ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the perhaps unexpected traces of the three lines in the world of the arts. It deals with the neglected but essential sector of small private commerce, which has enjoyed a renaissance in China. The book explores the influence of the three lines on the evolution of China's foreign policy. It provides a panel of the April 1982 meetings of the Association for Asian Studies in San Francisco. The book also presents helpful matrices to identify areas of convergence and divergence among lines as they are applied to an array of issues. The political resistance of entrenched bureaucracies to a market system that would destroy their raison d'etre is another matter. The book highlights the similarities between Mao's views and those of Stalin, as well as the Maoists' willingness to use state power arbitrarily and harshly to accomplish their ends.
