Acta Geographica Sinica ›› 2003, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (6): 937-946.doi: 10.11821/xb200306017

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Provincial Disparities of the Relationship between Industrialization and Urbanization

LIU Shenghe, CHEN Tian, CAI Jianming   

  1. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
  • Received:2003-06-07 Revised:2003-09-20 Online:2003-11-25 Published:2003-11-25
  • Supported by:

    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40101010; Knowledge Innovation Project of CAS, No. KZCX2-SW-318

Abstract:

Based on the 5th census data and the China's Statistical Yearbook 2000, the accuracy and reliability of the industrialization levels at the national and provincial levels respectively calculated from the census and statistical data are firstly compared and checked. While analyzing the relationship between industrialization and urbanization at the national and provincial levels in China, this paper finds that it is applicable to use the census data rather than the statistical data to calculate the industrialization level although the industrialization levels calculated from the two types of data sources are both inaccurate. Secondly, the provincial disparities of the relationship between industrialization and urbanization in 1982-2000 are explored in detail, based on the 3rd, 4th and 5th census data in China. Four characteristics have been summarized: (1) The relationships between industrialization and urbanization at provincial level in China are of various types with great differences. Thus, an identical urbanization policy nationwide is inapplicable in China. (2) After the reform and opening up policy was launched in the 1980s, the growth rate of urbanization level greatly exceeds that of industrialization level in most provinces of China, which results in a sharp decrease in the number of provinces with urbanization lagged behind and a rapid increase in the number of provinces with industrialization lagged behind. (3) In those provinces with rather high urbanization level and rapid growth rate, such as Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangdong and Beijing, their urbanization levels are still lower than their respective industrialization levels; while in those provinces with rather lower urbanization level and slow growth rate, such as Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Qinghai, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Chongqing, Hainan etc., their urbanization levels are, however, higher than their respective industrialization levels. (4) The provincial disparities of the relationship between industrialization and urbanization in China are primarily caused by various growth rates of industrialization among provinces, in particular the sluggish growth of industrialization in the central and western regions.

Key words: statistical data, census data, industrialization, urbanization, regional disparity, China