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      From Belgrade to Beijing : Comparing Socialist Economic Reforms in Eastern Europe and China

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      World Review of Political Economy
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      Eastern Europe, China, economic reforms, comparison
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            Abstract

            This study offers a comparative analysis of economic reforms in Eastern Europe and China. Some CMEA countries—especially Yugoslavia and Hungary—undertook reforms in the 1960s, while China launched its reform and opening-up in 1978. In light of the lessons learned—concerning planning, markets, ownership of means of production and liberation of productive forces, and the interaction of relations and forces of production during socialist construction—it is possible to provide a systematic comparison. After providing background to the reforms, the comparison has four steps: (1) de-linking a market economy from a capitalist system, and the concomitant de-linking of a planned economy from a socialist system; (2) whether a market economy is a neutral instrument usable in any system, or whether it is a component shaped by the system of which it is a part; (3) planning and markets within a socialist system; (4) the relationship between ownership of the means of production (and control over the forces of production) and liberation of productive forces in the process of socialist construction. The fourth topic leads to the more foundational question of the dialectical interactions between relations and forces of production, since on this matter the economic definition of socialism turns.

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            Author and article information

            Journal
            10.13169/worlrevipoliecon
            World Review of Political Economy
            WRPE
            Pluto Journals
            2042-8928
            01 October 2021
            : 12
            : 3
            : 296-320
            Author notes
            [* ] Correspondence: Roland Boer ( rolandboer@ 123456163.com )
            Article
            10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.12.3.0296
            49c22094-e398-4103-8466-31a58bb72928
            © WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR POLITICAL ECONOMY 2021

            All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

            History
            Page count
            Pages: 25
            Categories
            Articles

            Political economics
            comparison,economic reforms,China,Eastern Europe

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