The Rise of China

Reviews / Votes

"The peaceful rising of the People's Republic of China is one of the greatest events in the 21st century. Professor Wolfram Elsner is a pioneer in studies of China's development and his books on China are a bridge between the West and the East." (Prof. Ping Chen, National School of Development, Peking University, China, and Research Fellow, China Institute, Fudan University, China)

"This book offers a very honest and extensive analysis of China and its spectacular rise during the recent decades. It debunks convincingly the myths and hypocritical accusations of the collective West through a meticulous presentation of evidence and data. Moreover, it does not shy away from addressing the intricate questions that concern the specific characteristics, mechanisms and contradictions of the Chinese economy and society in relation to the process of socialist transition. It stands above the many contemporary publications regarding China, its society, economy and geopolitical role, because of its wealth of references and data." (Prof. Stavros Mavroudeas, Department of Social Policy, Panteion University, Greece)

"Amid the international media being saturated with ideological biases and theories like "China's Growth Peaked" and "China's Economy Collapsing" running rampant, the English edition of The Rise of China can be regarded as a rare breath of fresh air. With an objective lens, this book examines China's achievements and existing challenges, offering us a brand-new dimension for observation." (Prof. Justin Yifu Lin, Dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics, Honorary Dean of the National School of Development, and Honorary Dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, Peking University, China)

"Rather than posing as an expert from afar, over a sequence of years Professor Wolfram Elsner has visited China annually, integrating himself into the scientific and academic scene. To date he has authored three books dealing with China's promising prospects for economic and social development. This new title from Palgrave-Macmillan registers as the first of his three books." (Prof. John B. Hall, Department of Economics, Portland State University, USA)

"The book comprehensively explicates an early argument by John K. Galbraith that "(t)he Chinese economy isn't the American or European future. But it is the Chinese future. And let there be no doubt: For the Chinese, it works." (Galbraith [1973] 1989, 137) On top of this, the various pieces of evidence and arguments presented by the author are highly inspiring, encouraging readers to reflect on the lessons that can be learned from China's development process, even though its system is not perfect and cannot be directly replicated in other countries - just as no system in the world can be." (Prof. Ricardo Siu, Department of Finance and Business Economics, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, China)

"As few in the advanced industrial world have anything but a passing familiarity with ancient civilizations, and less with civilizations that are not deemed direct antecedents of their own, the book pays particular attention to such important factors as history, culture, institutions and political economy, which contributed greatly to the country's astonishing economic rise. This is social science presented as an especially penetrating and insightful way that clarifies and confronts important theoretical and policy issues in an international environment so negatively affected by geopolitics." (Prof. Nikolaos Karagiannis, Winston-Salem State University, USA)

" The Rise of China is an excellent and highly significant book. It introduces, in a didactic and elegant manner, how Chinese society evolved from a poor country into one of the great economies of the twenty-first century. The authors clearly state the perspective they adopt to analyze the Chinese economy, which makes the discussion coherent and well-articulated. The Rise of China is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the evolution of the Chinese economy." (Prof. Felipe Almeida, Department of Economics, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil)