Yan Zhang - Governing the Commons in China

Governing the Commons in China

The idea of the commons is a longstanding concept in the English-speaking world and in English law. A similar concept occurs in China. How different from or similar to the English idea of the commons is the idea in China; and how is the concept applied? This book explores this important subject. It examines the subject from a philosophical and theoretical perspective; considers the commons widely, including tangible commons of resources, intangible commons of culture, identity and social capital, and institutional commons of welfare, security and public goods; and goes on to examine the concept as it applies to the hydropower developments along the Lancang River, outlining the different competing interests of local people, central and provincial government, and environmental considerations. It argues that the concept of the commons in China is dual-dimensional, with a vertical dimension of public authority and a horizontal dimension of commonly sharing, that power structures in China have often been flexible and polycentric, and that, correctly applied, this approach will do much to serve the common interest of the people, ensuring positive impacts for shared prosperity for multiple stakeholders, whilst mitigating the negative impacts involved in the delivery of such positive impacts.

Yan Zhang is a Research Associate of Chinese Development at the University of Cambridge, UK, where she completed her Master of Philosophy and doctorate.

Routledge Studies on the Chinese Economy

The aim of this series is to publish original, high-quality, research-level work by both new and established scholars in the West and the East, on all aspects of the Chinese economy, including studies of business and economic history.

Governing the Commons
in China

Yan Zhang

First published 2017

by Routledge

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2017 Yan Zhang

The right of Yan Zhang to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her 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.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

Names: Zhang, Yan, 1983 author.
Title: Governing the commons in China/Yan Zhang.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2017. |
Series: Routledge studies on the Chinese economy; 62 |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016036339 | ISBN 9781138696693 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781315523613 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Common goodChina. |
Political planningChina. | ChinaPolitics and government2002 |
ChinaEconomic conditions2000 | ChinaSocial conditions2000
Classification: LCC JQ1510.Z45919 2017 | DDC 333.2dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016036339

Contents

PART I
Theoretical framework

PART II
Empirical evidence from the Lancang River

Figures

Maps

Tables

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people and institutions who offered extremely generous support to the birth of this book. This book is developed from my original doctoral research and it would not have been possible without their help.

First of all, I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my supervisor and mentor Professor Peter Nolan for his enduring support and guidance along my many years self-cultivation path. Professor Nolan continually and convincingly conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to research and scholarship, and an excitement in regard to teaching. Without his in-depth comments and suggestions, this book would not have been achievable. Given such an unusual topic, his faith in my ability to complete the work always exceeded my own. I hope I have repaid his trust and expectation over the years.

Here, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the following institutions that, through their generosity, have helped me to make this book possible. First, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Cambridge China Development Trust, which supports me as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Cambridge in completing this book. I am most grateful to Routledge for publishing my book, with special thanks to my editor Peter Sowden for his expert help. Also, I owe sincere and earnest thanks to the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust and China Scholarship Council for awarding me a full scholarship that covered all my doctoral studies. I would also like to show my deep gratitude to Newnham College for supporting me with various grants for both my doctoral studies and post-doctoral research. I want to thank the Universities China Committee in London for partially sponsoring my fieldwork research.

It is a great pleasure to thank everyone who helped me write the book successfully. Special thanks to Professor Liba Taub, who is my college graduate tutor and has offered me tremendous help over the years. I am truly grateful to Dr Zhang Jin and Professor Rachel Murphy, for their time spent reviewing my work and all the constructive comments that made it better and more complete. I would like to extend my thanks to all of my colleagues who offered useful comments and suggestions. My research also benefited from comments and suggestions received from various presented conferences throughout the years. All contributions are sincerely appreciated.