The success or failure of China's development will impact not only its own citizens but also those of the world. China is widely recognized as a global actor on the world stage and no global challenge can be resolved without its participation. It is important to understand how the country is ruled and what its policy priorities are. Can China move to a more market-based economy, while controlling environmental degradation? Can it integrate hundreds of millions of new migrants into the urban landscape? The tensions between communist and capitalist identities continue to divide society as China searches for a path to modernization.

In this revised fifth edition and essential guide to the subject, Tony Saich delivers a thorough introduction to all aspects of politics and governance in post-Mao China, taking full account of the changes of the 20th Party Congress and the 13th National People's Congress as well as the situation in Hong Kong and current debates in Chinese society.

Essential introduction to China’s complex political and economic systems, this is an insightful and assessable text and excellent choice for any introduction to Chinese politics * Niall Duggan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork, Ireland *
This book is an outstanding and comprehensive introduction to the complex landscape of the Chinese Party State. Useful for students of China and comparative politics alike, it provides a solid basis for further exploration. * Rogier Creemers, University Lecturer, Leiden University, the Netherlands *
This is a fully up to date, comprehensive and essential introduction to China. It conveys the complexities and multiple realities of China in an admirably clear, concise manner and, for all the importance of Xi Jinping’s rule and China’s political centre, demonstrates the often overlooked but pivotal role of local politics. * Daniel Large, Associate Professor in the Department of Public Policy, Central European University, Austria *

Tony Saich is the Daewoo Professor of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, USA.