The literature on transition economies devotes relatively attention to agriculture and the rural non-farm economy, despite the importance of the sector and its importance to the livelihoods of the majority of the worlds poor. This paper is part of growing volume of valuable empirical work on...

The official banking institutions for rural China are Rural Credit Cooperatives (RCCs). Although these co-ops are mandated to support agricultural development among farm households, since 1980 half of RCC loans have gone to small and medium-sized industrial enterprises located in, and managed...

Local governments, rural credit and regional development -- The rural financial system and rural development in China -- The design of China's rural credit institutions -- The implications of cadre evaluation and fiscal system for local government behavior -- Diverging pathways to prosperity :...