Second Global Conference on Economic Geography Beijing International Convention Center, China 25-28th June 2007 IGSNRR, Chinese Academy of Science A leading research institution in economic geography in China The Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Science was established in 1999 by merging the Institute of Geography and the Commission of Integrated Survey of Natural Resources (established in 1940 and 1956, respectively). It is a leading research institution in geography and natural resources research in China, with more than 400 academic staffs. The Institute now offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in human geography, physical geography, cartography & GIS, ecology, meteorology and environmental science, and, in 2007, accommodates nearly 500 registered postgraduate students. Economic geography is one of the strengths of IGSNRR, and its recent development is featured by an emphasis on regional studies and regional planning as well as sustainable development, which is closely related to the demand from the Chinese government for solutions to regional issues. Being in a state-sponsored Institute, economic geographers at IGSNRR have been involved in many spatial planning projects organized by both the central and provincial governments in China. Many of them have become important consultants to various ministries of the Chinese government. Besides applied research, economic geographers at IGSNRR are also engaged in such research areas as economic globalization and its impacts on local development in China, spatial implications of new ICTs, firm-region nexus in the Chinese context, regional innovation system, physical infrastructures, and restructuring of state-owned enterprise and traditional industrial bases in China. IGSNRR is also an important centre for training postgraduate students in economic geography in China, and enrols 10-15 new students in economic geography each year. In 2007, there are 40 postgraduate students at the Institute studying economic geography for a M.S. or a Ph.D. IGSNRR welcomes collaborations with economic geographers all over the world. SECOND GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY PROGRAMME AND ABSTRACTS 25-28 June 2007, Beijing International Convention Center, Beijing, China Website: http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/geoywc/conference/econgeog.html Jointly Organized By The Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China And The Department of Geography National University of Singapore In collaboration with the Geographical Society of China (conference secretariat), the Division of Geography, China National Natural Science Foundation, and economic geography study/research groups or the equivalent of the Association of American Geographers, the Royal Geographical Society- Institute of British Geographers, the Canadian Association of Geographers, the Institute of Australian Geographers, and the International Geographical Union Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces and Commission on Local Development. WELCOME ADDRESSES On behalf of the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all of you – participants in the Second Global Conference on Economic Geography. I believe your participation will make the conference a great success in promoting academic dialogues and debates among economic geographers all over the world. I also want to extend my deep thanks to the Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, for co- organizing the conference. IGSNRR is a leading research institution in geography and natural resources research in China, and economic geography is one of our strengths. We are keen to develop collaborations in various forms with geographers from the rest of the world. I think that this conference will be a bridge for establishing academic links among all of you. I sincerely hope that you would not only learn from each other in various conference sessions, but also take this opportunity to learn more about dynamic China and to have a look at the exciting sites of the 29th Olympic Games, which are just next to the conference venue. I cordially invite you to visit IGSNRR at your own convenience. Enjoy your stay in Beijing in this beautiful season. Jiyuan LIU Professor and Director, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences vi WELCOME ADDRESSES I am proud and honoured, on behalf of the Department of Geography, National University of Singapore (NUS), to welcome you to the Second Global Conference on Economic Geography in Beijing. I am grateful to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for co-organising the conference with us, and especially to Weidong Liu (CAS), Henry Yeung (NUS) and the rest of the Organising Committee for their hard work over the many months that it has taken to pull this event together. Seven years after this global conference was inaugurated in Singapore in December 2000, it is indeed timely that we once again have the best minds in economic geography gathering together to engage in critical debates about the world economy and how economic geographers can contribute to advancing knowledge not only in Geography and the wider social sciences, but also in terms of policy implications. While the contexts of this second conference may have changed from those of the first, the conference’s objectives remain from those set seven years ago, and rightly so. Given the complexity of economic transformations across the globe, it is now more important than ever that geographers based in Asia and elsewhere continue to dialogue and debate across borders to advance the discipline of economic geography. In keeping with our global focus, we at NUS are keen to contribute actively to building academic bridges and establishing international collaborations across Southeast Asia, Asia and beyond, in terms of research and teaching; we are pleased that co-organising this conference has allowed us one such opportunity. We are always on the lookout for further opportunities to do so and invite you to think of Geography@NUS (Singapore) whether you are considering an international partner in Asia, contemplating a research project, or recommending a department to your students for graduate school. While I am not able to be with you in Beijing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the event every success. With such a sterling cast of paper presenters from across the globe, I am confident that everyone will leave the conference intellectually invigorated and enriched. Shirlena Huang Associate Professor and Head Department of Geography National University of Singapore vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The organizers would like to thank the following organizations and institutions for their generous support and sponsorship of the conference. Bureau of Personnel and Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences China National Natural Science Foundation Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Academic Research Fund, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore Economic Geography (Clark University) Taylor & Francis Publishers Wiley-Blackwell Publishers Economic Geography Specialty Group, the Association of American Geographers International Geographical Union Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces Regional Studies Association viii CONTENTS Welcome addresses vi Acknowledgements viii Information for participants x Programme summary 1 Detailed programme 5 Abstracts (in alphabetical order of first authors’ surnames) 29 List of non-presenting participants 172 Session participant index 173 ix INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS Conference Rationale This is the sequel to the first highly successful Global Conference on Economic Geography held in Singapore, 5-9 December 2000. With almost 200 academic participants from 30 countries, the Singapore conference was significant in spurring on economic-geographical dialogue in a sustained manner worldwide. Some 150 high quality papers were presented and the conference resulted in two special issues in leading geographical journals (see JEG 2001, E&PA 2002, and editorial in E&PD 2001), as well as numerous other articles, chapters, and reports. In the context of the globalization of knowledge production and research activity, a global dialogue in economic geography continues to be highly important, for it facilitates the development of knowledge, and the establishment of international collaborative relations for both teaching and research. Such dialogue in a dedicated conference also requires economic geographers to face head on the complex issues of vantage points and ethnocentric biases, as evident in the intellectual interactions during the Singapore conference. Field trips organized in Beijing and elsewhere in China during the conference will enable participants to collect teaching materials (case studies, digital photos, etc) and to investigate possibilities for future research projects. Six years have now lapsed since the Singapore conference. The global economy has experienced tremendous transformations since the late 1990s. For one, it witnesses much stronger integration of cross-border economic activities. The rise of emerging economies, particularly China and India, has significant economic-geographical implications. The continual economic integration within the European Union and the North America Free Trade Agreement