Provinces in China CEAS/SIS/JNU 25 October 2010

Beijing is far away: The Provinces in China

CEAS/SIS/JNU25 October 2010Jabin T JacobSenior Research FellowInstitute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)New DelhiSTUDYING PROVINCESLevels of Analysis 1. centre-provincewhen competitive LOCALISM2. inter-provincewhen competition PROVINCIALISMwhen cooperation REGIONALISM3. province-foreign country TRANSNATIONALISM4. intra-provinceINDIAS STATES1947-1989 - federal, single-partypost-1989 federal, multi-party, reforms and opening up of economy

hierarchy of states1947-1989members in ParliamentGDPpost-1989world trade, FDIeducation, infrastructurediaspora

influence exercised/constrained1947-1989members in Parliament location / national securitypost-1989coalition governments

3CHINAS PROVINCESProvincesAutonomous RegionsMunicipalities

Special Administrative RegionsRenegade Province

1. LOCALISM(centre-province competition)tio/kui gunxi constitutional position of provincesauthority fragmentedstrong state capacity needs to exist at both central and local levels

issuesresource allocation (preferential policies), revenue collection cadre origins, appointment, training and promotions implementation of central laws and regulationsenvironmental policyeconomic reforms implementation, initiative, WTO accession

in the PRCMao Hyperstatized and yet politically parcelized? Deng high level of decentralization, declining central revenuesJiang recentralization of power, 1994 tax reforms, greater institutionalization, rotation of cadreHu recentralization of power, deepening of institutions, greater predictability

LOCALISM IN INDIA(centre-province competition)constitutional position of the states authority fragmented by coalition politicsstrong state capacity needs to exist at both central and local levels

issuescentral control - bureaucratic appointments, fundingimplementation of central laws and regulationsenvironmental policyeconomic reforms implementation, initiativepoliticalGujarat v/s New DelhiUttar Pradesh v/s New DelhiTamil Nadu v/s New Delhirevenue collectionVAT, GST2A. PROVINCIALISM (inter-province competition)Economic dynamics ladder-step theorydisparitieseconomic protectionismexit and voicedependency central government, richer provinces

Political / Cultural dynamicsMao / GPCRculture / ethnicityChineseness Yellow Emperor Henan and Shaanxiidentity politics Anhui , Guizhou, YunnanSinification Tibet, Xinjiangladder-step theory (td kifa lln)

9PROVINCIALISM IN INDIA(inter-province competition)Political dynamicsChandigarh Punjab v/s HaryanaBelgaum Karnataka v/s Maharashtra

Cultural/Ethnic dynamicsmigrant labour Maharashtra, Delhi v/s Bihar

Resource competitionriver waters Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

Economic dynamics TATA Nano West Bengal, Gujarat

102B. REGIONAL CHINA

2B. REGIONALISM (inter-province cooperation)Rationale for identifying a Regionnatural geography rivers, mountainseconomic study, growth-centres, central inability, resource allocation/requirementsmilitaryhistory

Rationale for regional cooperationpushed by the centre GARs6th FYP (1981-85) Economic Coordination Areas7th FYP (1986-90) 3 regions Western Region9th FYP (1996-2000) growth centres PRD, YRD political bargaining with the centre Central Chinese provinceseconomies of scale PRD, YRDconstruction of physical infrastructureshared economic interests - Hubei

A unique joint editorial published on 1 March 2010 by 13 independent-leaning Chinese media outlets, spread across 11 provinces and cities, in the lead-up to the annual session of the national legislature, stated, "We hope that decades of Chinese government maladministration can end with this generation. . . . Let the next generation enjoy the sacred constitutional guarantees of freedom, democracy and equality." The target of criticism was the Chinese household registration, or hukou, system. The editorial, while indicating growing popular pressure for reform of the system also displays the ability to network across provincial boundaries and it is reasonable to expect that provincial officials too, have a similar ability to form coalitions across provincial boundaries and on a variety of issues.Carl Minzner, The system that divides China, Los Angeles Times, 16 March 2010, http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-minzner16-2010mar16,0,6869961.story.122B. REGIONALISM (inter-province cooperation)Pearl River DeltaYangtze River Delta

REGIONALISM IN INDIA(inter-province cooperation)Rationale for identifying a Regionnatural geographyHimalayan states; Northeast Indiacultural / ethnicnorth v/s south; Northeast Indiapolitical violenceinsurgency-affected states; Naxalism-affected states / Red Corridoreconomicnorth; south; west; eastmilitary

Rationale for regional cooperationpolitical bargaining with the centre Northeast Indiaeconomies of scale construction of physical infrastructure NCRshared economic interests

3. TRANSNATIONALISM (province-foreign country relations)

3. TRANSNATIONALISM (province-foreign country relations) economic influence to political influence Hong Kong, MacaoTaiwan

who is in charge? centre? JapanIndiaCentral Asia

who is in charge? province?Southeast Asia

who is in charge? neither?S KoreaRussian Far East

TRANSNATIONALISM IN INDIA(province-foreign country relations)

4. OTHER ISSUESintra-provinceBihar-Jharkhand; Madhya Pradesh-Chattisgarh; UP-UttaranchalJ&K Kashmir, Jammu, Ladakh, KargilUttar Pradesh; Maharashtra; Andhra PradeshJiangsu; XinjiangGuangdong-Hainan Island; Sichuan-ChongqingTibet (U-Tsang, Kham, Amdo); TAR, Qinghai, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu

rise of cities / urban centrescompetition between urban centresNew Delhi v/s Gurgaon v/s NOIDAGuangzhou v/s Shenzhen v/s Hong Kongcompetition within urban centresNew Delhi - MCD, NDMC and the Cantonment BoardWuhan provincial government v/s Wuhan city government

Uttar Pradesh Harit Pradesh; Maharashtra - Vidharbha; Andhra Pradesh Telengana, RayalseemaXinjiang Dzungarian Basin in the north and the Tarim Basin in the south

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