China's Path to Power: Party Military and the Politics of State Transition

The rise of China and its wider implications for international politics form the most important issue in our time. Chinas economic miracle has contributed to growth and development both at home and abroad. Chinas economic growth has also enabled a rapid modernization of Chinas armed forces. Chinas military expenditure is still only a fifth of the United States military budget but is fast catching up. Chinas increased economic and military might is changing not only Chinese society and how the Chinese view their role and place in the world but also the regional dynamics in Asia and it has the potential to transform international politics at large. Chinas South Asia connectivity projects underway also have a broader context to the ambitious China Western Development (CWD) plan started in 2000. It involves six provinces (including Yunnan) and five autonomous regions including Tibet and Xinjiang bordering India. Chinas diplomacy can be divided into three levels: great power diplomacy (with the U.S. at the core) border diplomacy and resource diplomacy. Based on different diplomatic requirements Chinas soft power penetration falls into three different categories: economic aid economic cooperation and cultural penetration. As the book addresses this crucial issue quite deftly it is hoped that it would prove to be a source of great information for the reader.