China's administrative reforms for a market economy

Abstract

During the 1980s and early 1990s, China's centrally planned economy has been replaced by one that relies largely on market forces. Leaders have carried out a programme of administrative reforms to tailor the state to the market economy. These reforms have included; decentralization, organizational restructuring and civil service reform. A number of factors have undermined the success of the reforms. They include: lack of political support, China's relatively weak administrative capacity, internal bureaucratic opposition and mixed support from the general public. However, further economic development is likely to improve the prospects of administrative reform in China. -Author