This Country Assistance Evaluation focuses on the period FY93-02. The World Bank's assistance strategy had four main objectives during this period: (i) promoting market-oriented system reform and better macroeconomic management; (ii) poverty reduction; (iii) supporting infrastructure development for growth and market integration; and (iv) environmental protection. The evaluation rates the overall outcome of the Bank's assistance strategy as satisfactory.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the achievements and shortcomings of China's reforms since 1978. Chapter 2 summarizes the development of the relationship between the Bank and China in the 1980s in order to provide a context for the period under review, and then traces the evolution of the relationship and the Bank's assistance strategy in the past decade. Chapter 3 analyzes progress and the Bank's impact on the main objectives of the Bank's assistance. Chapter 4 reviews the use of lending and other instruments in achieving these objectives. It also compares outcomes in China with those in other countries and examines some cross-cutting issues. Chapter 5 draws on the previous two chapters to provide a summary evaluation of the Bank's assistance and Chapter 6 summarizes the main lessons and recommendations.