The Generalities And Characteristics Of Chinese Urbanization

As one of the important contents and achievements in the development of post-reform period China, urbanization caused a lot of related research. Among them, although the term’Chinese urbanization model’can widely found in the Chinese or international literatures which studied about China, academics have not found the convincing consensus whether Chinese urbanization has the unique distinctive features and characteristics, or it is in nature totally different from other existing urbanization models in the world. The fundamental reason is not only lacking of theoretical definition of’urbanization model’in the existing researches, but also lacking of the comparison of placing Chinese urbanization features into the international urbanization models. This study aimed to compensate for the deficiency of existing researches, based on the practical experiences of the local China to explain’Chinese urbanization model’, and compare the China reality with international urbanization-situation, in order to survey the generalities and characteristics of Chinese urbanization features, and then make the judgment whether Chinese urbanization has formed a special unique urbanization model.Theoretical significance of this study is during understanding the generalities and characteristics of Chinese urbanization features deeply, analyzing the judgment, whether Chinese urbanization has formed a special unique urbanization model, in response to those urbanization theories which originated in West, to provide a possible references for the expansion of existing urbanization theories. Practical significance of this study is during comparison of placing Chinese urbanization features into the international urbanization models, identifying the similarities and differences of Chinese urbanization and other types of world urbanizations more clearly, in order to judge Chinese urbanization’s objective law of development, to provide the relative references for more effective advantages of Chinese urbanization and assessing the current Chinese urbanization’s policies.The study star from the original definition of’model’, as a basis to build the theoretical framework of’Chinese urbanization model’, and to indicate the important criterions, if an’urbanization model’exists,--the uniqueness, stability and influence of the model’s inherent characteristics. Among them, the uniqueness shows the essence of the model. The stability reflects the maturity of the model. The influence expresses the value and acceptability of the model.’Urbanization model’as a category of development model, is a relatively stable specific type, which constitutes by those with representational significance of urbanization features during the development process. It reflected the uniqueness of real trajectory, dynamic mechanism and essential feature in the specific political economical urbanization.Based on the above theoretical framework, this study attempts to analyze the Chinese urbanization features during the real trajectory, dynamic mechanism and essential feature of urbanization. The results showed that, Chinese urbanization’s concept contains many political and expedient implications. It leads to the multiple standards to measure the real trajectory of urbanization.In terms of international common urban resident population, Chinese current urbanization level is high, the speed of urbanization is quick, and the gap between the urbanization and economic development continues to shrink and stays stable. In terms of ’Chinese character’ urban hukou population, Chinese urbanization level is low, the growth is slow. The urbanization level lags far behind the economic development level. After analysis of the existing data, the scale of Chinese cities was uneven distributed, resources and development are focus on a few major cities, the differences between regions are large. The dynamic mechanism of Chinese urbanization, which is at the present stage of institutional arrangement, is showing the bipartite system of most planned, less market. Namely the whole urbanization is led by the government, although it is brought market power in some specific areas, the decisive role of government is difficult to be subverted. The space of market role is still limited. The essential feature of urbanization presents the three aspects. From the purpose the urbanization, Chinese urbanization is the urbanization which is directed by government. From the resource allocation, it is urban and rural areas ’fragmented’ urbanization. From sharing of urbanization result, it is both ’high’ and also a ’thing’ but rather than ’people’ urbanization.The international comparative research of this study is showing the comparison, which is placed Chinese urbanization features into the different economy urbanization models of market economy, planned economy and transition economy. The results showed that:the promoting subject of Chinese urbanization is similar to market economy model and transition economy model. It is combined by both government and market force. But the real trajectory and the essential feature of Chinese urbanization present highly similar with the feature of planned economy model under the leading role in promoting process of government. Thus the study emphasizes, the characteristics of Chinese urbanization expresses the mixed trait with superposition of the market economy model’s feature and the planned economy model’s feature. Chinese urbanization has not formed an independent unique characteristic than other existing urbanization models.In addition, the dynamic mechanism which used institutional arrangement as the main driving force of urbanization, determined, that Chinese urbanization must have been obviously influenced by the institutional arrangement. With the continuous reforms and adjustments from government and market under the related regime and relative role of size during the transition period, the’characteristics’of Chinese urbanization would be gradually weakened, and the generalities will be increasingly prominent. Therefore, the current feature of Chinese urbanization does not have stability.Finally, this study suggests that, despite Chinese urbanization in the transition period has made remarkable achievement, made the profound impact of China’s development, promoted international urbanization, and showed seemingly’unique’features. But compare these’unique’features with international mainstream model, there is no difference in nature. Due to the impact of institutional change in transition period, these features do not have stability. Therefore, Chinese urbanization is hard to form a unique urbanization model.