Economic Reform and Social Change in China: Past, Present, and Future of the Economic State

Abstract

China's socioeconomic crisis before 1978 and its success over the past two decades can be viewed as a zigzag process of politicization and depoliticization of the “economic state.” By summarizing the Chinese experience, this article shows the importance of a specific pattern of general public policy (GPP) in determining the nature of a policy system. China's economic and “serialized” reforms since 1978 are reviewed in order to illuminate the current situation and future direction of the nation. The changes have undermined the economic state by creating a trend of “de-economicization” in the Chinese government. If economic reform and social change are to continue smoothly, another “transfer” of state emphasis to more balanced development is required.