ABSTRACT
The 40-year reform has transformed China into a capitalist economy. In the context of capitalist economic development, we examine the current state and future evolution of labor–capital conflict in China from a short-run, a long-run and a strategic perspective. After reviewing the literature and outlining the formation of the post-reform labor–capital relationship in China, we show that (1) the Chinese economic growth is showing signs of slowing down, and the economic slowdown is accompanied by a ‘profit squeeze’; (2) the class-consciousness of the Chinese working class has been increasing and labor unrest and disputes have become more and more frequent, both of which indicate the beginning of the decay of the current post-reform social structure of accumulation; and (3) higher economic uncertainty will incentivize the workers and capitalists to take actions that will intensify labor–capital conflict in China in the near future.
