Clear and engaging, this is the definitive history of China, one of the most important political, economic, and cultural players in the modern world. 8-page col

“Thoughtful, probing...a worthy successor to the famous histories of Fairbank and Spence [that] will be read by all students and scholars of modern China.”

China's rapid economic growth, modernization and globalization have led to astounding social changes. Contemporary China provides a fascinating portrayal of soc

This work chronicles the history of China for over four hundred years through the spring of 1989.

Westerners seem united in the belief that China has emerged as a major economic power and that this success will most likely continue indefinitely. But they are