ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book demonstrates how national health movement became an intersection of the negotiations between nation-building priorities and international cold war politics. It points out the decline in British prestige, the discontent among the majority Chinese population demanding better social and working conditions. The new political landscape in Asia, especially the rise of a communist China, all contributed to the realization on the part of the government that revised policies were needed to ensure social and economic stability. The book analyzes the unexpected impact of the Korean War in defining China's public health policies in the early 1950s when national health and national defense became intertwined. It demonstrates the successful collaboration between the Japanese government and the Rockefeller foundation in the development of a post-war Japanese health care system available to all citizens.
