China Modernizes: Threat to the West or Model for the Rest?

by Randall Peerenboom

Overview

Two sharply contrasting views of China exist today. On the one hand a rising superpower predicted to have the largest economy in the world by mid century, on the other hand a brutal, anachronistic and authoritarian regime, a threat to geo-stability and to the economies of the industrial world. So which China is the real China? Randall Peerenboom addresses this question by exploring China's economy, political and legal system, and most controversially, its record on civil, political and personal rights in the context of the developing world. Avoiding polemic and relying on empirical evidence, he compares China's performance not with first world countries such as the US and UK but with other middle income countries and highlights the often hypocritical stance of an international community which demands standards from others that it does not match at home. He also critically evaluates the benefits of globalisation and democratisation and the normative values of the West set against Beijing's determination to retain its cultural and political integrity. This book seeks to bridge the gap in understanding about China and to create a firmer foundation for mutual trust, while recognising that there are inevitable risks in a shift in global power of this magnitude that will require hard headed pragmatism at times where interests collide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191514135
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	01/25/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Randy Peerenboom is Director of the Oxford Foundation for Law, Justice and Society's China Rule of Law Programme, Associate Fellow of the Oxford University Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, and Professor of Law at La Trobe University in Melbourne. He obtained a B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Chinese Religion and Ph.D. in Philosophy before obtaining a J.D. from Columbia Law School. In addition to serving as an expert witness on PRC legal issues, he has been a consultant to the Ford Foundation and the Asian Development Bank on legal reforms and rule of law in China. He was previously a Professor of Law at UCLA Law School and practiced for several years with a major international law firm in Beijing.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations xx
1 Introduction: two opposing views of China 1
2 Deja vu all over again: China and the East Asian Model 26
3 Taking rights seriously? Official policy and actual practice 82
4 Social and economic rights, law and order, women's rights, and cultural rights 129
5 Of rights and wrongs: why China is subject to a double standard on rights 163
6 Institutional reform: rule of law and good governance 184
7 Debating democracy 233
8 What if China democratizes? What if it doesn't? 257
9 Conclusion: modernity with modesty. The strengths and limits of the EAM 282 Endnotes 298 References 363 Index 395

Editorial Reviews

"By exploring China's recent progress and problems in the context of the developing world, this thoughtfully structured, thoroughly argued volume...seeks to foster mutual trust between the West and Beijing. Highly recommended."—CHOICE

"Randy Peerenboom tells a bold and compelling story of China's rise and its implications for the world. He shows that China's performance on key developmental indicators meets or exceeds that of most other lower-middle income countries. Noting that democratic accountability and constitutionalism tend to come rather late in the developmental sequence within the EAM, he suggests that China's continuing high rate of economic growth augurs well for the future emergence of political rights, pluralism, and governmental accountability..."—Richard Baum, Professor of Political Science, UCLA

"China Modernizes is a timely examination of China's grand economic strategy by one of the keenest and most prolific observers of Asia today. Peerenboom carefully analyzes how the Chinese are both drawing from and deviating from the experience of earlier rapid East Asian developers. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the prospects and potential pitfalls in China's road ahead."—Tom Ginsburg, Professor of Law and Political Science, University of Illinois

"Randy Peerenboom has jumped with vigor and data into the ever deepening debate over how to view China. Going beyond the previous focus on the economic aspects of the East Asian Model, he shows that the EAM has served China well and suggests that other countries may also learn from China's experiences. Sure to set off debate, China Modernizes is a must read."—Joseph Fewsmith, Professor of International Relations and Political Science, Boston University

"Randy Peerenboom brings a thick cultural awareness to the sometimes ominous pronouncements of political economists. Building his book on the four pillars of modernity -economics, human rights, rule of law, and democratization -he challenges his readers to relax their assumptions about the way the world has to work— assumptions which have allowed for a popular and persistent demonizing of China in all its aspects. China in this moment is undergoing the greatest revolution in its long history. But far from precipitating the clichéd clash of civilizations that fearmongers are wont to predict, China could well establish a concrete, alternative model of successful development. "—Roger T. Ames, Professor of Philosophy, University of Hawai'i

"This thought-provoking book and major contribution to studies of law and development, globalization and modernization is essential reading for all those interested in understanding the nature and implications of China's "model of development". No matter whether this message pleases readers, the case definitely needs to be heard."—Professor Albert H.Y. Chen, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong

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