Differentiated Actors: Central-Local Politics in China's Rural Tax Reformsfnr rid="fn1">fn id="fn1">This paper is part of a larger research programme on China's fiscal reform and institutional change supported by a research grant of the Hong Kong Research Grant Council (CityU 1064-02H). Fieldwork on the research was conducted at central, provincial, county and township levels at Beijing, Hubei, Anhui and Guangdong. This paper draws on part of this work as well as documentary research. Some case materials were presented in a paper at International Conference on 'Theoretical Issues in the Study of Rural and Small-Town China', 14-15 November, 2003, University of California, Berkeley. An earlier version received constructive and insightful comments from the conference participants and a number of anonymous reviewers, and the current version from Paul Wilding. Bibliographical note: Linda Chelan Li teaches Chinese politics and public administration, and approaches in political analysis in City University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include intergovernmental relations and spatial politics, politics of public finance, governance issue

In: Modern Asian studies, Band 40, Heft 1, S. 151-174