A Study of Urban-Rural Integration and Rural Rejuvenation in in Western Sichuan, China —— the Case of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture

China, as a unified multi-ethnic socialist country, has experienced an unprecedented speed and scale of urbanization in human history and has distinctive national characteristics since the reform and opening up in 1978. It is one of the most transformative global phenomena of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. However, subsequent excessive gap between eastern and western economic development gradually restricts China's sustainable development. To address this issue, the Chinese government has issued a series of policies to promote the coordinated development of regional economy. However, most of the polices gave priority to urban development since cities enjoy privileges in China and are the birthplace of progress and modernity. And the level of urbanization is often used as a measure of economic development and modernization. As a result, the development of rural areas is easily ignored and develops slowly in the long-term especially the rural minority regions which are in geographically remote locations and have limited natural resources and policy, economy as well as education supports. This will lead to the dualization of urban and rural areas and will eventually affect regional economic development, social stability and national unity.

To explore solutions for these challenges, this study examines the case of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan. Through a combination of literature review, policy analysis, and fieldwork, it assesses the successes, issues, and obstacles in promoting Rural Rejuvenation. The study also investigates how collaboration between government, enterprises, and local communities can foster urban-rural integration in ethnic areas. The findings aim to provide insights for advancing urbanization and governance in other ethnic regions within China and potentially in multi-ethnic regions globally.