From growth machine to integration machine: A historical-institutional perspective of Chinese statecraft under rural revitalization

This study analyses the transition trends of China’s spatial governance from a growth machine to an “integration machine,” from an institutional reconfiguration perspective. We propose that while the urban growth machine has dominated spatial politics in China, its institutional foundations also provide the conditions for the emergence of an integration machine. This integration machine reflects a path-dependent logic rooted in the historical Chinese statecraft of integrating fragmented grassroots communities into cohesive territorial governance — an alternative logic to capital-driven growth. Drawing on China’s Rural Revitalization, including its strategic position, policy initiatives, and local implementation, this article reveals how the integration machine is underpinned by the reconfiguration of party, bureaucratic, and fiscal institutions. Meanwhile, new challenges have emerged from the intensifying interplay between institutions and actions during implementation. By conceptualizing the integration machine, the study introduces a new perspective on territorial governance by emphasizing the institutional foundations of statecraft.