Marriage and the Family in Rural and Urban China

TANGIBLE disparity existsbetween standards of life inChina’s rural and urbanareas,and in their levels ofgender equality.This adds com-plexity to China’s overall maritaland famitial situation.The urbaneconomy and culture are movingin the direction of those of devel—oped countries,as the rural econo—my shifts from being agriculture-dominated to one co—buttressed by     

Business‐Government Relations in Industrializing Rural China: A principal‐agent perspective

This paper explains why rural enterprises prosper in the post-Mao reform era. Based on a case study of Shaanxi province, the paper argues that the institutional arrangements in rural China under economic reforms are conducive to sustained economic growth because the principal‐agent problem is alleviated in two dimensions. First, the interests of local government officials and enterprises overlap. Prompted by the fiscal pressures on local governments as a result of the fiscal reforms, particularly the 1994 tax-assignment reform, local governments are eager to promote local industrial growth. Apart from absorbing rural surplus labour and contributing to the provision of communal welfare to local residents, rural enterprises provide local governments with tax and non-tax revenues to finance their expenditure obligations. In return, local governments provide preferential aid to their enterprises in the form of tax and credit privileges. Second, the principal‐agent problem is abated by a closer effort-and-reward link for the various parties involved in the operation of rural enterprises.     

Patterns of Authority and Governance in Rural China: who's in charge? Why?

A ‘dual-power structure’ governs the Chinese countryside. Branch committees of the Chinese Communist Party, traditionally the centers of power in the villages, increasingly share their authority with elected villagers' committees. Seeking to illuminate the factors contributing to the division of authority between these ‘two committees’, we view Party branch secretaries and the chairs of villagers' committees as the agents of two distinct principals. Party branch secretaries tend to derive their authority from township authorities, while villagers' committee chairs derive theirs from their village electorates. We predict that the division of authority between the two committees varies with (a) the relative levels of activism exhibited by the principals; and (b) the perceived legitimacy of the agents, as determined by their method of s/election. Through analysis of a unique dataset, we test four hypotheses derived from this framework. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the ‘exercise of power’ in rural China and shed light on the dynamics of China's political evolution.     

US‐China relations and the Taiwan factor

With the diplomatic warming of US‐China relations, the recent resumption of the Koo — Wang meeting and Taiwan's elections for legislators, mayors, and city councilors, cross‐Taiwan Strait relations are at another historical turning point. While the improvement of US‐China relations tends to relieve both sides from rhetoric exchanges of ‘China threat’ and ‘US‐Taiwan conspiracy’, Clinton's oral declaration of the ‘Three No's’ has raised serious concerns in Taiwan. With such a background, a group of experts and policy‐making participants from the US, Taiwan and Mainland China gathered again at a conference on ‘US‐China Relations and the Taiwan Factor’ in Washington, DC in mid‐October 1998. This was the second episode in a series of symposia on US‐China relations sponsored by the Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS). The symposium attempts to provide a free, intimate, and long‐term forum for a group of influential experts with different perspectives from the US, Taiwan and Mainland China. As a result, a deep understanding of common interests has been reached and clear differences have also been recognized through direct dialogue and frank exchange of ideas.     

Nantong Bases Urban Construction on Serving Shanghai──An Interview with Li Zhiming, director of the Nantong Committee of Urban and Rural Construction

On November 20,2000, ChinaToday (CT) reporter interviewed LiZhiming, director of the NantongCommittee of Urban and RuralConstruction. As the leader incharge of city planning, Li is famil-iar with every stone and brick, eachpatch of grass and tree in his city.The following is a record of theinterview. -Ed.CT: Over the past few days Ihave visited the urban districts ofNantong and several of its subur-ban townships. I am mostimpressed with the city's achieve-ments in urban construction, a…     

Inter‐regime marriage and mobility: The case of mainland China and Taiwan

The recent increasing socioeconomic and political interactions between mainland China and Taiwan have resulted in a significant number of marriages between the two societies. Why do people cross the Strait to look for a marriage partner? What are the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of such marriages? And what impact do these marriages have on society as well as on the individuals involved? These are the issues we explore in this paper. Analyzing a survey on cross‐Strait marriages conducted by the authors, this paper concludes that inter‐regime marriages between these two societies predominately involve older Taiwanese males and younger mainland females. The general pattern in these marriages represents an exchange between the intrinsic attributes (age, appearance) of the mainland women and the extrinsic attributes (financial status) of the Taiwanese men. In addition, inter‐regime marriages provide a means for mainland women to attain geographic and eventually social mobility.     

Translation of the Bible in China

Worldwide translation of the Bible began in the 3rd century B.C., but records of the Chinese version of the Bible go back to around the 7th-8th century. According to Gu Changsheng, a researcher of the history of Christianity in China, the earliest translation of the Bible in China can be found at the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In 635, foreign     

Agency and fiscal dependence in central‐provincial relations in China

The incremental decentralization of economic and fiscal authority within the Chinese state has led to a debate over the extent to which the central government retains authoritative control over the provinces. Using detailed budgetary data, this paper argues that even though fiscal reforms may have given provincial governments independent sources of income, they remain dependent upon the center for budgetary subsidies and that without central subsidies provincial government would face serious budgetary shortfalls. This is true not only for provinces that receive more in central subsidies than they transfer to the center, but also for provinces that were net exporters of funds to the center prior to the 1994 fiscal reforms. Fiscal dependence is important because it gives the center a source of leverage that supplements the political leverage it gains from the nomenklatura system, allowing it to not only punish insubordinate provincial leaders as individuals, but to also punish recalcitrant provincial governments as institutions by either cutting or withholding budgetary subsidies.     

The Lion and the Dragon: A view on Singapore‐China relations

This paper starts with some observations about developments of the post-Cold War era and their impact on Sino‐ASEAN and Sino‐Singaporean relations. It then surveys the relations between Singapore and China in the 1990s. The focus is on the establishment of official ties in 1990 and the economic interactions between the two sides in the last decade. Having surveyed the relations, the paper examines some of the problems for the promotion of closer cooperation. It notes the difference in the working style of both sides. In this regard, it deals specifically with the Suzhou Industrial Park and highlights the lessons that could be drawn from such a joint venture. The paper concludes by noting that Sino‐Singaporean cooperation has been broadened to include defence, cultural and educational exchanges and the relationship will be more realistic and mature in the twenty-first century.     

China talks back: Anti‐Americanism or nationalism? A review of recent ‘anti‐American’ books in China

Song Qiang et al., Zhong Guo Ke Yi Shuo Bu (China Can Say No), Beijing: Zhonghua Gongshang Lianhe Chubanshe, 1996, 435 pages.

Hong Yonghong et al., Zhong Mei Jun Shi Chong Tu Qian Qian Hou Hou (US‐China Military Confrontations: Before and After), Beijing: Zhongguo Shehui Chubanshe, 1996, 467 pages.

Chen Feng et al., Zhong Mei Jiao Liang Da Xie Zhen (The Grand Portrait of US‐China Confrontations), Beijing: Zhongguo Renshi Chubanshe, 1996, 668 pages.

Xi Laiwang et al., Da Yang Ji Feng: Liang Ge Shi Jie Da Guo De Bo Yi Gui Ze (The Oceanic Wing: The Games of Two World Class Nations), Beijing: Zhongguo Shehui Chubanshe, 1996, 2 volumes, 1268 pages.

Zhang Shan and Xiao Weizhong, E Zhi Tai Du: Bu Cheng Nuo Fang Qi Wu Li (Stop Taiwan from Independence: No Promise on Not Using Force), Beijing: Zhongguo Shehui Chubanshe, 1996, 391 pages.     

China Is in?the?Mind of Every Arab and Muslim

正CHINA has a strong relationship with Kuwait,characterized by continuous improvements and mutual respect.To shed more light on these relations,China Today sat down with Kuwait’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Mohammed Saleh Ahmed Al-Thuwaikh.     

From the Language of Class to the Rhetoric of Development: discourses of ‘nationality’ and ‘ethnicity’ in China

In the People's Republic of China's (PRC) continuous state-building project since its establishment in 1949, the notion of nation and nationality (minzu) has been uninterruptedly utilised by the leading elite in its political programmes. The notion of the ‘nationality question’ (minzu wenti) was employed especially for addressing the issues of the officially identified minority nationalities at the time when the multinational nature of the state was made fundamental. However, how a multinational character of the Chinese state is interpreted by the state elite and how this interpretation is shaped by their policies have arguably changed along with the political and economic preferences of the regime. This paper aims to explore the meaning of ‘nationality question’ during the period of socialist construction, and traces the shift in its notion during the reform period which started in the 1970s. The essay pays attention to the change in the preferred corresponding English term of minzu wenti. I argue that the substitution of the ‘nationality question’ term, which was dominant during the socialist period, with the concept of the ‘ethnic question’ during the reform period points not only to the changing character of the government policies towards minorities, but also legitimises them as the only suitable and rightful in the context of economic reforms.     

Useful Opium? ‘Adapted religion’ and ‘harmony’ in contemporary China

Pragmatism has been a leading feature of Communist Party policies since Mao Zedong's death. The attitude to religion has been something of an exception with many restrictions to the freedom of religion stipulated in the constitution. In recent years, while stressing the ‘harmonious society’, there has been a change in the view of religion. Recognizing the ‘spiritual vacuum’ in China after Mao, the party has seen the need for a controlled spiritual development that could also support the economic development. However, in this process the party has tried to control not only religious activity but also religious content and to use it for its own purposes. This is in direct opposition to Marx and Lenin's views on ‘religion as opium’ and indicates that the party is de facto using ‘a reversed opium theory’.     

Teachers and the Outlook for Education in China

ＴｅａｃｈｅｒｓａｎｄｔｈｅＯｕｔｌｏｏｋｆｏｒＥｄｕｃａｔｉｏｎｉｎＣｈｉｎａ￥／／ＭａｎｙｏｆｔｈｅｇｒｅａｔｅｓｔｐｅｏｐｌｅＣｈｉｎｅｓｅｃｉｖｉｌｉｚａｔｉｏｎｈａｓｅｖｅｒｐｒｏｄｕｃｅｄｈａｖｅｂｅｅｎｅｄｕｃａｔｏｒｓ，ｂｕｔｔｏｄａ...     

Achievements and Significance of China＇s Human Rights Activities in the World

Toward the end of the 1970s, the United States began to implement its human rights （HR） diplomacy, trying to export its ideology by exercising hegemony as part of the cold war. Under its influence, some other western countries also introduced HR into their bilateral relations. The drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union gave the United States the chance of spearheading its HR attack against China.     

China and the EU - Hand in Hand？

After a breaking-in period, the relationship between China and the EU is showing encouraging momentum.     

Environmental Protection in China:Triumphs and Tribulations

ＥｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌＰｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｏｎｉｎＣｈｉｎａ：ＴｒｉｕｍｐｈｓａｎｄＴｒｉｂｕｌａｔｉｏｎｓＡｉｉｎｏｔｈｅｒｃｏｕｎｔｒｉｅｓ，Ｃｈｉｎａｔｏｏｈａｓｉｔｓｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓ，ｅｘａｃｅｒｂａｔｅｄｂｙｔｈｅ...     

Basic Education in China:Achievements and Drawbacks

ＢａｓｉｃＥｄｕｃａｔｉｏｎｉｎＣｈｉｎａ：ＡｃｈｉｅｖｅｍｅｎｔｓａｎｄＤｒａｗｂａｃｋｓＢｙｓｔａｆｆｒｅｐｏｒｔｅｒＬＩＸＩＡＳｏｍｅｋｉｎｄｅｒｇａｒｔｅｎｓｉｎＣｈｉｎａｎｏｗｐｒｏｖｉｄｅＢａｓｉｃＥｎｇｌｉｓｈｃｏｕｒｓｅｓｆｏｒｃｈｉ...     

Images,perceptions, and foreign policy: New directions in the study of Sino‐American relations

Harry Harding, A Fragile Relationship: The United States and China since 1972 (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 1992).

Richard Madsen, China and the American Dream: A Moral Inquiry (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1995).

A. Owen Aldridge, The Dragon and the Eagle: The Presence of China in the American Enlightenment (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1993).

David Shambaugh, Beautiful Imperialist: China Perceives America, 1972–1990 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991).

Jie Chen, Ideology in US Foreign Policy: Case Studies in US China Policy (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1992).

Shu Guang Zhang, Deterrence and Strategic Culture: Chinese‐American Confrontations, 1949–1958 (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1992).

Qiang Zhai, The Dragon, the Lion, and the Eagle: Chinese‐British‐American Relations, 1949–1958 (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1994).     

Good Relations between China and the Republic of Korea

Rapid progress has been made in vari ous fields on friendly relations and cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea since the two countries established diplomatic relations on 24 August 1992. In the political field, leaders of both sides have many exchanges of visits and meetings in multilateral activities on the international arena, which have promoted mutual understanding and trust and enhanced the development of bilateral relations. On the economic front, the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries has been