地方財政如何支持廣東欠發達地區的經濟發展

Since the launching of reforms and the opening-up policy, Guangdong province has taken advantage of its geography and the favourable policies granted by the central government to develop rapidly. It has become one of China's most developed coastal provinces. In 2005, the bank savings of residents of the province constitute one-seventh of the national total, foreign investment one-fifth, exports one-third, and retail sales one-ninth. The province's GDP in three days is now equal to what was its GDP for the entire year of 1978. However, some deep-rooted conflicts have also emerged, due to significant and ever-growing economic differences between the western, the eastern, and the mountainous northern parts of the province and the Pearl River Delta region. Local differences in natural resources endowment, historical development, and geographical position are behind most of these regional disparities within the province. However, the institutional factor should not be overlooked, and indeed is the focus of this paper. Thus, from the angle of local financial support, the problems and deficiencies in local financial regimes are identified and analysed according to the principle of justice, and suggestions are made as to how to regulate local finances to reduce regional economic differences, promote the development of undeveloped areas of Guangdong province, and reconcile the conflicts brought by the large economic disparities among the various areas of the province.