Chinese Capitalisms: Concluding Thoughts on their Historical Emergence, Political Implications, and Unique Characteristics

Authors contributing to this edited collection have adopted rather different theoretical perspectives and addressed divergent issues in the process of capitalist development. While some have used the Weberian perspective to analyze the process of “demand-responsive industrialization,” others have applied Foucauldian concepts to make sense of China’s working class. On top of these, the Chinese societies they examine are situated at different stages of development. Although China still competes largely on the basis of low wage rates, Taiwan has gradually adopted a transnational strategy of competition. Owing to these three levels of variation, it would make little sense to try to identify in this concluding section the consensual views that emerge from the eight chapters.