Since 1979 China has been following a new development strategy which emphasizes the role of improving productivity and strengthening external economic relations. To implement this strategy, China is in the process of reforming her system of economic administration. This involves generally giving greater autonomy to local authorities and basic economic units, and a greater use of market mechanism to regulate and co-ordinate economic activities, and to enlarge consumer choice. These changes are in recognition of past problems and defects in China's socialist economic development. Theoretical work has been carried out to justify and guide the reforms, and policies have been adjusted frequently in response to problems which have emerged during the reform process. For both traders and researchers concerned with China, a sound understanding of China's administrative system and development strategies has become increasingly important. Hong Kong business and other institutions with interests in China have become particularly keen to recruit economists with expertise in the Chinese economy, both to help formulate trade and investment decisions and to advise on the Chinese macroeconomic context.

The Economics option of the BSocSc (Hons) in China Studies aims to meet a growing need for a programme oriented towards the Chinese economy.

The programme comprises five components, namely Programme General Requirement (1 unit), Complementary Studies Courses (24 units), Social Sciences Foundation Courses (12 units), Option Discipline Courses (36 units) and China Studies Courses (24 units), making up a total of 97 units required for graduation. The summer sojourn programme, though not carrying any units, must be taken by every student. The overall objective is to provide students with a broad-based education in line with the whole-person education philosophy of the University, and also to provide solid training for students in a selected discipline, in addition to mastering knowledge about China.

Summer Sojourn

A distinctive feature of the programme is the summer sojourn programme in which all students have to spend one month at Tsinghua University, Beijing to receive intensive training in Putonghua during the summer at the end of the second year. Since the students have already taken the six-unit course Elementary and Intermediate Putonghua during the second year, the sojourn acts as an "immersion" programme in Putonghua training. Students will undertake Putonghua training for three hours per day, five days per week.

Another part of the summer sojourn programme consists of seminars on topics relating to current issues in China. A number of seminars on issues relating to topics of a political, economic, sociological, historical and geographic nature will be conducted during the sojourn.

A third part of the programme is composed of visits to places of particular interest to this programme. It is felt that students should be given some field experience in mainland China by visiting factories, farms, historical sites, government offices, etc. Visits will be organized to places around the Beijing area during the sojourn period.