The Land Development Game in China is a fine example of the large and growing body of literature that applies game theory to the analysis of land development behaviors and outcomes in China. ... The Land Development Game in China is well researched, makes a plausible argument, and contains many entertaining anecdotes about how people game the system. * The China Journal *
The Land Development Game in China is extremely timely, novel in its approach, and well-written. Few topics are as politically charged as land tenure in China, particularly as more and more rural land is requisitioned for urban and commercial development. But the real power of this book is the way that it deals with the on-the-ground realities of a complex subject, from the point of view of farmers, developers, government officials, and other affected parties. It will have a very significant impact on the fields of China Studies, public policy, and natural resources. -- Bryan Tilt, Oregon State University
Many years ago I read Richard Babcock's classic The Zoning Game to discover how land use regulation really worked in practice in the United States. Now we have The Land Development Game in China by Jianbo Ma that performs this same service for China. If you want to understand the behavior of the various public and private players, showing how land use is actually formed in China, this is the book for you. -- Robert H. Nelson, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
China's breakneck development requires continuing, large-scale transfers of land to more productive users. Yet formal laws and regulations, linked to outmoded ideas of agricultural self-sufficiency, stand in the way. How does China square this circle? Jianbo Ma tells us how, in a fascinating, multi-level depiction of the 'land development game' in an important Chinese province. Informal procedures and personal connections bring needed flexibility and adequate efficiency, though equity is often the loser. Ma has provided us with a path-breaking account of actual governance in China-from Beijing to local authorities, and at multiple levels of each. The Land Development Game in China is a major work of empirical research and political analysis. Read it and learn about the real China! -- I.M. Destler, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
Ma has provided a vivid account of how the land system works in practice, and uncovers the behaviors of various public and private players. . . .[T]his book represents a major concrete step towards this aim, by providing one case study of the land development game in China and paying extra attention to the informal actions of local players. . . .The book is well illustrated and very readable. The chapters together provide us with insights into the on-the-ground realities of a sophisticated system and enrich our understanding of the centralised approach with Chinese characteristics. Readers who are interested in Chinese urban and rural studies may find interest in this book. * Urban Studies *
