Critical Issues in Contemporary China offers up-to-date and in-depth coverage of the social, political and economic problems facing contemporary China. It provides students with a comprehensive analysis of a number of key issues including:

• critical developments in Chinese politics

• the privatisation of China’s economy and social services

• regional economic inequalities

• environmental problems

• population growth and food security

• ethnic minorities

• social change

• social and economic inequalities

• cross-Strait relations with Taiwan.

By examining the three interrelated themes of stability, sustainable development and territorial integrity, the contributors raise important questions regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s capacity to continue fast-paced economic development and maintain the territorial unity of China. Critical Issues in Contemporary China is both accessible and informative, with a number of useful pedagogical features that will equip undergraduates with the analytical skills needed to assess the political, economic and social challenges surrounding China as it enters the twenty-first century.

Czeslaw Tubilewicz is Assistant Professor and Co-Programme Leader of China Studies and International Studies at the Open University of Hong Kong.