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China at the Crossroads: What the Third Plenum Means for China, New Zealand and the World

China at the Crossroads: What the Third Plenum Means for China, New Zealand and the World. Edited by Peter Harris, Victoria University Press 2014. ISBN: 978-86473-978-0.

China At The Crossroads: What the Third Plenum Means for China, New Zealand and the World Edited by Peter Harris

China is at the crossroads. After decades of breakneck development, it is facing growing problems. These range from corruption, unrest and pollution to uneven, unsustainable growth. If these problems are solved China is set to become a strong, wealthy centre of power. If they are not it will face years of uncertainty and stress. Either way, its development will have a major impact on New Zealand, whose number one trading partners is now China.

In late 2013 China's new leader President Xi Jinping took a big step. He asked a plenary meeting of the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee to agree on a lengthy new reform agenda. But will the reforms of this Third Plenum put China on the right track? Opinions differ. Some see the reforms as offering just the breakthrough China needs. Others regard them as being too limited by far.

In July 2014 the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre at the Victoria University of Wellington held a conference to discuss the Third Plenum, China's current policies, and their effect on New Zealand and the region. An outstanding group of specialists from New Zealand, Australia, China and the United States met to assess critical issues and trends. This book is an account of the conference and its conclusions. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about China and its impact on New Zealand.

Contents

  1. Introduction - Peter Harris
  2. China - Trading Up or Creating Dependency? - Tim Groser
  3. A Challenging China - Implications on New Zealand - Phil Goff
  4. China at the Crossroads: The Third Plenum and China's Reform Challenges - David Shambaugh
  5. The Moral Basis of Party Rule under Xi Jinping, and the Party's Search for a System of Ethics in the 21st Century - Kerry Brown
  6. The Third Plenum and Rural Property Rights: Significant Decisions in the Right Direction - Jonathan Unger
  7. The Chinese Trade Union Federation at the Crossroads - Relaxing Control over Labour or Risking Labour Instability - Anita Chan
  8. Civil Society and Social Welfare after the Third Plenum - Stephen Noakes
  9. Demographic Dividend to Reform Dividend: Hukou Reform and Its Impact on Economic Growth in China - Cai Fang
  10. Public Financial Management in China: Fiscal Decentralisation and the Challenge of Containing Local Government Debt - Christine Wong
  11. China's Resources Demand, the Environment and Enterprise System Reform - Ligang Song
  12. Chinese Foreign Policy in the Light of the Third Plenum, with special Reference to New Zealand - Zhai Kun
  13. The Impact of the Third Plenum and Other Recent Policy Initiatives on the Asia-Pacific Region - Li-Gang Liu
  14. The Impact of the Third Plenum and Other Recent Policy Initiatives on New Zealand - Cameron Bagrie
  15. Sino-American Rivalries after the Plenum: New Zealand and Regional Responses - Marc Lanteigne
  16. Summing Up - John McKinnon and Peter Harris
  17. Conclusion: The Third Plenum and New Zealand - Jason Young