ABSTRACT
To undertake a comprehensive analysis of European studies of the Chinese economy is beyond my competence. Indeed, the fi eld has advanced so rapidly, that the task is probably beyond that of any single person. In trying to make sense of the contemporary Chinese economy,1 it is often argued that a regional approach is more meaningful and offers more useful insights than one that seeks to focus only on national trends. Trying to encapsulate the “European” study of Chinese economic studies presents a similar dilemma. Europe’s identity as a political unit has grown much stronger in recent years. But it is still far from being a unifi ed, let alone uniform, entity. Defi ning Europe even in a geographical sense is diffi cult enough. For the last 500 years, we have wrestled with whether or not Russia should be included as part of Europe. At the moment, the question of Turkey’s admission to the European Union is a major topic of debate. I should make clear therefore that the European thrust of this chapter is overwhelmingly orientated towards Western European countries.
