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Date(s)： 2023/11/22
Time： 15:00~17:00
Venue： Archives 3rd Conference Hall
Speaker：Prof. Felix Wemheuer （Chair Professor of Modern Chinese Studies, University of Cologne (Germany)）
Organizer： State and Society Research Group
Abstract: After the death of Chairman Mao, Chinese politicians and economists were engaged in debates how to reform the traditional model of centralized planned economy. Past experiences with decentralisation of planning and rural household responsibility played a role. Furthermore, economic reforms in Eastern Europa were important references. For example, official delegations from sent to Yugoslavia to study enterprise reform and to Hungary to learn more about price liberalization. The Chinese side wanted to understand reasons for success and failures of economic policies. Eastern European economists were invited to China to discuss reform proposals with party officials and leading economists. Their works and textbooks were translated and discussed in public beyond academic cycles. The talk will analyse this transnational intellectual history based historical documents and academic journals. The question will be raise why economic reforms in Eastern Europe could not prevent the collapse of socialism, while “Reform and Opening” succeed in China.