Inequalities, Elites and Ownership: The Chinese Case

Just as in Russia, a variety of evidence has made clear that income and other inequalities have been rapidly increasing in China, although relative differentials may have stabilised somewhat in recent years as the leadership seeks to contain popular discontent. This paper uses the classic repertoire of elite analysis – in particular, the overlapping membership of company boards and the political leadership – to identify the extent to which increasing inequalities are directly associated with political power.