ECONOMIC CHALLENGES DURING AND AFTER COVID-19: A PERSPECTIVE FROM SOCIALISM WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS

Authors

  • YUN SU School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
  • MUHAMMAD AZIZAN SABJAN School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v6i4.752

Keywords:

socialism economy market, industry transformation, international trade, state-owned enterprises, private enterprises, COVID-19

Abstract

The economic achievements in socialist countries are often attributed to the implementation of market-oriented reforms. The socialism economic rise of China has changed the global economy. China has transformed from a low-cost manufacturing hub to an increasingly innovation- and service driven economy. However, China, being the initial country impacted by the onset of the pandemic, experienced economic losses more pronounced than those of other nations. Nonetheless, there is limited research examining the economic impact of COVID-19 in China. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the primary economic challenges caused by the pandemic within the framework of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. This research adopted qualitative method by document analysis, the data was analysed by thematic analysis. Results show the socialism market is characterised with the public ownership predominance and also encourage private enterprises. The main economic challenges during and after COVID-19 in this study includes the stagnant industry transformation, the challenges of international trade, the challenges of state-owned enterprises, and the challenges of private enterprises. China must commit to reforms in technology and industrial transformation, adopt peaceful diplomatic strategies, and actively engage in international trade with Western countries. Key areas of improvement should include the clarification of property rights, the promotion of transparency and fairness for foreign investment and private enterprises, the implementation of competitive neutrality policies, and the establishment of legislation to safeguard employee wages and strengthen the social security system.

References

[1] Aspers, P., Corte, U. (2019): What is qualitative in qualitative research. – Qualitative Sociology 42(2): 139-160.

[2] Brühl, V. (2024): The economic rise of China – An integrated analysis of China’s growth drivers. – SSRN Electronic Journal 22(1): 1-20.

[3] Bui, T.H. (2020): Governance, the Socialist market economy, and the party-state in Vietnam and China. – In Hansen, A., Bekkevold, J.I., Nordhaug, K. (eds.): The Socialist Market Economy in Asia, 1st ed. Palgrave Macmillan 23p.

[4] Carvalho, M., Azevedo, A., Massuquetti, A. (2019): Emerging countries and the effects of the trade war between US and China. – Economies 7(2): 1-21.

[5] Cauley, J., Cornes, R., Sandler, T. (1999): Stakeholder incentives and reforms in China’s state-owned enterprises: A common-property theory. – China Economic Review 10(2): 191-206.

[6] Chen, M. (2022): Implications on increasing number of bankruptcies of private-owned enterprises in China. – Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Financial Innovation and Economic Development 211: 190-194.

[7] Chen, Q., He, Z., Hsieh, C.T., Song, Z.M. (2020): Economic effects of lockdown in China. – In Impact of Covid-19 on Asian Economies and Policy Responses, World Scientific Publishing Co 7p.

[8] Cheng, E. (2018): Marxism and its sanitised theory as the guidance of the Chinese model: The “two economic miracles” of the new China. – World Review of Political Economy 9(3): 296-314.

[9] Choi, Y. (2011): The Evolution of “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”: Its elliptical structure of socialist principles and China’s realities. – Pacific Focus 26(3): 385-404.

[10] Coase, R.H. (2023): The problem of social cost. – Journal of Law and Economics 3: 488-489.

[11] Cui, H., Li, X., Wu, Y., Wei, Y. (2018): The theoretical logic of industrial and employment synergy upgrading from the perspective of Marx’s economics. – Reformation & Strategy 34: 26-60.

[12] Dang, D.A., Anh, N. (2023): The effects of the United States-China trade war during the Covid-19 pandemic on global supply chains: Evidence from Viet Nam. – UN Comtrade Report 483: 1-20.

[13] Ding, M. (2015): On China’s adoption of competitive neutrality policy. – Economic Research Journal 10: 50-59.

[14] Dong, X., Zhao, J., Yuan, P. (2014): Research on innovation efficiency loss of state-owned enterprises. – China Industrial Economics 2: 97-105.

[15] Duan, Y., Kang, Y. (2022): Research on competitive neutrality of SOEs with special functions in China. – Sustainability (Switzerland) 14(13): 1-18.

[16] Ee, K.H., Poonpatpibul, C., Li, W., Yong, F., Simon, L.X., Tang, X., Ekapirak, T. (2019): China’s reform and opening-up: Experiences, prospects, and implications for ASEAN. – Asian Economic Papers 18(3): 45-72.

[17] Ellingsen, T., Paltseva, E. (2016): Confining the Coase theorem: Contracting, ownership, and free-riding. – Review of Economic Studies 83(2): 547-586.

[18] Elms, D. (2021): Trade disrupted: Global tensions, US-China trade war and Covid-19 impact. – Southeast Asian Affairs 1: 39-54.

[19] Fan, G., Hope, N.C. (2013): The role of state-owned enterprises in the Chinese economy. – In US-China 2022 Economic Relations in the Next 10 Years, Brookings Institution Press: 1-16.

[20] Fang, J., Ou, J., Yao, S. (2022): On Covid-19 pandemic and China’s foreign trade. – World Economy 45(11): 3507-3533.

[21] García-Herrero, A., Ng, G. (2021): China’s state-owned enterprises and competitive neutrality. – World Economics 22(1): 1-29.

[22] Genin, A.L., Tan, J., Song, J. (2021): State governance and technological innovation in emerging economies: State-owned enterprise restructuration and institutional logic dissonance in China’s high-speed train sector. – Journal of International Business Studies 52(4): 621-645.

[23] Gong, D., Shang, Z., Su, Y., Yan, A., Zhang, Q., Cummins, J.R., Hirshleifer, S., Xie, Y., Troiano, U., Liao, S., Shin, V., Guang, L., Cerny, M. (2023): Economic impacts of China’s zero-Covid policies. – China Economic Journal 16(2): 150-172.

[24] Gong, X., Cortese, C. (2017): A socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics: The accounting annual report of China Mobile. – Accounting Forum 41(3): 206-220.

[25] Guo, H., Yang, Z., Huang, R., Guo, A. (2020): The digitalization and public crisis responses of small and medium enterprises: Implications from a COVID-19 survey. – Frontiers of Business Research in China 14(1): 1-25.

[26] Guo, J. (2019): Research on the influencing factors and spatial characteristics of Chinese private economy. – Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Economics, Management Engineering and Education Technology 1: 2237-2242.

[27] Habibi, Z., Habibi, H., Mohammadi, M.A. (2022): The potential impact of Covid-19 on the Chinese GDP, trade, and economy. – Economies 10(4): 1-16.

[28] Han, Y. (2022): The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on China’s economic structure: An input–output approach. – Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 63: 181-195.

[29] He, Y.J. (2023): The current situation of business management of small and micro-enterprises in China in the post epidemic era and the change of enhancement. – Economist Forum 8: 294-295.

[30] Hong, Y. (2020): Socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics in a new era. – China Political Economy 3(2): 259-277.

[31] Hong, Y. (2022): To build the soul of the socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. – China Political Economy 5(2): 134-149.

[32] Hou, J.W. (2011): Economic reform of China: Cause and effects. – Social Science Journal 48(3): 419-434.

[33] Hou, J.Y. (2018): The plight of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in China during the epidemic and response options. – Shanxi Financing 511: 48-50.

[34] Hou, L.W. (2021): Labor employment of private enterprises in the epidemic background and evaluation of enterprise aid policies – A survey based on the City of Shanghai. – Shandong Trade Unions’ Tribune 27(3): 28-39.

[35] Hu, J. (2019): Analysis of the innovation and development of the socialist market economy theory. – China Political Economy 2(1): 85-97.

[36] Hua, H. (1993): The Market economy in China. – Sage Publications 24(2): 175-179.

[37] Itakura, K. (2020): Evaluating the impact of the US–China trade war. – Asian Economic Policy Review 15(1): 77-93.

[38] Jehiel, P., Moldovanu, B. (1999): Resale markets and the assignment of property rights. – Review of Economic Studies 66(4): 971-991.

[39] Jiang, M., Hu, Y., Li, X. (2020): Financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises in China amid Covid-19. – Finance: Theory and Practice 24(5): 6-14.

[40] Kutnjak, A. (2021): Covid-19 accelerates digital transformation in industries: Challenges, issues, barriers and problems in transformation. – IEEE Access 9: 1-16.

[41] Li, C., He, C., Lin, C. (2018): Economic impacts of the possible China–US trade war. – Emerging Markets Finance and Trade 54(7): 1557-1577.

[42] Ma, G. (2021): The digital transformation of Chinese enterprises during Covid-19. – Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies 19(4): 367-383.

[43] National Bureau of Statistics of China (2021): China Statistical Yearbook. – China Statistics Press 500p.

[44] Wei, S.J., Xie, Z., Zhang, X. (2017): From “Made in China” to “Innovated in China”: Necessity, prospect, and challenges. – Journal of Economic Perspectives 31(1): 49-70.

[45] Zhang, W., Han, G., Wang, S. (2020): Impact of Covid-19 on China’s foreign trade: Evidence from big data. – Economic Research Journal 9: 4-21.

Downloads

Published

2025-08-31

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES DURING AND AFTER COVID-19: A PERSPECTIVE FROM SOCIALISM WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS. (2025). Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(4), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v6i4.752