Exploring the imprint of the institutional context on the urban network in China: Comparative analyses between corporate-based networks with different ownership structures

Abstract

While the link between the urban network and institutional context has been well established, there has been less work on the effect of shifting political economy on the mechanism of its intercity flows. In this paper, the investment dataset of Chinese publicly listed firms is used to construct corporate-based urban networks with different ownership structures. Two straightforward but effective comparative analyses are conducted. The first distinguishes between networks formed by state-controlled and nonstate-controlled firms, and the second distinguishes between subnetworks formed by central- and local-state power. By surveying the distinctions from the perspectives of state–market relations and central-local government relations, we argue that the urban network in China is shaped by the varied forms in which the central government, local governments, and the private sector interact. To gain a more proper knowledge of the geographical patterns, this research recommends further field research into enterprise-based linkages of multiple ownership.