China's New Business Elite : The Political Consequences of Economic Reform

Review

"A major contribution. . . . A lucidly written and well- presented study of the relatively unexplored subject of business elites." -- Ray Yep, China Information

"Pearson's study makes an important contribution to our understanding of a key, and growing, segment of Chinese society. Her arguments, moreover, are solidly grounded in both historical and comparative contexts. . . . Her findings about the attitudes and actions of the contemporary Chinese business community are highly valuable." -- Elizabeth J. Perry, Journal of Asian Studies

Product Description

The transition from a planned to a market economy that began in China in the late 1970s unleashed an extraordinary series of changes, including increases in private enterprise, foreign investment, the standard of living, and corruption. Another result of economic reform has been the creation of a new classChina's new business elite. Margaret M. Pearson considers the impact that this new class is having on China's politics. She concludes that, contrary to the assumptions of Westerners, these groups are not at the forefront of the emergence of a civil society; rather, they are part of a system shaped deliberately by the Chinese state to ensure that economic development will not lead to democratization.