China Under Communism

China Under Communism examines how Marxism took root, flourished and developed within the context of an ancient Chinese civilization. Through analysis of China's history and traditional culture, the author explores the nature of Chinese communism and how it has diverged from the Soviet model. This book also provides insight into the changing perceptions Westerners have of the Chinese, and vice versa. Key features include: * assessment of controversial issues: The Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and Mao's record * coverage of gender and family, ethnicity, nationalism, and popular culture * long historical context. This timely evaluation details how China's political and economic policies have been inextricably linked, and assesses past failures and successes, as well as major problems for the future.

Alan Lawrance is Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire.

Introduction 1 The Communist victory and consolidation of power, 1949-53 2 'Leaning to one side', 1950-3 3 The politics of the People's Republic, 1953-7 4 China's independent road, 1954-64 5 The Great Leap Forward, 1956-64 6 The Cultural Revolution, 1965-71 7 A Great Power triangle, 1964-79 8 A decade of transition, 1972-81 9 'Socialism with Chinese characteristics', 1981-9 10 Chinese society in the 1990s 11 Conclusion