Evolutionary Paths in Supporting Firms in China. An Analysis of Leading Firms and Insights on Industrial Policy

The paper studies the evolution in the support to firms in China. Using a tailored imitativelearning approach, Chinese policy makers have supported national champions (similarlyto the Japanese experience), while also favouring the emergence of sectoral agglomerations ofsmes (as in the case of clusters and industrial districts). By means of an analysis of the leadingindustrial firms of Guangdong province, where the process of opening of Chinese economystarted, the paper highlights specific (more or less explicit) choices of industrial policy thathave driven the industrial development of the nation.