9781422275726

Introduction A nation modern and ancient, unified and diverse, hostile to outsiders but increasingly stretching out into the world, ready to lead in the future but stuck in many ways in the past, China represents many things to outsiders. Some view China with exotic fascination; others consider it a bogeyman threat, and still others think it a model for success, a relic of the Cold War, a friend with deep pockets, or an enemy with an ancient grudge. Few countries have become leaders in the way that the People’s Republic of China has,hoping to become a global power withmilitarymight,diplomatic virtue, economic heft, and cultural exchange. China is the fourth-largest country in the world, trailing only Russia,Canada, and the United States,with 3.7million squaremiles (the island of Taiwan adds an additional 14,000 square miles).This makes mainland China only slightly smaller than the United States. Throughout its long history, the geographic area of “China” has expanded froma small civilization in the centralYellowRiverValley to an empire much larger than its current boundaries, waxing and waning as it expanded and came into contact (and conflict) with neighboring powers. China’s current boundaries are a reflection of Words to Understand Economic boom: Period of rapid economic and financial growth, resulting in greater wealth and more purchasing power. Gross domestic product: The total value created by a nation’s economy in a single year. Industrialization: The transition from an agricultural economy to a manu- facturing economy. Infanticide: The intentional killing of infants. Police state: A nation in which the state closely monitors activity and harshly punishes any citizen thought to be critical of society or the government.

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