The Features And Influencing Factors Of Regional Development Inequality In China

This paper analyses the dynamics of regional development inequality in China since1997by the population weighted coefficient of variation. Then, we decompose the variation fromspace and industry in order to find the factors influencing the dynamics of regional developmentinequality in China in a uniform framework. The results show that the regional developmentinequality in China has been enlarged from1997to1999, and then had a short reduction in2000,then enlarged again from2001to2004, from2005to2010reduced sharply.There are three main spatial factors that influence the regional development inequality inChina during1997to2010. According to their importance, the first spatial factor is thedevelopment inequalities between the east region, central region, west region and northeastregion, the second one is the between province inequalities in the east region, and the third factoris the between province inequalities in the northeast region, centre region, west regionrespectively. In addition to the space decomposition of the four regions as the regional unit,China will be divided into eight economic regions. And the space decomposition results arebasically as the same as the four regions. But the contribution rate between-regions is muchhigher than the results of the four regions. This shows that the more region numbers, the higherthe contribution rate between regions.The contribution of eight industrial factors in the four regions and the eight economicregions are the same. There are also three main industrial factors influencing the regionaldevelopment inequality in China during the period mentioned above. Industry has a mostimportant influence on the regional development inequality in China. The other servicedepartments are the second industrial factor. The wholesale, retail trade, catering services are thethird industrial factor. The contribution of the financial industry is in fourth place. Thecontribution of the real estate industry ranks fifth, showing although fluctuations, but relativelystable characteristics. The contribution of transport and post and telecommunications continue todecrease, ranks seventh in the eight industries. Construction and agriculture make smallcontribution to the regional development inequality in China.