The Chinese Economy and Its Future is a comprehensive reappraisal of the last decade of economic reforms in China, covering the nature of, and prospects for, economic and social change. For more than thirty years China"s economy was developed along the lines of the Stalinist planning system. It produced some good results but encountered many difficulties. Following the death of Mao in 1976, a wide-ranging programme of economic reform was set in motion, opening the economy up to the influence of market forces both domestically and internationally. This entirely original set of essays specially commissioned for this volume is distinguished both by the wide range of its coverage and the sober realism of its analysis. A distinguished group of Chinese and Western economists assess the nature and impact of reforms in particular spheres such as agriculture, industry, international trade, banking, investment, prices, living standards and regional variations.