Reforming China's coal industry

In 1949 the Chinese adopted almost, in total, the former USSR's system of central planning. Thirty years later, in 1979, China embarked on a major economic reform programme aimed largely at correcting problems caused by central planning. While the non-grain agricultural and consumer goods sectors have been successfully marketized in this country, the economic reform of the state industrial sector has lagged for behind. After measuring the success of the economic reforms over the past 15 years, the article identifies some of the reasons why the government has been unwilling or unable to marketize the coal industry fully. (DÜI-Sen)