Table Of ContentDams, Migration and
Authoritarianism in China
Past studies on the Chinese state point towards the inherent adaptability, effec-
tiveness and overall stability of authoritarian rule in China. The key question
addressed here is how this adaptive capacity plays out at the local level in China,
clarifying the extent to which local state actors are able to shape local processes
of policy implementation.
T his book studies the evolution of dam-induced resettlement policy in China,
based on extensive fieldwork conducted in Yunnan Province. It shows that local
governments at the lowest administrative levels are caught in a double bind, facing
strong top-down pressures in the important policy field of hydropower develop-
ment, while simultaneously having to handle growing social pressure from local
communities affected by resettlement policies. In doing so, the book questions
the widespread assumption that the observed longevity and resilience of China’s
authoritarian regime is to a large extent due to the high degree of flexibility that
has been granted to local governments in the course of the reform period. The
research extends beyond previous analyses of policy implementation by focusing
on the state, on society and the ways in which they interact, as well as by examin-
ing what happens when policy implementation is interrupted.
Analysing the application of resettlement policies in contemporary China, with
a focus on the multiple constraints that Chinese local states face, this book will
be of interest to students and scholars of Political Science, Chinese Studies and
Sociology.
Sabrina Habich is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Tübingen, Germany.
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change 49 Dams, Migration and
Linda Chelan Li Authoritarianism in China
The local state in Yunnan
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Dams, Migration and
Authoritarianism in China
The local state in Yunnan
Sabrina Habich
First published 2016
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2016 Sabrina Habich
The right of Sabrina Habich to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
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registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Habich, Sabrina, author.
Title: Dams, migration and authoritarianism in China : the local state in
Yunnan / Sabrina Habich.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2016. | Series: Routledge studies
on China in transition ; 49 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015026638 | ISBN 9781138934931 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781315677637 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Yunnan Sheng (China)—Politics and government. |
Local government—China—Yunnan Sheng. | Authoritarianism—
China—Yunnan Sheng. | Forced migration—China—Yunnan Sheng. |
Hydroelectric power plants—Political aspects—China—Yunnan Sheng. |
Dams—China—Yunnan Sheng.
Classification: LCC JS7365.Y852 H33 2016 | DDC 307.2—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015026638
ISBN: 978-1-138-93493-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-67763-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of figures ix
List of maps x
List of tables xi
Acknowledgements xii
Abbreviations xiv
1 Introduction: authoritarianism, policy, and dams 1
Bureaucracy and resettlement 4
Policy implementation in China 13
Dam-induced resettlement in China 19
The Lancang River: local studies and local state agency 21
Dams, migration, and the local state 25
2 Fragmented mediation and the local state 27
The fragmented structure of authority in central-local relations 28
The role of society in policymaking 31
Limitations of the fragmented authoritarianism model 35
A new approach to studying policy implementation 37
Centralism and localism 47
3 Dam resettlement policy in China 49
Evolution of resettlement policy 51
Future policy change 64
Authoritarian government and socially responsible policies 66
4 Hydropower development, resettlement, and the Nuozhadu Dam 69
The Chinese hydropower bureaucracy 70
The Nuozhadu Dam 72
The Chinese resettlement bureaucracy 77
Complex governance of dam-induced resettlement 84
viii Contents
Dam-induced resettlement in Pu’er 86
Resettlement during construction of the Nuozhadu Dam 88
Challenges for local government 89
Checks on flexibility 91
5 One dam, many policies: the resettlement experience of Green
Mountain village 96
Resettling Green Mountain village 97
Grassroots government work after resettlement 112
Community conflict and tensions 116
6 One dam, many policies: the resettlement experience of South
Stream village 120
Preparing the migrants for resettlement 121
Preparing the host population for resettlement 128
Moving to a new village 130
Issues of contestation 133
Migrant reactions 141
7 Conclusion: policy, power, and mediation 146
Outlook and directions for further study 150
Appendix: research methods 153
Bibliography 156
Index 171
Figures
1.1 Structure of influence between actors in hydropower and
resettlement bureaucracy 7
1.2 Actors and processes of dam-induced resettlement policy 8
1.3 Two cases of resettlement in Pu’er 23
2.1 Fragmented authoritarianism 1.0 and 2.0 35
2.2 Adaptation of FA model for the research presented here 36
3.1 Evolution of dam-induced resettlement policy (1953 to
present day) 52
4.1 Comprehensive plan for hydropower development along the
Lancang River 70
4.2 Organizational structure of hydropower and resettlement
bureaucracy 78
4.3 Ownership structure of Powerchina 83
5.1 Picture of houses built for first batch of migrants 106
5.2 Picture of houses built for second batch of migrants 106
5.3 Torn down house of migrant household 112
6.1 Picture of houses in South Stream 134
6.2 Problem-solving strategy employed by South Stream migrants 136
