John Donaldson (ed.), Assessing the Balance of Power in Central-Local Relations in China

Poverty Alleviation in China: The Rise of State-Sponsored Corporate Paternalism

ABSTRACT: Since taking office, president Xi Jinping’s government has granted massive funding to what has become China’s strongest poverty-reduction campaign ever. Based on the study of detailed budgets in eight rural counties, as well as ethnographic and interview data in a ninth county, this article explores how poverty alleviation programs shape the distribution of power and resources in rural China. It argues that poverty alleviation in rural China predominately focuses on infrastructure investment and support to the local economy, rather than on social insurance, education, and household subsidies. Support to local companies, the article argues, entails co-opting established enterprises, rather than supporting new entrepreneurship among poor households. Overall, the Chinese approach to rural poverty alleviation highlights the emergence of a state-sponsored corporate paternalism that strengthens local hierarchies of wealth and power.

KEYWORDS: Poverty alleviation, paternalism, public welfare, rural China.

A New Professional Ethos: E-commerce and Business Culture in a County of Rural Northern China

ABSRACT: After a phase of slow development, e-commerce has become widespread in rural China, being promoted by both local governments and corporations. How has it changed business culture and business networks? Based on an ethnographic study conducted in a rural county in Henan, the article explores shifts in patterns of group formation and identity among local businesspeople. Fieldwork included 60 interviews with e-retailers, manufacturers, and local officials, as well as participant observation conducted from 2016 to 2019. The study suggests that online retailing has fostered the emergence of a shared ethos, which values quality and professionalism rather than the ability to build strong interpersonal ties through leisure and credit practices. This new ethos, congruent with state-sponsored, nationwide shifts in the economic structure, entails the emergence of a more far-flung integrated business community, while accentuating local processes of social differentiation.

KEYWORDS: e-commerce, rural China, entrepreneurship, professionalism, networks.