The dilemma of municipal officials in China
Following decades of rapid industrialization and urbanization, China has committed to sustainable development by defining its own strategy, focusing on technological innovation and industrial modernization. While major urban areas have substantial resources in terms of manpower, materials, and finances to adapt to this shift, small towns in more remote regions do not have the same advantages. How can local governments of small towns adopt a territorial development strategy that effectively balances the competing priorities of productivity and environmental sustainability?
This study by Mengcheng Li, Ph. D. Graduate, associate with UMR Géographie-cités & Natacha Aveline-Dubach, Senior Researcher (CNRS / Géographie-cités) examines the strategies adopted by two successive municipal administrations in Xianju, a small town in a remote area of eastern China, in light of the major challenges faced by Chinese municipalities: a strong focus on productivity, asymmetrical decentralization, and a persistent structural budget deficit.
The research methodology included 50 interviews with a wide range of local stakeholders and analysis of documentary sources. The findings reveal an incremental and adaptable strategy employed by municipal officials in Xianju to establish a “green development” model that aligns with party-state expectations while supporting their career advancement. Although this model fosters job creation and helps counter the negative impacts of unregulated industrialization, it also risks generating new social and environmental inequalities.
Harvesting yangmei © Xiaofeng XU, 2022
Mengcheng Li et Natacha Aveline-Dubach, « Concilier croissance économique, durabilité environnementale et ambitions professionnelles : le dilemme des responsables municipaux en Chine », Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography [En ligne], Aménagement, Urbanisme, document 1083, mis en ligne le 13 décembre 2024 DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/12x4c
