Theorising (with) urban China, across the border: Two sides of the same coin

Responding to the culture of exceptionalism in urban China studies, our article ‘Theorising with urban China’ proposed different ways of leveraging urban China cases to develop a more global urban theory. Such an approach is ambitious and requires further clarification. The generous accounts of four commentators generated big questions and reflections on two fronts: first, on the relationship between theorising and theorising with urban China, and second, on the practicalities of cross-border collaboration in urban China research. This response argues that theorising urban China and theorising with urban China are two sides of the same coin; and that the complementarities between empiricism and theorisation can be fulfilled through collaborations across the Chinese border.