106 6. Imagineering Chinese mega-cities in the age of globalization Emma Björner In this chapter, I elaborate on city branding strategies and practices in four Chinese mega-cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing. I also discuss some overall patterns related to the branding of Chinese mega-cities in the age of globalization. The observations made and pre- sented in this chapter are based on data gathered from fieldwork, literature and secondary sources, and are an integrated part of a larger research project on international positioning of Chinese mega-cities. GLOBAL CITIES AND CHINA’S INTERNATIONALIZATION Today, cities all over the world want to become international, world class and global cities (Paul, 2004). Also for the majority of cities in the develop- ing and transitional parts of the world, being a global city has turned into a primary goal (Wei, Leung and Luo, 2006). Attracting global capital invest- ment such as corporate headquarters, production facilities and downtown skyscrapers, as well as circulating capital (for example culture, events and tourism) with the help of an international city identity has almost become a universal development strategy. The very concept ‘global’ has moreover become an iconic spatial metaphor with substantial political power (Yeoh, 2005). In China, the concept of globalization entered political, ideological and scholarly discourse in the mid-1990s. Since the early 21st century, leaders and theorists of the Chinese Communist Party have been increasingly aware of the opportunities that globalization offers China (Knight, 2008). In addition, China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, and the expansion of the market economy, have pushed China and Chinese cities into the age of globalization (Wu and Ma, 2006). In a report from the Chinese government, released in 2003, the strategy proposed was to open up further by integrating ‘bringing in’ and ‘going global’ tactics (Knight, 鐨乃廼膿埜年猫熱悩  鐗鐕鐖鐙鐓 鐪祢能認埜祢 鐪撚猫認埜 鐵濃濡撚年嚢熱年粘猫鐓 鐦撚撚 埜年猫熱悩嚢 埜寧嚢寧埜納寧祢鐓 鐲認膿 粘乃悩 濡寧 埜寧廼埜乃祢濃禰寧祢 年粘 認粘膿 葱乃埜燃 能年悩熱乃濃悩 廼寧埜燃年嚢嚢年乃粘 葱埜乃燃 悩熱寧 廼濃濡撚年嚢熱寧埜鐑 寧脳禰寧廼悩 葱認年埜 濃嚢寧嚢 廼寧埜燃年悩悩寧祢 濃粘祢寧埜 鐺鐓鐸鐓 乃埜 認廼廼撚年禰認濡撚寧 禰乃廼膿埜年猫熱悩 撚認能鐓 鐪鐧鐸鐨鐴 鐵濃濡撚年嚢熱年粘猫 鐟 寧鐧乃乃捻 鐨乃撚撚寧禰悩年乃粘 鐍鐪鐧鐸鐨鐴熱乃嚢悩鐎 鐒 廼埜年粘悩寧祢 乃粘 鐖鐖鐔鐗鐖鐔鐗鐕鐖鐚 鐖鐕鐟鐕鐚 鐦鐲 納年認 鐸鐹鐴鐨鐰鐭鐴鐱鐲 鐺鐳鐮鐻 鐦鐳鐟 鐜鐛鐗鐚鐕鐖 鐠 鐧念乃埜粘寧埜鐑 鐪燃燃認鐑 鐧寧埜猫鐑 鐵寧埜鐒鐴撚乃葱鐓鐠 鐧埜認粘祢年粘猫 鐨熱年粘寧嚢寧 鐲寧猫認鐒禰年悩年寧嚢 鐟 鐵乃撚年禰年寧嚢鐑 鐵埜認禰悩年禰寧嚢 認粘祢 鐵乃嚢年悩年乃粘年粘猫 鐦禰禰乃濃粘悩鐟 嚢鐘鐞鐖鐗鐛鐞鐝