Runzhuo Zhai

University of Oxford

Toward the Great Divergence: Economic growth in Yangzi Delta of China, 1393-1953

I am very grateful for the great help I have received from the EHS. My doctoral work tries to answer the famous Great Divergence debate in economic history and growth literature, namely when the East or China lagged behind the Western world. To do this I estimate for the first time GDP data at an annual frequency for Yangzi Delta, one of the most developed regions in China, 1393-1953. The bursary’s financial support helped me with part of my tuition, living, research and job market, allowing me to better focus on the writing of my dissertation.