IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/jicepx/v07y2016i03ns1793993316500186.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Global Experiences of Special Economic Zones with Focus on China and Africa: Policy Insights

Author

Listed:
  • Douglas Zhihua Zeng

    (World Bank, 1818 H St., NW, Washington, DC, USA2Tianjin Normal University, 393 West Binshui Ave., Tianjin, China3University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), 10 Huixin, Dongjie, Chaoyang District, 100029, Beijing, China)

Abstract

This paper briefly summarizes the development experiences of special economic zones (SEZs) in China and Africa (especially the Sub-Saharan Africa), the lessons that Africa can learn from China, and the preliminary results of the Chinese investments in SEZs in Africa. The study makes recommendations on how to unleash the power of SEZs and industrial parks in Africa through strategically leveraging the Chinese experiences. While the Chinese experiences with SEZs and industrial parks are generally successful, Africa's experience has been relatively poor. Moving forward, they can greatly benefit from the Chinese experiences, especially the Chinese zones in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas Zhihua Zeng, 2016. "Global Experiences of Special Economic Zones with Focus on China and Africa: Policy Insights," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 7(03), pages 1-27, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:jicepx:v:07:y:2016:i:03:n:s1793993316500186
    DOI: 10.1142/S1793993316500186
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S1793993316500186
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S1793993316500186?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Malini Tantri, 2011. "Trajectories of China’s Integration with the World Economy through SEZs: A Study on Shenzhen SEZ," Working Papers 261, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
    2. Jean-Pierre Cling & Gaëlle Letilly, 2001. "Export processing zones : A threatened instrument for global economy insertion ?," Working Papers DT/2001/17, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    3. Lin, Justin Yifu & Wang, Yan, 2014. "China-Africa co-operation in structural transformation: Ideas, opportunities, and finances," WIDER Working Paper Series 046, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Zeng,Zhihua, 2015. "Global experiences with special economic zones : focus on China and Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7240, The World Bank.
    5. Wang, Jin, 2013. "The economic impact of Special Economic Zones: Evidence from Chinese municipalities," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 133-147.
    6. Thomas Farole, 2011. "Special Economic Zones in Africa : Comparing Performance and Learning from Global Experience," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2268, December.
    7. Douglas Zhihua Zeng, 2010. "Building Engines for Growth and Competitiveness in China : Experience with Special Economic Zones and Industrial Clusters," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2501, December.
    8. Kankesu Jayanthakumaran, 2003. "Benefit-Cost Appraisals of Export Processing Zones: A Survey of the Literature," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 21(1), pages 51-65, January.
    9. Simon Alder & Lin Shao & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2012. "The Effect of Economic Reform and Industrial Policy in a Panel of Chinese Cities," DEGIT Conference Papers c017_061, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    10. Kaplinsky, Raphael, 1993. "Export Processing Zones in the Dominican Republic: Transforming manufactures into commodities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 21(11), pages 1851-1865, November.
    11. Douglas Zhihua Zeng, 2008. "Knowledge, Technology, and Cluster-Based Growth in Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6918, December.
    12. Ge, Wei, 1999. "Special Economic Zones and the Opening of the Chinese Economy: Some Lessons for Economic Liberalization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1267-1285, July.
    13. Warr, Peter G, 1989. "Export Processing Zones: The Economics of Enclave Manufacturing," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 4(1), pages 65-88, January.
    14. Thomas Farole & Gokhan Akinci, 2011. "Special Economic Zones : Progress, Emerging Challenges, and Future Directions," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2341, December.
    15. Madani, Dorsati, 1999. "A review of the role and impact of export processing zones," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2238, The World Bank.
    16. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4582 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guangwen Meng & Douglas Zhihua Zeng, . "Structural transformation through free trade zones: the case of Shanghai," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    2. Shi, Buchao & Huang, Liangxiong & Wei, Shengmin & Geng, Xinyue, 2022. "Overseas industrial parks and China's outward foreign direct investment," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Ding Fei, 2024. "China–Africa skills transfer through overseas economic and trade cooperation zones," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 172-191, January.
    4. Jaroslaw M. Nazarczuk & Marlena Cicha-Nazarczuk, 2021. "What are the Key Location Factors for Firms in Special Economic Zones? Evidence from Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 147-160.
    5. Rosa Canelli & Riccardo Realfonzo & Francesco Zezza, 2022. "An empirical Stock‐Flow Consistent regional model of Campania," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(1), pages 209-257, February.
    6. Gulbis Ivo, 2018. "Foreign Direct Investment and Special Economic Zones in Latvia," Baltic Journal of Real Estate Economics and Construction Management, Sciendo, vol. 6(1), pages 240-252, December.
    7. Linda Calabrese & Xiaoyang Tang, 2023. "Economic transformation in Africa: What is the role of Chinese firms?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(1), pages 43-64, January.
    8. Susanne Frick & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, . "Are special economic zones in emerging countries a catalyst for the growth of surrounding areas?," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    9. Douglas Zhihua Zeng, 2022. "What Determines the Heterogeneous Performance of Special Economic Zones? Evidence from Sub‐Sahara Africa," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(4), pages 495-506, September.
    10. World Bank Group, 2017. "Special Economic Zones," World Bank Publications - Reports 29054, The World Bank Group.
    11. Saira Naeem & Abdul Waheed & Muhammad Naeem Khan, 2020. "Drivers and Barriers for Successful Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Case of SEZs under China Pakistan Economic Corridor," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, June.
    12. Henglong Zhang & Houlin Song & Conglei Hou, 2023. "How Do Overseas Economic and Trade Cooperation Zones along the Belt and Road Affect the Economic Growth of Host Countries?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-18, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zeng,Zhihua, 2015. "Global experiences with special economic zones : focus on China and Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7240, The World Bank.
    2. Richard Adu-Gyamfi & Simplice A. Asongu & Tinaye S. Mmusi & Herbert Wamalwa & Madei Mangori, 2020. "A comparative study of export processing zones in the wake of sustainable development goals: Cases of Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/025, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    3. World Bank Group, 2017. "Special Economic Zones," World Bank Publications - Reports 29054, The World Bank Group.
    4. Konstantinos J. Hazakis, 2014. "The rationale of special economic zones (SEZs): An Institutional approach," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 85-101, March.
    5. Ronald B. Davies & Rodolphe Desbordes, 2018. "Export Processing Zones and the Composition of Greenfield FDI," Working Papers 201807, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    6. Farole, Thomas & Moberg, Lotta, 2014. "It worked in China, so why not in Africa? The political economy challenge of Special Economic Zones," WIDER Working Paper Series 152, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Thomas Farole & Lotta Moberg, 2014. "It Worked in China, so Why not in Africa?: The Political Economy Challenge of Special Economic Zones," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-152, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Guangwen Meng & Douglas Zhihua Zeng, . "Structural transformation through free trade zones: the case of Shanghai," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    9. Ronald B. Davies & Arman Mazhikeyev, 2019. "The Impact of Special Economic Zones on Exporting Behavior," Review of Economic Analysis, Digital Initiatives at the University of Waterloo Library, vol. 11(1), pages 145-174, July.
    10. Lanzhuang Xu & Hu Xue & Qianrong Wu, 2022. "The Impact of Development Zones on Economic Growth in Less Developed Regions: Evidence from Guangxi, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-20, September.
    11. Tantri, Malini L., 2014. "Promises and paradoxes of SEZs expansion in India," Working Papers 331, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
    12. Khan, Karim, 2019. "Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Prospects for the Domestic Economy of Pakistan," MPRA Paper 103337, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Zhang, Xiaobo, 2016. "Building effective clusters and industrial parks," IFPRI discussion papers 1590, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Yu Zhang & Zeyu Fu & Lei Xu & Zhenzhen Lu, 2023. "The Impact of China’s Overseas Economic and Trade Cooperation Zones on Sustainable Trade of Host Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-31, December.
    15. Moberg, Lotta, 2015. "The political economy of special economic zones," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 167-190, March.
    16. Douglas Zhihua Zeng, 2022. "What Determines the Heterogeneous Performance of Special Economic Zones? Evidence from Sub‐Sahara Africa," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(4), pages 495-506, September.
    17. Jieping Chen & Xianpeng Long & Shanlang Lin, 2022. "Special Economic Zone, Carbon Emissions and the Mechanism Role of Green Technology Vertical Spillover: Evidence from Chinese Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-22, September.
    18. Malini L. Tantri, 2012. "China’s Policy for Special Economic Zone," India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, , vol. 68(3), pages 231-250, September.
    19. Buonocore, Ciro & Carlucci, Fabio & Ciciarelli, Lucia & Papola, Andrea & Tinessa, Fiore & Tocchi, Daniela & Trincone, Barbara, 2023. "Accessibility analysis in spatial planning: A case of special economic zones (SEZs) in Campania, Southern Italy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    20. Rajneesh Narula & James X. Zhan, . "Using special economic zones to facilitate development: policy implications," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wsi:jicepx:v:07:y:2016:i:03:n:s1793993316500186. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/jicep/jicep.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.