Abstract
China’s global economic strength is underpinned by its manufacturing prowess, predicated on a disciplined, skilled but relatively low-paid workforce. Hence the State’s recent regulatory initiatives to improve employment conditions in response to growing labour unrest. In their introductory article, the coordinators of this Special Issue of the International Labour Review contextualize the contributions that follow by reviewing the broader debates on labour regulation in global production – particularly on “soft” vs “hard” regulation – and the changes that have occurred in China’s labour markets, labour regulations, labour standards and labour relations over the past decade. They conclude with suggestions for further research.