Examines the dramatic transformation of Asian communist countries-China in particular-to vigorous market economies

The immense process of economic and social transformation currently underway in China and Vietnam is well known and extensively documented. However, less attention has been devoted to the process of Chinese and Vietnamese legal change which is nonetheless critical for the future politics, society and economy of these two countries. In a unique comparative approach that brings together indigenous and international experts, Asian Socialism and Legal Change analyzes recent developments in the legal sphere in China and Vietnam. This book presents the diversity and dynamism of this process in China and Vietnam-the impact of socialism, constitutionalism and Confucianism on legal development; responses to change among enterprises and educational and legal institutions; conflicts between change led centrally and locally; and international influences on domestic legal institutions. Core socialist ideas continue to shape society, but have been adapted to local contexts and needs, in some areas more radically than in others. This book is the first systematic analysis of legal change in transitional economies.

Exploring China's transition to a socialist market economy, this book finds that the recent Chinese experience is unique and unprecedented. It seems plausible that the distinctive characteristics of China's market reform have been a result of correcting the big bang approach of Eastern European countries and unique conditions that China possesses. For instance, China is endowed with a relatively high level of skilled labor and a large workforce. Moreover, China has been experimenting with reform and profit-sharing for a number of years, especially in the coastal provinces. This book juxtaposes native Chinese experiences with those of academics in the U.S. It integrates the ideas of those living the experience in China with the perceptions of outside observers who might be able to offer constructive criticism. The book covers various topics, such as macroeconomic policy, reform within economic sectors, and strategies for sustainable development, while making sure that the reader will not find it difficult to follow the process of reform and the main impediments that China may face.

First Published in 1990. Socialist countries now account for about a quarter of the world economy, about a third of the world population and about half the world military power. What happens in those countries is therefore par excellence of importance to all of us. This book is an outcome of a Conference on Economic Systems and Reforms in a Changing World, held in Seoul in September 1987. The Conference was significant in several respects. Foremost was the fact that this was probably the first such meeting of scholars from both socialist and non-socialist countries held to discuss socialist economic reforms worldwide.

First Published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an Informa company.

A comparative study of the political economy of the transition from communism in East and Southeast Asian countries (China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), addressing the key theoretical questions generated from the debate between shock-therapists and gradualists. While accurately defining the pre-reform model, this book explores the causal variables that have contributed to reform efforts within Asia, examining the significance of the sequencing of political and economic transition and the interplay between politics and the economy in determining variations in transition outcomes. Comparing the 'real world' experiences of transition nations in communist Asia with Eastern Europe, prominent questions are brought to the fore; will market capitalism or market socialism prevail after the grand failure of communism? This book makes an important contribution to the political economy theory of comparative communist and post-communist studies and provides detailed analytical insights that will prove influential in future theoretical work.

Legal Reform in the Contemporary Socialist World explores four decades of legal reform in the socialist countries of China, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea, and Cuba from a comparative perspective. Spanning the late 1970s to the present, it examines various projects, methods, strategies, contents, driving forces, and limitations of legislative reform, administrative reform, judicial reform, and reform of the legal profession. Legal reform in these countries is the project of the political elite to improve the legal system while retaining its core socialist principles. It is carried out through legislative enactments, amendments, and replacements, which the political elite adopt using incremental strategies to reform the legal system sporadically or systematically. Socialist legal reform is animated by the political aspiration to create the rule of law, the impact of social-economic change, and the influence of transnational and comparative law. Despite significant reforms, the socialist principles of the legal systems in these countries largely remain intact. This legal reform, however, varies considerably by country. Legal Reform in the Contemporary Socialist World offers a holistic view of understudied jurisdictions in comparative law, essential for anyone studying or working in these areas in law, politics, or policy.

The profound political, economic, and social changes in China in the second half of the twentieth century have produced a wealth of scholarship; less studied however is how cultural events, and theater reforms in particular, contributed to the dynamic landscape of contemporary Chinese society. Rethinking Chinese Socialist Theaters of Reform fills this gap by investigating the theories and practice of socialist theater and their effects on a diverse range of genres, including Western-style spoken drama, Chinese folk opera, dance drama, Shanghai opera, Beijing opera, and rural theater. Focusing on the 1950s and ’60s, when theater art occupied a prominent political and cultural role in Maoist China, this book examines the efforts to remake theater in a socialist image. It explores the unique dynamics between official discourse, local politics, performance practice, and audience reception that emerged under the pressures of highly politicized cultural reform as well as the off-stage, lived impact of rapid policy change on individuals and troupes obscured by the public record. This multidisciplinary collection by leading scholars covers a wide range of perspectives, geographical locations, specific research methods, genres of performance, and individual knowledge and experience. The richly diverse approach leads readers through a nuanced and complex cultural landscape as it contributes significantly to our understanding of a crucial period in the development of modern Chinese theater and performance.

One of the most important outcomes of market reforms in China over the past 20 years has been the emergence of a significant domestic private sector, which now accounts for almost a third of China's GDP and is by far the country's most important source of employment growth. This book is the first in-depth analysis of the management and operation of these domestic private firms, which are defined as companies or organizations created by PRC citizens, including township enterprises and collectives. The book provides a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective on the factors important to the successful operation and growth of these firms. It begins with a review of the literature on the topic in three different disciplines - economics, sociology, and management - each followed by several chapters covering recent developments in these areas. Featuring contributions by distinguished scholars and China experts, the work concludes with an insightful chapter on the future of China's public sector in the global economy.

The re-emergence of China as an economic superpower during its systemic transition is an astonishing phenomenon. China and Post-Socialist Development is the first comprehensive attempt to frame China’s advancements within the context of the East Asian developmental miracle, against the background of post-socialist transformation, asking how has it happened and where does China go from here? In this book the author argues that as China transits from central planning to market, it tries to imitate the institutions and policies of Japan and South Korea during their high growth periods of the second half of the twentieth century. China’s approach – broadly in opposition to the neo-liberal doctrine – has brought impressive results, leading the author to make important predictions about the future. This book is for everybody who is interested in China, development and post-socialist transformation.