Over the past 40 years, no issue has been covered by the global press more avidly than China鈥檚 economy. Only Middle East tensions and the march of technology have garnered as much attention. 鈥淭he Chinese Economy鈥 lies at the center of a galaxy of phrases and arguments familiar even to casual consumers of media: Over 800 million lifted out of poverty, reform and openness, special economic zones, world鈥檚 second-largest economy, corruption, pollution, intellectual property theft, nontariff barriers, stealing our jobs. The topic inspires exaggeration by triumphalists and catastrophists alike.
The Kissinger Institute on China and the United States presents Kent Hughes鈥 work to the public, online and in print, in hopes of fostering a more informed, less alarmist discussion of China鈥檚 rise. His volume is an excellent introduction or review for students, policymakers, journalists, and businesspeople who sense the weight of China鈥檚 economy in their work and communities, but cannot follow every twist in China鈥檚 quest for 鈥渕odernization.鈥
Hughes鈥 analysis reflects five decades of experience as an economist on Capitol Hill and in think tanks. His approach is empathetic and dispassionate. He aims at understanding, not at placing blame.
