Wang Gungwu's study of the relationship between China and the Chinese with imperial Britain examines the possibilities, as well as the limits of their encounters. Beyond the cliches of opium, fighting, and the diplomatic skills needed to fend off rivals and enemies, Gungwu probes areas of more intimate encounters, not least of which is the beginning of a broader English-speaking future between the two countries.

Humans have been on the move for millennia. They have done so slowly as well as quickly, sometimes involuntarily, sometimes transported by force, often relocated at great cost in lives, but they have always moved. Over the centuries, improved transportation has eased the movement, even in the face of man-made or natural obstacles. But in modern times, migration has accelerated and its reach has become truly global.Whether it is Turkish gastarbeiter in Germany, Japanese Nisei in Seattle, Filipinos in Kuwait, or Haitians in Brooklyn, the costs and benefits of human mobility on...

Throughout the 20th century, all kinds of Chinese people tried to be "modern". At the same time, the standards of modernity have been set elsewhere and they always seem to be higher than what has been achieved. That makes most of the Chinese work harder, but some may well wonder if standards rise so that China will always get a poor report card at the end of each year. The ongoing drama of Chinese people seeking to be modern has been enacted in different parts of the world. There are interesting differences among these Chinese, depending on where they have been living. The general trend,...

This book of interviews with Professor Wang Gungwu, published to felicitate him on his 80th birthday in 2010, seeks to convey to a general audience something of the life, times and thoughts of a leading historian, Southeast Asianist, Sinologist and public intellectual. The interviews flesh out Professor Wangs views on being Chinese in Malaya; his experience of living and working in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia; the Vietnam War; Hong Kong and its return to China; the rise of China; Taiwans, Japans and Indias place in the emerging scheme of things; and on the United States in an age of...

China has achieved significant internal socioeconomic progress and has become a key player on the international stage after several decades of open-door and reform policy. Looking beyond China's transformation, this book focuses on the theme of governance which is widely regarded as the next most critical element to ensure that China's growth remains sustainable. Today, China is confronted with a host of pressing challenges that call for urgent attention. These include the need to rebalance and restructure the economy (on the economic front), the widening income gaps, the poor integration of...

The essays in this volume take the 1990s after the 1989 Tiananmen tragedy as its baseline. They consist of ways of looking at China's developmental path during the two decades before and after the turn of the 21st century. This book traces the choices that three generations of Chinese leaders from Deng Xiaoping to Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, have made to rebuild China and consolidate the reforms introduced in the late 1970s. It also examines how Chinese leaders are trying to restore China's position in the region; how they are re-connecting with the country's history and re-defining the kind...

The essays in this volume take the 1990s after the 1989 Tiananmen tragedy as its baseline. They consist of ways of looking at China's developmental path during the two decades before and after the turn of the 21st century. This book traces the choices that three generations of Chinese leaders from Deng Xiaoping to Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, have made to rebuild China and consolidate the reforms introduced in the late 1970s. It also examines how Chinese leaders are trying to restore China's position in the region; how they are re-connecting with the country's history and re-defining the kind...