Rural Cooperative in China

Abstract

This study offers an analysis of the rural cooperatives in contemporary China. To provide a framework for understanding the concept and practice of Chinese cooperatives and their distinctive characteristics, the study proposes a multidimensional typology of cooperatives in terms of their developmental origins, operational patterns, and organizational missions. Through the analysis, the study underlines the diversity and dynamics of the current Chinese cooperative development. Since government support has fueled the development of rural cooperatives, whose emergence is, nevertheless, rooted in grassroots initiatives before they became a priority on the government's agenda, we can observe the coexistence of several cooperative forms with distinctive features. This situation may generate a growing tension between the priorities and values emphasized by different partners and the cooperative sector per se. Finally, the study concludes with a discussion on the challenges and opportunities for the future development of the Chinese cooperative, particularly in the period of the twelfth Five-Year Plan. The analysis suggests that the Plan, if operationalized in an appropriate way, can further promote the development of China's cooperative economy. In this direction, the formation of a multistakeholder partnership would become a promising approach to encourage cooperative innovations and safeguard the cooperative nature of the organization.