The Construction of Rural Social Security System in the Period of Transforming to Market Economy: Achievements and Deviations

Since mid-1980s, China has adopted measures to reform the main items of the rural social security system such as old-age provision, medical care and social assistance. Progress has been made in the construction of institution itself, the construction of institution environment and the construction of legislation guarantee in this period. But due to many reasons the reform also has some defects. Generally, the development of the rural social security reform is rather slow and its institutionalization degree is rather low, with family security as the basic mode, whose function is both disappointing and unreliable. The deviations lie mainly in overestimating the security function of land, lacking definite object and sustained enforcing measures and the government's absence in playing its role.