Research

Books or Book Chapters

Economics and the Left, 2021

Li, Z. (2021) “Economics and the Left”, in Pollin, R., & Polychroniou, C.J., eds. Economics and the Left: Interviews with Progressive Economists. Verso. 2021.

China on Strike: Narratives of Workers' Resistance, 2016

Hao, R., Li, Z., & Friedman, eds. (2016). China on Strike: Narratives of Workers' Resistance. Haymarket Books.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

Riding out the Storm: How State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) in China Fought the COVID Crisis, 2025

Qi, H., Li, Z. & He, N. (2025). Riding out the Storm: How State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) in China Fought the COVID Crisis. Review of Radical Political Economics. Forthcoming. https://doi.org/10.1177/04866134241284656

Cross-Boundary Subsumption: Toward a Political Economy of Platform Labor, Modern China, 2024

Qi, H. & Li, Z. (2024). Cross-boundary Subsumption: Towards a Political Economy of Platform Labor, Modern China, 50 (6). https://doi.org/10.1177/00977004241256295

A Political Economy Analysis of the Service-oriented Manufacturing, 2024

Qi, H. & Li, Z. (2024). A Political Economy Analysis of the Service-oriented Manufacturing. 经济学家
Economist, in Chinese. Forthcoming.

Labor Regime and Class Dynamics in the East Asian Miracle, 2023

Li, Z. (2023). Labor Regime and Class Dynamics in the East Asian Miracle. Revista de Historia
Industrial – Industrial History Review. https://doi.org/10.1344/rhiihr.38039

The Profitability Puzzle of Digital Labor Platforms, 2023

Li, Z., & Qi, H. (2023). The Profitability Puzzle of Digital Labor Platforms. Review of Radical Political Economics. https://doi.org/10.1177/0486613423118321

Control the Platform Reserve Army: Roles of the State and Capital in China’s Platform Economy, 2023

Zhang, W., Qi, H., & Li, Z. (2023). Control the Platform Reserve Army: Roles of the State and Capital in China’s Platform Economy. Science & Society, 87(4), 502-530. https://doi.org/10.1521/siso.2023.87.4.502

Platform Power: Monopolisation and Financialisation in the Era of Big Tech, 2022

Li, Z., & Qi, H. (2022). Platform Power: Monopolisation and Financialisation in the Era of Big Tech. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 46 (6). https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/beac054

Is China Imperialist? Economy, State, and Insertion in the Global System, 2021

Li, Z., & Kotz, D. (2021). Is China Imperialist? Economy, State, and Insertion in the Global System. Review of Radical Political Economics, 53(3), 600-610. https://doi.org/10.1177/04866134211018868

Building Social Infrastructure for Social Reproduction: A Feminist Inquiry into China’s COVID-19 Experiences, 2021

Li, Z., Chen, Y., & Zhan, Y. (2021). Building Social Infrastructure for Social Reproduction: A Feminist Inquiry into China’s COVID-19 Experiences. Economia Politica, 39, 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40888-021-00250-8

Regulated Market, Trapped Workers: The Impacts of the “Tolerant and Prudent” Policy on Labor Precarity in China’s Online Ridehailing Sector, 2021

Zhang, W., Qi, H., & Li, Z. (2021). Regulated Market, Trapped Workers: The Impacts of the “Tolerant and Prudent” Policy on Labor Precarity in China’s Online Ridehailing Sector. Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) working paper 553. https://peri.umass.edu/publication/item/1552- regulated-market-trapped-workers-the-impacts-of-the-tolerant-and-prudent-policy-on-labourprecarity-in-china-s-online-ridehailing-sector

The Financialization of the Platform Economy: A Political-Economy Analysis, 2021

Qi, H., & Li, Z. (2021). The Financialization of the Platform Economy: A Political-Economy Analysis. 经济学家 Economist, 2021 (10), in Chinese.

Putting precarity back to production: A case study of Didi Kuaiche drivers in the City of Nanjing, China, 2020

Qi, H., & Li, Z. (2020). Putting precarity back to production: A case study of Didi Kuaiche drivers in the City of Nanjing, China. Review of Radical Political Economics, 52(3), 506-522. https://doi.org/10.1177/0486613419859030

Giovanni Arrighi in Beijing: Rethinking the transformation of the labor supply in rural China during the Reform Era, 2019

Qi, H., & Li, Z. (2019). Giovanni Arrighi in Beijing: Rethinking the transformation of the labor supply in rural China during the Reform Era. Science & Society, 83(3), 327-354. https://doi.org/10.1521/siso.2019.83.3.327

Labor process and the social structure of accumulation in China, 2014

Li, Z., & Qi, H. (2014). Labor process and the social structure of accumulation in China. Review of Radical Political Economics, 46(4), 481-488. https://doi.org/10.1177/0486613414537986

Subjectivity and Postmodernist Division in Labor Process Theory. 2013

Xie, F., & Li, Z. (2013) Subjectivity and Postmodernist Division in Labor Process Theory. 教学与研究 Teaching and Research, 47 (5), in Chinese.

Can the Socialist Market Economy in China Adhere to Socialism?, 2013

Xie, F., Li, A., & Li, Z. (2013). Can the Socialist Market Economy in China Adhere to Socialism?. Review of Radical Political Economics, 45(4), 440-448. https://doi.org/10.1177/0486613412475183

A living wage, overtime work and China’s economic sustainability, 2013

Li, Z., Chen, Y., Qi, H., & Xu, Z. (2013). A living wage, overtime work and China’s economic sustainability. 政治经济学评论 China Review of Political Economy, 3(3), 35-57, in Chinese.

Guojinmintui: A new round of debate in China on state versus private ownership, 2012

Xie, F., Li, A., & Li, Z. (2012). Guojinmintui: A new round of debate in China on state versus private ownership. Science & Society, 76(3), 291-318. (Translated to French and Dutch, published in Marxistische Studies, No. 100). https://www.jstor.org/stable/41510564

To Save Neoliberalism by Neoliberalism? A Critique of American Crisis Management, 2012

Qi, H., & Li, Z. (2012). To Save Neoliberalism by Neoliberalism? A Critique of American Crisis Management. 马克思主义与现实 Marxism and Reality, No.4, in Chinese.

Popular Writing

Social Infrastructure and the Care Crises: An Evaluation of China’s Covid-19 Experience, 2021

Chen, Y., Li, Z., & Zhan, Y. 2021. Social Infrastructure and the Care Crises: An Evaluation of China’s Covid-19 Experience. Dollar & Sense. July/August 2021.

China is Not the Enemy – Neoliberalism Is, 2020

Weber, I., Qi, H., & Li, Z. 2020. China is Not the Enemy – Neoliberalism Is. Jacobin. Online.

The Life and Resistance of a Chinese Worker, 2016

Li, Z., & Friedman, E. 2016. The Life and Resistance of a Chinese Worker. Jacobin. Online.