Abstract: In this paper, the regional economic growth convergence across provinces in China during the period 1952-2000 is scrutinized using an econometric model. The results in this paper provide new insights on regional economic growth change across provinces in China during the period. On the whole, there were no regional economic growth convergences in terms of per capita real GDP during the period 1952-2000. But during the sub-periods with relatively favorable economic development environment in the sample period, there were not only absolute b convergences, but also conditional b convergences during the sub-periods 1979-2000, 1979-1990; and during the sub-period 1990-2000 there was conditional b convergence; whereas during the sub-period 1966-1979, which was full of political turmoil, there was no convergence at all, there was an evident divergence instead. The empirical analysis also shows that there were significant associations between regional economic growth convergences and regional development policy statistically. With the introduction of regional policy variable in the econometric model the b convergences become even more evident and significant statistically, which further reveal that effect of regional development policy on regional economic development is essential in Chinese regional economic development. So in the course of regional economic development as long as the Chinese central government and local governments bring into full play of regional economic growth convergence and give full support to the underdeveloped areas in China from policy side, the increasingly regional economic disparities can be kept within limits efficiently.

Key words: Regional development policy, Regional economic growth, b-convergence, China