Part 3/12:
Over the past three decades, Beijing has launched ambitious campaigns to upgrade these county towns into “urban” cities through reforms that change official designations but not necessarily economic realities. These include renaming counties, constructing new infrastructure, and erecting monuments to prosperity. Yet, such efforts amount to little more than superficial makeover—essentially placing a fresh coat of paint over a foundation that remains fragile.
Most of these towns still rely heavily on agriculture, with their economies buried under an avalanche of local debt. The new developments are often just repackaged versions of old counties—more paperwork, more subsidies, and more corruption, but no real growth or diversification.