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The Rise of China as an Economic Power

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  • C Goodhart
  • Chenggang Xu

Abstract

In the twenty years since the Cultural Revolution, China has maintained fast real growth. This occurred despite China having similar problems to other transitional economies, eg loss-making State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), eroding fiscal revenues and inflation, (Section 3). Although China initially adopted the Soviet central planning model, after the 1950s break Chinese planning changed towards a regionally-based system with local planning (Section 2). In contrast to the centrally-based, functionally-specialized (U form or unitary structure) Soviet model, the Chinese-economy is organized on a multi-layer-multi-regional (M form) basis. This encouraged development of small size township and village enterprises (TVEs), the main engine of Chinese growth. Power and control remained with the Party and the State, but was diffused much more widely, regionally and locally. This allowed initiatives at lower (political) levels to establish institutions, both in agriculture (the 'household responsibility system') and industry (TVEs), without state protection. Even among regionally controlled SOEs, 'tournament rivalry' between regions, etc, and between SOEs and TVEs provided competition.

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  • C Goodhart & Chenggang Xu, 1996. "The Rise of China as an Economic Power," CEP Discussion Papers dp0299, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0299
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    3. Wei, Zuobao & Varela, Oscar, 2003. "State equity ownership and firm market performance: evidence from China's newly privatized firms," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 65-82, May.
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    6. Zheng, Jinghai & Bigsten, Arne & Hu, Angang, 2009. "Can China's Growth be Sustained? A Productivity Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 874-888, April.
    7. Wei, Zuobao & Varela, Oscar & Kabir Hassan, M., 2002. "Ownership and performance in Chinese manufacturing industry1," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 61-78, February.
    8. LI, Hongyi & HUANG, Liang, 2009. "Health, education, and economic growth in China: Empirical findings and implications," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 374-387, September.
    9. Bhattacharjee, Arnab & Han, Jie, 2014. "Financial distress of Chinese firms: Microeconomic, macroeconomic and institutional influences," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 244-262.
    10. Carolyn P. Egri & David A. Ralston, 2004. "Generation Cohorts and Personal Values: A Comparison of China and the United States," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(2), pages 210-220, April.
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