China’s Social Security Reforms Under Market Socialism
Author(s)
Kwong, Julia; Qui, Yulin
Abstract
Aside from economic organization, a major characteristic that sets a socialist society apart from a capitalist one is in the funding and organizing of social services. Since ownership in a socialist society resides in the workers, albeit under the administration of the government, the latter as representative of the proletariat attempts to provide as many benefits as possible to the workers often without prompting from labor. The social security system is influenced by and reflects the organization of the market as well as the political balance in a society. Examining social security reforms in China can provide a picture not only of the social impact of the market introduced since 1978 but, more importantly, the depth of market reform in the country. The social security for Chinese urban industrial workers in the reform era is examined. The internal factors that shaped social welfare reform are then looked at.
