This volume investigates the forces and processes in Chinese rural society, exploring the local levels of government in rural areas (villages, townships and towns) as important managers of people and resources, and as deeply involved in business and enterprise. Whether they are 'Village Inc.' or not, the financial management, the ownership of the means of production, the structure of the rural enterprises, the farming structures, and the social networks all indicate that local government in rural China has corporatist traits, or can be conceived of as a hybrid of market forces and collective management. Most importantly, the role of the central state vis-a -vis rural economy forces a convergence of political and economic management in rural areas, which is exacerbated by terms of ownership, that some interpret as unclear or even 'murky.'