This book presents the concerns and experience of industrial countries as they have emerged since the 1920's, providing a broad-stroke presentation of theories related to regional disparities. It discusses China's regional policy goals and development approaches. It also includes a large section on the literature of China. One part consists of the existing literature concerning its regional disparities, published in either the Chinese or the English Language. Another provides a summary of the different views in literature on the nature of the Chinese state, which has an impact on regional disparities of the country as well as the situation of regional disparities in the Peoples Republic of China from 1949 to 1995.