The abandonment of China's relatively isolationism from the global economy has given rise to a growing interest in the relationship between political and economic space in contemporary China. In particular, increased economic interaction between Southern China, Hong Kong and Taiwan has promoted interest in the efficacy of concepts such as "growth triangles", "region states" and "greater China" in understanding the emergence of new economic spaces. This paper compares the Southern Chinese experience with attempts to create a transnational economic space in Northeast Asia.