The Global Rise of China

This book sets out to unravel and explain the puzzle of the global rise of China: how, in just forty years, China has been quickly transformed from a poor, backward third-world country to one of the world’s core economic powerhouses. Exactly how did this Chinese developmental miracle happen?

Focusing on the key historical turning point in China’s post-socialist development, the book examines the complex processes through which China interacted with the global neoliberal project of the late twentieth century. Alvin Y. So and Yin-Wah Chu reveal the centrality of the communist party-state in propelling China onto the world scene, and how it has successfully responded to the developmental challenges of technological upgrading, environmental degradation, inter-state rivalry, and maintaining its power.

This book provides a comprehensive and insightful study of the rise of China not solely from an economic, social, and political perspective, but also from a global and historical perspective. It will be an invaluable guide for students and non-specialists interested in post-socialist development and the global rise of China in the twenty-first century.

ALVIN Y. SO is Chair Professor of Social Science at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

YIN-WAH CHU is Associate Professor of Sociology at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Map
Chronology
Preface
1 Introduction
SECTION ONE: The Chinese Development Miracle
2 Socialist Foundation and the Critical Transition to State Neoliberalism
3 State Neoliberalism: The Political Economy of the Rise of China
4 Global Economic Crisis and the Deepening of State Neoliberalism
SECTION TWO: Challenges of China's Global Rise
5 The Challenge of Catching Up: Technological Upgrading and Moving up the Value Chain
6 The Challenges of Staying in Power
7 The Challenges of Sustainability: Environmental Degradation and Resource Depletion
8 The Challenges of Global Rivalry: Resource Competition and Territorial Disputes
9 Conclusion
Notes
References