Assessing the Balance of Power in Central-Local Relations in China

Download or read book Assessing the Balance of Power in Central-Local Relations in China written by John Donaldson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we understand the evolution of central-local relations in China during the reform period? This book addresses this question by focusing on eight separate issues in which the central-local relationship has been especially salient – government finance, investment control, regional development, administrative zoning, implementation, culture, social welfare and international relations. Each chapter introduces a sector and the way the center and various local governments have shared or divided power over the different periods of China’s reform era. The balance of power is gauged dynamically over time to measure the extent to which one level of government dominates, influences or shares power in making decisions in each of these particular domains, as well as what is likely to occur in the foreseeable future. The authors assess the winners and losers of these changes among key actors in China’s society. The result provides a dynamic view of China’s changing power relations.