Reforming China's administrative management practices in the light of government reinvention - Experience gained and lessons learned from Zhu's regime

This article studies the administrative reforms under Zhu's rule and experience and lessons from his reforms. Osborne and Gaebler's Reinventing Government and the subsequent Gore Report paved the way for Clinton's vehement campaign to reform his government. Against this background and the influence of the popular New Public Management, Zhu launched his drastic administrative reforms. Although sharing the same external, environment and objectives, China's reforms differ form those of the US and the west due to its unique centralized political structure and stereotyped administrative network and the lack of rule by law. Zhu's goal was to create a more efficient and cleaner government though downsizing, relegation of decision-making power, introduction of competitive mechanisms and TQM into the public sector, while strengthening efforts to attack corruptive abusive bureaucratic practices. His reforms proved to be fruitful from an economic point of view or measured by efficiency: the government runs better and the "iron bowl" broken, etc. But he also created new problems: massive layoffs, high unemployment rate, nation-wide migration, and widening gaps between the rich and the poor, and aggravated the worsening Medicare and education situations, The article concludes that Zhu's administrative reforms should have taken the social effect or equity, into account. Efficiency and equity should always go together to produce a harmonious society. Also, the author thinks fundamental changes must be made in the political and juridical systems for the administrative reforms to produce their real intended effect.