European Governments and Populist Challenge： Towards an Institutional Reform of the EU？

This paper argues that the debate about a possible reform of the EU （or, at least, of the Eurozone） is strictly connected to the role populism plays within the European political systems. In particular, the national governments are inclined to modify the European governance in so far as they perceive the populist movements as a threat for their consensus among the citizens. This interpretation is confirmed by three different approaches emerging in 2010-2015, which are examined in the article： the UK welcomed a part of the populist propaganda and tried to take advantage of it to carry out a radical reform of the EU, re-nationalizing a series of functions; Germany did not focus on the populist rhetoric and defended the current EU model, but recognized the federal goal to which the integration process was addressed; France and Italy, in spite of theoretical divergences about the idea of Europe, shared a strategy meant to defeat populism by strengthening the European institutions and reducing the gap with the citizens. This heterogeneous scenario prevented any agreement on the future of the EU, but the effects of recent events--- such as migrations and terrorism, potential causes of a new populist offensive---might convince the Member States to rethink their positions.

China's Food Safety Institutional Reform: Evaluation Issues

China’s compartmentalized food safety supervision and administration system has long been blamed for recurring food safety incidents. In response, the State Council launched a major institutional reform that aimed to realize whole-chain-based food safety supervision and administration, to strengthen grassroots capacity and to adapt to a society that is complex, risk prone, open and pluralistic. According to the State Council’s mandate, the institutional restructuring at various local levels should have been completed by the end of 2013. However, there have been no systematic, open evaluations that have examined progress, effectiveness or effects. This study attempts to explore issues concerning evaluation of the institutional reform： how to understand the role of evaluation in the policy cycle？ What are important evaluation questions in different phases of the policy cycle？ How to identify evaluation priorities？ Specifically, a target group effectiveness evaluation framework was established and applied in Guangzhou city to assess how local government departments responded to the three principal mandates of the State Council’s reforms： integration of mechanisms and functions, integration of resources, and the enhancement of regulatory capability. The results show that such an evaluation framework is a valid way to examine the main goals and components of the reform, but that the indicators and evaluation criteria need be made more context-specific.

A Review of Institutional Reform over the Past 30 Years from the Perspective of Change Management

The Leading Group for Deepening Reform Comprehensively has been set up on the decision of the CPC Central Committee to be in charge of the overall planning of reform, taking a balanced and coordinated approach, advancing reform as a whole and supervising its implementation. This means that change management has become an important item on the agenda. Systematically reviewing and examining the course of the seven rounds of institutional reform introduced by the State Council since 1978 from the perspective of change management, we find that the reforms have advanced gradually and steadily, with functional transformation as the core feature and key to each round of reform. The transformation of goverrnnent functions exhibits a marked two-phase character. The first phase focuses on change in government functions relating to economic management, while the second focuses on enhancing and improving macro-control systems to strengthen social management and public service functions. However, in terms of program design, the goalsand measures of the past 10 years＇ functional transformation have clearly not been specific enough to establish a clear relationship between the three rounds of institutional reform programs and the concrete measures and their effects. Therefore, the question of whether institutional reform itself needs reform has become a new proposition for practice, one that needs to be reviewed in terms of strategic orientation, mode of implementation, public responsibilities and overall design.

The Scale of Government-financed Persons in China and the Variables Affecting It： The Experience of the Last Ten Years of Institutional Reform

Government-financed persons （GFPs） form the basis of government administration and the number of the GFPs has a direct bearing on government efficiency and social harmony. Government restructuring since 1998 has effectively curbed inflation in the number of the GFPs, which at present remains at a safe overall level and under control. However, optimizing the structure and functions of GFPs still poses a huge challenge to the central government. The issue of GFPs is by no means an isolated one, but is closely related to government restructuring at a deeper level. In a real sense, the issue of GFPs is a microcosm of China＇s government restructuring and many of the underlying problems in the government system find a concentrated reflection in the question of GFPs. Conversely, many of the real problems in GFPs can only be thoroughly resolved by government restructuring.

Influence of Rural Land Institutional Reform on Urbanization During the 13^(th) Five-Year Plan Period:A Case Study of Jiangsu Province

The rural land institutions have confined the process of China's urbanization for a long time. During the 13 th Five-Year Plan period, the Chinese government will push forward a new round of rural land institutional reform, so as to promote the restructuring of current rural land use pattern, change related elements concerning urbanization, and realize the transformation of the urbanization mode. Taking Jiangsu Province, a comprehensive pilot site of new urbanization at the provincial level in China, as an example, the paper summarizes the practical experience of rural land institutional reform in Jiangsu during recent years. Further, through analyzing the influence of rural land institutional reform on the urbanization process of Jiangsu Province during the 13 th Five-Year Plan period, the paper puts forward some policy measures, with the hope of providing a lasting impetus for the new urbanization in Jiangsu Province as well as a reference for other provinces in China.

CAS Reforms its Institutional System

During the first phase of initiation of Knowl-edge Innovation Program (KIP), from 1998 to 2000,CAS has undergone a large-scale institutional con-solidation, involving 60 research institutions(in-cluding 33 institutes and the like. As a result, 40institutes won preferential support from the KIP.

Logic and Trends behind Chinese Bovernment Reform

From the perspective of public administration, China＇s government re tbrm coincides with China＇s 30 years of reform and opening-up. Therefore, government reform, in particular central government reform, provides us another perspective to look at the past 30 years of reform and opening-up. Although China＇s central government has gone through six rounds of reform over the past three decades, goverument reforms still face major challenges. Approached from the relationship between the transformation of the social order and government reform, this paper tries to understand the basic logic behind China＇s government reform. By reviewing the history of institutional reform and analyzing current restrictions that confront China＇s government reform, this paper points out the trends of China＇s government reform. In this paper, the authors try to study the micro and macro motivations of China＇s governmental reform by using public choice theory, and briefly comment on the ＂super ministry system.＂ .

Power Tariff Reform and Energy Constraint in China

Power tariff reform and power restructuring should be coordinately advanced. In the period of the power tariff reform, attention should be fully given to possible demand growth, investment characteristics and environment pressure when taking transitional measures. In the stage, focal point of the reform is to establish a rational system of sales price to power network. Moreover, it is necessary to raise the electricity price for household consumption. The highly-centralized system of state-owned power enterprises is the root-cause of some basic problems in the power industry. The system would cause a great power overproduction, squeeze out private and foreign investment and constrain efficiency improvement. Effective energy strategy and security. China needs a state-class energy administration body and planning are a crux of dealing with crises of energy security. China needs a state-class energy administration body and should make massive research on energy economics.

INSTITUTION AND REFORM OF THE AWARDING SYSTEM IN CAS

Aoperational system of S&T awards can play a role of stimulation and promotion towards S&T workers. This article gives a brief review of the evolutionary process undergone by the CAS system of awards and an analytic exposition on the institution and operation of the current system. In addition, it evaluates the operation of the system and lists problems in this respect. At last, it puts forward proposals to restructure and perfect the system. Since its inauguration in 1949, the

China's Industrial Economy Evolves into an Era of Steady Progress:Prospects and Challenges

China's industrial economy's.growth has steadily evolved into a period of slowdown but the development momentum of its industrialization and urbanization requires and supports a relatively high rate of growth of the industry.Rapid growth has transformed into an era of "steady progress ".That heralds great changes in the momentum of growth,the nature of institutional systems,and policy concepts of the industrial economy.The character of industry and the achievement of healthy development are the essence of industrial advancement in the era. "Steady progress" requires a stabilization of attitude,policy and expectation. "Progress " calls for better quality of growth,equilibrium and environmental performance.Above all,advancing reforms is fundamental to achieving these new objectives of the "steady progress ".As market is potentially powerful while government's function is limited,only moderate,prudent and cautious government regulation will provide the reliable policy assurances necessary to set China's economy firmly on the track of steady progress and sustainable growth.

Coordinating Supply-Side Reform and Demand-Side Management

In essence,understanding the relationship between supply-side structural reform and demand-side management requires grasping the interplay between supply and demand.Supply and demand are interdependent and interactive,and their equilibrium determines the equilibrium valuesof microand macroeconomic variables.Focusing solely on either supply or demand,regardless of the time length,is one-sided.To promote supply-side structural reform,China should depend on demand and take a measured approach to its expansion.In the absence of demand,the supply-side structural reform would lose its direction and purpose.Enhancing demand-side management involves delving deeper into supply-side structural reform because the scale and growth of demand,alongside changes in demand structure,are fundamentally influenced by institutional factors.Hence,further reforming the systems and mechanisms that hinder the optimization of demand structure and the growth of demand is precisely what supplyside structural reform should entail.

Path Selection for the Reform of Planning Management Agencies and Modernization of Spatial Governance in China

In recent years,with the profound changes of"promoting the modernization of the national governance system and capacity,"the reform of state institutions has become an important measure and step.In the field of planning management,the establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources plays a crucial role in the institutional reform over the years.This paper discusses the reform of planning management from the perspective of the public management and urban planning discipline,and tries to explore the internal logic between"institutional reform"and"governance modernization."It demonstrates the interweaving and transforming process between the adjustment of planning agencies and national governance,discussing whether the establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources has responded to the path selection of governance modernization.The paper makes a diachronic analysis on the 13 state institutional reforms since the founding of People’s Republic of China,especially on the adjustment process of planning management agencies.It builds an"institution-governance"analysis framework with the three elements including institution,function,and management as its core and with the institutional strength and governance effectiveness as the entry and exit,and analyzes the parallel transitions of planning management agencies and spatial governance logic as well as the necessary undertaking mechanisms,with the aim to provide reference for the establishment of a new pattern of spatial governance.

China's Approach to Rebalancing:A Conceptual and Policy Framework

This article seeks to develop a conceptual and policy framework for understanding China＇s role in the global economic imbalances. China＇s contribution to these imbalances via recurrent trade and financial surpluses corresponds with a phase of deepening structural risks to China s economic growth and development. These structural challenges include： the composition of growth resulting from China＇s dynamic internal transformation, China＇s trade orientation, the trajectory of resource use and CO emissions, welfare problems relating to distribution and international constraints. This article develops a conceptual framework for examining the relationship between the processes of long-run structural transformation in China, its economic imbalances, and the role of institutional reform in dealing with these structural challenges. As such, economic policy shouM extend beyond short-term macro management to pursue an institutional reform dgenda to facilitate broader structural change to mitigate constraints to future growth and to improve economic welfare.

Causes of China’s current economic development pattern

At the beginning of the 21st century,China’s economy entered a period of rapid growth and current economic development pattern was formed.Despite the rapid growth of the economy,the current development pattern has caused divergence from the aim of development,stagnation of the means of development,and distortion of the drivers of development.The cause of the current economic development pattern is one where market-oriented reforms are pushing local governments to shift roles from profit entities to market entities,but local governments are failing to undertake the responsibilities of the market and have been exceeding their authority,ignoring their roles,or misplacing their efforts for some time.If the current economic development pattern is not changed,China could either fall into the“middle-income trap”or the“resource-exhaustion trap.”

A Study of Sustainable Development of China’s State-Level Economic and Technological Development Zones

State-level economic and technological development zones (ETDZs) are products of China’sreform and opening-up policies and a new engine of growth for the Chinese economy. Theyhave made tremendous contributions to the development of the Chinese economy. However,some problems have emerged in the course of this progress and new challenges are stilllying ahead. Sustainable development is possible only when the strategy and objectives ofdevelopment are adjusted, when the integrated investment environment is optimized, whenindustries are upgraded, when technical innovations are made, when independent innovationcapabilities are lifted, when the mode of economic growth is changed, and when innovationsare made in government management.