History of the Chinese Economic System

Author: Zhao Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Recent research on the economic history of China has achieved remarkable accomplishments, but there are two points worth discussing. , the approach of periodized studies is quite popular, often failing to reveal the long-term developmental context. Second, some scholars overemphasize the applicability of Marxist economic historiography in Chinese history, selecting historical materials to fit the theoretical framework. Based on the perspective of general economics, the author re-examines the nature of the ancient Chinese economy, arguing that it was an ancient market economy with a considerable degree of social division of labor and relatively free market activities. From this theoretical foundation, the book conducts a specific analysis of this market. The market can be divided into two major categories: factor markets and finished goods markets. The first six chapters of the book discuss factor markets, while the last four chapters discuss finished goods markets.