circumstances, it has been discovered that China's central-local relations have changed again in recent years. First of all, it should be noted that the central government has strongly emphasized the norms of market economy since China’s entry into the WTO in 2001. The standardization of market economy means regulating the independent economic activities of local governments to prevent them from undermining market norms in order to build a virtually unified market for China's central government. In addition, China's central government has consistently tried new norms in various areas, including rural, environment, health, social welfare, labor and family register management system, etc. from the era of Hu, Jin-tao to the era of Xi, Jin-ping at present. Also, the concentration of power to the center is becoming more pronounce politically.
After all, the situation described above suggests that China's central-local relations have also been in a new turning point since the 2000s. In other words, the central government presents a new development paradigm called a sustainable growth model, and presents new norms which are appropriate for this. On the other hand, the local governments faced the dilemma if they had to adhere to the central government's norms and exercise autonomy to sustain the growth of the region at the same time. Therefore, the recent relationship between the central government and the local governments can not be interpreted only with the conventional compromise and the eclectic relationship, and it can be seen that many central authoritative aspects have occurred in the existing order. However, focusing on the context of the “Development paradigm transition period”, there is no research that captures new features of the relationship between the Chinese central government and local governments. The studies of development strategies of various regions of the local governments and development models of specific regions such as Chongqing and Guangdong, and the studies of the role of local governments in specific policies, the predatory acts of the local governments, etc. have continued, but these are all focused on micro analysis of a specific local government, and those don’t consider the characteristic analysis of the relationship between Chinese central government and local governments in the “Development paradigm transition period”
Therefore, this study would make it possible to play a leading role in related research by presenting new features of the changed central-local relation for "Development paradigm transition period". This research, a three-year project, analysed the "strategic acts" of the local governments towards economic and social policies and internationalization strategies in "Development paradigm transition period" in China. In the first year, we studied what kind of "strategic behavior" the local governments show in the economic policy promoted by the central government. Regarding the economic policies, China's local governments are trying to develop the region using policies such as expansion of investment attraction, real estate development, excavation of new growth engine in recent years. However, excessive competition and multiple investment between regions have also led to conflict between the central government and the opposition, as well as the fiscal deterioration of local governments. Therefore, in the first year of this study, we examined the core of central government policy in "Development paradigm transition period" and how does the local governments respond strategically to this.
In the second year, we researched what kind of "strategic acts" the local governments can show in the social policies promoted by China’s central government in the “Development paradigm transition period.” Recently the fact that Chinese citizens embarked on a struggle for ownership of private property rights in full swing affects not only the social policy of central government but also acts of local governments. Therefore, in the second year of this research, we tried to analyze the core of central government’s policies in "Development paradigm transition period" and how does the local governments respond strategically by case analysis.
In the third year, we researched what kind of "strategic acts" the local government can show in the process of implementing "internationalization strategy" promoted by the Chinese central government in the "Development paradigm transition period." In relation to the internationalization strategy, how the Chinese government's overseas expansion strategy, ZouChuQu (Go Global) strategy, has changed in the “Development paradigm transition period” and how the local governments respond towards “One Belt and One Road” strategy are conducted.
In the third year of this research, we tried to analyze the core of central government’s policies on internationalization strategy in the "Development paradigm transition period" and how does the local governments respond strategically by case and comparative analysis.