This review essay provides an analytical review of the most important works on the evolving nature of the state-society relationship in China post-1949. It is not intended to provide a new theoretical framework for understanding state-society relations; rather, the goal is to draw together the most important analyses in Western and Chinese writings. We begin by looking at the changing role of two key institutions that have been used by the state to manage society: the household registration system and the workplace. The analysis of the Maoist period looks at theories derived from Soviet...

What does a Dutchman have to do with the rise of the Chinese Communist Party? Finding Allies and Making Revolution by Tony Saich reveals how Henk Sneevliet (alias Maring), arriving as Lenin’s choice for China work, provided the communists with two of their most enduring legacies: the idea of a Leninist party and the tactic of the united front. Sneevliet strived to instill discipline and structure for the left-leaning intellectuals searching for a solution to China’s humiliation. He was not an easy man and clashed with the Chinese comrades and his masters in Moscow. This new analysis is...