Port governance in China: A review of policies in an era of internationalizing port management practices

Abstract

China's global ambitions are well reflected through the recent rise of its container ports and their ability to redirect global shipping networks. Meanwhile, seaports provide a rich field of analysis for furthering our understanding of legal, institutional and operational questions of industrial reform. This is particularly true after a decade of substantial foreign direct investment inflows on the part of terminal-operating multinationals seeking to establish a presence in China's striving port industry. Massive terminal-level corporate participation has induced a rescaling effect in governance configurations. This paper adopts a governance approach to address recent institutional changes in the country's port industry in relation to an ongoing internationalization of port management. Particular attention is given to the role of port authorities and specific corporatization practices under reform by contrasting the examples of its two largest ports: Shanghai and Shenzhen. It concludes that China's ports stakeholder communities, logistical capabilities as well as scalar politics are best explained through institutional factors. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.