ABSTRACT
The programme of economic reform that has been under way for over 20 years has been accompanied by significant changes in the role of the state apparatus. These changes are especially clear if the state’s role is compared with the Maoist period when the economy was guided by the central plan overseen by a centralised political and administrative system. Now, there is far less direct involvement in the economy and people’s lives, new and revamped institutions have been created to deal with law, international trade and a market economy, and the education level of administrators has improved considerably. However, while these changes are considerable, it is still the case that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is wrestling with what the correct role of the state should be in overseeing an increasingly marketised economy and pluralised society.
