This book sets out to unravel and explain the puzzle of the global rise of China: how, in just forty years, China has been quickly transformed from a poor, backward third-world country to one of the world's core economic powerhouses. Exactly how did this Chinese developmental miracle happen?Focusing on the key historical turning point in China's post-socialist development, the book examines the complex processes through which China interacted with the global neoliberal project of the late twentieth century. Alvin Y. So and Yin-Wah Chu reveal the centrality of the communist party-state in propelling China onto the world scene, and how it has successfully responded to the developmental challenges of technological upgrading, environmental degradation, inter-state rivalry, and maintaining its power.This book provides a comprehensive and insightful study of the rise of China not solely from an economic, social, and political perspective, but also from a global and historical perspective. It will be an invaluable guide for students and non-specialists interested in post-socialist development and the global rise of China in the twenty-first century.

MapChronologyPreface1 IntroductionSECTION ONE: The Chinese Development Miracle2 Socialist Foundation and the Critical Transition to State Neoliberalism3 State Neoliberalism: The Political Economy of the Rise of China4 Global Economic Crisis and the Deepening of State NeoliberalismSECTION TWO: Challenges of China's Global Rise5 The Challenge of Catching Up: Technological Upgrading and Moving up the Value Chain6 The Challenges of Staying in Power7 The Challenges of Sustainability: Environmental Degradation and Resource Depletion8 The Challenges of Global Rivalry: Resource Competition and Territorial Disputes9 ConclusionNotesReferences