China Since 1949 (Seminar Studies in History)

Chinas rise to global prominence is one of the most remarkable stories of our time.  Millions of urban Chinese today enjoy lifestyles unthinkable in the days of Chairman Maos communist regime, and the countrys leadership has made continuing economic growth their primary goal, helping to transform China into a modern world power. 

 

Rapid change has also created tensions within Chinese society: a new middle class and a small, wealthy elite contrast with a far larger number who feel they have yet to benefit from the new economy. Corruption and abuse of power have emerged as a potent source of discontent across Chinas social divide.

 

In this fully revised second edition, China s ince 1949 traces key events from the Maoist era through the Reform period to the present day.

 

The book:

• Explains the forces behind Chinas rapid growth, and its domestic and international impact.
• Examines issues of international concern, such as Chinas human rights record and international relations, balanced against the domestic pressures that influence Chinas behaviour on the global stage.
• Illustrates, through the use of world rankings, Chinas new position as a global economic power
• Includes two new chapters, covering contemporary society and political developments since 2000
• Incorporates new sections on Latin America and Africa, and updated material on Taiwan

Written in accessible and engaging prose, this fully updated edition of China s ince 1949 is a concise but comprehensive introduction to Chinas recent past.

 

Linda Benson is Professor of Chinese History at Oakland University, Michigan, and holds degrees from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Leeds. She is the author of a number of books, including China's Last Nomads: The History and Culture of China's Kazaks (1998) and Across China's Gobi: The Lives of Evangeline French, Mildred Cable, and Francesca French (2008).

China’s rise to global prominence is one of the most remarkable stories of our time.  Millions of urban Chinese today enjoy lifestyles unthinkable in the days of Chairman Mao’s communist regime, and the country’s leadership has made continuing economic growth their primary goal, helping to transform China into a modern world power. 

Rapid change has also created tensions within Chinese society: a new middle class and a small, wealthy elite contrast with a far larger number who feel they have yet to benefit from the new economy. Corruption and abuse of power have emerged as a potent source of discontent across China’s social divide.

In this fully revised second edition, China Since 1949 traces key events from the Maoist era through the Reform period to the present day. The promises and challenges of China’s rise are explored within the context of the country’s remarkable transformation and the country’s new position as an international powerhouse. 

The ideal text for courses in Chinese Studies.

Chinas rise to global prominence is one of the most remarkable stories of our time.  Millions of urban Chinese today enjoy lifestyles unthinkable in the days of Chairman Maos communist regime, and the countrys leadership has made continuing economic growth their primary goal, helping to transform China into a modern world power. 

 

Rapid change has also created tensions within Chinese society: a new middle class and a small, wealthy elite contrast with a far larger number who feel they have yet to benefit from the new economy. Corruption and abuse of power have emerged as a potent source of discontent across Chinas social divide.

 

In this fully revised second edition, China since 1949 traces key events from the Maoist era through the Reform period to the present day.

 

The book:

• Explains the forces behind Chinas rapid growth, and its domestic and international impact.
• Examines issues of international concern, such as Chinas human rights record and international relations, balanced against the domestic pressures that influence Chinas behaviour on the global stage.
• Illustrates, through the use of world rankings, Chinas new position as a global economic power
• Includes two new chapters, covering contemporary society and political developments since 2000
• Incorporates new sections on Latin America and Africa, and updated material on Taiwan

Written in accessible and engaging prose, this fully updated edition of China since 1949 is a concise but comprehensive introduction to Chinas recent past.

 

Linda Benson is Professor of Chinese History at Oakland University, Michigan, and holds degrees from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Leeds. She is the author of a number of books, including China's Last Nomads: The History and Culture of China's Kazaks (1998) and Across China's Gobi: The Lives of Evangeline French, Mildred Cable, and Francesca French (2008).

Linda Benson is professor of Chinese History at Oakland University, Michigan, and holds degrees from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Leeds. She is the author of a number of books, including #LINK< China's Last Nomads: The History and Culture of China's Kazaks ># (1998) and #LINK< Across China's Gobi: The Lives of Evangeline French, Mildred Cable, and Francesca French ># (2008).

CONTENTS

               

 

                Introduction to the Series  

                A Note on Romanization and Pronunciation of Chinese Words

                Acknowledgements            

                Publishers’ Acknowledgements       

                Chronology of Major Events            

                Maps     

               

PART ONE: CHINA’S PAST            

 

1.             GENERAL INTRODUCTION            

                Themes in Recent Chinese History  

                Terms and Concepts          

2.             GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND             

                Geography           

                Historical Overview            

               

PART TWO: CHINA UNDER THE COMMUNIST PARTY        

 

3.             CHINA’S NEW REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, 1949–57  

                The CCP Leadership           

                The Party, the Government and the Military  

                International Relations and the Korean War  

                Domestic Policy: First Steps             

4.             THE RADICAL MAOIST PHASE, 1958–76   

                Tibet      

                The Sino-Soviet Split         

                The Seeds of the Cultural Revolution             

                The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution      

                Assessing Mao’s Impact on China 

5.             BUILDING REFORM-ERA CHINA, 1977–89 

                Deng Reverses the Maoist Direction              

                Foreign Investment and the SEZs    

                Deng and the Reorganization of the CCP       

                Family Planning and the ‘One Child’ Policy   

                The ‘Opening’ of Chinese Society in the 1980s             

                Changes in Minority Regions           

                The Democracy Movement and Tiananmen Square     

6.             DEEPENING REFORM: CHINA IN THE 1990s              

                Economic Growth in the 1990s          

                Increasing Disparity between Urban and Rural China  

                China after Deng Xiaoping

                Popular Culture in the 1990s             

7.             CHALLENGES in the 1990s               

                Pollution and the Environment         

                Crime, Corruption and Vice               

                Religious Policy  

                Equity in Education            

                The Challenge of Employment and the ‘Floating Population’     

                China’s New Nationalism  

8.             CONTEMPORARY CHINESE SOCIETY

                Population and Social Change

                Social Classes

                Women and the Family

                Minorities

                Education

                Health Care

                The Environment

                The Arts, Entertainment, and Popular Culture

                Technology and Communication

9.  GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND THE ECONOMY SINCE 2000

                Government, Party and Military

                The Economy

10.    CHINA AND THE WORLD     

                China, Europe and the USA              

                China, Latin America, and Africa

                China and its Asian Neighbors

                China and Taiwan               

                China as a Regional Power

               

PART THREE: ASSESSING CHINA’S RISE  

 

11.           CONCLUSIONS  

                PART FOUR: DOCUMENTS            

                Glossary               

                Who’s Who         

                Bibliography

                Index