Important questions are posed, within the context of Chinese national conditions, particularities and histories, to the validity, applicability and viability of the state and civil society paradigm in the Western academia. The in-depth analysis of state and civil society, as accomplished in the volume, includes not only theoretical reflections, but also historical studies and empirical examinations. In the past, research done by Chinese scholars has not been adequately represented in English due to the language barrier. This translated volume shall in no small way supplement the global discourse on state and civil society with the voices from within China.