Contemporary changes in regional specialisation of farming in PRC (1990–2018)

Aim. Identifying the changes and factors in the allocation of China's major farming industries by analyzing statistical data for PRC provinces from 1990 to 2018. Methodology. The analysis of data on the dynamics of the territorial concentration of agriculture is based on the calculation of the index of localization of sown areas of crops by provinces, autonomous regions and cities of central subordination. The dynamics of the sown area of China's main agricultural crops in 1990-2018 was analyzed: rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, peanuts, sunflower, sugar cane, sugar beet, tobacco and tea, as well as aggregated data on root and tubers, other vegetable and fruit crops. Results. The analysis showed that the regions in the north and south-east of China differ in narrower specialization. In the whole country, the production of fruits, vegetables, cereals and peanuts was characterized by the lowest level of territorial concentration. Research implications. The results of the study allow us to conclude that China is increasingly integrating into the global system of agricultural areas, while these changes in the location of the main branches of agriculture significantly affect the transformation of the entire global system. Changes in the specialization of PRC farming at the national and regional levels can in positive and negative ways effect China’s import of Russian agricultural products.