Geography matters in political geography: A discussion on paradigmatic selection and theoretical construction for the development of Chinese political geography

Driven by the needs of coping with changing international settings and improving domestic social governance, the development of Chinese political geography has gained increasing scholarly attention and formed a disciplinary framework based on both imported and domestic studies. However, the impact of Chinese political geography remains limited compared with other relevant disciplines such as international relations, political economy and public administration. The theories and methods of political geography have rarely been used by other disciplines. Its influence in the making of geopolitical strategies and social governance policies is also restricted. This paper, on the one hand, responds to other disciplines′ critics and misunderstanding of geography and its significance; on the other hand, points out shortcomings of Chinese political geography in terms of mechanism investigations, macro-micro linkages, integration of research subjects, and the construction of theories. It argues that geographical research has moved beyond the traditional focus on physical environment or geographical distance. Instead, an integrative, dialectical and relational perspective of human-nature relations, combining with the disentanglement of multiple dimensions of space, allows geography to remain a valuable discipline. In the meantime, the development of political geography is subject to two major challenges. One concerns the disconnection between empirical and normative studies which divergently pursue micro mechanisms of case studies and macro patterns of general phenomena. The other is stemmed from the fragmentation of research subjects which focus on biophysical components of the social-ecological system rather than fundamental notions of political geographical study. Against this backdrop, this paper outlines an analytical framework of political geography that includes the core research concepts and subjects of political geography from the perspective of power-space relation. It points out that territory, boundary and scale constitute the foundation upon which both complex power dynamics and diverse spatial processes can be examined. Through this analytical framework, it is expected that political geographers could further integrate research subjects, consolidate common understanding, and accumulate knowledge, so as to enhance the theoretical construction and influence of political geography.