Chinese cities rush into risky specialisation

Zhongxian

THE first plan was for an "eco-city" that would help pull Zhongxian, a remote city on the hilly banks of the Yangtze River in south-west China, out of poverty. But after a dispute with the local government over land rights, the developers pulled out and all that remains of the green-themed project are half-completed structures and piles of rubbish.

Now, Zhongxian's government has s…