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Pension Reform In China: Challenges And Opportunities

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  • Iris Claus
  • Les Oxley
  • Yong Cai
  • Yuan Cheng

Abstract

China's current segmented pension system features regional imbalance, fiscal inefficiency, social inequality and economic unsustainability. It is a result of three-decade evolution guided by vague long-term objectives, constrained by economic and political circumstances and swayed by interest-group infighting. Expecting rapid population ageing and economic transformation, China aims to establish a national pension system that provides ‘wide coverage, basic security, multi-level options and sustainability’ by 2020. The paper reviews the history of China's pension system, examines proposed reform options and discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by the reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Iris Claus & Les Oxley & Yong Cai & Yuan Cheng, 2014. "Pension Reform In China: Challenges And Opportunities," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 636-651, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jecsur:v:28:y:2014:i:4:p:636-651
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Jingjing Xu, 2024. "Intergenerational transfers in China: What are the patterns of the transfers and when do the transfers occur?," International Studies of Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(1), pages 117-150, March.
    4. Anping Chen & Nicolaas Groenewold, 2017. "An increase in the retirement age in China: the regional economic effects," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(7), pages 702-721, February.
    5. Wei Zheng & Zining Liu & Ruo Jia, 2019. "How private sector participation improves retirement preparation: A case from China," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(1), pages 123-147, January.
    6. Guo Chen & Amy K Glasmeier & Min Zhang & Yang Shao, 2016. "Urbanization and Income Inequality in Post-Reform China: A Causal Analysis Based on Time Series Data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-16, July.
    7. Xu Cui & Jing Jian Xiao & Jingtao Yi, 2019. "Employment Type, Residential Status And Consumer Financial Capability: Evidence From China Household Finance Survey," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 64(01), pages 57-81, March.
    8. Iris Claus & Les Oxley & Iris Claus & Les Oxley, 2014. "The Chinese Economy, Past, Present And Future," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 595-599, September.
    9. Sipei Xu & Jia Zhang, 2022. "Do Social Pensions Affect the Physical and Mental Health of Rural Children in China? An Intergenerational Care Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-25, March.
    10. Yue Guo & Lailei Lou & Tailai Guo & Zuwei Yu, 2017. "Valuing The Chinese Reimbursement System Of The Retirement Pension Insurance For Urban Employees," Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, Eurasian Publications, vol. 5(2), pages 34-52.
    11. Yuan-Ho Hsu & Hiroshi Yoshida & Fengming Chen, 2022. "The Impacts of Population Aging on China’s Economy," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 14(1), pages 105-130, January.
    12. Anning Hu & Dongyu Li, 2021. "Are Elders from Ancestor-Worshipping Families Better Supported? An Exploratory Study of Post-reform China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(3), pages 475-498, June.
    13. Denise Hare, 2018. "Examining The Timing Of Women'S Retirement In Urban China: A Discrete Time Hazard Rate Approach," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 36(3), pages 451-466, July.
    14. Wang, Wen & Seifert, Roger, 2017. "Employee referrals: A study of ‘close ties’ and career benefits in China," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 514-522.
    15. Bai, Chong-En & Chi, Wei & Liu, Tracy Xiao & Tang, Chao & Xu, Jian, 2021. "Boosting pension enrollment and household consumption by example: A field experiment on information provision," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    16. Preston, Alison & Qiu, Lili & Wright, Robert E., 2022. "A Study of the Chinese Gender Gap in Financial Literacy," IZA Discussion Papers 15253, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Jiakai Zhang & Renjie Zhao, 2022. "The effect of population aging on pension enforcement: Do firms bear the burden?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(4), pages 1644-1662, October.
    18. Hanming Fang & Jin Feng, 2018. "The Chinese Pension System," NBER Working Papers 25088, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Sarker, Indranil & Datta, Bidisha, 2022. "Re-designing the pension business processes for achieving technology-driven reforms through blockchain adoption: A proposed architecture," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    20. Yanzhe Zhang & Bowen Zou & Huai Zhang & Jian Zhang, 2022. "Empirical Research on Male Preference in China: A Result of Gender Imbalance in the Seventh Population Census," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-17, May.
    21. Andrea Čajková & Peter Čajka, 2021. "Challenges and Sustainability of China’s Socio-Economic Stability in the Context of Its Demographic Development," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, March.
    22. Niu, Geng & Zhou, Yang & Gan, Hongwu, 2020. "Financial literacy and retirement preparation in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    23. Sanqin Mao & Jie Chen, 2021. "Neighborhood-Based Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms among Adults: Evidence from Guangzhou, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, October.

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