ABSTRACT

How will China develop under the new leadership of Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang? This is a key question for both China and the wider world. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the key areas and issues, assessing how things are likely to develop under the new leadership. It considers the economy, trade, politics, and demographics; appraises the leadership, both at the national and provincial levels; and discusses potential flashpoints in China’s relationship with its neighbors and China’s emerging role in world politics. The book emphasizes the great uncertainties surrounding the next phase of China’s development, highlighting the structural problems of the economy, the problems of urbanization and governance, and the deep social cleavages which exist over issues such as income disparity, rampant corruption and unequal opportunities in social mobility. Against this backdrop it measures the emerging leadership of Xi Jinping to assess the prospects for China in the next decade and beyond.

chapter |17 pages

Introduction

China enters the Xi era

part I|41 pages

Political direction

chapter 1|19 pages

Intra-Party democracy

The CCP's rhetoric or pragmatic reform approach?

chapter 2|21 pages

China's new State Council

The dilemma of the “super-ministry” reform

chapter 4|16 pages

China's new provincial party leaders

part II|78 pages

Economic trends

part III|84 pages

Social trends

chapter 9|20 pages

China's growing population

Current trends and future challenges

chapter 10|23 pages

From “stability overrides everything” to “social governance”

The evolving approach to social order in China

chapter 12|21 pages

China's young generation comes of age

Generation shift and what it augurs for China's future

part IV|83 pages

Foreign relations and foreign policy

chapter 13|13 pages

Going assertive?

Chinese foreign policy under the new leadership

chapter 14|15 pages

Japan's relations with China and South Korea

Antagonism despite interdependency

chapter 15|18 pages

New challenges to the new leadership

The deterioration of the Diaoyu Islands dispute

chapter 17|22 pages

China and global governance

New emphases amidst a cautious approach