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Mapping China’s Tobacco Industry and Anti-Smoking Campaign

China has gained a reputation as “the smoking dragon” due to its rapidly growing tobacco industry and ongoing smoking-related health crisis. The anti-smoking campaign in China, despite daunting challenges and deep-rooted institutional barriers, has the potential—and the unprecedented opportunity—to change the course of the tobacco epidemic within China and in the world.

In this updated Chinese volume, Cheng Li provides an updated analysis to an earlier English monograph of China’s tobacco industry and its main stakeholders in light of the leadership change after the 18th Party Congress last November and the National People’s Congress last March.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The high prevalence of tobacco use in China is not only the country’s single most serious public health problem, but also constitutes the ultimate test case for the global tobacco control campaign. While China’s remarkable economic growth over the past three decades has been one of the most amazing miracles of our time, the country has also gained a reputation as “the smoking dragon” due to its rapidly growing tobacco industry and ongoing smoking-related health crisis. The anti-smoking campaign in China, despite daunting challenges and deep-rooted institutional barriers, has the potential—and the unprecedented opportunity—to change the course of the tobacco epidemic within China and in the world. The drafting of a political map of China’s tobacco industry and its main stakeholders is essential for the next phase of the campaign.

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