Will China dominate the 21st century?

Select an Action

Place Hold(s)
Add to My Lists
Email
Print

Title:

Personal Author:

Fenby, Jonathan

Series:

Global futures series

Physical Description:

vii, 139 pages ; 20 cm.

ISBN:

9780745679266

Abstract:

China's spectacular growth has led to visions of the 21st century being dominated by the last major state on earth ruled by a Communist Party, its forward march seemingly unstoppable when contrasted with the West and Japan. In this book, Jonathan Fenby, a leading expert on the People's Republic, makes plain that China, too, faces major challenges which stand in the way of global domination. It has to deal with political, economic, social and international tests, each of which involves structural difficulties that will put the system under strain. The picture of China invoked by admirers to argue that it will rule the world does not accord with reality. Based on Fenby's extensive knowledge of contemporary China, this punchy analysis offers a pragmatic view of where the PRC is heading at a time when its future is too important an issue for wishful theorizing.-- Publisher description.

Subject Term:

China -- Economic conditions -- 2000-

Geographic Term:

China -- History -- 21st century

China -- Politics and government -- 21st century

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000010337881	DS779.4 F46 2014	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

On Order

Summary

China's spectacular growth and expanding global role have led to visions of the 21st century being dominated by the last major state on earth ruled by a Communist Party. In this new edition of his widely acclaimed book, renowned China expert Jonathan Fenby shows why such assumptions are wrong. He presents an analysis of China under Xi Jinping which shows the highly significant challenges it faces which stand in the way of global domination. For all its spectacular growth, it has to deal with major political, economic, social and international tests, each involving structural difficulties that will put the system under strain.

Based on the author's extensive knowledge of contemporary China and his close analysis of Xi's leadership, this incisive analysis offers a pragmatic view of where the country is heading at a time when its future is too important an issue for wishful theorizing.

Author Notes

Jonathan Fenby is a former editor of the Observer and South China Morning Post and a founding partner and Managing Director of Trusted Sources Research Service. He is an author of several popular books on China, including the acclaimed Tiger Head, Snake Tails (2013) and The Penguin History of Modern China (2009).

Reviews 1

Choice Review

The often hyperbolic stories about China's growth hide the many problems China faces today, and conventional views mistakenly assume that China wants to dominate the world. Fenby argues that China is unlikely to dominate the 21st century because of a combination of reasons: its unwillingness, domestic constraints, dependence on foreign markets and resources, and lack of soft power. The author critiques China's development model, pointing out that it tends to shine in quantity rather than quality and lacks cutting-edge innovation. The party system implemented by Mao increasingly conflicts with the way China is evolving. The Communist Party faces a classic paradox: it needs reform to rule more effectively, but reform brings the threat of weakening the system. The author borrows former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's four "uns" to highlight China's challenges: unsustainable, uncoordinated, unbalanced, and unstable. China is also on the verge of a demographic crisis as its population ages. All these, not to mention corruption and the environment, lead to the conclusion that China will not dominate the 21st century. Concise yet convincing, this somber analysis of China's development warrants the attention of all students and scholars interested in China. --Zhiqun Zhu, Bucknell University