First Published in 2004. China is increasingly influenced by international affairs, especially since its entry into the World Trade Organization in December 2002. Despite this, domestic reforms remain a priority, and as China adapts its economic structure to these ongoing domestic reforms, there are significant social and political consequences. These issues are thoroughly analysed in this volume, which includes chapters by both Eastern and Western specialists, thereby providing an interdisciplinary vision of contemporary China. Particular attention is devoted to questions such as the social compact in urban China, emerging social conflicts, nation building dynamics, and the redefinition of collective identities amidst the current dialectics between control and cohesion. The enduring theme of the book is the complexity of current developments in today’s China.