Industry in Lanzhou [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von Genying Chang

China

Informations

• Publié par: ruprecht-karls-universitat_heidelberg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2004
• Nombre de lectures: 11
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

INAUGURAL – DISSERTATION

zur
Erlangung der Doktorwürde
der
Naturwissenschaftlich-Mathematischen
Gesamtfakultät
der
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität
Heidelberg






Vorlegt von
Master of Science: Genying Chang
Lanzhou, Provinz Gansu, VR China














Industry in Lanzhou













Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Hans Gebhardt
Prof. Dr. Peter Meusburger
Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 17.12.2004
Ort: Geographisches Institut









Ich erkläre hiermit, dass ich die vorgelegte Dissertation selbst verfasst
und mich keiner anderen als der von mir ausdrücklich bezeichneten
Quellen und Hilfen bedient habe.


Unterschrift, Datum


Preface

Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu province in Northwest China. My decision to study in-
dustrial development in Lanzhou is related to my personal experience. In 1992 I heard of
“sustainable development” for the first time through radio. My intuition told me that popula-
tion growth had much to do with the sustainability of socio-economic development in such
underdeveloped areas as my hometown. This, together with others, explained my decision to
focus on population geography when I was a graduate student from 1994 to 1997. During my
study as a graduate student, I participated in several research programmes concerning the rela-
tionship between population growth, economic development, resource utility and ecological
evolution. My findings showed that the severely degenerating environment, quick increasing
and badly educated population, backward agricultural economy with a low production effi-
ciency are common features of a large number of areas in Gansu province. I was so disap-
pointed that I did not have any feelings of regional sustainable development, regardless of the
“rich” northern oasis-desert areas, the poor middle half-drought loess plateau areas, or the
very poor southern mountain areas. In consideration of the fact that population in Gansu will
grow continuously in the next 30 to 50 years due to a high proportion of young population,
relatively high fertility and a longer expectation of life before a turn point for population sta-
bility or decline appears, I decided to transfer my focus from population to industrial devel-
opment. I believe that industrial development is the most important factor in promoting re-
gional sustainable development.

Lanzhou University, where I had worked for over three years, gave me a chance to apply for a
German scholarship. The China Scholarship Council financed my one-year German learning
in Shanghai and paid my plane tickets from China to Germany and back. The Hanns-Seidel-
Stiftung provided me a scholarship for two years and the Heidelberg University for further ten
months.

Earlier, my focus was on population geography. Despite this, Prof. Dr. Hans Gebhardt was so
kind that he was willing to supervise me by writing my dissertation related to economic geog-
raphy. Besides his excellent academic guidance, I was repeatedly moved by his patience and
driven by his encourage to revise my study plan for several times and to complete the written
work. His care for my financial support from the university, his attachment to academic free-
dom, and his friendship are all things I will remember forever. During my stay in Heidelberg,
great and friendly help from Dr. Klaus Sachs made my life much easier and in order. His con-
structive suggestions contributed to great improvement of the dissertation. Dr. Heiko Schmid,
Dr. Jörn Schellenberg, Mr. Holger Köppe, Ms. Annika Mattissek, and Ms. Stephanie Köllner,
also supported me a lot.

Liu Hong, Guo Xiaodong, Liu Ming, Zhan Xiaolin, Zhang Huili helped me a lot by making
questionnaires and interviews. Dr. Li Yichun, Li Shenghong, Dr. Ma Jinlong, Wang Baohong,
Prof. Dr. Jiang Manqi, associate Prof. Dr. Zhang Zhibing, and Wang Jianyong provided me
great spiritual support and other supports.

To all persons and organisations, I want to say: thank very much.

Chang Genying, October 2004
Table of Contents

Table of contents I
List of tables II
List of figures III
List of maps III
List of appendixes III
List of abbreviations IV
Abstract in English V
Abstract in German VII

Introduction 1

1 Aims of Research and Research Design
1.1 Progress in economic geography 3
1.2 Aims of research in the context of China 10
1.3 Research design and implementation 17

2 Lanzhou: Location, General Conditions and Current Industries
2.1 Relative economic location of the city (wirtschaftsräumliche Lage) 21
2.2 General conditions 24
2.3 Industry in 2001 27

3 Industrial Development in Lanzhou
3.1 Industrial development in the planned economy 32
3.2 The changing local industrial structure 34

4 Structuring and Restructuring of Local Large Enterprises
4.1 Intrafirm organisational structure of large SOEs in the planned economy 38
4.2 The changing organisational structure of large SOEs since the reform 41
4.3 Local listed corporations: operation, investment channels and problems 50
4.4 Development of large private enterprises: two cases 54

5 Agglomeration of Local SMIEs
5.1 Spatial distribution of the questioned enterprises 56
5.2 Ownership perspective 56
5.3 Dependence on local/regional markets 58
5.4 Location factors and agglomeration economies: ex-post evaluations 60
5.5 Preferential policies and “incubator economies” 65

6 Linkages and Communications of Local SMIEs
6.1 Channels of product sales and input acquisition 67
6.2 Relationship of managers/owners with governmental officials 71
6.3 Relations between SMIEs and associations 74



I7 Improvement of Technologies and the Product Quality of Local SMIEs
7.1 Technological improvement 75
7.2 Improvement of the product quality 77

8 Conclusion and Discussion
8.1 The changing organisational structure of enterprises 80
8.2 Official institutions versus non-official institutions 81
8.3 Macro-structural power and general processes of economic development 81
8.4 Location factors 82
8.5 Relational aspects of economic activities 83
8.6 Technological improvement 84

Tables
Tab. 1.1 Discontinuities between the school of spatial science and relational
economic geography 7
Tab. 1.2 Ownership forms of the enterprises questioned 20
Tab. 1.3 Organisational forms of the enterprises questioned 20
Tab. 1.4 Classification of the enterprises questioned by products 20
Tab. 2.1 Types of ownership of industrial enterprises by number and GIOV 27
Tab. 2.2 Industrial structure by light and heavy industry 28
Tab. 2.3 Industrial structure by sector 28
Tab. 2.4 Proportions of enterprises operating at loss in 2001 by ownership 29
Tab. 2.5 Proportions of enterprises operating at loss in 2001 by size and sector 30
Tab. 4.1 Effects of corporalization of small and medium-sized SOEs (%) 54
Tab. 5.1 Sale scopes of products by value (%) 59
Tab. 5.2 Importance of local and regional markets to SMIEs 59
Tab. 5.3 Influence of local/regional resources and material linkages on
agglomeration I 60
Tab. 5.4 Influence of material linkages on agglomeration II 61
Tab. 5.5 Influence of local Labour force on agglomeration 61
Tab. 5.6 Influence of local transport and water supply on agglomeration 62
Tab. 5.7 Influence of local universities and technological intermediate
organisations on agglomeration 63
Tab. 5.8 Influence of local power supply and land supply on agglomeration 63
Tab. 5.9 Influence of local facilities for dealing with pollutants on agglomeration 64
Tab. 5.10 Localization economies, preferential policies and agglomeration 65
Tab. 6.1 Sale channels of main products by mean value (%) 67
Tab. 6.2 Sources of the main input by value (%) 68
Tab. 6.3 Functions of stable channels of product sales and input supplies (%) 69
Tab. 6.4 Formation mechanisms of stable relations (%) 71
Tab. 6.5 Relationship of managers/owners with local governmental officials 71
Tab. 6.6 Benefits of a good relationship with governmental officials 72
Tab. 6.7 Help from related associations (%) 73
Tab. 6.8 Types of help from asso73



II Tab. 7.1 Technological improvement (%) 76
Tab. 7.2 Means of technological improvement (%)