【R3】 CHINA'S GROWTH IS NOT UNIFORMLY HIG H. LIKE ANY OTHER ECONOMY IN THE WORLD, CHINA'S IS SHAPED BY ITS GEOGRAPHY,IN THIS CASE AN EAST-WEST DIVIDE AND A NORTH-SOUTH DIVID E. 【R1】______CHINA'S EAST COAST IS THE PACIFIC OCEAN,AND SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PORT CITIES IN THE WORLD CAN BE FOUND THERE,INCLUDING(FROM NORTH TO SOUTH)THE PORTS OF TIANJIN,SHANGHAI,GUANGZHOU,HONG KONG,AND HAINAN ISLAN D. THE COASTAL PROVINCES HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF PROXIMITY, BOTH IN TIME AND TRANSPORT COSTS,TO MAJOR WORLD MARKETS BY SEA-BASED TRAD E. 【R2】______BOTH ARE FORBIDDEN BORDERS, WITH ENORMOUS TRANSPORT COSTS AND GREAT DISTANCES TO MAJOR WORLD TRADING CENTERS. IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE WESTERN PROVINCES HAVE BEEN GROWING MUCH LESS RAPIDLY THAN THE EASTERN PROVINCES,AND THAT FOREIGN INVESTORS FOCUS THEIR INVESTMENTS ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE EASTERN COASTAL PROVINCES. 【R3】______THIS IS ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY,AND THE EAST-WEST GROWTH DIVIDE IS NATURAL. IT WON'T GO AWAY. IT WILL BE ADDRESSED PARTLY THROUGH ALL INTERNAL MIGRATION OF JOB SEEKERS LEAVING THE WEST AND HEADING EAST. THIS TREND HAS ALREADY PRODUCED THE LARGEST MIGRATION OCCURRING IN THE WORLD TODAY,WITH PERHAPS 150 MILLION PEOPLE HAVING MOVED EITHER PERMANENTLY OR SEASONALLY BETWEEN THE INTERIOR AND THE COASTAL PROVINCES. 【R4】______THESE INVESTMENTS WILL HELP IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE,INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT,AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH BETTER SCHOOLS AND BETTER HEALTH SERVICES. THE CHINESE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE IS A LITTLE BIT LESS CONSPICUOUS,BUT IT IS ALSO VERY SIGNIFICANT. THE NORTH IS DRY COMPARED TO THE SOUT H. 【R5】______ALREADY CHINA IS TALKING ABOUT SPENDING TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO DIVERT RIVERS FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH IN THREE GREAT CANALS WHOSE COSTS,EFFECTIVENESS,AND ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ARE HARD TO ASSESS WITH PRECISION, BUT THE RISKS ARE VERY LARG E. A. WATER SCARCITY IN THE NORTH OF CHINA WILL TAKE ON INCREASING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE YEARS AHEA D.