This Handbook provides an in-depth overview of how China is governed, how its domestic political system functions and the critical issues that it currently faces. China is undergoing a transitional period of rapid economic and social development. How this period is managed will have significant implications for the Chinese state and its population concerning China's governance structures and economy, as well as the country's justice, public health, education and internal/external security concerns. This transition to a modern state is not without its challenges - particularly in terms of how the Chinese state deals with diverse issues such as social inequality, corruption, separatism, increasing individualism and political reform.
Many of the core internal issues facing China also have potential external repercussions, principally in terms of rising social unrest, nationalism, environmental degradation, resource shortages and attitudes towards globalization. This book aims to cover these issues and will help readers to fully comprehend China's ongoing contemporary global significance.