Goals, Principles and Adequacy: An Analysis of China's Dibao Standards

In China, the standard of the minimum livelihood guarantee system (also known as the dibao standard) is a cash-valued standard measured by household per capita income that functions as a poverty threshold in dibao, similar to the poverty line established in many other countries. China's dibao standard is very significant as it determines how many applicants can receive the benefits and how much the beneficiaries can receive from the governments. Therefore, it is an important task for the central government to have a scientific guideline for setting the dibao standard, and for the local government to establish a proper dibao standard. This article analyses the goals and principles of the dibao standard and evaluates its adequacy and effectiveness in the broader social assistance system. The article concludes by proposing several policy recommendations to further improve the dibao standard.