General sources

Chinese social policy is a diverse field of inquiry which incorporates a variety of issues and policy spheres. A number of books, book chapters, journal articles and data sources provide a general overview of the current status of social policy in China, as well as some of the contributing historical factors.

Chan, C.K., Ngok, K.L. and Phillips, D. (2008), Social Policy in China: Development and Wellbeing, Bristol: The Policy Press.

Chen, J. and Wang, Y. (2005–2010) Green Book of China Social Security System: China Social Security System Development Report, Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (Chinese).

Choi, Y.J. (2006), ‘East Asian welfare regimes in transition: from Confucianism to globalisation’, Social Policy & Administration, 40, 2, 230–1.

Holliday, I. (2000), ‘Productivist welfare capitalism: social policy in East Asia’, Political Studies, 48, 4, 706–23.

Holliday, I. and Wong, L. (2003), ‘Social policy under one country, two systems: institutional dynamics in China and Hong Kong since 1997’, Public Administration Review, 63, 3, 269–82.

Lai, G. (2001), ‘Social support networks in urban Shanghai’, Social Networks, 23, 1, 73–85.

Liu, X. (2006), ‘Reform in China: the role of civil society’, Social Research, 73, 1, 121–38.

Ministry of Civil Affairs of China (1994–2008), China Civil Affairs’ Statistical Yearbook, Beijing: China Statistics Press (Chinese).

National Statistical Bureau (1999–2008), China Population Statistics Yearbook, Beijing: China Statistics Press (Chinese).

Ru, X., Lu, X., Li, P., Huang, P. and Lu, J. (2004), Blue Book of China's Society, Beijing: Social Sciences Documentation Publishing House (Chinese).

Tang, S.Y. and Lo, C.W.-H. (2009), ‘The political economy of service organization reform in China: an institutional choice analysis’, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 19, 4, 731–67.

United Nations Development Programme (2005), China Human Development Report, Development with Equity, New York: United Nations.

United Nations Development Programme (2009), The Human Development Reports – China, Going Beyond Income, New York: United Nations.

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/udhr60/hrphotos/declaration%20_eng.pdf.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) also publishes annual reports on the current state of development in a number of East-Asian countries, including China. These are available online:

• http://www.undp.org/asia/index.html

• http://hdr.undp.org/en/

Welfare and social support provision

The provision of social welfare support in China is not a new phenomenon and dates back to well before their transition to a free market economy. The following books, journals, laws and data sources provide a general description of the types and extent of social welfare support in China as well as their historical precedents.

Goodman, R., White, G. and Kwon, H. (eds.) (1998), The East Asian Welfare Model: Welfare Orientalism and the State, London: Routledge.

Hong, K.Z. (2008), ‘Neither hybrid nor unique: a reinterpretation of the East Asian welfare regime’, Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 2, 3, 159–80.

Lee, Y.J. and Ku, Y.W. (2007), ‘East Asian welfare regimes: testing the hypothesis of the developmental welfare state’, Social Policy & Administration, 41, 2, 197–212.

Leung, J.C.B. (2003), ‘Social security reforms in China: issues and prospects’, International Journal of Social Welfare, 12, 73–85.

Leung, J.C.B. (2006), ‘The emergence of social assistance in China’, International Journal of Social Welfare’, 15, 188–98.

Ministry of Labour and Social Security (1995–2009), China Labour Statistical Yearbook, Beijing: China Statistics Press (Chinese).

Wong, L. (1998), Marginalization and Social Welfare in China, London: Routledge.

Ageing and pension policy

All China Federation of Trade Unions Research Office (annual), China Trade Unions Statistics Yearbook, Beijing: China Statistics Press (Chinese).

China Research Centre on Ageing (CRCA) (2003), Data Analysis of the Sampling of Survey of the Aged Population in China, Beijing: Standards Press of China (Chinese).

Chinese Research Centre on Ageing (CRCA) (2007), A Preliminary Report of the Survey of the Aged Population in Urban and Rural China 2005, Beijing: CRCA (Chinese).

England, R.S. (2005), Ageing China: The Demographic Challenge to China's Economic Prospects, Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

He, W., Sengupta, M., Zhang, K. and Guo, P. (2007), Health and Health Care of the Older Population in Urban and Rural China: 2000, Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Shi, S. (2006), ‘Left to market and family – again? Ideas and the development of rural pension policy in China’, Social Policy and Administration, 40, 7, 791–806.

Wong, L. and Tang, J. (2006), ‘Non-state care homes for older people as third sector organisations in China's transitional welfare economy’, Journal of Social Policy, 35, 2, 229–46.

Wu, B., Mao, Z. and Xu, Q. (2008), ‘Institutional care for elders in rural China’, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 20, 2, 218–39.

Yu, W.K. (2007), ‘Pension reforms in urban China and Hong Kong’, Ageing and Society, 27, 249–68.

Yu, W.K. (2007), ‘Pension reforms in urban China and Hong Kong’, Ageing and Society, 27, 249–68.

Zhan, H., Feng, X. and Luo, B. (2008), ‘Placing elderly parents in institutions in urban China: a reinterpretation of filial piety’, Research on Ageing, 30, 5, 543–71.

Disability policy

China Disabled Peoples Federation (2009), ‘Laws and documents’, http://www.cdpf.org.cn/english/lawsdoc/lawsdoc.htm.

China Disabled Persons Federation (2008), The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities (adopted at the 17th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's Congress on 28 December 1990, and revised at the 2nd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People's Congress on 24 April 2008), http://www.cdpf.org.cn/english/law/content/2008–04/10/content_84949.htm.

This law is to protect the rights and interests of people with disabilities, and to ensure their equal and full participation in social life and their share of material and cultural wealth.

Chou, Y.C., Lee, Y.C., Lin, L.C., Chang, A.N. and Huang, W.Y. (2008), ‘Social services utilization by adults with intellectual disabilities and their families’, Social Science & Medicine, 66,12, 2474–85.

Fisher, K.R. and Li, J. (2008), ‘Chinese disability independent living policy’, Disability & Society, 23, 2, 171–85.

Kohrman, M. (2005), Bodies of Difference – Experiences of Disability and Institutional Advocacy in the Making of Modern China, Berkley, CA: University of California Press.

Lee, T.K. and Lee, J. (2006), ‘Rehabilitation and welfare restructuring in East Asia: deciphering an assessment tool for people with disabilities in Hong Kong’, Disability & Society, 21, 6, 583–98.

Li, Y.S. and Li, C.M. (2007), Study on Theory and Practice of Social Security for People with Disabilities, Beijing: Huaxia Press (Chinese).

Office of the Second China National Sampling Survey on Disability (OSCNSSD) and Institute of Population Studies (IPS) (2007), Data Analysis of the Second China National Sample Survey on Disability, Beijing: Huaxia Press (Chinese).

Office of the Second China National Sampling Survey on Disability (OSCNSSD) (2007), The Handbook on the Main Data of the SCNSSD, Beijing: Huaxia Press (Chinese).

Pearson, V., Wong, Y.C. and Pierini, J. (2002), ‘The structure and content of social inclusion: voices of young adults with learning difficulties in Guangzhou’, Disability & Society, 17, 4, 365–82.

United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) (2006), un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml.

United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF (2006), The Status Analysis and Strategies Study of Children with Disability in China, Beijing: UNICEF.

Child welfare, women's rights and family policy

Adams, J. and Hannum, E. (2005), ‘Children's social welfare in China, 1989–1997: access to health insurance and education’, China Quarterly,181, March, 100–21.

Adoption Law of the People's Republic of China (1998), effective date 1 April 1999, http://www.china.org.cn/living_in_china/adoption/2006–10/17/content_1184145.htm (Chinese).

This law is to protect adoptive relationships and to safeguard the rights of parties involved in the adoptive relationship. The law provides for the establishment of the adoptive relationship, the validity of adoption, termination of the adoptive relationship and legal responsibility.

Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China (2006), http://www.moe.edu.cn/edoas/en/level3.jsp?tablename=1242700726117393&infoid=1248314859053682&title = Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China (Chinese)

This law is to protect the right of school-age children and young people to compulsory education. The compulsory education is incorporated into the financial budget, and the law stipulates provisions regarding students, schools, teachers, teaching, funding and legal liabilities.

Cotton, J., Edwards, C., Zhao, W. and Gelabert, J. (2007), ‘Nurturing care for China's orphaned children’, Young Children, 62, 6, 58–63.

Institute of Research on Women, All China Women's Federation (1998), Gender Statistics in China (1990–1995), Beijing: China Statistics Press (Chinese).

Law of the People's Republic of China on Maternal and Infant Health Care (1995), effective date 1 June1995, http://www.asianlii.org/cn/legis/cen/laws/maihcl254/ (Chinese).

This law is to ensure the health of mothers and infants. It is stipulated that the State shall develop the maternal and infant health care undertakings and provide necessary conditions and material aids so as to ensure that mothers and infants receive medical and health care services. The State shall support and assist the maternal and infant health care undertakings in outlying and poverty-stricken areas.

Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China (2001), effective date April 28 2001, http://gendercenter.sysu.edu.cn/law/guonei/hunyin_e.htm (Chinese).

This law governs marriage and family relations. A marriage system based on the free choice of partners, on monogamy and on equality between men and woman is applied. Chapter III of the law stipulates that parents shall have the duty to bring up and educate their children; children shall have the duty to support and assist their parents; parents shall have the right and duty to subject their children who are minors to discipline and to protect them; and if children who are minors cause damage to the State, the collective, or individuals, their parents shall have the duty to bear civil liability.

National Programme of Action for Child Development in China (2001–2010), http://www.cinfo.org.cn (Chinese).

National Programme of Action for Child Development in China in the 1990s (2001), http://www.cinfo.org.cn (Chinese).

National Working Committee on Children and Women (2000) Report of the People's Republic of China on the Development of Children in the 1990s, National Report on the Follow-up to the World Summit for Children, http://www.nwccw.gov.cn (Chinese).

Shang, X. and Wu, X. (2003), ‘The changing role of the state in child protection: the case of Nanchang’, Social Service Review, 77, 4, 523–40.

Shang, X. (2002), ‘Looking for a better way to care for children: cooperation between the state and civil society in China’, Social Service Review, 76, 2, 203–28.

Tao, C. and Gao, X. (1990), Statistics on Chinese Women (1949–1989), Beijing: China Statistics Press (Chinese).

Tolhurst, R., Zhang, T.H., Yang, H., Gao, J. and Tang, S.L. (2004), ‘Factors affecting the implementation of health legislation and its impact on the rural poor in China: a case study of implementation of the maternal and infant health care law in two poor counties’, International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 19, 3, 247–65.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm.

United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF (2006), The Status Analysis and Strategies Study of Children with Disability in China, Beijing: UNICEF.

Wong, C., Lo, V.L. and Tang, K. (2006), China's Urban Health Care Reform, Lanham: Lexington Books.

Zhang, W.G. (2006), ‘Child adoption in contemporary rural China’, Journal of Family Issues, 27, 3, 301–40.

Journal sources

A number of journals contain information relevant to social policy and human rights in China.

• Asian Development Review

• Asian Social Science

• Asian Social Work and Policy Review

• China Quarterly

• China: An International Journal