China’s 21st-century welfare reforms

During the first decade of the 21st century, China’s top leaders reined in the marketising, commercialising welfare reforms of the 1990s, and recommitted the State to a role in providing social goods. But the governmental and social elites who shape welfare policy are still debating the balance of market and state roles in some areas of provision. And with a change of China’s top leadership expected in 2012–2013, the future of welfare reform is unclear. Other factors, however – bureaucratic interests, the fiscal system and local economies – limit the options for policy makers and make any sudden changes in direction unlikely.