State Collaboration and Development Strategies in China

The Suzhou Industrial Park Project, a collaborative venture between the governments of China and Singapore, began in 1992 in order for both areas to mutually benefit from foreign direct investment.

In an era of rapid economic globalization, in which national governments were competing rather than collaborating, this project was highly unusual.

This book focuses on the various relationships between the two governments throughout the course of the venture as well as examining why certain strategies were adopted, how they were implemented and their outcomes.

Pereira carefully outlines the aim of the two governments: to develop an industrial state within China comparable to that in Singapore which, in turn, would encourage industrial transnational corporations to locate there and bring economic development to both areas.

The effectiveness of this aim is evaluated from the perspective of the clients (transnational corporations) as well as the Chinese and Singaporean governments, and also takes into account external factors such as the impact of regional shocks and local competitors.

In this way both the successes and the failures of inter-governmental collaboration are explored. Derived from extensive fieldwork in Suzhou and Singapore, State Collaboration and Development Strategies in China forms the first full length, long-term study of the project.

By scrutinizing national economic development strategies, particularly those that rely on financial direct investment, this book will appeal to a wide audience including economic sociologists, policy makers and development consultants as well as students of business and Asian studies.