The papers included in this publication represent windows through which others can view candid debates and discussions by Chinese scholars and public servants about current, pressing issues challenging their national and local governments. The papers address a wide range of challenging issues-from the design of training for the Chinese civil service to experiments with marketing and mixed economies, responsiveness of government to citizens, how to carry on "the democracy experiment" in China, transparency and openness in government, building rule of law, autonomy of local governments, and selection of leaders. Naturally, these papers do not cover all the changes taking place in the Chinese national and local governments as a result of the reforms, but the issues discussed here suggest the breadth and depth of changes that have occurred in recent years, and they offer insights, rare in English, into modern Chinese public administration.
