Rural urbanization in China and its driving forces : development policies, actor networks, and power relations

In the context of neoliberal globalization, the boundary between urban and rural has been increasingly blurred. Rural areas have become operational landscapes where land, labor, and other resources are continuously instrumentalized and exploited to support urban expansion and capital accumulation. The rapid urbanization of rural areas entailed profound social and spatial transformation. In China, characterized by authoritarian rule, rural urbanization shows distinct features compared with democratic countries where dominant urban theories are produced. Specifically, rural development is predominantly guided by national development policies, institutional and legislative reforms, and power dynamics between the old and the new actors.This research aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the driving forces and development patterns in rural transitioning zones in China. To achieve this, it leverages a mixed methodological approach combining interpretative policy analysis, qualitative research synthesis, and the sociology of translation in Actors-Network Theory.The results show that 1) the policy-making is highly ideological and profit-driven, and the neoliberal practices of the state government are restricted by institutional barriers, environmental concerns, food security, social stability, and international reputation; 2) led by state policies, development projects including urban village regeneration, rural land consolidation, and tourism-led development have transformed the social and spatial conditions of rural operational landscapes located inside the city, on the urban fringe, and far from the city; and 3) rural transformation is driven by, and in turn shape, a constantly evolving network of actors. The process during which actors interact is represented by rounds of seduction, negotiation, lobbying, coercion, and violence. The unbalanced power relations between actors privileged a few political and economic elites while devoiced others