Inspiring non-EU countries
EU - China
China is facing considerable regional development disparities between the booming coastal regions, the underdeveloped Western parts of the country and the decline of traditional heavy industry in the North East and more general income disparities, particularly in relation to the urban/rural divide.
The reforms initiated in China, at the end of the 1970s released the development potential of the coastal provinces, leading to the emergence of the Pearl River Delta, the Yangzi River Delta and the Bohai Circum as drivers of China's growth. In parallel, provinces such as Sichuan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Shanxi, Ningxia and Gansu, fell in "low income and slow growth trap". In the Northeast provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, the declining competitiveness of both the industrial and agriculture bases led to massive unemployment and an eroded tax base. These concurrent phenomena produced a significant increase of regional disparities in China, which, in the past years, has been a major concern for Chinese authorities.
On 15 May 2006, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on regional policy cooperation was signed with the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission to exchange information and best practices on experiences in setting up and implementing cohesion policy.
By launching the co-operation with China on regional policy, the Commission followed up upon the commitment taken at the 7th China-EU Summit of December 2004 where balanced development and regional policy were identified as key areas on which both sides should share information and experience. Accordingly, the MoU between the NDRC and the Commission aims to promote mutual understanding and bilateral co-operation in the field of regional policy and to strengthen the exchange of information on the policy’s contribution to growth, competitiveness and employment. The MoU provides a basis for sharing EU experiences in setting up and implementing regional policy; in governance and partnership issues and in any other topics of mutual interest relating to regional policy.
Documents
Regional Policy in China and the EU - A comparative perspective 
(2011)
Memorandum of Understanding on regional policy cooperation with China
Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding
Events
First High Level Seminar, Beijing, 15-16 May 2006
Second High Level Seminar , Brussels, 8 October 2007
Third High Level Seminar, Chongqing, 20 November 2008
Fourth High Level Seminar: EU-China Regional Policy Cooperation, Brussels, 8 October 2009
- HENGSHAN Fan 2009-09-29 Speech
- ZHIPING Tang 2009-09-29 Speech
- JIANKANG Lu 2009-09-29 Speech
- RONGHAI Huang 2009-09-29 Speech
- GERD 2009-10-23 Presentation
- MAY 2009-10-23 Presentation
- YLOSTALO 2009-10-23 Presentation
Fifth EU-China High-level seminar on regional policy , Shanghai, 19 October 2010
Sixth EU-China High-level seminar on regional policy
, Brussels, 13 October 2011
Studies
Report on joint study on regional policies in China and EU
A study which compares aspects of regional policy in China with cohesion policy in the European Union – financed by the Commission under its EU-China Policy Dialogues Support Facility - has been carried out in 2008-2010. The study examines the regional policies of the European Union and China to assess their potential to speed the economic growth of regions which are lagging behind. The study is on practical aspects of policy-making and regional development. It concentrates, in particular on: the definition and economic classification of regions; the governance and co-ordination of regional policy; and the role of regional policy in improving competitiveness, sustainable development and urban and rural development. As illustrations, the study report describes examples of best practice in these subject areas in China and the EU.
Training Programmes
In 2011, two new information sessions took place on the topics of territorial cohesion and urban rural linkages (March) and cooperation on innovation and clusters policies (October). The sessions aim specifically at delivering European experiences for Chinese experts’ during the implementation of 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).
The first information session for 20 Chinese representatives of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) took place from 18 to 31 March 2011 within the framework of the European Parliament’s pilot project to enhance regional and local co-operation by promoting EU regional policy on a global scale. It was implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Entwicklung (GIZ) GmbH and the City of Trier.
The second information session for 19 Chinese representatives from NDRC and 15 Chinese provinces took place from 2 to 15 October 2011. The session enabled participants to understand the new concepts provided by the specific policy instruments aimed at achieving innovation in Europe, including the concept of clustering and allowed to discuss with participants the problems that may arise in the implementation of specific provisions in the light of European and Chinese realities.
In 2010 the dialogue partners launched CETREGIO, Chinese European Training on Regional Policy. The programme aims at delivering European experiences to Chinese experts during the preparation of the 12th Five-Year Plan. This two-week information and training course in regional policy proposed and implemented by the Academy of European Law (ERA) focused on regional disparities, regional policy and legislation and statistical information systems. The course was aimed at providing insights into European experiences in these fields. It was not intended to provide tailor-made solutions for the Chinese reality but rather to offer Chinese experts a source of reference when developing future regional policy measures.
Links
EU External Relations China
European Commission Delegation in China
Outline of the Twelveth Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development of the People's Republic of China