Once upon a time, when China was unambiguously a communist country, its healthcare system was a success. In the three decades following the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, the average lifespan nearly doubled and infant mortality went down five-fold. Good healthcare provisions no doubt played a major part.
Then came the market reforms of the early-1980s and the system fell apart. Provision of healthcare fell behind the need to boost GDP and eventually the central government withdrew funding, putting more pressure on local governments.
When the system turned to a market-orientated approach, the cities on the east coast which received the most foreign direct investment were in the best position to invest that...
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