Intercity regional disparity in China

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has always emphasized a policy of achieving economic equality between regions. Yet regional disparity persists. During the 1980s and 1990s, government policies increased the disparities between regions, causing the eastern (coastal) region to advance at a greater rate than the western and central regions. Using 1985 and 1991 city-level data, this paper examines economic disparities across regions in the PRC and, within each region. It presents evidence on the magnitude and evolution of regional disparities, and estimates the response of regional per capita income (PCI) and per capita gross domestic product (PCGDP) both to specifics of the regions and to national policies. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.