Kinglun Ngok

Chinese education policy in the context of decentralization and marketization: evolution and implications

Education policy has been undergoing great transformation in China since the initiation of economic reforms and the open-door policy in the late 1970s. These market-oriented reforms and the pursuit of rapid economic growth in a globalized economy have significantly impacted China’s education policy and development. In line with the development of the market-oriented economy and its increasing integration with the global market, a more pragmatic perception of education has gradually taken shape in the post-Mao era, resulting in the decentralization and marketization of education in China. This article aims to examine the development of Chinese education policy in the context of decentralization and marketization since the start of the economic reforms. It will firstly make a brief contrast between the education policies before and after the economic reforms. Then, the decentralization and marketization in the field of education since the initiation of the economic reforms will be examined. What follows is an assessment of the impacts that marketization and decentralization had on education policy. This paper argues that the weakening role of the state in education provision and the disparity between rural and urban areas are key issues facing China’s education policy following the economic reforms and the open-door policy. It concludes by suggesting that equal and balanced development in education in China entails bringing the state back into the education sector.

Social policy in China: development and well-being

Part one: Background and framework: Chinas social policy: new era and basic policy issues Social policy and human well-being Social policy in the context of economic reform The making of social policy in China Part two: Key policy areas and human well-being: Social security Labour policy Health policy Education policy Housing policy Part three: Conclusion: Chinas welfare reform and human well-being.

The Changes of Chinese Labor Policy and Labor Legislation in the Context of Market Transition

This article examines the changes to and relations between labor policy and labor legislation in the context of Chinas market transition with a focus on the 1994 Labor Law and the 2007 Labor Contract Law. The initial impetus to labor policy change came from the unemployment crisis at the end of the 1970s and the early 1980s. Since then, the state has relaxed its control over labor mobility and job allocation. The last two decades of the last century witnessed the most important changes in Chinas labor policy, that is, the replacement of lifelong employment with contract-based employment and the replacement of government job assignment with the labor market. Such changes indicate the paradigmatic shifts of Chinas labor policy in the reform era. Under the new labor policy paradigm, the role of law has been strengthened in governing labor relations and other labor-related affairs. Within the policy context of promoting economic growth while maintaining social stability, both policy and law are coordinated and complementary in stabilizing labor relations and protecting labor rights. Given the socioeconomic circumstances and the underdevelopment of the rule of law in China, policy is still important during the period of market transition.

The Quest for World Class Universities in China: critical reflections

Building world-class universities has become a national policy priority in China since then-President Jiang Zemin announced in May 1998 that China must have several world-class universities of international advanced level. This article aims to offer critical reflections on the policy in relation to building world-class universities in China. It begins by introducing the policy context of Chinas world-class universities initiatives. Then, it examines Chinese perceptions of world-class universities, and assesses the related policy options adopted by the government and universities. It concludes that the formation and implementation of the policy of building the world-class universities in China reflects the ambition of both the Chinese government and Chinese universities to develop high quality higher education in the context of globalization and the knowledge-based economy.

Marketization, globalization and administrative reform in China: A zigzag road to a promising future

The Chinese administrative system has been periodically reformed since the early 1980s. This article mainly focuses on the reforms of the State Council, the central government of China, and then deals with the five main rounds of reform. It gives a full picture of the story of reform with its context and contents, the measures taken, the difficulties encountered and the challenges ahead. It is argued that administrative reform in China has been used to reorient the Communist state to an emerging market-oriented economy and to enhance the capacity of the government to regulate market forces and to respond to the significant impacts made by economic globalization. Given the authoritarian nature of the party-state polity of China, the authors argue that administrative reform in China has also been used as an alternative route to alleviate the crisis of governance resulting from rapid social change; however, its effects are constrained by the implications of politico-administrative apparatus. To build up a modern governing system suitable for a market economy, a proactive approach, including political or constitutional reform, should be put on the agenda.

Globalization and Educational Restructuring in China

We live in a global age. ‘Promoted by unrestricted mobility of capital and the unfettered freedom of trade’ (Gray, 1998, pp. 6–7), economic globalization has been a significant trend in our times. The process of globalization has not only internationalized the movement of capital and information, but also has affected the approaches individual nation states use to pursue their economic and social policies. With the rise of economic globalization, accompanied by the collapse of communism and the collectivist ideology, the values of free market capitalism prevail. The processes of decentralization and marketization can be detected even in the social service sectors in many countries (Bray, 1999). Similarly, the financing, curriculum, governance and management of education have been re-oriented and re-shaped by market-oriented approaches and practices (Currie and Newson, 1998; Spring, 1998; Taylor et al., 1997). This tidal wave has also spilled over into China with the adoption of reform and open-door policies in 1978.

Massification, bureaucratization and questing for “world‐class” status: Higher education in China since the mid‐1990s

Purpose – This article aims to review the latest developments of the higher education sector in China since the mid‐1990s by focusing on the expansion of university education.Design/methodology/approach – It is argued that while massification of higher education is an important indication of the progress in Chinas higher education system, the quest for world‐class universities indicates Chinas ambition to earn international reputation in higher education sector compatible with its increasing economic power.Findings – The driving force of these two developments is from the state, which demonstrates the dominant role of the Chinese government in higher education policy and administration. However, the ambitious state constitutes both a driving force and a constraint for Chinas higher education. The strengthening administrative control accompanied by the financial benefits from the government has led to bureaucratization of Chinas universities. Chinas world‐class pursuit necessitates a fundamental chang...

Multinational corporations, global civil society and Chinese labour: Workers' solidarity in China in the era of globalization

The evolution of international production chains has facilitated the flow of industrial capital from developed countries into China. Multinational corporations in China apparently make huge profits through exploiting cheap labour, but they also exert pressure on their contractors to improve workers’ rights. International non-governmental organizations enter into the relationship with their moral force and global networks. The authority of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions was challenged, and new channels were offered in fighting for workers’ rights. But within the existing Chinese political system and labour-market system, their roles all remain limited; the protection and promotion of workers’ rights in China still demand a reform of the prevalent systems.

What Kind of Welfare State Is Emerging in China

Through a survey of current social policy arrangements and historical trajectories, the emerging Chinese welfare state is positioned in relation to the main models in the literature on welfare state typologies. It is found that the emerging welfare state in China is developing in response to economic necessity rather than political-ideological drivers, a process which is not original, not socialist, and not developmental. China’s emerging welfare state can be best classified as a fragmented liberal-conservative hybrid model which is limited and defensive in terms of both ambition and practice.

The 2001 “spy” plane incident revisited: the Chinese perspective

The 2001 “spy” plane incident was probably the most serious military incident in Sino-American relations since the 1970s, and it generated a crisis in the already brittle relationship since the new Bush administration came into office. This article attempts to revisit this incident from the Chinese perspective and provides some insight into the understanding of the Chinese foreign policy behavior and position on Sino-American relations. It presents the respective arguments concerning the responsibilities of the incident, explores the Chinese historical memory of US hegemonic behavior, and examines the Chinese perspective and attitude towards the incident and their causes through a study of the reactions of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to the incident.1