Mineral Economic Regionalization in the Context of Resource Crisis and Sustained Economic Growth

Abstract

As mineral resources are the material basis of social and economic development, the study on the correlation between the mineral resource industry and the regional economy, which aims at a scientific division of economic zones and a clear understanding of industrial characteristics, is crucial in addressing issues related to the management of resources and economy such as regional industrial development and territorial and spatial planning. By discussing the relation between dependence on mineral resources and national economy development, this study divides the Chinese mainland into three resource-based regions, nine resource-assisted regions and 19 non-resource-based regions based on quantified regional differences underpinned by the theory of threshold effects for measurement data. Furthermore, policy recommendations are proposed to pave the path for differentiated regional development after considering multiple factors including features of regional economy and resource potential. In addition to better serving and supporting economic development, territorial and spatial planning and the strategy of mineral resources, such recommendations are expected to provide differentiated development strategies for different types of regions.