A Strategic Study On Coordinated Urban Rural Development In Central China

China has attracted worldwide attention and made a significant achievement since the implementation of the Opening and Reforming policy in the past 30 years. However, the concomitant imbalance on regional economic development and the disparity between rural and urban areas limit its further development as well as the establishment of a harmonious society. The problem of coordinated urban rural development in central China becomes more obvious, In 2009, China's GDP per capital reached US$3,711 and was within the top 100 countries in the world, which meant China had already entered into the period of industry re-feeding agriculture. Meanwhile, China's regional development gradually moved from imbalance to balance. In 2004, Chinese central government adopted Central Rising Strategy and founded Wuhan City Circle in Hubei province and the City Cluster of Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan in Hunan province as pilot areas for developing a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society. It is under such a background that studying and improving urban-rural unification becomes a must for further implementing the "Scientific Development Concept" as well as establishing a harmonious society.This paper adopts both qualitative and quantitative approaches including selecting a certain index system, establishing an evaluation system for coordinated urban rural development and conducting an overall assessment of the basic situation both in central areas and other parts of China. Furthermore, this paper uses relevant experience of other countries as well as the experiment from other parts of China and proposes the guiding principles, practical goals and safeguard mechanisms for urban-rural unification in central China.The following are the main innovative points and important conclusions:First of all, through the selection of 3 12 comparative indexes of urban-rural development and the establishment of an evaluation index system, this paper points out that the general trend of urban-rural disparity is still widening, but the speed of widening is slowing down. Meanwhile, the factor of finance presents an inverted U curve and the factors of welfare and life reveal a wavelike change. Through further analysis of development experience of urban-rural unification in typical areas like Chengdu, Beijing and Zhejiang province, the paper finds out that there is no unified mode for coordinated urban rural development. In other words, each place should figure out its own mode according to its unique features.Secondly, based on the analysis of urbanization of central areas and the industrialization of rural areas, this paper uses the method of main component analysis to analyze the basic situations of 6 central provinces from a horizontal way and then finds out that Henan province is the best in economic unification, Hunan province ranks the second, Hubei province is No.3, Anhui province is No.4, Jiangxin province is No.5 and Shanxi province is the last one. Furthermore, this paper also points out that Jiangxi province is the best in social unification, Anhui province ranks the second, Hunan province is No.3, Henan province is No.4, Hubei province is No. 5 and Shanxi province is the last one. Referring to living unification, Hubei province stays comparatively the same advantageous position with Jiangxi province. Generally speaking, Hunan province is top of all in the development of urban-rural unification; Henan is the second; Jiangxi is slightly better than Hubei and Shanxi is the worst. Moreover, through the vertical way of comparison, the paper points out that the situation of urban-rural unification of these six provinces gradually became better and better from 2004 to 2008. However, the trends of changing in Hubei, Hunan and Anhui are comparatively slow, but the urban-rural unification development in Henan improves fastest. In short, the strategy of the rising of central China has greatly promoted the urban rural development of central areas.Thirdly, through the selection of 3 first-level indexes and 21 second-level indexes together with the comparison of the eastern, central, western and northeastern parts of China, this paper finds out that the eastern area is the best in urban-rural unification development, northeast is the second, central China is the third and western China is the last. Although the urban-rural development level of the northeastern areas is lower than that of the eastern parts, yet their urban-rural development disparity is the lowest and thus their cooperation situation is the best. Compared with the central and western areas, the eastern areas are in a more advantageous position and the central areas are just slightly better than the western parts.Finally, this paper also analyzes the basic guiding theory and principles of urban rural unification of central areas and brings forward the long term and short term goals, points out three important strategies, namely the informationization of rural areas, the industrialization of agriculture of central areas and urbanization strategy. More importantly, the paper also proposes four safeguard measures, which are innovation of administrative mechanism, financial support, intellectual support and legal assurance.