The pro-democracy demonstrations of April-May 1989 heralded the awakening of public opinion in urban China; the brutal suppression in June revealed a Communist Party leadership severely out of touch with its own society and its aspirations. The contributors to this timely book, a number of whom witnessed the events described, place these dramatic events within the broader context of China's developmental experience. Rather than an instant reaction and description, however, this book grows out of the ongoing research interests and keen onservational skills of the contributors. Therefore it...

The story of one village, Yantian, and its remarkable economic and social transformation, this book shows how outcomes are shaped by a number of factors such as path dependence, social structures, economic resources and local entrepreneurship.

Including key research articles from specialists in the field, this volume provides an introduction and critical insights into the most important debates surrounding the governance of contemporary China. The material will enable readers to understand how China is ruled, how participation and protest are regulated by the authorities, and the relationship between the Central state and its local agencies. Spanning the most important areas of the subject, the chosen articles explore the study of Chinese politics, the nature of the Chinese political system, the policy-making process, the nature of...