Introduction

With nearly four decades of rapid economic growth, China has emerged as a great power on the world stage with rising impact throughout the world. After nearly four decades, it is clear that China's ideological realm has been significantly transformed and complicated. This is well manifested in the wide acceptance of the liberal constitutional paradigm, which is so deep and profound that it is fair to say the notion of "constitutionalism" has become. The aspiration of constitutionalism as an ideology dates back to about a hundred years ago, when Chinese intellectuals were aspiring and trying to help China recover from the chaos inflicted by colonialism, imperialism, and civil war and transform it into a stable and strong state. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book seeks to examine China's constitutionalism choice and its implications for the world.