Whilst most scholars would agree that agency affects structure and vice versa, there is yet no
consensus about how we may actually explain the interaction between them. This research tries
to join the discussion on how structure and agency relate through a study of the local political
economy in Northern China. Employing a non-zero-sum view of central-local relations, the
research enquires into how the key agent-Municipal Government of Tianjin- plays its role in
local economic development within the context of central policies. Using the historical narrative
method, the study focuses on the "process", as well as the actions It examines the strategies the
actors adopted and how they were chosen.
Given the centrality of investment policy in economic development, this study focuses on the
investment policy and implementation of Tianjin Municipal Government as empirical research
object. I identified that Tianjin Municipal Government had made great efforts on FDI (Foreign
Direct Investment) and Municipal Infrastructure in its investment implementation. I ask two
questions. First, why this dual strategy? Second, what has the Tianjin Municipal Government
done under this strategy? Through answering these questions, I draw a picture how Tianjin
Municipal Government has sought to develop its economy and how it interacted with other
actors in the process.
This research employs documentary materials and findings from field interviews. The
documentary materials provide background information, whist field interviews enable the
author to clarify, confirm or elucidate the information contained in documentary materials. Field
interviews are also very instrumental to getting to know how the central government and Tianjin
government officials have interacted.
| Date of Award | 4 Oct 2004 |
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| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
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| Awarding Institution | - City University of Hong Kong
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| Supervisor | Che Lan Linda LI (Supervisor) |
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- China
- Public investments
- Economic policy
- Tianjin (China)
- 天津(中國)
- Finance, Public
- Tianjin
超越"結構--行為體"的二元分析: 1980-99 年天津市政府投資政策及實踐分析
QIU, H. (Author). 4 Oct 2004
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis