Abstract As the important reason for economy development and essential power of promoting regional cooperation, industrial spatial division is presenting some new characteristics of larger space scale and specialization while some new opinions on industrial structure convergence appear. Industrial spatial division is a projection for industrial division in regions, emphasizing relations among the different regions. Generally, region specialization is in favor of intensively using resources and strengthening the regional competitiveness. Industrial isomorphism, however, is neuter as practical problem of industrial spatial division, having two aspects:undesired convergence and desired convergence. The latter refers to that the regions are similar in resources and economy level, but the similar products don't meet demand of market while the former refers to the excessive supply of similar products in the market and malignant competition caused mainly in the field. The paper, first, analyzes the characteristic of manufacturing industrial division (MID) of the region along Yangtze River in Jiangsu according to the industrial division exponential and specialization index, and studies the developing trend of MID and the level of industrial isomorphism for industrial division and region division. It is concluded as follows:1) industrial space along Yangtze River in Jiangsu takes on a divisional trend, but the trend declines with the development of the region; 2) industrial structure convergence exists between heavy industry and textile industry, especially in the south of region; 3) the region is different in product development. Then, the paper analyzes the level of industrial isomorphism in RYRJP from the perspectives of market-demanding, economical benefit as well as social benefits, arguing that the heavy industry development is objective, the product market is unsaturated, and it is rational to some extent for the heavy industry convergence to RYRJP. But some heavy industries are undesired convergence due to their dispersed distributions, inefficient resource allocation, and locations in ecologically sensitive areas.
2009, Vol. 24 
