China's rapid and sustained growth over last thirty years has propelled it to become the world's second largest economy today and potentially the largest in the foreseeable future. As one of the first major economies pulling out of recession and the last remaining major socialist country in the world today, China presents a challenge to established thinking on the essential primacy of global capitalism and the settled nature of the world system - as China becomes more integrated into the world economy and the international system, both are themselves potentially transformed as a result of...

This book was originally pubished in 2000. China is the largest developing country in the world and is still heavily based on agriculture. Currently, about 70 per cent of China's total of more than one bilion people live in rural areas, and about half of the total national labour force is involved in agricultural activities. It is clear that agriculture is the foundation for the development of the Chinese national economy. Within agriculture, the grain economy is the most important sector: indeed it has been recognised as a treasure in managing the country by all past Chinese dynasties....