As a participant in the whole process of reform in the past 40 years, the famous economist Wu Jinglian has participated in many major theoretical and policy debates, participated in the actual promotion of reform in various stages and aspects, and his ideological understanding has also grown with the process of reform and the deepening of research.
Recently, "Selected Works of Wu Jinglian's Reform" was published by Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore, which selects some articles that can represent the development trajectory of his thoughts between 1978 and 2019, which fully presents his reform practice and thinking process, and has important documentary value. It can provide a reference for readers who are interested in studying the history of China's reform and "learning from the past and knowing the new".
Wu Jinglian, born in 1930, graduated from the Department of Economics of Fudan University in 1954. He is a researcher of the Development Research Center of the State Council and the winner of the first Outstanding Contribution Award in Chinese Economics, whose main research areas are theoretical economics, comparative institutional analysis, and the theory and policy of China's social transformation. In 2011, the International Economic Association (IEA) awarded him the title of Honorary President in recognition of his outstanding contributions to economic theory and policy research and academic exchanges between China and foreign countries.
Because of his vigorous advocacy of market economic reform, he was known as the "Wu Market". He is one of the pioneers of the discipline of comparative institutional analysis in China and the main representative of the "theory of overall reform". He introduced and disseminated many modern economic theories and international experiences that had contributed to China's reforms. His theoretical ideas and policy proposals at different times (such as building a market economy ruled by law, establishing a modern corporate system, strategic restructuring of the state-owned economy, vigorously developing small and medium-sized enterprises, and promoting the transformation of the growth model, etc.) have promoted the progress of China's reform cause.
The panorama restores the difficult course of reform
As a witness and promoter of the reform for 40 years, Mr. Wu Jinglian profoundly recorded the theoretical breakthroughs and practical explorations of China's transition from a planned economy to a market economy. The process of reform is always accompanied by the return of old ideas and old traditions, and the debates of economists in various periods reproduced in the book are both theoretical controversies and practical explorations, so that readers who have not personally experienced can feel the hardships of reform.
Vividly presents the transformation of the thinking of an old economist
Wu Jinglian received an education in traditional political economy, and only systematically studied modern economics after the age of 50, and his ideological transformation can be clearly seen in the articles included in this book. The integration with the international academic community allowed him to break through the ideology of the planned economy era, not only promoting the development of Chinese economic theory, but also further promoting the practice of reform.
The whole book takes the timeline as a clue to intuitively present the context of 101 articles written by Wu Lao spanning more than 40 years and the timeline of China's economic reform in various periods. The collection of essays on various periods and issues of China's reform and opening up will help readers deeply understand the importance of adhering to reform and opening up to contemporary China and future China.