The rise of China is the most significant development in world affairs in this generation. No nation in history has risen as quickly or modernized as rapidly as has China over the four decades. This sixth edition of The China Reader chronicles the diverse aspects of this transition since the late-1990s. It is comprehensive in scope and draws upon both primary Chinese sources and secondary Western analyses written by the world's leading experts on contemporary China. Perfectly suited as both a textbook for students as well as for specialists and the public alike, the volume covers the full range of China's internal and external developments. During the past three decades China dramatically modernized its economy and taken a positon as one of the two major powers in the world. Its mega-economy has skyrocketed to being the second largest in the world, and will soon surpass the United States on aggregate. The physical transformation of the country has been extraordinary to witness, with infrastructure development unparalleled in human history. Modern cities featuring futuristic architecture have literally risen from farmland across the country. As China has developed domestically, it has also taken its place as a major power on the world stage. Whether in its relations with other powers-the United States, Russia, and European Union-with its neighbors in Asia or other countries across the world, China is now a major factor in international relations. Its businesses are "going global" and its people are establishing their footprint from Antarctica to outer space. For all its newfound prowess, China's rise has not been a smooth process. Domestically, the nation's juggernaut economy has produced numerous negative social and environmental side-effects. Its political system remains anachronistic and authoritarian, with substantial repression. Externally, Beijing's rapid military modernization and regional territorial claims have alarmed China's neighbors. Its relationship with the United States is complex and increasingly strained. And its "soft power" remains limited. Still, the rise of China is the story of the current era. The China Reader is a perfect window into the complexities of this historic process.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents PREFACE INTRODUCTION David Shambaugh, The Complexities of a Rising China RISING CHINA Editorial Introduction I. Viewing China's Rise-Alternative Perspectives · Martin Jacques, The Eight Differences That Define China · Zheng Bijian, China's "Peaceful Rise" to Great Power Status · John Mearsheimer, China's Unpeaceful Rise · David Shambaugh, The Illusion of Chinese Power POLITICS Editorial Introduction I. Elite Politics · Joseph Fewsmith, Elite Politics: The Struggle for Normality II. Dissent · Anonymous, Charter '08 · Xu Zhiyong, For Freedom, Justice, and Love: My Closing Statement to the Court III. Ideology · Hu Jintao, Achieving New Victory for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics · The Economist, Ideology in China: Confucius Makes a Comeback-You Can't Keep a Good Sage Down · General Office of the Central Committee, Document No. 9 (2013) IV. The Future of the CCP · Hu Jintao, Firmly March on the Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive to Complete the Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects: Making Party Building More Scientific in All Respects · Xi Jinping, Speech on the 65th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress · Minxin Pei, Is CCP Rule Fragile or Resilient? · Bruce Dickson, No "Jasmine" for China ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Editorial Introduction I. Building an Economic Superpower · CIA, China: Economy-Overview · Barry Naughton, Economic Growth: From High-Speed to High-Quality · Hu Jintao, Accelerating the Improvement of the Socialist Market Economy and the Change of the Growth Model II. State Capacity & Governance · Minxin Pei, China's Governance Crisis III. Going Global · Justin Yifu Lin, China and the Global Economy · David Shambaugh, Are China's Corporations Really Multinational? RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT Editorial Introduction I. Environment and Climate Change · Beina Xu, China's Environmental Crisis · Information Office of the State Council, China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change II. Energy Challenges · Damian Ma, China's Search for a New Energy Strategy SOCIETY Editorial Introduction I. Rich and Poor · Martin King Whyte, China's Post-Socialist Inequality II. Demography and Gender · Wang Feng, China's Population Destiny: The Looming Crisis · Information Office of the State Council, Figures & Facts: Gender Equality and Women's Development in China III. Nationalism & Identity · Jean-Pierre Cabestan, The Many Facets of Chinese Nationalism IV. Religion · Richard Madsen, The Upsurge of Religion in China V. Youth · Evan Osnos, Angry Youth VI. Urban and Rural · Lianjiang Li, Driven to Protest: China's Rural Unrest · The Economist, Building the (China) Dream VII. Ethnic Tensions · Yan Sun, The Roots of China's Ethnic Conflicts LAW, RIGHTS, & CIVIL SOCIETY Editorial Introduction I. Progress and Limits in the Rule of Law · Jamie Horsely, The Rule of Law: Pushing the Limits of Party Rule II. Corruption and Crime · Minxin Pei, Fighting Corruption: A Difficult Challenge for Chinese Leaders · The Economist, Murder Mysteries III. Human Rights · Human Rights Watch, World Report 2014: China IV. Civil Society · The Economist, Beneath the Glacier: Civil Society in China · Elizabeth Perry, Citizen Contention and Campus Calm: The Paradox of Chinese Civil Society MEDIA, CULTURE, AND THE ARTS Editorial Introduction I. The Mainstream Media · Rachel Murphy, Civil Society and Media in China · Beina Xu, Media Censorship in China II. The Internet and Social Media · The Economist, A Giant Cage: China's Internet III. The Intelligentsia · Merle Goldman, China's Beleaguered Intellectuals IV. Soft Power · Hu Jintao, Developing a Strong Socialist Culture in China · Joseph Nye, China's Soft Power Deficit THE MILITARY AND SECURITY Editorial Introduction I. China's Security Calculus · Xi Jinping, Work Together to Maintain World Peace and Security II. Modernizing the Military · Richard Bitzinger, Modernizing China's Military, 1997-2012 III. The Internal Security State · Murray Scot Tanner, China Rethinks Unrest · The Economist, China's Security State: The Truncheon Budget IV. Global Security · David Shambaugh, China's Roles in Global Security FOREIGN RELATIONS Editorial Introduction I. China Views the World · Wang Jisi, China's Search for a Grand Strategy: A Rising Great Power Finds its Way · David Shambaugh, Coping with a Conflicted China II. The Asian Neighborhood · Philip Saunders, China's Role in Asia: Attractive or Assertive? · Zhang Jiuhuan, Fruitful Results and Broad Prospects: A Review of Twenty Years of China-ASEAN Relations · Valerie Niquet, China and Central Asia III. The United States and China · Kenneth Lieberthal, The China-US Relationship Goes Global · Wu Xinbo, Agenda for a New Great Power Relationship IV. Russia and Europe · Andrew Kuchins, Russia and China: The Ambivalent Embrace · Odd Arne Westad, China and Europe: Opportunities or Dangers? V. The Global South · Peter Ferdinand, China and the Developing World · Joshua Eisenman and Joshua Kurlantzick, China's Africa Strategy · David Shambaugh, Assessing China's Impact in Latin America · Yun Sun, The BRICS and China's Aspiration for the New International Order VI. Global Governance · Robert Zoellick, Whither China: From Membership to Responsibility? · Michael Fullilove, China and the United Nations: The Stakeholder Spectrum "GREATER" CHINA Editorial Introduction I. Hong Kong and Taiwan · Hu Jintao, Enriching the Practice of "One Country, Two Systems" and Advancing China's Reunification · The Economist, Political City · Richard Bush, China and Taiwan CHINA FACES THE FUTURE Editorial Introduction: Whither China? I. Muddle Through, Adaptation, or the End of Dynasty? · Wang Yi, Peaceful Development and the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation · Andrew G. Walder, Unruly Stability: Why China's Regime Has Staying Power · Orville Schell and John Delury, A Rising China Needs a New National Story · Andrew Nathan, China at the Tipping Point? Seeing the Unforeseeable ABOUT THE EDITOR ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS