ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to address the prospects for China’s economic development in the twenty-first century, and whether recent progress can be sustained and how it may best be pursued. At the end of the last millennium, many people were predicting that the twenty-first century would be the century of Asia. Many Chinese might well hope that the twenty-first century would be the century of China. However, at the turn of the millennium, things are far from certain. China and her neighbouring economies are grappling with deep structural problems. A variety of sceptical and critical commentaries have emerged, particularly from Western analysts. To assess these conflicting claims it is crucial to produce a comprehensive assessment, underpinned by research and sound evidence.
