Modern China: A Very Short Introduction

China today is never out of the news: from international finance to human rights controversies, global coverage of its rising international presence, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. It seems to be a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity.

This Very Short Introduction offers the reader an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, giving an integrated picture of modern Chinese society, culture, economy, politics, and art. In this new edition, Rana Mitter addresses China's current global position, accounting for the country's growth in global significance over the past decade.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Rana Mitter is Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China and Director of the University China Centre at the University of Oxford. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance, and Collaboration in Modern China (University of California Press, 2000) and A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World (OUP, 2004). His most recent book is China's War with Japan, 1937-1945 (Penguin, 2014), which won the 2014 Duke of Westminster's Medal for Military Literature, and was a 2014 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title. He is a presenter for BBC Radio 3's arts and ideas programme, Free Thinking.

1. What is modern China?
2. The old order and the new
3. Making China modern
4. Is Chinese society modern?
5. Is China's economy modern?
6. Is Chinese culture modern?
7. Brave new China?
Further Reading
References