The world seems divided to either applaud or fear the rise of China, but this book probes deeper by investigating three aspects of the phenomenon in detail: 1) the institutional dilemmas of the prosperity as it integrates Asian authoritarianism with globalizing capitalism to create economic accomplishments; 2) the political struggles alongside the prosperity as Chinese citizens begin to demand equality, rights, and justice that might be viewed to disturb the continuity of stability and development; and 3) the global implications entailed by the prosperity — not only in power politics, war and peace, or competitions among nations, but especially on global public goods termed “human security”. Articles included here combine political economic analyses, lens with historical depth, and global concerns to add a perspective that highlights the “paradoxes” of prosperity surrounding the ongoing debate on the rise of China and its global ramifications.

Readers will find an analysis that goes beyond the dichotomy viewing the rise of China either in positive or negative perspectives. Investigations on the internal dilemmas and the global implications of the rise of China are well-situated in the historical context of China's own search for modernization since the late 19th century. This is one of the few books in which China's rise is examined from a global perspective, rather than from a national perspective (of China, the United States or any other specific nation) — a global perspective that addresses the challenges facing all human societies with the rise of China.

Wu Guoguang is Chair in China and Asia-Pacific Relations at the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives at University of Victoria, Canada, and is also Professor at both Departments of Political Science and History. His academic honors included a Nieman fellowship (Harvard University, 1989–1990), a Luce fellowship (Columbia University, 1990–1991), and a Wang An post-doctoral fellowship (Harvard University, 1995–1996). He received his BA from Peking University (1982), MA from the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (1984), MA, and PhD from Princeton University (1995).

Dr Wu's research interests cover institutional change, political economy, globalization, elite politics, media and politics, and foreign policy and regional security, with empirical references to China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. He has published 21 books in English and Chinese, with the latest volumes being Socialist China, Capitalist China: Social Tension and Political Adaptation under Economic Globalization (London, 2009), and China's Challenges to Human Security: Foreign Relations and Global Implications (London, 2012). His research articles has appeared in journals such as Asian Survey, China Quarterly, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Contemporary China, The Pacific Review, Social Research, Third World Quarterly etc.

Originally from China, Dr Wu once worked as an editorialist for the People's Daily in Beijing, and participated in political reform of China in the 1980s in the capacity of a policy advisor and speechwriter to the national leadership. In the recent decade, he was listed by Chinese Internet users as one of the top “100 Chinese public intellectuals” multiple times. He currently sits on editorial boards of several international academic journals, including: China: An International Journal, China Perspectives/Perspectives Chinoises, East Asia: An International Quarterly, East Asian Policy, International Journal of Politics and Good Governance, Journal of Contemporary China Studies, and Pacific Affairs.