An Assessment Of China's Ability To Regulate Its Iron Ore And Steel Industry

The purpose of this research is to evaluate China's ability to regulate its iron ore and steel industry,in China.The first phase of the project involves understanding the meaning of regulation,and the traditional and contemporary approaches on government regulation theories.The second phase is about analyzing China's regulatory system and identifying few elements that makes it unique,for instance,the complexity of central and local government relationship and the large role that SOEs retain in China.The final phase involves a case study in the iron ore and steel sector,in which we first identify China's main institutions that elaborate and implement policies and strategies for the sector;then,we identify 4 main policies and strategies for the sector and,finally,by bringing back the concepts and ideas studied in phases 1 and 2,as well as indicators and data from newspapers,statlistics,interviews and other academic researches,we find evidences that prove China's successes and weaknesses in implementing those policies.The conclusion is that China's policies were easier to implement when the Chinese government could associate a top-down approach with a win-win discourse.In the case of 'tackling overcapacity in the steel industry',however,there is a win-lose relationship that includes closing-down firms and firing workers.Therefore,the Chinese government is encountering innumerous barriers to implement this policy and should reformulate its approach,adopting a contemporary 'smart regulation' that involves third-parties and is more responsive to local needs.