Preface

Over four hundred Unirule Biweekly Symposiums have been held since its creation in 1993. Though having undergone several transitions, Unirule Biweekly Symposiums is now experiencing unprecedented prosperity. It is both a miniature of Unirule's development process and a precious field for free thinking in current society.

Since firstly held, Unirule Biweekly Symposium has taken promoting free speech and thinking as its aim. All theories that make sense can be explained and publicized here regardless of the lecture's social position, educational background, or academic title. Also, all theories are subject to testing and criticism of all symposium participants. Therefore, the highly spirited debates and sharp criticism not only opened the participants' horizon immensely, but also greatly enlightened online readers. In addition, strong reactions were provoked in society. Many people told me that they red Unirule Biweekly Symposium materials very often when I was out in other cities. Some people call themselves as "students of Unirule", and when asked why, they tell us this is because they often read our online Biweekly Symposium materials. This is actually the greatest reward and comfort for Unirule, an independent NGO.

By now, Unirule Biweekly Symposium has become a brand of Unirule, as well as a sincere friend deserving trust and intimacy of all academic colleagues.

In 2004, the tenth anniversary of Unirule Institute of Economics, we once compiled and published the Unirule Biweekly Symposium Lecture Series which includes three books, namely, Discussing World, Considering Change, and Exploring Soul. Now, we selected fourteen of the over eighty biweekly symposiums after 2007 and compiled them into this book, Collecting the Quintessence, to offer to our readers.

Zhang Shuguang

Contents

1. Religion Problem of China by Liu Pai   P1
2. Analysis on Income Change in Rural China by Bai Chong'en  P61
3. Off-the-books Income and Income Gap by Wang Xiaolu  P81
4. Centralization and Decentralization Paradox in the Relation between Central and Local Governments by Zhou Li'an  P111
5. Economy and Society Before and After the Lewis Turning Point
by Tajima Toshio  P147
6. Corporate Theory and China's Reform by Zhou Qiren  P181
7. Retrospect and Reflection on China's Reform of Thirty Years
  by Chen Zhiwu P203
8. Sustainable Development for Resource-based Cities by Song Xiaowu  P229
9. On Political Liberalism by John Bordley Rawls by Wan Junren  P267
10. Deepening Medical Reform--Development is of overriding importance
By Liu Guoen  P337
11. Treatment of Excess Capacity by Lu Feng  P387
12. How to Promote Public Budget Reform――Practices in Minhang District of Shanghai and Other Regions by Cai Dingjian  P419
13. RMB Exchange Rate Expectation and the Path Choice for RMB Exchange Rate Reform by Ding Zhijie  P457
14. Farm Land Transfer and Modern Agriculture Development