Microenterprises and rural industrialisation Yuhang County, Zhejiang, China

The economic reforms of 1978 introduced market mechanisms to the centrally planned economy of China and consequently initiated a process of rapid and extensive rural change. This was characterized by a unique process of rural industrialisation and urbanisation led by rural enterprises at the township and village level. Changes at the household level have also played an important part, as individuals and households embraced the opportunity to engage in individual and private businesses (getihu), in the form of microenterprises.; This thesis investigates the role of microenterprises (getihu ) in the process of rural industrialisation and urbanisation through a case study in Yuhang County, Zhejiang province. An analytical framework was developed drawing from literature on microenterprises and their role in development and rural industrialisation. In-depth survey questionnaires were conducted with ninety microenterprise operators who lived and worked in Yuhang County. Findings from this research provide a detailed empirical understanding of the dynamics of this sector: characteristics of business activities and operators; the influence of local policy changes; spatial and economic linkages created by business operations, and; their contribution to structural change in the countryside.