China has experienced radical societal change since the initiation of the reform and openness programme in 1978. These changes have brought about significant income discrepancy between regions, social classes and generations; rendering the fair distribution of income an ever more important socio-economic question.

This book is a collection of eleven papers on the income distribution problem in Chinese society from 1978 to the early 21st century authored by Zhao Renwei, the former director of the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The author examines the imbalance in income distribution in Chinese society from a socio-economic perspective and uses a myriad of examples to support his arguments while drawing conclusions as to ways forward for policy makers.

The book is an essential reference for students and scholars interested in social and economic reform in Chinese society. It will appeal additionally to policy makers concerned with the question of income distribution.


China has experienced radical economic and societal change since the initiation of the reform process in 1978. These changes have greatly affected various aspects of people’s livelihoods and inspired scholars to reconsider the relationship between planning and the market in China.

This book is a collection of fourteen papers by Zhao Renwei, the former director of the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. First, the author discusses his views on the relationship between planning and the market in Chinese society before subsequently going on to examine the changes in economic systems of the intervening decades, using examples and economic models, and then drawing conclusions for policy.

The book will appeal to students and scholars interested in China’s social and economic reform.


China has experienced radical economical and societal change since the reform process was initiated in 1978. These changes have brought about significant income discrepancy between regions, social classes, and generations and greatly impacted on various aspects of people’s livelihood.
This set is a collection of twenty-five papers by Zhao Renwei, the former director of the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. In the first volume, the author examines the imbalance in income distribution in the Chinese society from a socio-economic perspective and uses a myriad of examples to support his arguments. In the second volume, he discusses his views on the relationship between planning and the market in China and examines the changes in economic systems of the past decades using examples and economic models.

The book will appeal to students and scholars who are interested in the social and economic reform in China.