The SARS Crisis and the Prospect of Chinese Government Reform

Abstract

For China, the SARS calamity has a great impact on its steadily developing economy, society and politics. At the same time it provides an opportunity because SARS changed the original Chinese living habits, ways of working and worldview. This paper is to analyze the effect of the crisis on the Chinese public administration and the direction of Chinese government's reform by focusing on the research of the revealed drawbacks in the management of Chinese government and the measures taken by Chinese government during the SARS crisis. Research shows that there are many deep-rooted problems. For example, in the spreading and early handling stages of SARS, the Chinese government did not perform adequately: non-profit departments were not well developed, governments at all levels refused to cooperate, there were no emergency institutions to deal with the crisis, officials were unqualified and the administration is closed and undemocratic. However, the measures taken during the SARS crisis also showed the crisis promoted the transformation of Chinese government further from a controlling government to a service oriented government, from a closed government to transparent and open government, from a government ruled by individuals to a government ruled by law. Meanwhile the crisis suggests that the administrative system is facing new adjustment and development.