Beyond the Sunan Model: Trajectory and Underlying Factors of Development in Kunshan, China

Abstract

Since the launch of economic reforms in the late 1970s, some cities and regions in China have been growing much faster than others, stimulating scholarly research on the forces underlying uneven development. This paper, through a case study of the emergence of Kunshan in southern Jiangsu (Sunan), shows that the orthodox Sunan model centered on the development of township and village enterprises (TVEs) has become inadequate to account for the recent development and restructuring in Sunan. I argue that spatial development in China is a complicated process incorporating the role of the state, local development conditions, and foreign investment. Moreover, there are strong geographical foundations for the functioning of local states. The arguments are particularly relevant to the transitional nature of provincial China, where the state still plays a significant role in development while local and global forces have emerged as equally important forces.