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The Myth of Hukou: Re-examining Hukou’s Implications for China’s Development Model

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  • Ying Chen

Abstract

The hukou system is typically treated as an institutional base for rural-urban chasm in the literature regarding internal migration in China. However, these works rarely separate hukou’s social impacts from those caused by the changes in the economic system itself. With a review of historical policy documents, data on migration from rural to urban sectors, agricultural output and industrial output growth, I argue that hukou is in fact a rather neutral and passive legislation in the sense that it can perform opposite functions depending on the particular economic system it is operating under. This paper calls for bringing the concept of economic system back to the center of the discussion regarding development models. JEL Classification: O15, D63

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Chen, 2019. "The Myth of Hukou: Re-examining Hukou’s Implications for China’s Development Model," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 51(2), pages 282-297, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:reorpe:v:51:y:2019:i:2:p:282-297
    DOI: 10.1177/0486613418783885
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Taylor, J Edward & Rozelle, Scott & de Brauw, Alan, 2003. "Migration and Incomes in Source Communities: A New Economics of Migration Perspective from China," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(1), pages 75-101, October.
    2. Zhang, Xiaobo & Kanbur, Ravi, 2005. "Spatial inequality in education and health care in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 189-204.
    3. Justin Yifu Lin & Miaojie Yu, 2008. "The Economics of Price Scissors : An Empirical Investigation for China," Governance Working Papers 22019, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    4. Rawski, Thomas G., 1979. "Economic growth and employment in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 7(8-9), pages 767-782.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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