Economic Development In The Context Of China

This book, first published in 1987, studies the forces promoting underdevelopment in China prior to 1949 and the character of the development that has occurred since then. It presents a unified perspective for grasping the development process as a whole, for relating this to the class structure of China, and for considering development in the context of Chinese efforts to carry out a transition to socialism.

The author takes a fresh look at China's economic policies, development strategies and economic experiences since 1978. General economic principles and analysis are applied in a comparative framework which provides useful insights for assessing China's economic strategies and its implication for other developing countries. Among the topics discussed are market reforms, new technology and technology transfer, foreign direct investment, regional development, poverty and income inequality, agricultural development, industrial development, enterprise management, the tourism industry, population policies and international issues raised by China's economic development.

Thirty-years of economic transformation has turned China into one of the major players in the global capitalist economy. However, its economic growth has generated rising problems in inequality, alienation, and sustainability with the agrarian crises of the 1990s giving rise to real social outcry to the extent that they became the object of central government policy reformulations. Contributing to a paradigm-shift in the theory and practices of economic development, this book examines the concept of social economy in China and around the world. It offers to rethink space, economy and community in a trans-border context which moves us beyond both planned and market economies. The chapters address theoretical issues, critical reflections and case studies on the practice of social economy in the context of globalization and its attempt to create an alternative modernity. Through this, the book builds a platform for further cross-disciplinary and cross-boundary dialogue on the future of social economy in China and the world. With examples from Asia, North America, Latin America and Europe this book will not only appeal to students and scholars of Chinese and Asian social policy and development, but also those of social economy from an international perspective.

This book is about mutual influences of thinking about economic development in China and in the West, from the 18th century until the present. Its chapters are contributed by development economists and historians of thought from China and other parts of the world. The book describes important stages in the evolution, cross-fertilization and contextual modification of ideas about economic order, development and institutional change. It illustrates how Western concepts and theories have been adopted and adapted to Chinese conditions in different waves of modernization from the late 19th century until the present and that this was and is no one-way traffic. The book examines to what extent pre-classical thinking in the West, in particular French Physiocracy in mid-18th century, was influenced by China as an ideal and a source of ideas, at a time when China was the largest and most advanced economy in the world. It discusses to what extent different approaches of modern Western-style economics, in particular in the fields of development economics and institutional economics, can be used to understand the rapid transitions and developments of the Chinese economy in recent decades, and to what extent they need to be modified in the light of new experiences and insights. Against this background, several contributions to the volume provide assessments of the current state of economic science and teaching in China, in particular with regard to Chinese views on Western economics. The book should be of interest to those who are interested in the economic history of China.

The book provides a unique examination of the relationship between the state and market in China's economic development over several centuries. Its analysis is situated in the wider context of debates about technical progress in the pre-modern world, about the impact of western imperialism, about the role of the state in the economic development of poor countries and in the transition of former communist countries away from Stalinist systems of political economy.

Since the start of the process of economic reform in 1978, China has maintained the structure of a dual economy, with concurrent development of the agricultural and industrial sectors. This book explores the key issues of China's economic growth and income distribution in this context. Pivoting on analysis of China's real GDP and growth rate, the first part of the book analyzes the evolution of economic growth and characteristics of economic structural changes across a period of forty years, scrutinizing the different determinants that contribute to growth. Then, chapters in the second part of the volume study the relationship between China's economic growth and economic development, elucidating the mechanism of interaction between the former and key factors of the latter, including investment, housing, education, and healthcare. The final chapters center on the development and current landscape of income distribution, providing explanation for sharpening income inequalities and advancing suggestions and feasible solutions to the problem of income gap. This book is targeted at scholars, students, and policymakers interested in China's economy, income distribution, and economic growth.

The phrase ‘New Normal’ captures the ongoing shift in the pattern and drivers of China’s economic growth. China’s new growth rate is both slower and imposing difficult structural change. These new economic conditions are challenging yet offer opportunities for China and its economic partners. Reforms must be deepened but also make growth more inclusive and environmentally sustainable, over this decade and beyond. This year’s Update offers both global context and domestic insight into this challenging new phase of China’s domestic economic transformation. How are policymakers elevating migrant workers concurrent with increasing consumption? Is China’s government spending enough on education and R&D to ensure it can achieve its aspirations to ascend the global manufacturing value chain and avoid the middle-income trap? Are energy market reforms reducing or increasing the price of gas and electricity in China? What are the consequences of China’s financial reforms and expanding Renminbi trading for foreign banks? What does China’s new growth model mean for the international resources economy and for Africa? Do SOEs face market conditions and are they dominating China’s fast-rising outbound investment? What is China’s strategy for navigating fragmented international trade policy negotiations?