TheChinesesystemislikenootherknowntoman,noworinhistory.Thisbookexplainshowthesystemworksandwhereitmaybemoving.
DrawingonChineseandinternationalsources,onextensivecollaborationwithChinesescholars,andonthepoliticalscienceofstateanalysis,theauthorconcludesthatunderthenewleadershipofXiJinping,thesystemofgovernmenthasbeentransformedintoanewregimeradicallyharderandmoreideologicalthanthelegacyofDengXiaoping.Chinaislessstrongeconomicallyandmoredictatorialpoliticallythantheworldhaswantedtobelieve.
ByanalysingtheleadershipofXiJinping,themeaningof‘socialistmarketeconomy’,corruption,theparty-stateapparatus,thereachoftheparty,themechanismsofrepression,taxationandpublicservices,andstate-societyrelations,thebookbroadensthefieldofChinastudies,aswellasthefieldsofpoliticaleconomy,comparativepolitics,development,andwelfarestatestudies.