Constructing China’s Autonomous Knowledge System of Regional Economics

China’s regional economics has its own distinctive features, which are an important foundation and prerequisite for constructing China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics. In the future, we should further highlight originality, strengthen inherited innovation and critical reference, promote the formation of an autonomous knowledge system of regional economics with Chinese characteristics, and make more Chinese contributions to the flourishing development of world regional economics.

中国区域经济学具有自身的鲜明特色，这是建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系的重要基础和前提条件。未来，应进一步突出原创性，加强传承性创新和批判性借鉴，推动形成中国自主的区域经济学知识体系，为世界区域经济学繁荣发展作出更多中国贡献。

The Distinctive Features of China’s Regional Economics

中国区域经济学的鲜明特色

Regional economics is a comprehensive applied science that uses the theories and methods of economics to study the economic development, spatial organization, and interrelations of different regions within a country. Due to differences in systems and national conditions, the regional economic theories proposed by scholars from various countries mostly imply specific assumptions, which also means that Western regional economic theories, primarily based on developed market economies, cannot be fully applied to China. Unlike developed countries and other developing nations, China’s regional economy has typical characteristics rooted in its own national conditions, such as adhering to the overall leadership of the Party, emphasizing the principal role of governments at all levels, attaching great importance to regional development strategies, plans, and policies, inter-regional economic relations characterized by competition and cooperation, and the significant influence of administrative divisions, historical and cultural traditions, moral customs, concepts, and other informal institutions on the economic development of various regions. This means that the construction and development of China’s regional economics must both comprehensively understand and grasp the general laws of regional economic development, fully absorb the scientific components of world regional economic theories and methods, and, based on China’s national conditions, closely integrate with the actual practice of China’s regional economic development, using Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods to theoretically refine the practice of regional economic development, thereby forming a theoretical system of regional economics with Chinese characteristics.

区域经济学是运用经济学的理论和方法，研究一个国家不同区域经济发展、空间组织及其相互关系的综合性应用科学。由于制度和国情不同，各国学者提出的区域经济理论大都隐含着特定的假定前提，这也使得主要以发达市场经济国家为参照的西方区域经济理论不能完全适用于中国。不同于发达国家和其他发展中国家，中国区域经济有着根植于自身国情的典型特征，例如坚持党的全面领导，注重发挥各级政府的主体作用，高度重视区域发展战略、规划和政策，区际经济呈现竞争合作关系，以及行政区划和历史文化传统、道德习俗、观念等非正式制度对各区域的经济发展具有重要影响等。这意味着，中国区域经济学的建构和发展，既要全面认识和把握区域经济发展的一般规律，充分吸收世界区域经济学理论和方法的科学成分，又要立足中国国情，紧密结合我国区域经济发展实际，运用马克思主义立场、观点和方法对区域经济发展实践进行理论提炼，形成具有中国特色的区域经济学理论体系。

Specifically, China’s regional economics has three distinctive features:

具体而言，中国区域经济学有三个鲜明特色：

First, it adheres to the guidance of Marxism. The regional economic thoughts of classical Marxist writers, including the balanced distribution of productive forces, inter-regional division of labor and coordinated development, and integrated urban-rural development, are important sources of China’s regional economic theory and also the theoretical guide for directing the practice of China’s regional economic development. Marxist methodology is the methodological foundation of China’s regional economics research. To flourish and develop China’s regional economics, we must always adhere to Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods, uphold the people-centered development philosophy, and integrate it throughout all fields and the entire process of theoretical research and disciplinary construction.

第一，坚持以马克思主义为指导。马克思主义经典作家的区域经济思想，包括生产力均衡布局、区际分工与协作发展、城乡融合发展等，是中国区域经济学理论的重要渊源，也是指导中国区域经济发展实践的理论指南。马克思主义方法论是中国区域经济学研究的方法论基础。繁荣发展中国区域经济学，必须始终坚持马克思主义立场、观点和方法，坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，并将其贯穿到理论研究和学科建设的各领域、全过程。

Second, it reflects the requirements of the socialist market economy system. Western regional economics is set against the background of the capitalist market economy system, and its theories mostly presuppose the capitalist system and a developed market economy. China is a socialist country. The basic socialist economic systems, such as public ownership as the mainstay with diverse forms of ownership developing together, distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple forms of distribution coexisting, and the socialist market economy system, are important pillars of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. These institutional characteristics have a significant impact on China’s regional economic development and give rise to regional economic phenomena, problems, and policy tools different from those in Western market economy countries. Since reform and opening up, China has experienced a transition from a planned economy system to a socialist market economy system. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed building a high-level socialist market economy system. The formation process and development content of China’s socialist market economy system are unique in the world and cannot be fully explained by Western theories. China’s regional economics must reflect the requirements of the socialist market economy system.

第二，体现社会主义市场经济体制要求。西方区域经济学是以资本主义市场经济体制为背景的，其理论大都以资本主义制度和发达的市场经济为前提条件。中国是社会主义国家，公有制为主体、多种所有制经济共同发展，按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存，社会主义市场经济体制等社会主义基本经济制度，是中国特色社会主义制度的重要支柱。这种制度特征对我国的区域经济发展产生重要影响，并形成与西方市场经济国家不同的区域经济现象、问题和政策工具。改革开放以来，我国经历了从计划经济体制到社会主义市场经济体制的转轨，党的二十届三中全会又提出构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，我国社会主义市场经济体制的形成过程和发展内容在世界上是独一无二的，不可能完全用西方的理论来解释，中国区域经济学必须体现社会主义市场经济体制的要求。

Third, it conforms to the characteristics of China’s basic national conditions. China is a large developing country with a huge population, still in the primary stage of socialism. Regional development differences are considerable, regional economic types are diverse, spatial scales are very rich and multi-layered, and governments at all levels play an important role in regional economic development. These national conditions are significantly unique in the world. China’s regional economics, formed and developed based on its basic national conditions, will inevitably conform to the characteristics of these basic national conditions.

第三，符合我国基本国情特征。中国是一个人口众多的发展中大国，目前仍处于社会主义初级阶段，区域发展差异较大，区域经济类型多样，空间尺度十分丰富，具有多层次性，各级政府在区域经济发展中发挥着重要作用，这种国情特征在世界上具有显著的独特性。立足我国基本国情形成和发展的中国区域经济学，也必然符合我国的基本国情特征。

Constructing China’s Autonomous Knowledge System of Regional Economics Should Integrate Chinese Practice and Highlight Chinese Characteristics

建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系应结合中国实践、突出中国特色

Since reform and opening up, along with large-scale regional economic practice, China’s regional economic research has developed rapidly, with a large number of various research results emerging, related research institutions increasing, and the research team continuously growing. However, an autonomous knowledge system of regional economics has not yet been formed. It is urgent to accelerate the construction of an autonomous knowledge system of regional economics based on China’s national conditions.

改革开放以来，伴随大规模的区域经济实践，中国区域经济研究获得快速发展，各类研究成果大量涌现，相关研究机构日益增多，研究队伍不断发展壮大，但尚未形成自主的区域经济学知识体系，亟须立足中国国情，加快建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系。

An autonomous knowledge system is the foundation of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system. Without an autonomous knowledge system, the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system would become water without a source and a tree without roots. The so-called autonomy means using China’s theories to answer China’s questions, explain China’s phenomena, and guide China’s practice. Since reform and opening up, China’s regional economic development has achieved remarkable results. Large-scale rapid urbanization is unprecedented, and the great achievements in rural anti-poverty are recognized worldwide. However, in international academia, there are still a large number of articles interpreting China’s regional development practice using Western theories, while the number of original regional economic research results remains relatively small. In fact, China already has a large number of original regional economic ideas, but these ideas are more integrated with development practice, and theoretical refinement, promotion, and application are far from sufficient. This is also an important reason why a systematic, theorized, and widely recognized autonomous knowledge system of regional economics has not been formed. To construct China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics, we must proceed from China’s actual conditions and reflect Chinese characteristics. This requires grasping the following three points.

自主知识体系是学科体系、学术体系、话语体系的基础，没有自主知识体系，学科体系、学术体系、话语体系就会成为无源之水、无本之木。所谓自主，就是要用中国的理论回答中国的问题，解释中国的现象，指导中国的实践。改革开放以来，我国区域经济发展取得显著成效，大规模快速城镇化史无前例，农村反贫困的巨大成就得到世界公认，但国际学术界仍是大量以西方理论解读中国区域发展实践的文章，原创的区域经济研究成果数量依然较少。实际上，中国已经有大量原创的区域经济思想，但这些思想更多与发展实践融为一体，理论提炼和推介应用还远远不够，这也是没有形成系统化、学理化、广泛认可的区域经济学自主知识体系的重要原因。建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系，必须从我国实际出发，体现中国特色，这需要把握好以下三点。

First, take the current regional economic problems facing China as the starting point for research. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is a distinctive feature of Marxism. Problems are the starting point of innovation and also the driving force of innovation.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Explanatory Notes on the ‘Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party’s Centenary Struggle’,” November 8, 2021. As a comprehensive applied science, regional economics has a distinct problem-oriented approach. Constructing China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics must take the current regional economic problems facing China as the starting point for research and innovation, and take solving these problems as the ultimate goal. In particular, we should grasp the major theoretical and practical issues of overall, strategic, and forward-looking significance in China’s regional economic development, deeply reveal the formation mechanisms and evolutionary trends of China’s regional economic phenomena, form a research paradigm and theoretical system of regional economics with Chinese characteristics, and build a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system of regional economics that fully embodies Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner.

第一，以中国当前面临的区域经济问题作为研究起点。习近平总书记指出：“坚持问题导向是马克思主义的鲜明特点。问题是创新的起点，也是创新的动力源。”作为一门综合性应用科学，区域经济学具有鲜明的问题导向，建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系，必须以我国当前面临的区域经济问题作为研究和创新的起点，并把解决好这些问题作为落脚点。尤其应把握好中国区域经济发展中的全局性、战略性、前瞻性重大理论和现实问题，深刻揭示中国区域经济现象形成机理和演变趋势，形成中国特色的区域经济研究范式和理论体系，构建充分体现中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的区域经济学学科体系、学术体系和话语体系。

Second, use China’s regional economic theories to explain China’s regional economic phenomena. Providing theoretical explanations for real economic phenomena is one of the main tasks of economic research. Since reform and opening up, a series of new phenomena and characteristics have emerged in China’s regional economic development, such as the accelerated emergence of industrial clusters, large-scale rapid urbanization, the rise of metropolitan areas and city clusters, the “amphibious” nature of migrant workers, regional economic integration, and integrated urban-rural development. These regional economic phenomena contain both the general trends of regional economic evolution and reflect unique national conditions. Conducting multi-perspective, comprehensive theoretical explanations of these regional economic phenomena, deeply revealing their formation mechanisms and influencing factors, predicting their development trends, and proposing improvement plans are among the core research tasks of China’s regional economics and also important pathways for constructing China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics.

第二，用中国的区域经济理论解释中国的区域经济现象。对现实的经济现象进行理论解释是经济学研究的主要任务之一。改革开放以来，我国区域经济发展出现一系列新现象和新特征，如产业集群加速涌现、大规模快速城镇化、都市圈和城市群的崛起、农民工的“两栖性”、区域经济一体化、城乡融合发展等，这些区域经济现象既蕴含区域经济演变的一般趋势，又体现了独特的国情特色。对这些区域经济现象进行多视角、全方位的理论解释，深刻揭示其形成机理和影响因素，预测其发展趋势并提出改善方案，是中国区域经济学的核心研究任务之一，也是建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系的重要途径。

Third, use China’s regional economic theories to guide China’s regional economic practice. Theory originates from practice and guides practice, and should also be tested by practice. Since reform and opening up, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, we have actively explored a path of regional economic development suited to our actual conditions, exploring and forming many effective regional economic development models, experiences, and practices. These rich practices urgently need systematic elaboration, refinement, and summarization from a theoretical perspective to form more general theories, principles, and methods, which can then be used to guide future Chinese regional economic practice.

第三，用中国的区域经济理论指导中国区域经济实践。理论来源于实践并指导实践，还应接受实践的检验。改革开放以来，在中国共产党的领导下，我们积极探索符合自身实际的区域经济发展道路，探索形成了诸多有效的区域经济发展模式、经验和做法。这些丰富的实践急需从理论上进行系统阐述、提炼和概括，形成更加具有一般性的理论、原理和方法，进而用来指导未来的中国区域经济实践。

Pathways for Constructing China’s Autonomous Knowledge System of Regional Economics

建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系的路径

A knowledge system is a collection of various knowledge points, the result of long-term accumulation by human society. In terms of its sources, knowledge includes both original knowledge and knowledge obtained through inherited innovation and critical borrowing. On the new journey of the New Era, constructing China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics should adhere to the guidance of Marxism, forming a development pattern with original knowledge as the main body and inherited innovation and critical borrowing as the two wings.

知识体系是各种知识点的集合，是人类社会长期累积的结果。知识从来源看，既包括原创性知识，也包括通过传承性创新和批判性借鉴获得的知识。新时代新征程，建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系，应坚持以马克思主义为指导，形成以原创性知识为主体，以传承性创新和批判性借鉴为两翼的发展格局。

Highlight originality. Original knowledge is the core of an autonomous knowledge system; without original knowledge, there can be no autonomy of the knowledge system. For China’s regional economics, the key to constructing an autonomous knowledge system is to form a batch of autonomous, original, and iconic regional economic concepts, thoughts, ideas, viewpoints, and methods. In particular, it is necessary to systematically summarize the practical experience of China’s regional development, strengthen theoretical refinement and interpretation, propose original theories, and form representative theoretical schools. Since the founding of New China, especially since reform and opening up, a batch of concepts, thoughts, and viewpoints with Chinese characteristics have been formed in the rich practice of regional economic development, such as production layout, national strategic hinterland, providing work as relief, targeted poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, paired assistance, coordinated land and sea development, seaward economy, main functional area zoning, territorial space planning, and territorial space governance. [2]2 “Production layout” (生产布局) refers to the spatial distribution of productive forces, a concept prominent in Mao-era economic planning; “national strategic hinterland” (国家战略腹地) denotes interior regions designated for strategic industries and reserves; “providing work as relief” (以工代赈) is a poverty-alleviation method where the state pays laborers with food or wages for infrastructure projects; “targeted poverty alleviation” (精准扶贫) is Xi These concepts, thoughts, and viewpoints derived from China’s practice must be further carried forward, and theoretical refinement and summarization must be strengthened to make them more scholarly, scientific, and systematic.

突出原创性。原创性知识是自主知识体系的核心，没有原创性知识，就不可能有知识体系的自主性。就中国区域经济学而言，建构自主知识体系的关键是要形成一批具有自主性、原创性、标识性的区域经济概念、思想、理念、观点、方法。尤其应系统总结我国区域发展实践经验，强化理论提炼和阐释，提出原创性理论，形成代表性理论流派。新中国成立以来尤其是改革开放以来，在丰富的区域经济发展实践中已经形成了一批具有中国特色的概念、思想、观点，如生产布局、国家战略腹地、以工代赈、精准扶贫、乡村振兴、对口支援、陆海统筹、向海经济、主体功能区划、国土空间规划、国土空间治理等。对这些源自我国实践的概念、思想、观点，必须进一步发扬光大，并加强理论提炼和归纳总结，使之更加学理化、科学化、系统化。

Strengthen inherited innovation. The Chinese civilization, which has continued for thousands of years, is a “rich mine” of thought waiting to be explored by China’s regional economics and also the deep soil for constructing China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics. As early as ancient China over two thousand years ago, ideas of economic regionalization had already emerged. For example, the “Biographies of the Merchants” in the *Records of the Grand Historian* divided Han Dynasty China into four major economic regions and further subdivided them into several small economic zones based on local conditions. [3] To construct China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics, it is necessary to strengthen research on the history of China’s regional economic development and the history of thought, fully excavate regional economic ideas from various historical periods, carry out innovative development on the basis of inheritance, and endow them with new contemporary connotations.

加强传承性创新。延绵数千年的中华文明是中国区域经济学亟待发掘的思想“富矿”，也是建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系的深厚土壤。早在两千多年前的古代中国，就已出现了经济区划的思想，例如，《史记·货殖列传》将汉代中国分为四大经济区，并根据各地不同情况划分为若干经济小区。建构中国自主的区域经济学知识体系，必须加强中国区域经济发展史和思想史的研究，充分挖掘各个历史时期的区域经济思想，在传承的基础上进行创新发展，并赋予其新的时代内涵。

Conduct critical borrowing. Western regional economics emerged from Western location theory, from early location theory to regional growth theory, and later to research on regional economic development, interregional economic relations, and regional policy. It has now formed a relatively systematic system of concepts, theories, and methods. Regarding the theories and methods of Western regional economics, we should neither copy and imitate them nor become complacent and self-satisfied. We should have an open mind and establish an international perspective. The autonomy and openness of a knowledge system complement each other. The construction of China’s autonomous knowledge system of regional economics should not only highlight originality but also absorb the scientific components of Western regional economic theories and methods. For example, some cutting-edge econometric methods can, after adaptive modification, be largely applied to China’s regional economic analysis.

进行批判性借鉴。西方区域经济学脱胎于西方的区位理论，从早期的区位理论到区域增长理论，再到后来的区域经济发展、区际经济关系和区域政策研究，目前已形成比较系统的概念、理论和方法体系。对于西方区域经济学的理论和方法，既不能照搬模仿，又要防止故步自封，应拥有开放的胸怀，树立国际视野。知识体系的自主性和开放性是相辅相成的，中国自主的区域经济学知识体系的建构，既要突出原创性，也应吸收西方区域经济学理论和方法的科学成分，比如一些前沿计量方法，在进行适应性改造后大都可以应用到我国的区域经济分析当中。

(The author is a member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of the Institute of Rural Development)

（作者系中国社会科学院学部委员、农村发展研究所所长）

Online editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑