The survey data used throughout this book was collected in fall 1997 and spring 1999. In all, eight counties were selected as survey sites: two each in Zhejiang, Shandong, Hebei, and Hunan. The sites were selected to include a mix of areas with varying levels of economic development and privatization. The survey was conducted in three counties in fall 1997, and the other five counties in spring 1999. Because of the terms under which the survey was conducted, the identities of the individual respondents as well as the counties themselves must remain anonymous.

The survey targeted two specific groups: the owners and operators of large and medium scale private enterprises (those with reported annual sales of over 1 million RMB) and the local party and government officials with either general executive responsibilities or particular authority over the private economy.

The design of the questionnaire and the sample and the actual implementation of the survey itself were done in coordination with the Research Center for Contemporary China (RCCC) of Peking University. A series of meetings were held in the summer of 1997 to develop a set of specific questions that would be both relevant to the theoretical issues of the project and also appropriate to the political and economic context in China. A survey team from the RCCC visited each county in advance of the survey work to seek the permission of local officials and plan the practical details of implementation.