Development of Towns in China: A Case Study of Guangdong Province

This article examines the growth functions and population changes of Chinas towns in recent years using Guangdong Province as a case study. We examine the relationship between towns and the nations rural economic growth with emphasis on the roles of towns in rural population migration. To gain a better understanding of how the town economy functions we compare the employment structure in two distinct types of towns: county capitals and market towns. The major data source is a comprehensive survey of towns conducted in 1985 by the authorities of Guangdong for their internal use. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) (EXCERPT)