E. R. Veryuzhskaya, E. V. Kremnyov, O. V. Kuznetsova. How China Adapts Plans to Regions: Representation of the Discursive Concept of “Regional Planning” in English-Language Academic Communication

https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.26343.572-589
EDN: https://elibrary.ru/czpykzISSN 2413-1407
УДК / UDC 332.14:811.111(510) ISSN 2587-8549

Abstract

Introduction. In the context of China's growing role in the global economy, the analysis of how the Chinese system of regional planning is represented in international academic discourse acquires particular significance, opening up opportunities for comparative research with the practices of other countries. The purpose of the article is to systematize ideas about the discursive concept of “regional planning” in the English-language Academic discourse about China, identifying its main content, interdisciplinary connections and vectors of evolution.

Materials and Methods. The empirical base consisted of 30 English-language peer-reviewed articles (2000–2025) from ScienceDirect, Springer, JSTOR, and Semantic Scholar. A conceptual analysis was applied using the frame diagram method, which allows the visualization of the core and peripheral semantic components of the concept. The materials were selected based on the criteria of interdisciplinary nature (economics, ecology, political, geography science) and relevance to regional planning in the People's Republic of China.

Results. It has been established that the core of the discursive concept is strictly tied to the economic sphere: “regional planning” in China is interpreted as a tool for implementing national strategies through urbanization. However, since the 2010s, a steady shift toward environmentally oriented models (green planning, low-carbon transition) has been recorded, reflecting a response to environmental challenges and a continuation of economic policy. Four main interdisciplinary areas have been identified: econo­mics; economics + ecology; economics + ecology + geography (spatial planning); economics + political science (strategic and urban planning). Peripheral concepts (sustainable development, land use, inclusive urbanization) indicate the borrowing of Western approaches, but their adaptation is limited by the dominant role of the state. The directive (“elitist”) nature of planning is criticized; however, attempts to engage businesses and citizens remain marginal.

Conclusion. The distinctive nature of regional planning lies in the combination of traditional closed go­vernance and new participatory elements, while maintaining control by the Chinese Communist Party as the primary instrument of social governance. The study confirms the effectiveness of frame analysis in identifying hidden priorities in discourse and demonstrates that English-language academic discourse serves as a “showcase” for Chinese reforms, adapting global concepts to local political logic. The findings can be used for comparative studies of regional governance in countries with different political systems.

Keywords: regional planning, China, global economy, spatial planning, sustainable development, urbanization, territorial development, government regulation, frame analysis

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

For citation: Veryuzhskaya E.R., Kremnyov E.V., Kuznetsova O.V. How China Adapts Plans to Regions: Representation of the Discursive Concept of “Regional Planning”
in English-Language Academic Communication. Russian Journal of Regional Studies. 2026;34(3):572–589. https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.26343.572-589

REFERENCES

1. Young R.F. “Free Cities and Regions” – Patrick Geddes’s Theory of Planning. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2017;(166):27–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.03.007

2. Sayfudinova N.Z. [Analysis of the Success of Singapore’s Strategic Planning]. Moscow Economic Journal. 2019;(8):237–241. (In Russ.) Available at: https://qje.su/ru/nauka/issue/4576/view (accessed 12.07.2026).

3. Bliakher L.Y., Grigorichev K.V., Demyanenko A.N., Kireev A.A., Klitsenko M.V., Shvetsov A.N. Institutions of Spatial Development of Russia in the Context of Historical Experience. Ojkumena. Regional Researches. 2025;19(1):72–83. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) https://doi.org/10.29039/1998-6785/2025-1/72-83

4. Lebedintseva L.A., Deriugin P.P., Hailun Ch. The Sociological Dimension of Urbanization in China. Information–Communication–Society. 2025;1:236–240. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) https://elibrary.ru/asczmk

5. Kurdyumov V.A. System of Discursive Concepts of Taiwanese Reality. Creating a Short Glossary. Philology. Theory and Practice. 2023;16(12):4305–4316. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) https://doi.org/10.30853/phil20230654

6. Dynamics and Statics in  Knowledge of Language Reality: Approaches, Models, Phenomena and Methods of Representation. Ed. E.F. Serebrennikova. Irkutsk: Irkutsk State University; 2021. 285 р. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26516/978-5-9624-1920-6.2021.1-285

7. Maksimovskikh A.G. Concept and Means of its Representation. Bulletin of Chelyabinsk State University. 2015;(15):53–57. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) https://elibrary.ru/ukplbr

8. Liu H. Regional Planning: China. In: International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology. Еds D. Richardson, N. Castree, M.F. Goodchild, A. Kobayashi, W. Liu and R.A. Marston. 2017:0999. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg0999

9. Liang Y., Zhou Z., Li X. Dynamic of Regional Planning and Sustainable Development in the Pearl River Delta, China. Sustainability. 2019;11(21):6074. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11216074

10. Zhang J., Tian G., Chen X., Liu P., Li Z. A Chance-Constrained Programming Approach to Optimal Planning of Low-Carbon Transition of a Regional Energy System. Energy. 2023;278(A):127813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.127813

11. Liu Y., Zhou Y. Territory Spatial Planning and National Governance System in China. Land Use Policy. 2021;102:105288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105288

12. Grigorichev K.V. Polyphony of Urban Texts: Localities, Boundaries and Social Groups in the Textures of Peripheral Spaces of the City. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2024;17(10):1810–1815. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) https://elibrary.ru/efpwrw

13. Wang Z., Wu F. Regional and Urban Planning for Growth in China. In: International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology. Eds D. Richardson, N. Castree, M.F. Goodchild, A. Kobayashi, W. Liu and R.A. Marston. 2020. P. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg2021

14. Savchenko I. Textual History of the Future City: Retrofuturism as an Algorithm. Project Baikal. 2024;21(80):102–107. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) https://www.elibrary.ru/doyxjp

15. Chung H. Unequal Regionalism: Regional Planning in China and England. Planning, Practice and Research. 2015;30(5):570–586. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2015.1076135

About the authors:

Eugenia R. Veryuzhskaya, Lecturer of the Chair of Asia-Pacific Regional Studies, Staff Member of the Research Center for Transdisciplinary Regionology of Asia-Pacific Region, Irkutsk State University (1 K. Marksa St., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9589-1713, SPIN-code: 4164-1327, eugenia.r.v@mail.ru

Evgeny V. Kremnyov, Dr.Sci. (Sociol.), Research Associate Professor, Leading Researcher, Head of the Academic and Methodological Unit for Oriental Studies, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (14 A. Nevskogo St., Kaliningrad 236016, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5255-3772, Researcher ID: Q-4396-2018, Scopus ID: 57211607591, SPIN-code: 9597-5548, kremnyov2005@yandex.ru

Olga V. Kuznetsova, Cand.Sci. (Philol.), Associate Professor, Research Associate Professor, Head of the Research Group for Transdisciplinary Regional Studies of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (14 A. Nevskogo St., Kaliningrad 236016, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9895-0471, SPIN-code: 9800-9784, kuznetsova1@mail.ru

Contribution of the authors:

E. R. Veryuzhskaya – formal analysis; investigation; methodology; visualization; writing – original draft preparation.

E. V. Kremnyov – data curation; project administration; validation; critical review.

O. V. Kuznetsova – conceptualization; supervision; critical review.

Availability of data and materials. The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the authors on reasonable request.

The authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 14.07.2025; revised 10.03.2026; accepted 18.03.2026.