2006-2007: China Headquarters Economic Development Report (with CD-ROM)

Author: Zhao Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Urban transformation is a major change and turning point in the development process and direction of urban development, representing a significant overhaul of urban development paths and models. After a prolonged period of development, cities need comprehensive adjustments and transformations in areas such as industrial structure, urban functions, and urban construction to adapt to the needs of sustained urban economic growth. Transformation is a shared challenge faced by major cities worldwide, with New York, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Chicago being internationally recognized as cities that have successfully undergone transformation. Some cities in China also face the same challenges. As China's urbanization process accelerates, production and manufacturing costs in many large cities continue to rise, the hollowing out of manufacturing in central urban areas has become increasingly severe, and resources such as water and land are growing scarcer. Environmental pressures are intensifying, making sustainable development a critical strategic issue for urban growth. Key questions have emerged: How to shift the growth model of the economy, improving its quality; how to seek new growth drivers to promote sustained urban development; how to achieve urban structural upgrading and functional enhancement to drive surrounding areas forward; and so on.
Headquarters economy, as a new economic model, drives the development of various service industries in cities through the agglomeration of corporate headquarters, creating strong industrial, technological, and talent clusters and radiation effects. This helps to promote industrial upgrading and functional enhancement in cities. Developing the headquarters economy is a crucial strategic choice for central cities to implement the Scientific Outlook on Development, advance industrial restructuring and functional enhancement, and achieve urban transformation and sustainable economic and social development.
The 2006–2007 China Headquarters Economy Development Report is themed "How Headquarters Economy Promotes Urban Economic Transformation." It comprehensively and deeply explores the theoretical and practical aspects of urban transformation both domestically and internationally, the models and pathways through which the headquarters economy can facilitate urban economic transformation, and the practical explorations of major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Wuhan in developing the headquarters economy to promote urban economic transformation.
The report is divided into four parts: the Comprehensive Section, the Evaluation Section, the Theoretical Section, and the Practical Section.
Comprehensive Section: Research on How Headquarters Economy Promotes Urban Economic Transformation
This section studies urban economic transformation theory and explores the successful models and experiences of major international cities such as Chicago, the Ruhr, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. It then analyzes the urgency and necessity of urban economic transformation in some major cities in mainland China. Through empirical research on several large cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Qingdao that have applied headquarters economy concepts to promote urban transformation, the report proposes that developing the headquarters economy is a critical strategic choice for major Chinese cities to achieve economic transformation. It also delves into the major contradictions that need to be addressed in promoting urban transformation through the headquarters economy.
Evaluation Section: Evaluation Report on the Development Capacity of Headquarters Economy in 35 Major Cities in China
Building on the revision and improvement of the evaluation index system for urban headquarters economy development established in the 2005–2006 China Headquarters Economy Development Report, this section evaluates and ranks the development capacity of the headquarters economy in 35 major Chinese cities across six dimensions: basic conditions, business facilities, R&D capabilities, professional services, government services, and openness.
Theoretical Section: New Theoretical Research Achievements in Headquarters Economy
This section focuses on refining the theoretical framework of the headquarters economy. It conducts in-depth research on key and challenging issues such as the formation mechanisms of the headquarters economy, factors influencing corporate headquarters location choices, the migration patterns of multinational corporate headquarters, the industrial and spatial value chains of the headquarters economy, and headquarters economy studies from an industrial cluster perspective. These efforts enrich and perfect the theory of the headquarters economy.
Practical Section: New Practical Research Achievements in Headquarters Economy
This section emphasizes the development of the headquarters economy in relation to urban development, the development of central urban areas, and the innovative development of development zones. It comprehensively showcases the exploration and practice of major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Jinan, central urban areas such as Beijing's Xicheng District, Guangzhou's Yuexiu District, Wuhan's Wuchang District, Qingdao's Nan'an District, and Ningbo's Jiangdong District, and central business districts such as Chongqing's Jiefangbei CBD in promoting industrial upgrading and functional enhancement in large cities and central urban areas through the development of headquarters economies, thereby driving urban economic transformation.