Chinese Reform in Light of James Meade’s Liberal Socialism

China’s economic and political reform since 1978 has been a major event in recent world history. The lecture asks whether these on-going reforms can be interpreted, at least to some extent, by reference to James Meade’s “Liberal Socialism”. James Meade was educated in “Philosophy, Politics and Economics” at Oxford from 1926 to 1930 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1977. He describes himself as “an inveterate explorer of improvements in economic arrangements”. It will argued that Meade’s ideas can shed light on some major moves in the Chinese reform of the state owned enterprises’ sector and the rural cooperative sector. The next challenge in China is to combine “liberalism” and “socialism” in the political sphere as well. 

Professor Zhiyuan Cui is a teacher in Comparative Public Policy and Governance and Development at Tsinghua University. As a graduate of China's National University of Defense Technology, Cui went on to obtain both an MA and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. He has been awarded visiting fellowships and instructor positions at various world-renowned institutions including MIT, the National University of Singapore, Harvard University Law School, the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin, and Cornell University. Dr. Cui has also served as a member of the editorial boards for various journals and publications. 

Chair: Professor Rosemary Foot
Enquiries: e-mail: asian@sant.ox.ac.uk or tel: 01865-274559 

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