The themes dealt with here include some of the most pressing issues for the Chinese and those who interact with China: the impact of China’s development on the world economic system and on its environment, the likely future stability of China, the very existence of a unified China and the fault lines along which this entity might break apart in the years ahead, and an assessment of the future of the one-party system and what might replace it. Jonathan Fenby’s enlightening foreword perfectly frames this engaging and timely exploration of one of the world’s most fascinating cultures.

Kerry Brown is Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Director of Strategic China Ltd.

Jonathan Fenby is a British journalist. He has worked for numerous distinguished publications, including ‘The Observer’, ‘Reuters’, ‘The Economist’, ‘The Guardian’ and ‘South China Morning Post’.

China in the 21st Century

Foreword by Jonathan Fenby; Introduction; China and the Two Paths; What Do We Mean When We Say China?; A Mao for All Seasons: The Master on Contradictions in the Twenty-First Century; The History Game; The Dark Side of the New PRC; Getting Used to Understanding Modern Chinese Doublespeak; How to Win Friends and Influence People in the PRC; The Kindness of Strangers: ‘Outsiders’ and Being Chinese; The Chinese Economy; Chinese Characters; Conclusions: Many Chinas, Many Truths; A Polemical Bibliography; Index