Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-frp75 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T04:55:52.999Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Re-thinking the Incrementalist Thesis in China: A Reflection on the Development of the Minimum Standard of Living Scheme in Urban and Rural Areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2010

CHAK KWAN CHAN
CHAK KWAN CHAN*
Affiliation:
Reader in Social Policy, Division of Criminology, Public Health and Policy Studies, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU email: chakkwan.chan@ntu.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Many commentators contend that the Chinese government adopted an incremental approach to welfare policy reform because its leaders lacked an overall blueprint for it, allowing initiatives to be implemented only after lengthy experimentation. While this perspective has provided an essential account of the implementation and changes of some welfare programmes, it has inadequately addressed the slow progress in rural areas' welfare programmes and the different welfare entitlements for rural and urban residents. Further investigation is therefore required to resolve these anomalies. Using the minimum standard of living scheme (MSLS) as a case example, this article illustrates how the Chinese government's legitimacy needs, during different stages of its economic reforms, have been the principal motivation for the implementation of such schemes. The introduction of an urban MSLS in 1997 aimed to reduce laid-off workers' dissatisfaction following the government's reforms of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The implementation of a rural MSLS in 2007 was intended principally to minimise conflicts between land-losing farmers and local officials after widespread rural riots. These MSLSs are also minimal and stigmatising public-assistance schemes that fulfil the dual objective of securing a stable political environment for economic reform and maintaining poor people's work ethic for China's mixed economy.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , October 2010 , pp. 627 - 645
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

American Chronicle (2009), ‘1978–2008: China, changing course Like the Yellow River’, http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/84086.Google Scholar
Bernstein, T. P. (2004), Unrest in Rural China: A 2003 Assessment, Irvine: University of California.Google Scholar
Best, S. (2002), Introduction to Politics and Society, London: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bureau of Land Resources (2006), ‘The livelihood of land-losing peasants’, 15 March, http://www.zjglr.gov.cn/xwlm/200631584827.html.Google Scholar
Cai, Y. (2002), ‘The resistance of Chinese laid-off workers in the reform period’, The China Quarterly, 170: 327–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CCPCC (Chinese Communist Party Central Committee) (1993), ‘Decision on issues concerning the establishment of a socialist market economic structure’, passed by the Third Plenary of the Fourteenth Central Committee's Meeting on 14 November, CCPCC, Beijing.Google Scholar
CCPCC (Chinese Communist Party Central Committee) and State Council (2007), ‘Views on facilitating the development socialist new rural areas’, CCPCC & State Council, Beijing.Google Scholar
Chan, C. K., Ngok, K. L. and Phillips, D. (2008), Social Policy in China: Development and Well-Being, Bristol: Policy Press.Google Scholar
Chang, C. C. (2004), ‘Rural protests and farmers’ rights’, Taiwan Perspective, Taipei: Institute for National Policy Research, http://www.tp.org.tw/document/detail.htm?id=20012019.Google Scholar
Chen, A. (2004), ‘China's urban housing: privatization and market integration’, in Chen, A., Liu, G. and Zhang, K. (eds.), Urbanisation and Social Welfare in China, Aldershot: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Chen, F. (2000), ‘Subsistence crises, managerial corruption and labour protests in China’, The China Journal, 44: 41–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, F. (2003), ‘Industrial reconstructuring and workers’ resistance in China’, Modern China, 29: 2, 237–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
China Daily (2006), ‘Stop illegal land use’, 8 June, http://www.china.org.cn/english/GS-e/170761.htm.Google Scholar
China Economic Net (2007), ‘Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs: The Rural Minimum Standard of Living Scheme should prevent unlawful practices’, 1 August, http://www.ce.cn/cysc/agriculture/gdxw/200708/01/t20070801_12382976.shtml.Google Scholar
China Internet Information Centre (2003), ‘China to extend minimum living subsidy to rural poorest’, 9 October.Google Scholar
China Internet Information Centre (2007), ‘Urbanisation should not bring harmful effects on peasants’, 26 January, http://www.china.com.cn/news/txt/2007-01/26/content_7718582.htm.Google Scholar
China Labour News (1995a), ‘Punishments brought by the older system’, 18 May.Google Scholar
China Labour News (1995b), ‘Important statistics of this survey’, 1 January.Google Scholar
China Labour News (1995)c, ‘Supervising order issued to enterprises which did not pay premium’, 10 June.Google Scholar
China Labour News (1996), ‘Open a protective umbrella for workers facing salary arrears’, 7 December.Google Scholar
China Labour News (1997), ‘Jiang Zemin visited SOE workers’, 18 January.Google Scholar
Choi, C. H. and Roy, P. C. (2006), Economic Reform in China and India: Development Experience in a Comparative Perspective, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chow, G. C. (1994), Understanding China's Economy, Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific Publishing Co.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chow, G. C. (1999), ‘China's economy, reform and perspectives’, http://www.princeton.edu/~gchow/China.html.Google Scholar
Chua, B. H. (1997), Political Legitimacy and Housing: Stakeholding in Singapore, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Dean, H. (1991), Social Security and Social Control, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Ding, X. L. (1994), The Decline of Communism in China: Legitimacy Crisis 1977–1989, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Euromonitor International (2007), ‘China's middle class reaches 80 million’, 25 July, http://www.euromonitor.com/Chinas_middle_class_reaches_80_million.Google Scholar
Gang, F., Lunati, M. R. and O'Connor, D. (1998), Labour Market Aspects of State Enterprise Reform in China, Paris: OECD Development Centre.Google Scholar
Gao, S. (1999), Two Decades of Reform in China, California: World Scientific.Google Scholar
Green, S. (2004), Enterprise Reform and Stock Market Development in Mainland China, Frankfurt: Deutsche Bank Research.Google Scholar
Gries, P. H. and Rosen, S. (2004), ‘Introduction: Popular protect and state legitimation in 21st century China’, in Gries, P. and Rosen, S. (eds.), State and Society in 21st Century China: Crisis, Contention and Legitimation, New York: Routledge Curzon.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, B. (2003), ‘Political legitimacy and China's transition’, Journal of Chinese Political Science, 8: 1&2, 2–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, X. (2005), ‘Urbanisation and compensation and resettlement of land-losing peasants’, http://www.zhinong.cn/data/detail.php?id=4336.Google Scholar
Habermas, J. (1976), Legitimation Crisis, London: Heinemann Educational Books.Google Scholar
Hong Kong Trade Development Council (2001), Vice Minister of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Wang Tung, 11 June, http://www.tdctrade.com/report/top/top_010605.htm.Google Scholar
Jiang, L. and Wen, X. (2007), ‘Comparing the living conditions of land-losing peasants in eastern, central, and western regions’, http://www.ccrs.org.cn/show.aspx?id=857).Google Scholar
Jiang, L., Gan, C., Kao, B., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H. and Cai, L. (2009). ‘Consumer satisfaction with public health care in China’, Journal of Social Sciences, 5: 3, 223–35.Google Scholar
Keidel, A. (2005), ‘The economic basis for social unrest in China’, The Third European-American Dialogue on China, The George Washington University, 26–7 May.Google Scholar
Kluver, A. (1996), Legitimating the Chinese Economic Reforms: A Rhetoric of Myth and Orthodoxy, Albany: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Lam, W. L. (2006), Chinese Politics in the Hu Jintao Era: New Leaders, New Challenges, New York: An East Gate Book.Google Scholar
Leung, J. and Nann, R. (1995), Authority and Benevolence, Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press and St Martin's Press.Google Scholar
Li, S. (2001), ‘Bankruptcy law in China: lessons of the past twelve years’, Harvard Asia Quarterly, 5: 1, www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/95/40/.Google Scholar
Li, S. (2002), ‘The patterns and causes of poverty in China’, http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN011949.pdf.Google Scholar
Lou, J. (1998), ‘Comments on chapter: equality and growth in developing countries: old and new perspectives on the policy issues’, in Tanzi, V. and Che, K. (eds.), Income Distribution and High-quality Growth, Boston, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Lum, T. (2006), ‘Social unrest in China’, ILR School, Cornell University, Chicago, IL, http://digitalcommons.Ilr.cornell.edu/crs/19.Google Scholar
Ministry of Health (2006), ‘China's Annual Health Statistics 2004’, Ministry of Health of the PRC, www.moh.gov.cn/statistics/digest06/y25.htm.Google Scholar
Muldavin, J. (2006), ‘The environmental and social outcomes of China's reforms: challenges to state legitimacy’, The US–China Economic and Security Review Commission Hearing on Major Internal Challenges Facing the Chinese Leadership, 3 February.Google Scholar
Nielsen, I., Smyth, R. and Zhang, M. (2005), ‘Unemployment with China's floating population: empirical evidence from Jiangsu Survey Data’, Monash University, Monash.Google Scholar
O'Connor, J. (1973), The Fiscal Crisis of the State, New York: St. Martin's Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Offe, C. (1984), Contradictions of the Welfare State, London: Hutchinson.Google Scholar
Otsuka, K., Liu, D. and Nurakami, N. (1998), Industrial Reform in China: Past Performance and Future Prospects, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
People's Daily (2002), ‘Urban needy: the new concern of Chinese government’, 3 November.Google Scholar
People's Daily Online (2006), ‘More than nine percent of Chinese school-age migrant children out of school’, 10 December, http://english.people.com.cn/200612/10/eng20061210_330847.html.Google Scholar
People's Daily Online (2008), ‘The Ministry of Civil Affairs reported the development of civil affairs in 2007’, 24 January, http://politics.people.com.cn/BIG5/6817546.html.Google Scholar
Piven, F. (1973), ‘The relief of welfare’, in Pilisuk, M. and Pilisuk, P. (eds.), How We Lost the War on Poverty, New York: Transaction Publishers.Google Scholar
Plone Foundation (2008), ‘The generation of unhappy workers: situation and protests of urban workers and un-employed’, http://www.prol-position.net/nl/2008/10/unhappy%20workers.Google Scholar
Pusey, M. (1987), Jurgen Habermas, Oxford: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Qian, Y. (1999), ‘The process of China's market transition (1978–98): the evolutionary, historical, and comparative perspectives’, Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics Symposium on Big-Bang Transformation of Economic Systems as a Challenge to New Institutional Economics, 9–11 June, Wallerfangen/Sarar, Germany.Google Scholar
Qian, Y. and Wu, J. (2003), ‘China's transition to a market economy: how far across the river?’, in Hope, N., Yang, D., Yan, M. and Li, M. (eds.), How Far Across the River?, Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University.Google Scholar
Shin, D. M. (2003), Social and Economic Policies in Korea: Ideas, Networks and Linkages, London: Routledge Curzon.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shue, V. (2004), ‘Legitimacy crisis in China?’, in Gries, P. and Rosen, S. (eds.), State and Society in 21st Century China: Crisis, Contention, and Legitimation, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Solinger, D. (2002), ‘Labour market reform and the plight of the laid-off proletariat’, The China Quarterly, 170: 304–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Song, E. and Yan, C. (2006), ‘Public security in 2006’, in Ru, X., Lu, X. and Li, P. (eds.), Analysis and Forecast on China's Social Development (2007), Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press.Google Scholar
State Council (SC) (1997), ‘State Council's announcement on establishing a national Minimum Living System for Urban Residents’, www.mca.gov.cn/article/content/WDB_ZCWJ/2003/22484945.htm (accessed 10 October 2008).Google Scholar
State Council (SC) (1999), ‘Ordinance on the Minimum Standard Living Scheme for Urban Residents’, Document No. 271, Beijing, SC.Google Scholar
State Council (SC) (2000), ‘Notification on doing better work on providing pensions for retired workers of the state-owned enterprises and giving the basic living allowance for laid-off workers’, State Council, Beijing.Google Scholar
The Economist (2004), ‘Behind the mask’, 18 March, www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2495113.Google Scholar
Tran, T. T. (2006), ‘A new peasant revolution – is China learning from its past?’, Inside Asia, 1 June, http://insideasia.typepad.com/ia/2006/06/a_new_peasant_r.html.Google Scholar
Wang, D. (2006), ‘China's urban and rural old age security system: challenges and options’, China and World Economy, 14: 1, 102–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, D. W. (2005), ‘China's old age security in cities and countryside’, www.labourecon.org/workingpaper/dw200508_cn.pdf.Google Scholar
White, G., Goodman, R. and Kwon, H. (1998), ‘The politics of welfare in east Asia’, in Maidment, R., Goldblatt, D. and Mitchell, J. (eds.), Governance in the Asia-Pacific, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Wong, C. K., Lo, V. L. and Tang, K. L. (2005), China's Urban Health Care Reform: From State Protection to Individual Responsibility, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Yu, J. (2003), ‘Political crisis in China's rural areas: patterns, causes and solutions’, http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/Content/develop/1/18086.shtml.Google Scholar
Zhang, S. F. and Tang, J. (2005), The Level of Minimum Standard of Living Scheme Just Only Enough for Food and Clothes, Beijing: Institute of Sociology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, http://203.93.24.66/shxw/shzc/P020050908295415620463.Google Scholar
Zhao, Y., Liu, X. and Zhong, L. (2002), ‘A marginalised life in city, tackling poverty cannot leave the government’, Observation Weekly, 4 November, http://www.china.com.cn/chinese/difang/131075.htm.Google Scholar
Zhao, Z. (2006), ‘Income inequality, unequal health care access, and mortality in China’, Population and Development Review, 32: 3, 461–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, G., Tam, Q. and Zhang, J. (2006), Township Debts, Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press.Google Scholar