Chapter II The Zeitgeist Of Cross-‐strait City Exchanges
2.1 The Contradiction Between City Governance And National Develpment In Taiwan
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Chapter II The Zeitgeist Of Cross-‐strait City Exchanges
In tandem with globalization, it is believed that the national competitiveness resorts to city! The concept of “city competitiveness” gradually takes place with “national
competitiveness”. More specifically, the theory of city governance formalizes new trendy of cross-‐strait city exchange, which serves as the vehicle for city with insufficient central financial subsidy to seek economic source and establish an effective local governance
mechanism? Therefore, a various cities create more possibilities for cross-‐strait city exchange conditions.
2.1 The Contradiction Between City Governance And National Develpment In Taiwan On June, 2011, the Ministry of the Interior quickly upgrades of Taiwan five-‐cities including New Taipei City, Taichung city, Kaohsiung city and Tainan City. Along with Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, the Six-‐cities merging upgraded to a municipality features a new panaroma in Taiwan's autonomy history.
Why Taiwan urges to combine national land through upgrading city and county?
According to Zhujiu Xia, member of the Ministry of the interior review team, he pointed out that "metropolitanization " emerges as the Zeitgeist for nation’s development.
Therefore, it brooks no delay for Taiwan government to allocate administrative regions and rescale metropolitan areas under the competitive global society. 30 (Zhujiu Xia, 2008)
What kind of threat will pose to Taiwan city governance after five municipalities upgrades and compete to each other?
According to former prime minster Su Zhenchang, he argued that the change of local
30 Zhujiu Xia (2008) Global economic competition, value creation and administration of regional challenges redistricting forum，2008-‐1-‐15
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electoral system initiates a new era of "feudal rule".
It poses a great challenge to central authority for the reason that the local governor obtains more resources, more number of representative voters in poltics. These higher authoralized local government strives for making lives and its policy sometimes contradicts the national policy. What’s worse, it challenges the dominant position of central government on cross-‐strait relations, what is the so-‐called "Yeltsin effect". 31 (CommonWealth Magazine, 2011-‐4-‐28)
Lu Yucheng, the associate professor of Public Administration Department of Taipei University, he also points out the most tricky part is the competition between cities for the national tax income may serves as a pool for cities, the Five-‐cities may take advantage of other non-‐upgraded cities. That is to say, the original goal of upgrading cities is to balance regional development, while it leads to national resources get more concentrated in upgraded cities.
With fear of be marginalized, non-‐upgraded cities strive for being comepetive rather than being sacrificed silently. Lu Yucheng really felt the vulnerable countie’
worissome.32(Bussiness Weekly, 2009-‐6-‐29)
Former Taiwan governor James Soong felt worrisome about the financial allocation in standard of uniformity. It refers to the positive relation between county population and resources allocation. However, the difference between urban and rural areas gapping emerges as a major problem in city governance. The new Fiscal law doesn't profit the resource insufficient city, all resources flows to the central and Six-‐cities.
He argued that the administrative level of Five-‐cities is tantamount to municipality, even
31Editor of CommonWealth Magazine (2011, Apri 28)【behind the scene】”Why rush to push Taiwan counties and cities to upgrade? “CommonWealth Magazine. http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5009471
32Lin Yingqiu (2009, June 29 ) “Who is the big winner after cities and counties merged and upgraded?” Bussiness Weekly http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/KArticle.aspx?id=37084
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worse to five provinces. It brooks no delay to keep the non-‐upgraded from edging. 33(The United News, 2010-‐5-‐29)
What is the blueprint for the non-‐upgraded cities? Xia Zhujiu believes that the Northern, eastern and Southern part of Taiwan is comparatively economical competitive. He proposed that Hualian and Taitung in the Eastern part of Taiwan marginalized into "specialized
administrative zone" similar with Hokkaido in Japan. And the goal is aimed at developing ecological and sightseeing interests.
As for establishment of specialized zone in Kinmen, Lianjiang and Penghu, its purpose is to make tie with three outrigger islands of Taiwan and prevent from alliance with China.
The difference of city governance has arised in Taiwan. Take Hualien for example, the county major Fu believes that the East Development Fund should be invested on the
construction and development, such as the international F1 racing games, sightseeing show, racetrack, villas, golf course, drive Hualian no chimney industry, while Xia Zhujiu argues that the central government has invest a fortune on the construction of the Eastern part.
He believes that the East Development Fund should be invested for micro industry, for the sustainable development of professionaltalent cultivation and industrial structure which would initiate Hualian’s competition and soft power. 34( The Journalist, 2013-‐12-‐24)
To take Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu, three Counties of Taiwan as another example, those county mayors has adovated the three-‐links policy for both side visitors including the
shortening the Kimen residentship to China, the visa waiver of mainland tourists to Penghu and Matsu, which inconsistent with Taiwan central government policy.
33Hong Zhaojun（2010, May 29）”Soong blasts the new Five upgraded cities and counties.”The United News http://dignews.udn.com/forum/trackback/trackback.jsp?wid=N&aid=5630812
34Huangqin Ya, Zhang Zhihao (2013, Dec 24) “Backyard Legends, Fu Kun-‐chi staged as the no-‐party", The Journalist http://www.new7.com.tw/coverStory/CoverView.aspx?NUM=1398&i=TXT20131218142525G1B
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Except for the Five-‐cities, whether the other counties will be rapidly marginalized remains a question. This paper argues that the contradiction between Taiwan
intergovenrment may resort to national development and city governance. What’s worse, the upgraded Five-‐cities has gapped the central and locals. For Taiwan, city governance has transitioned from Managerialism to Entrepreneurialism "