TY - JOUR
T1 - Why hasn't China's high-profile health reform (2003-2012) delivered? An analysis of its neoliberal roots
AU - Zhang, Wei
AU - Navarro, Vicente
N1 - Funding Information:
This research is supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the Research Funds of Renmin University of China (grant no. 13XNF037).
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - In March 2013, China's so-called fourth generation of leadership stepped down. Upon taking office a decade ago, they launched a series of high-profile health reform programmes, which have often been touted as a prime example of their commitment to prioritizing social welfare. However, throughout their period in power the reform remained remarkably unsuccessful at delivering as promised. This paper explains the failure. Unlike most of the existing literature which hinges upon issues within the health sector, this paper places the country's political economy at the centre of the analysis. In particular, it highlights the role of neoliberalism. It argues that rather than improving the population's health, the primary purposes of the health reform were to, first, accommodate socio-political unrest that was caused by neoliberal policies implemented prior to the early 2000s, and, second, facilitate further neoliberal economic restructuring. Moreover, anti-welfare neoliberal tenets, which run counter to improving health outcomes, were deeply imbedded in the formulation of health reform policies.
AB - In March 2013, China's so-called fourth generation of leadership stepped down. Upon taking office a decade ago, they launched a series of high-profile health reform programmes, which have often been touted as a prime example of their commitment to prioritizing social welfare. However, throughout their period in power the reform remained remarkably unsuccessful at delivering as promised. This paper explains the failure. Unlike most of the existing literature which hinges upon issues within the health sector, this paper places the country's political economy at the centre of the analysis. In particular, it highlights the role of neoliberalism. It argues that rather than improving the population's health, the primary purposes of the health reform were to, first, accommodate socio-political unrest that was caused by neoliberal policies implemented prior to the early 2000s, and, second, facilitate further neoliberal economic restructuring. Moreover, anti-welfare neoliberal tenets, which run counter to improving health outcomes, were deeply imbedded in the formulation of health reform policies.
KW - medical care
KW - neoliberalism
KW - political economy
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U2 - 10.1177/0261018313514805
DO - 10.1177/0261018313514805
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84898902012
SN - 0261-0183
VL - 34
SP - 175
EP - 198
JO - Critical Social Policy
JF - Critical Social Policy
IS - 2
ER -