REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS: STATE PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/principios.2675-6609.2025.171.004Keywords:
Regional inequalities; Project planning; Infrastructure.Abstract
This article analyzes Chinese regional planning, particularly through the perspective of Deng Xiaoping, and compares it with the ideas of Brazilian economist Ignácio Rangel. The analysis explores the pillars of Chinese planning, which include addressing problems for the collective good and experimental strategies followed by the expansion of successful practices, unified through the development of productive forces via infrastructure investments. The text begins with an etymological analysis of the terms "development" (发展, fazhan) and "region" (区域性, qūyùxìng) in Mandarin. For the Chinese, “development” is a continuous and expansive process, while “region” goes beyond geographical divisions, integrating emotional and human aspects. It then examines Deng Xiaoping's speeches and his arguments for prioritizing coastal regions’ development to drive national growth, which also generated regional inequalities and sparked debates on the subject. The article concludes by connecting Rangel's ideas on “projetamento”—planning and anticipation of strategic infrastructure—with Deng’s approach. Anchored in state planning, Chinese regional development aims to integrate provinces through large infrastructure projects, promoting connectivity and reducing inequalities by linking less developed areas to the economy, encouraging reflections on development and regional inequalities.