Administrative Reform in China: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Public administration has enormous implications for government’s capacity to cope with both internal and external pressure. China’s old-fashioned ruling style has not been able to meet the nation’s development needs. Since the early 1980s, China has launched six administrative reforms in order to solve the socioeconomic problems associated with rapid economic development. The five completed reforms discussed in this paper were relatively brief experiments that involved the reduction or expansion of the government with only short-lived impacts. Although none of the reforms shook the foundations of the bureaucracy, they evolved in terms of orientation, depth, and implementation. Political constraints have been among the most significant impediments to political reform with the implication that creating a favorable political environment is critical for the success of ongoing and future reforms.

Keywords: China, administrative reform