ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the impact of the Soviet collapse on the People's Republic of China's (PRC) domestic politics and policies. It analyzes the impressive recent growth rates in various sectors of China's economy and spotlights the wide gamut of renewed reform initiatives that range from price rationalization to trade liberalization. The book also examines the economic effects of industrial reforms in the state sector and the spread of financial markets in the form of stock exchanges, foreign currency trading centers, and commodities futures. The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona were a time of international triumph and national pride for the PRC. The book provides developments in China's politics, economics, and foreign relations and provides longer-term analyses of the legal system, public health, and filmmaking in the PRC.
