History of economic and demographic development of the northwestern Chinese сity of Xi’an (1949-1978)

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Abstract

This study has been prepared within the framework of one of the current areas of historical research - regional and urban history. It presents the modern evolution of the northwestern Chinese city from the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 to the transition to the policy of “reform and openness” in 1978. The purpose of the study is to determine the main vectors of the economic and demographic history of the city of Xi’an based on the use of Chinese-language materials and the application of historical, genetic and statistical research methods. As a result, it was established that the strengthening of the agricultural sector and industrial base of Xi’an was influenced by the restoration of the urban economy in the early years of the PRC, the construction of large facilities with the help of the Soviet Union in the 1950s, and inclusion in the “three-line construction” projects from 1969 to 1974. A decrease in the pace of urban construction was observed during the implementation of the “Great Leap Forward” campaign and occasionally during the “Cultural Revolution”. One of the main vectors of Xi’an’s development was the transfer of production capacities and scientific and technological experience from the provinces and cities of Eastern China to the northwestern city in question.

About the authors

Svetlana B. Makeeva

Institute for Demographic Research - Branch of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: msbmag9581@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2953-0411
SPIN-code: 6442-8153

Doctor of Sciences (History), Head of the Department of Historical and Regional Demography

6 Fotievoy St., Moscow, 119333, Russian Federation,

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