China's New Social Security System in Making: Problems and Prospects

China’s welfare regime has been historically characterized by its structural

arrangement, distinguishing itself from that of many other countries. The major difference

lies in the efforts made by the Chinese government to build up a social safety-net

to be compatible not merely with societal needs but more critically with its unique

political structure to ensure its legitimacy and stability are unchallenged. We argue that

while ensuring political stability continues to remain as a policy priority, China’s current

welfare restructuring is being confronted by freed-up market forces that make it

more difficult to acheive a delicate balance between where the needs are and how

resources are allocated.