 This study uses the center of gravity model to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of China's economic inequality from 1978 to 2018, revealing a significant economic gradient between eastern and western China due to unbalanced development strategies. The results show that China's economy achieved rapid growth at an average annual rate of 9.4 percent during this period, with four stages of economic inequality led by institutional reform, market mechanisms, regional coordination, and socioeconomic transformation, reflecting the relationship between efficiency and equity in economic development. This article was authored by UNG Gua.