China's rapid development has been a striking feature of the international landscape in recent years. In this timely collection, Zheng Bijian, one of China's leading thinkers and writers on ideological questions, addresses how we should think about China now.
His message is, first and foremost, that China hopes to rise not through territorial expansion or challenges to other powers but as a result of its own hard work and a peaceful international environment. The internal challenges are many: resource shortages, pollution, corruption, the need for a rule of law, and uneven socioeconomic development. Internationally, China faces a host of established powers—most notably the United States—with their own economic and political concerns. Zheng believes that clearly explaining his country's intentions can help establish the basis of a larger cooperative framework that will smooth China's growth in economic and political influence. With wit and insight, drawing on Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and T. H. Huxley, as well as world history and China's own experiences, Zheng builds a picture of the political and policy constraints and opportunities in relations with China.