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By reviewing changes in relationships during the past 50 years among cities in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, the author explores underlying forces affecting the relationship between a service center (Shanghai) and manufacturing bases (cities in the region surrounding Shanghai). Key internal factors, such as the development stage of cities and the government's promotion policies, together with external factors, including national politics and policy shifts and the strategy of foreign direct investment, are found to be influential in the dynamic relationship. Suggestions based on the Chinese case are offered for a regional alliance. Keywords: regional alliance; Yangtze River Delta region; China

The author analyzes pro-growth coalitions in Shanghai, China, a socialist society, and identifies two dimensions in coalition building: the political dimension and the economic dimension. Concepts of regime theory work well with the economic dimension but differ from the political dimension of urban governance of the city. So regime theory, which is developed based on experiences in the United States, may partly be applied in the socialist context. The study reveals features of the socialist pro-growth coalition in Shanghai in the transitional era: a regime characterized by a strong local government followed by cooperative nonpublic sectors with excluded community organizations.