Economic Security in China

This research examines the form of economic insecurity generated in China in recent years, and how the state’s response to this can be characterised, particularly focusing on how the problem is addressed at the local level. The research begins with a broad discussion explaining the background and reviewing the existing literature on economic security in a global context. It then takes a broad look at the general economic security context and related literature in China. It found that China is shifting away from the old types of economic and social structure, which are merging into a new system. However, during the transition period, neoliberalism has influenced the welfare system in China, and welfare provision by the state has been dramatically reduced. This thesis further explores and examines the characteristics of recent social security system reforms in China by exploring developments in both the social and economic systems from a historical perspective. It argues that social security should not only aim to prevent and alleviate poverty, but should also take into account a wider perspective that accepts that all citizens, not only those who are impoverished, need a certain degree of security. A case study was undertaken based on data from interviews and a questionnaire collected in a local secondary city in China. The thesis makes an important contribution to the study of welfare policy development and implementation in China. It finds that one of the main reasons for economic insecurity is China’s welfare development contains a large degree of informality. This informality not only generates economic insecurity in the labour market, but also in the way government institutions provide services. Local government has failed to take enough responsibility for implementing social policies and guaranteeing basic income security. Based on the discussions of welfare state models in Esping-Andersen (1996, 1999) and Ringen and Ngok (2013) merged with the characteristics of social development in China, this study also proposes a new dimension for the classification of the welfare state in China as a decentralised socialist-market liberal-conservative welfare model.