China constructing capitalism economic life and urban change

‘The ongoing transformation of China is cultural and spatial as much as economic and political This remarkable book brings all these dimensions together and integrates them into a coherent theoretical framework supported by empirical observation A must-read for everybody interested in the scholarly analysis of China, as well as cutting edge contributions in cultural theory.’ Manuel Castells,Wallis Annenberg Chair of Communication Technology and Society, University of Southern California ‘Scott Lash, Michael Keith and colleagues have an entirely original understanding of China which makes this book rare, relevant and new.’ Rem Koolhaas, Founding Partner, Office of Metropolitan Architecture/AMO ‘Is there a China model? Is the economic development in China another version of neoliberalism or a socialist market economy? The authors of this book develop their argument that China is constructing its own version of capitalism by combining broad historical observations and sophisticated theoretical analysis.This is an inspiring intervention in the ongoing debate on China’s past, present and future.’ Wang Hui, author of China’s New Order, The Politics of Imagining Asia and The End of the Revolution This page intentionally left blank CHINA CONSTRUCTING CAPITALISM The GDP of China has been growing at over ten per cent annually since 1978, but this has only come to widespread notice in the past decade The received wisdom about China has been largely of two types, both of which – more or less – understand China in the context of neoliberalism The more business- or business studies-orientated literature seems to argue that if China does not adapt the rule of clear and distinct property and contract law – in short, of Western institutions – its economy will stall The second set of voices is more clearly from the left, arguing that the Chinese economy, and city, is neoliberal For them, China does not diverge widely from the Anglo-American model that, from 2008, has brought the world economy to its knees China Constructing Capitalism takes issue with these analyses.The authors argue that it is not Western neoliberalism that is constructing the Chinese economy, but instead that China is constructing capitalism anew.The two central theses of their argument are: • • Economic life – neoliberal economic life is individualised and disembedded, while the China model is relational and situated Urban change – China has created a form of ‘local state capitalism’, which stands in contrast to neoliberal versions of the city This book analyses China as a ‘risk culture’, examining, among other factors, Chinese firms and political ties, property development, migrant urbanisms and share-trading rooms It scrutinises the ever-present shadow of the risk-averse (yet uncertainty-creating) state China Constructing Capitalism is a must-read for social scientists, policy-makers and investors Michael Keith is Director of the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society and holds a personal chair in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oxford Scott Lash is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Centre for Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London Jakob Arnoldi is Professor at Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences, Department of Business Administration He is also affiliated with the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research Tyler Rooker is Lecturer in Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham International library of sociology Founded by Karl Mannheim Editor: John Urry, Lancaster University Recent publications in this series include: Risk and Technological Culture Towards a sociology of virulence Joost Van Loon The Culture of Exception Sociology facing the camp Bülent Diken and Carsten Bagge Laustsen Reconnecting Culture, Technology and Nature Mike Michael Visual Worlds John Hall, Blake Stimson and Lisa Tamiris Becker Advertising Myths The strange half lives of images and commodities Anne M Cronin Time, Innovation and Mobilities Travel in technological cultures Peter Frank Peters Adorno on Popular Culture Robert R.Witkin Consuming the Caribbean From arkwarks to zombies Mimi Sheller Between Sex and Power Family in the world, 1900–2000 Goran Therborn States of Knowledge The co-production of social science and social order Sheila Jasanoff After Method Mess in social science research John Law Brands Logos of the global economy Celia Lury Complexity and Social Movements Multitudes acting at the edge of chaos Ian Welsh and Graeme Chesters Qualitative Complexity Ecology, cognitive processes and the re-emergence of structures in post-humanist social theory Chris Jenks and John Smith Theories of the Information Society, 3rd Edition Frank Webster Crime and Punishment in Contemporary Culture Claire Grant Mediating Nature Nils Lindahl Elliot Haunting the Knowledge Economy Jane Kenway, Elizabeth Bullen, Johannah Fahey and Simon Robb Global Nomads Techno and new age as transnational countercultures in Ibiza and Goa Anthony D’Andrea The Cinematic Tourist Explorations in globalization, culture and resistance Rodanthi Tzanelli Non-Representational Theory Space, politics, affect Nigel Thrift Urban Fears and Global Terrors Citizenship, multicultures and belongings after 7/7 Victor J Seidler Sociology through the Projector Bülent Diken and Carsten Bagge Laustsen Multicultural Horizons Diversity and the limits of the civil nation Anne-Marie Fortier Social Transationalism Steffen Mau Towards Relational Sociology Nick Crossley Mobile Lives Anthony Elliott and John Urry Stillness in a Mobile World David Bissell and Gillian Fuller Unintended Outcomes of Social Movements The 1989 Chinese student movement Fang Deng Revolt, Revolution, Critique The paradox of society Bulent Diken Travel Connections Tourism, technology and togetherness in a mobile world Jennie Germann Molz Mobility, Space and Culture Peter Merriman Transforming Images Screens, affect, futures Rebecca Coleman Sound Moves IPod culture and urban experience Michael Bull Staging Mobilities Ole B Jensen Jean Baudrillard Fatal theories David B Clarke, Marcus A Doel, William Merrin and Richard G Smith China Constructing Capitalism Economic life and urban change Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker Aeromobilities Theory and method Saulo Cwerner, Sven Kesselring and John Urry This page intentionally left blank CHINA CONSTRUCTING CAPITALISM Economic life and urban change Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker First published 2014 by Routledge Park Square, Milton Park,Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker The right of Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keith, Michael, 1960China constructing capitalism : economic life and urban change / Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker First Edition pages cm (International library of sociology) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 978-0-415-49705-3 (hardback) ISBN 978-0-415-49706-0 (pbk.) ISBN 978-0-203-87739-5 (ebook) China Economic policy-21st century Urban policy China I.Title HC427.95.K457 2013 330.951 dc23 2013007421 ISBN: 978-0-415-49705-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-49706-0 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-87739-5 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by FiSH Books Ltd, Enfield CONTENTS List of illustrations Acknowledgements and dedication Introduction: China versus neoliberalism x xii 1 Chinese thought, cultural theory 32 Connections, networks, culture: the institutions of Chinese capitalism 54 Relational property and urban temporality: China’s urbanism in the city of experts 72 Local state capitalism? From urban hierarchy to city markets 112 Chinese firms and political ties 140 Property development: markets and districts 151 Trading ethnographies: stuck in China 180 Knowing but not doing: the financial sector in China and institutional reform 205 Risk cultures: production of Shanghai space 223 10 Shenzhen dwelling: arrival and migrant urbanisms 247 Conclusions: China and the neoclassical subject 275 Notes Bibliography Index 290 296 325 ... William Merrin and Richard G Smith China Constructing Capitalism Economic life and urban change Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker Aeromobilities Theory and method Saulo... partial gift exchange of guanxi relations that constitute such security Introduction China constructing capitalism is also China constructing urbanism China constructing urbanism again stands in contrast... Cwerner, Sven Kesselring and John Urry This page intentionally left blank CHINA CONSTRUCTING CAPITALISM Economic life and urban change Michael Keith, Scott Lash, Jakob Arnoldi and Tyler Rooker First