Introduction

This opening chapter is an introduction of the background of the Chinese health system and the rise of collective action in the transition era. It first presents the puzzle why the hospital violence occurred in China with limited political space, and how the government deal with these disputes escalated from social disputes. Then introduces the background of the Chinese health system in a transition era. Later, it engages with the theories of contentious politics and proposes the theoretical contributions of this book. Finally, it presents the methods and structure of the book.