Guangdong Province, China: Firms, Cities and Sectors of Excellence

Purpose To provide an updated picture of the emergence of specific firms, cities and sectors of excellence in one of the best performing industrial areas of China: Guangdong Province. Design/methodology/approach The paper focuses on a single Province-case study and zooms on its leading territories, sectors, firms and policies. Geographical areas, industrial sector and firms are defined “of excellence” according to their contribution to the overall industrial performance of the Province. Findings High industrial performances are not equally spread in the Province. They involve specific sectors (such as electronics), areas (Pearl River Delta) and even specific firms (particularly Chinese-owned and SOEs). This picture is in line with the recent policy objectives (support to ODI by national companies, indigenous innovation, national and local champions, restructuring of SOEs) and with the history of preferential industrial development policies. Research limitations/implications (if applicable) Given the concentration of industrial excellence in the Province there is a need to further investigate the leading actors. Given the persistent policy practice to encourage excellences (areas, sectors and firms) there is a need to further investigate the linkages between provincial/local policies and performances. The empirical test on the existence of a causal link between policies and performances of specific territories and sectors is left for further research. Originality/value While much of the existing literature concentrates on the impressive industrial growth of China as a whole, the paper stresses the degree of concentration of such growth and the importance of focussing on specific leading actors in order to fully understand the industrial development of the country