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The everyday political economy of local governance in China: bridging relational and territorial thinking

Shize Zhang

Regional Studies2026https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2025.2606362article
AJG 4ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This paper develops a spatialised everyday political economy (EPE) by integrating relational and territorial thinking. Drawing on an 11-month ethnography in Houhai village, a rapidly transformed surfing hub in China, it shows how governance emerges from everyday practices that articulate relational infrastructures with territorial instruments. The analysis identifies three steps: enactment, translation and recalibration, through which spatial transformation unfolds. Empirically, it demonstrates how macro-instruments gained traction through pre-existing networks, producing stratification, selective inclusion and exit. Conceptually, it advances EPE by incorporating spatial logics, while using this framework to clarify how state power is constituted and unsettled within everyday life.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2025.2606362

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@article{shize2026,
  title        = {{The everyday political economy of local governance in China: bridging relational and territorial thinking}},
  author       = {Shize Zhang},
  journal      = {Regional Studies},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2025.2606362},
}

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The everyday political economy of local governance in China: bridging relational and territorial thinking

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.