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An institutional analysis of the evolution of inland waterway transport and inland ports on the Pearl River

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Abstract

Inland waterway transport (IWT) is the most appropriate means of transportation in the pursuit of a sustainable development strategy. The development of IWT varies per region. Public entities and institutions play an important role in the development of IWT. This paper analyses the development of IWT on the Pearl River from an institutional perspective. Chinese national fiscal reforms, land use reforms and the transfer of power from the central government to local governments impact the governance of IWT. The paper demonstrates that the privatization of inland ports was triggered by the mismatch between the objectives of IWT operators and either public objectives or market demand. This process unfolded while top-level governors did not aim for privatization. The paper shows how formal institutional changes of IWT on the Pearl River are both the result of deliberate design and a path creation in the transformation from the Chinese planned economy to the Chinese market economy. It also shows how institutional changes resulted in a dual development path (i.e. a rapid development of inland terminals but underdevelopment of inland waterways) of IWT in the Pearl River. Policy recommendations are provided based on the research findings with specific attention to the factors hindering IWT development on the Pearl River at the level of the waterway infrastructure and inland ports.

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Notes

  1. The navigable waterways of the Pearl River go through regions of 7.9 million ha, which is only 4 % of the area of the Yangtze River region.

  2. We will just use “conversion”, “layering”, and “recombination” in the following text.

  3. 关于深化中央直属和双重领导港口管理体制改革意见通知 (2001).

  4. 中华人民共和国港口法 (2004).

  5. It is the current ‘National Development and Reform Commission’; it was restructured and renamed in 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 respectively.

  6. The estimated profit is equal to the estimated revenue minus the estimated expenses.

  7. The estimated shortage is equal to the estimated expenses minus the estimated revenue.

  8. 《内河航道养护费征收和使用办法》.

  9. 交通部、财政部关于发布《港口建设费征收办法实施细则》及《水运客货运附加费征收办法》的通知.

  10. 交通部关于明确港口政企分开后货物港务费征收有关问题的通知.

  11. 关于印发《港口建设费征收使用管理办法》的通知.

  12. It was expired on 7th March 2008.

  13. 关于深化改革、扩大开放、加快交通发展的若干意见.

  14. The data is from “China yearbook of transportation and communication”.

  15. The data is from an internal government document.

  16. The data is from an internal government document.

  17. The data is from an internal government document.

  18. This drop was mainly caused by the economic crisis of 1998.

  19. Two important plans are : “Plan of Network of High Level Water Channel in PRD” and “Plan of the Development of Inland Waterway Transport in Guangdong”.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by CONNEC (part of the Erasmus Mundus Program), European Commission and Hong Kong Research Grants Council Theme-based Research Project (T32-620/11).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    J. Y. Li & James J. Wang

  2. Dalian Maritime University, Dalian City, China

    Theo E. Notteboom

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  1. J. Y. Li
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Correspondence to J. Y. Li.

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Li, J.Y., Notteboom, T.E. & Wang, J.J. An institutional analysis of the evolution of inland waterway transport and inland ports on the Pearl River. GeoJournal 82, 867–886 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-016-9696-0

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