Given the paucity of in-depth case studies on civil society in China, particularly industrial or trade associations, this book has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the literature. It is based on extensive mining of both the English-language and Chinese-language literature on civil society and industrial associations, and even more important, extensive surveys of and interviews with associations, enterprises, and government officials. The book, however, does not deliver fully on its potential.
While the authors hope to use the Wenzhou case to contribute to our understanding of the broader relationship between the state and civil society in China, their more substantive contribution is to improve our understanding of the nature of industrial associations and their relationship with the local state in China. This book represents a summation of extensive research and writing on industrial associations in Wenzhou carried out by the authors starting as far back as 2002....
