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The Economic Geography of Resource-based Cities in North-East China

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Identity, Space, and Everyday Life in Contemporary Northeast China
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Abstract

Northeast China is rich in natural resources and consequently resource extractivism has defined the region’s economic development since early twentieth century. This chapter analyzes the economic geography of resource-based cities in Northeast China. It first provides a historical account of resource exploitation in Northeast China. It then analyzes the key challenges contemporary resource-based cities in Northeast China face, including resource depletion, environmental degradation, unequal ecological exchange, the legacy of the planning economy, and maladjustment to market-oriented reform. The chapter also discusses the key transition strategies adopted by the resource-based cities, as well as analyzes the governance and performance of the strategies. Three case studies—Fuxin, Daqing, and Daxing’anling—are presented to substantiate the arguments. The chapter concludes by discussing the policy implications of the findings.

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Lo, K. (2024). The Economic Geography of Resource-based Cities in North-East China. In: Chen, Z.T., Han, J., Kuang, X., Liu, X. (eds) Identity, Space, and Everyday Life in Contemporary Northeast China. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4530-6_3

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