China’s State Enterprises and the Free Market (Economics) Test

Among the core dilemmas accompanying any attempt made to investigate the Chinese economic model, there is the one pertaining to the place and role of state enterprises: has the evolution (at least nominally documented by indicators) of the country in the last almost four decades been done “due to†or “in spite of†the eminent place of these entities in nodal sectors of the economy? State/public enterprises are the official bastion of the Chinese Communist Party, dedicated, on one hand, to fuel the predominantly capitalistic economic development and, on the other hand, not least important, to strengthen China’s imperial geopolitical pretence and propensity. The economic literature hosts a still unclosed debate on the possibility and performance if not of central planning, at least of scientific dirigisme and bureaucratic management. State enterprises (from China) remain a pertinent case study, both theoretical and historical, in the endeavour to grasp features of economics and economies.