1. The author is attached to the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Paris, France. This article is an updated and revised version of a report presented at the OECD Workshop on Agricultural Policies in China, Paris, 12–13 December 1996, under the title “China's Grain Distribution and Prices Policies”. It draws from previous reports written by the author for the OECD and published in various journals such as Agricultural Policies. Markets and Trade. Monitoring and Outlook in the Central and...