PRESENTATION - From the Inside Out: local elites and sub-national investment decisions

Abstract

This paper will examine two different sub-national environments to investigate the role of local elites and officials in investment projects. Drawing upon a nearly a decade of research conducted in Anhui province, this paper will bring in new data from Yunnan province to provide a comparative perspective. While levels of economic development are similar, there is a crucial point of difference for local elites: the focus for investment opportunities. In Anhui, local elites and officials seek to bring investment in to the region, usually in the form of manufacturing, infrastructure, or real estate investment. In Yunnan, there is a strong focus on realising investment opportunities beyond the administrative borders, namely in neighbouring Myanmar. This paper will explore whether this leads to the rise of different types of economic elites, and examines the implications of elite involvement in investment decisions and government policy within and beyond China’s borders.