Description
Book SynopsisThe assumption of American foreign policy is that China's post-1978 policy of 'reform and openness' will lead to political liberalization. This book challenges that assumption and the relationship between economic liberalization and democratization. It analyzes the effect of foreign direct investment liberalization on Chinese labor politics.
Trade Review"[A] rich and insightful study that contributes significantly to the research on the relationship between political and economic reform."--Doug Guthrie, China Quarterly "Gallagher's book opens numerous questions for discussion. It is a useful corrective to overly facile assumptions about the connection between economic liberalization and political democracy."--Peter R. Moody, Jr., Political Science Quarterly "The text makes a particularly important contribution to our understanding of China as a model of economic growth and development."--Satya J. Gabriel, Journal of Politics "Readers wanting a thorough understanding of the labor issues related to urban China will certainly appreciate this book."--Jean-Louis Rocca, China Perspectives "Contagious Capitalism offers valuable information and insightful theoretical interpretations on the changing economic and political relations in contemporary China."--Wei Xu, Environment and Planning A "This is an essential read for anyone interested in any aspect of the political economy of modern China because the book expertly draws together many strands of analysis and evidence to provide a detailed and powerful argument on the relation between economic development and political stability. [A] must-read for anyone interested in either China's reform or labor studies at graduate and scholarly levels."--Bill Taylor, China Journal
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi List of Abbreviations xv Chapter One: Introduction 1 Chapter Two: Contagious Capitalism 9 FDI as Competitive Pressure 11 FDI and Laboratories for Change 14 FDI and Ideological Change 18 "Opening Up" in Comparative Perspective 19 Conclusion 28 Chapter Three: Blurring Boundaries 30 Chapter Overview 33 FDI in China 33 The Evolution of Foreign Ownership 37 "Letting Go The Small: " FDI and the Sale of SOEs: 1992-45 Competitive Liberalization and Its Effects 56 Conclusion 60 Chapter Four: The Unmitigated Market 62 Policy Liberalization and Labor Flexibility 65 Chinese Firms under Socialism, Pre-1978 66 The Era of Partial Reform, 1978-1992 70 Contagious Capitalism, 1992-76 Contracts and Employment Insecurity 76 Management Domination over or Suppression of Worker Organizations 82 Conclusion 96 Chapter Five: "Use the Law as Your Weapon!" 98 China's Turn to the Rule of Law 101 Labor and Legal Institutionalization 103 The Labor Contract System 105 The National Labor Law 110 Rising Conflict: Labor Disputes in the 1990s 114 Labor Disputes in Comparative Perspective 116 Trends in PRC Labor Disputes 121 Labor Conflict and Foreign Investment 130 Conclusion 131 Chapter Six: From State-owned to National Industry 133 Giving Up on Socialism 136 Developmentalism in Practice: From the Center to the Firm 139 Conclusion 153 Conclusion: The Contradiction of "Reform and Openness" 154 Appendix: Firms and Interviews 159 Notes 163 Bibliography 215 Index 235
