Contemporary China: A History since 1978

China’s transformation from a poor country to the world’s number two economy is one of the most significant developments in contemporary history. In this new book, Yongnian Zheng examines China’s economic, political and social development from the onset of reform in the late 1970s to the present.  Beginning with the reform and open–door policy initiated in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, Contemporary China tracks how the country has progressed alongside worldwide movements of globalization, market economy, and democratization. China’s reform has been crucial not only to economic growth, but also what Deng Xiaoping called the “second revolution” of rebuilding the country’s political and social institutions. The book examines the internal and external dynamics behind this dual transformation and provides fresh insights into China’s critical role on the world stage today.

List of Figures and Tables vii Series Editor’s Preface ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xvii 1 The Maoist Legacy 1 2 Elite Politics 21 3 Economic Reform 43 4 Globalization 63 5 Civil Society 83 6 Social Discontent 101 7 Cultural Changes 121 8 De Facto Federalism 139 9 Social Policy Reform 161 10 Bureaucracy and Governance 181 11 Democratization 195 Selected Bibliography 215 Index 229

Yongnian Zheng is Professor and Director of East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. He has authored many books, including The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor , Will China Become Democratic? , Globalization and State Transformation in China , and Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China . He has also edited and co–edited several volumes, and is a columnist for newspapers in Hong Kong and Singapore.

“Zheng makes a marvellous attempt at dissecting this modern anomaly for readers.  Summing Up:  Highly recommended.  All academic levels/libraries.”  ( Choice , 1 December 2013)