China in the 21st century
Subtitle: what everyone needs to know
By: Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Oxford; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 164
ISBN-13: 9780195394122; 9780195394474
Subjects: China -- History -- 21st century
Other titles: China in the twenty-first century
Description: The need to understand this global giant has never been more pressing: China is constantly in the news, yet conflicting impressions abound. Within one generation, China has transformed from an impoverished, repressive state into an economic and political powerhouse. In this book the author provides cogent answers to the most urgent questions regarding the newest superpower and offers a framework for understanding its meteoric rise. Focusing his answers through the historical legacies such as Western and Japanese imperialism, the Mao era, and the massacre near Tiananmen Square, that largely define China's present-day trajectory, he introduces the Chinese Communist Party, the building boom in Shanghai, and the environmental fall out of rapid Chinese industrialization. He also explains unique aspects of Chinese culture such as the one child policy, and provides insight into how Chinese view Americans. He reveals that China today shares many traits with other industrialized nations during their periods of development, in particular the United States during its rapid industrialization in the 19th century. Finally, he provides guidance on the ways we can expect China to act in the future vis-a-vis the United States, Russia, India, and its East Asian neighbors.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Historical legacies; title: Schools of thought; title: Imperial China; title: Revolutions and revolutionaries; title: The present and the future; title: From Mao to now; title: U.S.-China misunderstandings; title: The future.