Guo Li, a Zhengzhou-based independent city planning specialist, calculates there are as many as 6,000 specialty towns in the works. Other specialty towns have turned to the so-called public-private partnerships preferred by Beijing, drawing investment from private companies. The new specialty towns, by contrast, are government mandated and normally require approval from the provincial government and central entities, including the housing ministry and state planner. Although the government has yet to apply for specialty town status, local officials say they are in the process of applying. “As yet, I have not seen any change from Dingshu becoming a specialty town,” said one pottery seller surnamed Zhang.

Source: The Express Tribune December 08, 2017 07:41 UTC