Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Yearbooks: Society – serie

With a population of now over 1.3 billion people, any change in China’s social environment is bound to have dramatic impact. The China Society Yearbook (2006) provides analysis of and commentary on social issues in contemporary China, broken down into chapters on different aspects of China’s social development, including change in social structure, population growth, employment, standard of living and education. The Yearbook provides detailed insight into the vast changes in Chinese society since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China and the Mao period, the effects of the country’s ongoing reform and liberalization process on its social makeup, the main aims of the 11th Five-Year Plan, and the daunting problems that China’s economic and social planners face as their country’s economy adapts to a free market system, while raising the standard of living and generating employment for its burgeoning work force.Also included are in-depth comparisons of the country’s different social groups, including its 120 million migrant workers, as well as descriptions of social development in different areas of China’s vast hinterland, where economic development varies greatly from that of the economically and socially upwardly-mobile coastal crescent. Compiled and edited by top sociologists of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), this collection of current research and analysis represents some of the most pioneering and influential articles by social science scholars in the People’s Republic of China.

The 2007 volume of The China Society Yearbook, the second volume in the annual China Society Blue Book series to be translated into English, contains important facts and analysis from Chinese scholars on a wide array of issues in China. With over 1.3 billion people and continuous economic growth, Chinese society is experiencing changes on an unprecedented scale. Issues explored in this volume include the progress and goals of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, China’s rural-to-urban migration, changes in the labor force, labor relations, and consumption habits, assessments of health care and education, analysis of China’s demographic changes, and reports on China’s security, social psychology, and living standards. Along with analysis, this volume offers recommendations and insight into the daunting issues and opportunities facing China as it moves towards a free-market system.

The 2008 volume of The China Society Yearbook, the third volume in the annual China Society Blue Book series to be translated into English, contains important statistics and analysis from Chinese scholars on a wide array of social issues in China. Topics explored in this volume include employment, social security, national health insurance, labor security, political participation, the internet, food safety, corruption, and quality of life. Along with analysis, this volume offers recommendations and insight into the daunting issues and opportunities facing China as it transitions into a free-market system.

The year 2008 marked a historical turning point for China, with the 30th anniversary of the launch of China’s opening and reform policy, and the Olympic Games in Beijing. On a negative note, the year was also marked by the Sichuan earthquake and the subprime mortgage crisis in the USA. China maintained a growth rate of 10% from 2003 to 2007, and began to adjust its industrial structures, shift development modes, and reform the urban-rural duality. China also increased its investment in employment, education, healthcare, social security, and public service sectors, especially in rural areas. The international economic crisis has however dragged down the international economic situation, in response to which the Chinese government is aiming to invest RMB 4 trillion over the next two years to confront this major challenge. China’s economic and social development situation in 2009 will have major significance in the drafting of future economic policy.