Weidong Liu is a Professor in Economic Geography and Deputy Director General, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing and Managing Editor of Area Development and Policy.Michael Dunford is Emeritus Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Sussex and a visiting professor at the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a former Editor of Regional Studies and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.Zhigao Liu is an Associate Professor in Economic Geography in the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.Zhenshan Yang is Professor in Urban Geography in the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing.