Gordon Chang has lived and worked in China for almost two decades, most recently in Shanghai, as counsel to the American law firm Paul Weiss. His articles on China have been published in The New York Times, The Asian Wall Street Journal, The Far Eastern Economic Review, and The International Herald Tribune. This is his first book.
"A compelling account of the rot in China's institutions and the
forces at work to end the Communist Party's monopoly on power."
-James A. Dorn, Cato Institute, Washington D.C., co-editor of
China's Future: Constructive Partner or Emerging Threat?
"Quite simply the best book I know about China's future. Gordon
Chang writes marvelously and knows China well. I hope everyone
concerned with that country will pay careful consideration to what
he sees ahead."
-Arthur Waldron, Director of Asian Studies, American Enterprise
Institute; Lauder Professor of International Relations, University
of Pennsylvania
"A sobering look at how the unique Chinese experiment of market
reforms under one-party dictatorship could go wrong. The author has
combined first-hand experience with painstaking research. The often
gloomy picture of the violent clashes between the forces of change
and those of reaction is relieved by lively anecdotes and witty
storytelling. A tour de force not to be missed."
-Willy Wo-Lap Lam, Senior China Analyst at CNN's Hong Kong office
and author of "The Era of Jiang Zemin"
“Damning data and persuasive arguments that should set some
Communist knees a-knocking.”
-Kirkus
"Gordon Chang takes us on a vividly observed voyage behind the
scenes of China's so-called economic miracle, where it turns out
that institutions are shaky, relationships corrupt, and success
precarious. Chinese society is seething with unrest, and the ruling
party is split. Chang has lived and done business in China for
years. He is not afraid of making boldjudgments. When he warns that
China's two centuries of troubles are still not over, we had better
take notice."
-Andrew J. Nathan, Professor of Political Science, Columbia
University; Co-Editor, The Tiananmen Papers
The thesis of this provocatively titled but solidly argued book is simple and persuasive. Beneath the glitter of China's recent successes lies a deeply flawed economic system dominated by a sclerotic, fearful, and corrupt Communist elite. Bereft of solutions to the structural problems that plague China's economy and unwilling to loosen their grip on power, these men tinker with half-measures that are doomed to fail and increasingly resort to coercion to maintain their control. Chang, an American lawyer who lived and worked in China for almost 20 years, writes in an acerbic, almost sassy style and illustrates his points with numerous concrete examples from the past decade. The book is not merely a warning to anyone contemplating investment in China but an eye-opener to "Sino-optimists" in general. Chang's apocalyptic prediction of the Communist regime's collapse after a failed attempt to conquer Taiwan may not be the most likely of alternate scenarios, but it is at least plausible. Unfortunately, his hope that a liberal and democratic China will replace the current authoritarian regime seems less plausible. For all academic and larger public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/01.] Steven I. Levine. Univ. of Montana, Missoula Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
"A compelling account of the rot in China's institutions and the
forces at work to end the Communist Party's monopoly on power."
-James A. Dorn, Cato Institute, Washington D.C., co-editor of
China's Future: Constructive Partner or Emerging Threat?
"Quite simply the best book I know about China's future. Gordon
Chang writes marvelously and knows China well. I hope everyone
concerned with that country will pay careful consideration to what
he sees ahead."
-Arthur Waldron, Director of Asian Studies, American Enterprise
Institute; Lauder Professor of International Relations, University
of Pennsylvania
"A sobering look at how the unique Chinese experiment of market
reforms under one-party dictatorship could go wrong. The author has
combined first-hand experience with painstaking research. The often
gloomy picture of the violent clashes between the forces of change
and those of reaction is relieved by lively anecdotes and witty
storytelling. A tour de force not to be missed."
-Willy Wo-Lap Lam, Senior China Analyst at CNN's Hong Kong office
and author of "The Era of Jiang Zemin"
"Damning data and persuasive arguments that should set some
Communist knees a-knocking."
-Kirkus
"Gordon Chang takes us on a vividly observed voyage behind the
scenes of China's so-called economic miracle, where it turns out
that institutions are shaky, relationships corrupt, and success
precarious. Chinese society is seething with unrest, and the ruling
party is split. Chang has lived and done business in China for
years. He is not afraid of making boldjudgments. When he warns that
China's two centuries of troubles are still not over, we had better
take notice."
-Andrew J. Nathan, Professor of Political Science, Columbia
University; Co-Editor, The Tiananmen Papers
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