Table of Contents

1: Introduction: Two Opposing Views of China
2: Déjà vu all over again: China and the East Asian Model
3: Taking rights seriously? Official policy and actual practice
4: Social and economic rights, law and order, women's rights and cultural rights
5: Of rights and wrongs: Why China is subject to a double standard on rights
6: Institutional reform: rule of law and good governance
7: Debating democracy
8: What if China democratizes? What if it doesn't?
9: Conclusion: modernity with modesty- the strength and limits of the EAM

About the Author

Randy Peerenboom is Director of the Oxford Foundation for Law, Justice and Society's China Rule of Law Programme, Associate Fellow of the Oxford University Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, and Professor of Law at La Trobe University in Melbourne. He obtained a B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Chinese Religion and Ph.D. in Philosophy before obtaining a J.D. from Columbia Law School. In addition to serving as an expert witness on PRC legal issues, he has been a consultant
to the Ford Foundation and the Asian Development Bank on legal reforms and rule of law in China. He was previously a Professor of Law at UCLA Law School and practiced for several years with a major international law firm in Beijing.

Reviews

important and timely Japanese Journal of Political Science Peerenboom's book deserves a wide readership because it is perhaps one of the clearest statements in favour of the Chinese model to yet emerge. Its main contribution is to help the China field place the great debate about the Chinese model in the context of the global politics. In an era in which China has replaced the Soviet Union and Chile in the global search for alternative modernities to liberal democracy, the book will be useful not only in the undergraduate classroom but also in the foreign policy world. Bruce Gilley, The China Quarterly, 191, September 2007 Peerenboom's appraisal deserves to be heard: it will help the general public who are interested in China and encourage policymakers to reassess their views. THES Perceptive. David Smith, Sunday Times (Culture) Randy Peerenboom has jumped with vigor and data into the ever deepening debate over how to view China. Going beyond the previous focus on the economic aspects of the East Asian Model, he shows that the EAM has served China well and suggests that other countries may also learn from China's experiences. Sure to set off debate, China Modernizes is a must read. Joseph Fewsmith, Professor of International Relations and Political Science, Boston University Peerenboom's measured response to its dynamic present, caution us against more panicky assessments The Independent This thought-provoking book and major contribution to studies of law and development, globalization and modernization is essential reading for all those interested in understanding the nature and implications of China's "model of development" . No matter whether this message pleases readers, the case definitely needs to be heard. Professor Albert H.Y. Chen, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong