In China, rent seeking has been linked to the idea of the local developmental state in which rapid economic development is explained in terms of the promotion of village and township enterprises by local cadres who wants to maximize revenue. At the same time, the rent-seeking state is also seen as the root of corrupt practices and in the creation of a political market where state assets and authorities are diverted into private interests.

Despite the prevalence of rent seeking practices in present day China, no systematic study of the phenomenon across different regions and economic sectors has yet been undertaken and as such what accounts for the occurrence of the phenomenon, what range of activities are related to rent seeking practices and, more importantly, how rent seeking shapes political and economic development are barely understood. Rent Seeking in China seeks to address these questions using case studies from across economics sectors including primary industry, strategic industry, heavy industry, and light industry. It will be invaluable reading for students and scholars of Chinese politics, comparative politics and Chinese economic and business management.

This is the first book which undertakes a systematic analysis of rent seeking activities in China. Using case studies from across economics sectors the contributors discuss the occurrence of the phenomenon, what range of activities are related to rent seeking practices and, more importantly, how rent seeking shapes political and economic development.

1. The Politics of Rent Production Tak-Wing Ngo 2. Rent Seeking, Corruption, and Clientelism Flora Sapio 3. Transition from Surplus Seeking to Rent Seeking Xiaobo Hu 4. The Institutional Context of Rent Seeking in Economic Transition Yi-min Lin 5. Local State Takeover as Multiple Rent Seeking in Private Business David L. Wank 6. Rents and Rent Seeking in the Coal Industry Tim Wright 7. Powering Rent Seeking in the Electricity Industry Tun-jen Cheng and Chung-min Tsai 8. Rent Allocation and Industrial Policy Efficacy in the Steel Industry Pei Sun 9. Rent Production and Industrial Governance in the Auto Industry Tak-Wing Ngo and Chen Yilin 10. Rent Seeking and the Development of the Beer Industry Yongping Wu and Jin Biao 11. Rents, Mergers, and Acquisitions in the Automotive and Beer Industries Andrew Wedeman 12. Rent Seeking, Corruption, and Local Finance in Historical Perspective R. Bin Wong 13. The Chinese Mode of Rent Utilization in Comparative Perspective Richard Boyd