This book is part of a series which makes available to English-speaking audiences the work of the individual Chinese economists who were the architects of China’s economic reform. The series provides an inside view of China’s economic reform, revealing the thinking of the reformers themselves, unlike many other books on China’s economic reform which are written by outside observers. Chen Xiwen (1950-) has made major contributions to economic policy making on agricultural development and the rural economy. Although born in Shanghai he was one of the young people sent down to the countryside in the late 1960s to work in a production and construction corps. He has held a number of government and academic positions, notably director of the Rural Economy Research Department of the State Council and Vice President of the Development Research Centre of the State Council. The book is published in association with China Development Research Foundation, one of the leading economic and social think tanks in China, where many of the theoretical foundations and policy details of economic reform were formulated.

The China Development Research Foundation is one of the leading economic and social think tanks in China, where many of the theoretical underpinnings and policy details of economic reform were formulated. This book is the first of a series which makes available to an English-speaking audience the work of the individual Chinese economists who were the architects of reform. The series provides an inside view of China’s economic reform, revealing the thinking of the reformers themselves, unlike many other books on China’s economic reform which are written by outside observers. Xue Muqiao held many key posts including Secretary General of the Finance and Economy Commission of the Government Administrative Council, Director-General of the National Bureau of Statistics and consultant of State Council Office for Restructuring the Economic Systems. His work included eliminating the serious inflation of the early years of the People’s Republic, participating in drafting and implementing the First and Second Five-year Plans, and establishing the initial statistics system and price management system. His great contribution was to the development of economic theories and practice following China’s economic reform.

Although Chinese economic growth continues strong, and although China coped very well with the recent global crisis, the Chinese economy faces many challenges, including how to sustain growth, how to rebalance the economy towards more domestic consumption, how to accommodate rising wages, growing social and regional inequality, and how to reform financial and monetary policies. This book examines the key challenges currently facing the Chinese economy. It considers Chinas’ increasing global impact, discusses the institutional drivers of China’s economic growth, assesses critically China’s need for structural reform, and explores issues related to sustainability and human rights.

This book assesses current developments in China’s demography, and discusses the changes which should be implemented to bring policy into line with the current demographic situation. It argues that population planning, which was introduced in the early years of the People’s Republic alongside economic planning, including "the one child policy", is no longer appropriate. It considers the results of the 2010 census, which showed the very significant shifts that are occurring , including a declining rate of population growth, ongoing growth of the number of people in "the floating population", an increasingly imbalanced sex ratio among newborn children, and ongoing ageing of the population. Besides discussing population planning policy, the book also examines how policies in the fields of education, health, gender relations, child development in rural areas, and polices for the elderly and families should be adjusted to accommodate demographic developments.

The relationship between the United States and China will be of critical importance to the world throughout the twenty-first century. In the West China’s rise is often portrayed as a threat and China seen in negative terms. This book explores the dynamics of this crucial relationship. It looks in particular at what causes an international relationship to be perceived negatively, and considers what can be done to reverse this, arguing that trust is a key factor. It goes on to discuss US and Chinese rhetoric and behaviour in three key areas – climate change, finance, and international security. The book contends that, contrary to much US rhetoric, China’s actions in these areas is often much more flexible and accommodating than the US position, and that the Chinese are much more knowledgeable about, and understanding and appreciative of, the United States than vice versa.

If the West wishes to understand China better, it needs to appreciate the depth of thought and range of debate that is taking place within the Chinese political system. China is entering a new and complicated phase in its development. From a minnow in the 1970s it has become a mighty player on the global stage. It is likely that its role in the global economy and international relations will continue to expand. Today, despite its vast size, China is still a developing country. The country’s leaders in the Communist Party of China face innumerable policy challenges. Two key issues facing the Party are its role in the Asia-Pacific region and the ideological legacy from Karl Marx. The CPC is engaged in deep research, debate and reflection on both of these questions. This study provides a unique, in-depth insight into these critically important issues for the evolution of China’s political economy.

This book is about the political economy of China’s industrial reform and the rise of a group of Chinese big businesses under the Communist Party and the central state’s control. It examines the origins, evolution and institutional configuration of this centralized system in governing the ‘commanding heights’ of the Chinese industrial economy. Shaped by persistent industrial policies to develop China’s ‘national champions’ enterprises, the core parts of China’s central industrial ministries and mono-bank system have been transformed into a ‘national team’ of giant modern business firms in industries such as oil, power generation, telecommunications, aerospace, aviation, nuclear, shipbuilding, mining, construction, automobile and banking. Through an adaptive process of learning, experimentation and restructuring, the bedrock of the authority relations and control mechanisms among the Party, government bureaucracy and firms has been consolidated rather than dismantled in the system’s transformation. This alternative view of China’s industrial reform presents a direct challenge to the neo-liberal transition model of China’s institutional development and the mainstream Western conceptions of Chinese big business.

China's accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001 was a highly significant event both for China and for the wider world. This book argues that, although at the time some people doubted the likely benefits, China's WTO accession has been highly successful. It discusses how China has abided by its commitment to WTO terms and how WTO membership has contributed to China's reform and opening up; explores how vastly increased co-operative exchange with many countries around the world has been mutually beneficial in a range of fields including trade, science and culture; and shows how China's WTO membership has been a great stimulus both for China's economy and the world economy. The book considers the subject from a number of perspectives, and draws out lessons for future reform and development for China, and for China's relations with the rest of the world, emphasising the need to maintain a win-win approach.

The semiconductor industry is a vital industry for military establishments worldwide, and the control of, or loss of control of, this key industry has enormous strategic implications. This book focuses on the globalization of the strategic semiconductor industry and the security ramifications of this process. It examines in particular the migration of the Taiwanese chip industry to China as part of the globalization of production processes, and the extent to which such a globalization process poses security challenges to the United States, China and Taiwan. Transcending disciplinary boundaries between international political economy, security studies, and the history of science and technology, this multidisciplinary work provides an in-depth understanding of the globalization-security nexus, and disentangles the key policy issues connected to a potential explosive flashpoint in world politics today.

The imbalance between China’s currency, the RMB, and those of other countries is widely regarded as a major problem for the world economy. There was a reform of China’s exchange rate mechanism in 2005, following which the RMB appreciated 17% against the US dollar, but many people argue that further reform is still needed. This book reports on a major research project undertaken following the 2005 reform to assess the impact on China’s economy. It considers the impact in a number of areas of the economy, including export-oriented companies, the banking industry, international trade, international capital flows, and China’s macroeconomic policy. It concludes that the policies pursued so far have been correct, and that further reform, both to the exchange rate, and to the system overall, would be desirable, but that any reform should be gradual and incremental, preserving economic stability, and integrating changes with reform in other parts of the economy.